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Michelin has paved the way for tyre innovation since the brand was founded back in 1889.
This is showcased through its Pilot Sport tyre series, a popular range of
summer tyres produced by Michelin since 2001.
Two recent Pilot Sport models that have seen various degrees of success for the French tyre brand are the
Pilot Sport 4 S and the
Pilot Sport 5.
These
premium summer
tyres are two of the most sought after tyre models on the market due to the performance capabilities of both.
This article will outline each tyre’s main components, comparing each model to see how the stack up against each other.
The biggest difference between the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S and Michelin Pilot Sport 5 is the level of performance they are designed to deliver.
The Michelin Pilot Sport 5 is Michelin’s latest premium performance road tyre. It has been developed for drivers who want responsive handling, excellent wet grip and long-lasting performance for everyday road driving.
The Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S sits higher in Michelin’s performance range as an ultra-high-performance summer tyre. Designed using Michelin’s motorsport expertise, it delivers greater dry grip, sharper steering response and increased high-speed stability for powerful sports cars and performance vehicles.
It’s also worth noting that Michelin has since introduced the
Pilot Sport S 5, the latest evolution of its flagship ultra-high-performance tyre. Drivers buying new tyres today may also wish to compare the Pilot Sport S 5 if they own a high-performance vehicle requiring the highest levels of grip and handling.
In simple terms:
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The Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S is a popular summer tyre manufactured by Michelin since 2017.
It has acted as a high performance version of the
Pilot Sport 4 since its release, being designed to optimise more spirited road driving performance.
Michelin’s Dynamic Response Technology is prominent on the Pilot Sport 4 S, enhancing the tyre’s longevity and handling responsiveness by perfecting transferring steering instructions.
It’s not just the Dynamic Response Technology that improves the performance of this tyre – Michelin’s Bi-Compound Technology heightens performance throughout both wet and dry weather conditions. The Michelin technology also enhances on-track performance.
Car models like the BMW 3 Series and
Mercedes-Benz A-Class have chosen the Pilot Sport 4 S as an Original Equipment (OE) tyre, further emphasising how revered the tyre is.
The Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S replaced the Michelin Pilot Super Sport upon the tyre’s release.
The Michelin Pilot Sport 5 is also a summer tyre produced by Michelin since its release in 2022.
Acting as a replacement for the Pilot Sport 4, the Pilot Sport 5 is also developed with Michelin’s Dynamic Response Technology, giving the tyre greater levels of steering responsiveness and driving performance.
The tyre’s tread features Michelin’s Dual Sport Tread Design, giving the tyre an inner tread that has large longitudinal grooves to drive away water. Braking is enhanced through the Pilot Sport 5’s tread design, optimising both wet and dry braking performance.
The tyre model’s sidewall is designed with a Premium Velvet Touch Sidewall design, giving the Pilot Sport 5 enhanced dry braking performance.
The Michelin tyre model has been chosen as an OE tyre for many popular cars, such as the Volkswagen Polo and Volkswagen Golf.
Tyre label ratings are an EU regulated ranking system that is put in place to outline the performance capabilities of a tyre model. Ratings may vary between different tyre sizes.
The three performance categories that are rated are as follows:
Fuel Efficiency – Ranked A to E
Wet Grip – Ranked A to E
Tyre Noise – Ranked with numbers and A to C/Decibels (dB)
| Label rating | Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S | Michelin Pilot Sport 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel Efficiency | C | C |
| Wet Grip | A | A |
| Tyre Noise | 72B | 72B |
The Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S has fuel efficiency ratings ranging between B and D, with C being the most common rating.
Wet grip ratings for the Michelin tyre is mostly A or B.
Tyre noise levels of the Pilot Sport 4 S are anything between 71B and 74B.
The Michelin Pilot Sport 5 has a consistent rating of C across all tyre sizes for fuel efficiency apart from
275/45 R20 tyres.
Wet grip ratings for the Pilot Sport 5 is A across all tyre sizes.
Tyre noise levels are mostly 72B across all tyre sizes, with
285/40 R19 tyres having a noise level of 75B.
Michelin has accumulated many awards, recognitions, and tyre tests wins over the years, with the Pilot Sport 4 S being at the forefront of the tyre brand’s success.
A recent success of Michelin’s high-performance tyre is their back-to-back wins at the 2022, 2023 and 2024 DriverReviews annual customer choice awards. Across all years, the Pilot Sport 4 S was named ‘Best Tyres for High Performance Cars’.
Along with the high-performance category, the Michelin tyre model has also seen success in the overall tyre category. This is shown through the ‘Overall Tyre’ award the Pilot Sport 4 S won in 2020 at EVO’s annual tyre test awards.
All in all, the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S has been highly praised by industry experts since its release, with the awards and tyre test wins emphasising the fact that’s a great performing tyre.
Much like the Pilot Sport 4 S, the Pilot Sport 5 has spearheaded Michelin scooping awards and positive tyre test results.
One such, is the 2024 DriverReviews annual customer choice awards, from which the Pilot Sport 5 was crowned ‘Winner’ in the ‘Best Tyres for Hot Hatches’ category. In that 2023 customer choice awards, the Michelin Pilot Sport 5 was tagged as “Commended” for ‘Best Tyres for Large Family Cars’.
Upon its release in 2021, the Pilot Sport 5 was awarded with the prestigious ‘Contemporary Good Design’ award from the Red Dot Awards. A big factor in this award was the Pilot Sport 5’s deep black velvet appearance on the tyre’s sidewall.
While the tyre model is still quite new to the market, the Pilot Sport 5 has reinforced Michelin’s credit as a top summer tyre manufacturer.
Michelin invests heavily in research and development to
improve tyre performance across every stage of a tyre’s life.
Technologies such as Dynamic Response Technology, EverGrip, MaxTouch Construction and Thermal Adaptive Tread Compounds have been developed to enhance handling, braking, durability and efficiency across different tyre ranges.
Rather than focusing on one area of performance, Michelin aims to deliver a balanced driving experience in a wide variety of conditions.
Powered by
DriverReviews, our customers are given the chance to review their previously purchased tyre model.
The categories in which our customers review their latest tyre are:
customers have reviewed the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S as follows:
customers have reviewed the Michelin Pilot Sport 5 as follows:
Although both tyres belong to Michelin’s Pilot Sport family, they have been developed for different types of performance vehicles.
The Michelin Pilot Sport 5 is commonly fitted to:
The Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S is designed for higher-performance vehicles, including:
Ultimately, the correct tyre depends on your vehicle’s approved tyre size and specification. The Pilot Sport 5 is ideal for performance road cars, while the Pilot Sport 4 S is aimed at drivers wanting Michelin’s ultra-high-performance road tyre.
Fully fitted prices for the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S range from £ to £ .
Fully fitted prices for the Michelin Pilot Sport 5 range from £ to £ .
Both tyres are excellent premium Michelin performance tyres, but they have been designed for different drivers.
Choose the Michelin Pilot Sport 5 if you want Michelin’s latest performance road tyre for everyday driving. It delivers excellent wet grip, responsive handling, long tread life and outstanding all-round performance for modern performance cars.
Choose the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S if you own a powerful sports car or performance vehicle and want higher levels of dry grip, sharper steering response and greater confidence during enthusiastic driving.
If you’re buying a new set of ultra-high-performance Michelin tyres today, it’s also worth considering the
Michelin Pilot Sport S 5. As the latest flagship tyre in Michelin’s performance range, it builds on the Pilot Sport 4 S with further improvements in grip, steering precision and road-and-track capability for the most demanding performance vehicles.
You can buy both the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S and Michelin Pilot Sport 5 directly from Blackcircles.com. Simply enter your vehicle registration or tyre size to compare available options, view fully fitted prices and book fitting at one of thousands of trusted local garages across the UK.
The Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S delivers higher levels of grip and performance for powerful sports cars. However, the Michelin Pilot Sport 5 is the better choice for most drivers looking for a premium performance tyre for everyday road use.
Yes. Although the Pilot Sport 4 S is capable of occasional track use, it has been developed primarily as a road tyre, offering excellent comfort alongside exceptional performance.
The Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S provides greater dry grip than the Pilot Sport 5, making it better suited to high-performance driving.
Both tyres deliver excellent wet weather performance. The Pilot Sport 5 has been optimised for everyday road driving, while the Pilot Sport 4 S combines strong wet grip with higher overall performance capability.
The Michelin Pilot Sport 5 has been developed with a strong focus on long-lasting performance for everyday driving, while the Pilot Sport 4 S balances durability with the demands of an ultra-high-performance tyre.
Yes. The Pilot Sport 4 S is well suited to occasional track days while remaining practical for everyday road driving.
Yes. The Pilot Sport 5 is available in sizes suitable for many modern electric vehicles and has been engineered to deliver the durability and steering precision required by EVs.
Yes. The Pilot Sport 4 S remains one of Michelin’s benchmark ultra-high-performance tyres. However, drivers purchasing new tyres today should also consider the Michelin Pilot Sport S 5, the latest evolution of Michelin’s flagship ultra-high-performance tyre.
If you own a high-performance sports car and want Michelin’s latest ultra-high-performance tyre, the Pilot Sport S 5 is well worth considering. It builds on the Pilot Sport 4 S with further improvements in grip, steering precision and overall performance.
Choose the Pilot Sport 5 if you want Michelin’s latest performance road tyre for everyday driving. Choose the Pilot Sport 4 S if you drive a higher-performance sports car and want greater grip and sharper handling. If you want Michelin’s newest flagship ultra-high-performance tyre, compare the Pilot Sport S 5 where it’s available for your vehicle.
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