3.3TT Michelin Pilot Sport 4 vs 4 S Tires be Careful When Buying

[Chucky]

I went online to order replacement rear tires for my 2019 RWD GT2 from Tire Rack. Their "wizard" identified Michelin Pilot Sport 4S 255/55ZR19. After placing the order I was contacted by a representative from Tire Rack who informed me that this is NOT the tire that comes on the Stinger GT; rather they come with the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 not 4 S. He said the 4 S is a very different tire; after some research I switched the order to the 4 which was $36 more than the 4 S for the two rears.

Skinny is the 4 S is a sportier more track oriented tire. I found this great video on YouTube posted below "Michelin Pilot Sport 4 vs Pilot Sport 4 S vs Cup 2 The Differences Explained"

I almost stuck with the 4 S but didn't want the added twitchy-ness in daily driving, they would be more fun though; maybe next time.

 

[eflyguy]

Erm.. that is not the correct size either. 255/35, not 55

 

[MerlintheMad]

Hi. I replaced the Pilot Sport 4 with 4S; first the rears, which I rapidly put c. 4K miles on, during an extensive road trip. And then c. two weeks after I got back (end of August), I put 4S on the front. "Twitchiness" I do not know about. I drove four times on the Tail of the Dragon, getting rather into it by the third time, and getting oversteer a couple of curves. That's probably when I finished off my PS 4 fronts: because the tire guys who replaced them said I had NO outside tread left on the LF, in fact the tread was starting to lift. "Did you track this car?" I told them what I had been doing recently.

My understanding is that the 4 is increasingly hard to order in. The 4S is a replacement for the 4.

 

[Stiletto]

I had PS 4S on my Focus RS. Great tire, but pricey. I didn't find them twitchy at all. Grippy in the turns and excellent for stopping (because it's the tires that actually help you stop faster).

 

[Cashie]

I'm keen to know what the difference is between the 4 and the 4s too.
Are they both the same tread wear?

 

[MerlintheMad]

I'm keen to know what the difference is between the 4 and the 4s too.
Are they both the same tread wear?

Same 30K miles treadlife warranty (cut to 15K for the rear tires if different size than front like our GT rims).

 

[CKeeler]

I have the 4S and I love em. I haven’t had the chance to push them hard, but everyday drivability is perfectly fine. They’re just “loud”. Then again the 4 is loud also

 

[Cashie]

Just took a look around, seems the 4 and 4s are similar treadwear rated, the early model Continentals have a lower wear rating as expected:

225/40R19
4 - 320
4s- 300
Cont - 280

255/35R19
4- 320
4s- 320
Cont- 280

 

[Ty Davis]

I have the 4S and I love em. I haven’t had the chance to push them hard, but everyday drivability is perfectly fine. They’re just “loud”. Then again the 4 is loud also

These 4 and 4s are quite civilized and refined tires.
What is lacking is the Stingers sound isolation properties.
The Stinger simply allows more sound to be transmitted from the road and to resonate through the cabin on various surfaces. Gen 2 Stinger should definitely focus on improving road noise and chassis reverberations.

I’ve used the PS4 on several of my previous Bimmers. In those applications, the Michelins were smooth and quiet as a good touring tire. You’d be hard pressed to detect that they were high performance tires if it were not for the tighter sharper steering, stellar grip, and increased tread wear.

That being said, a good tire choice for those who want less road noise is the Continental DWS06.
These tires are a bit quieter (depending on the road surface) and also add a layer of smoothness to the ride quality. They grip very well in dry, wet, and snow. My issue with the DWS are that they dulled steering response, effort, and feel. I took them off of my Bimmer because of what they did to handling precision and steering. Literally felt like I was riding on severely under inflated tires. So this tire isn’t for everybody, but the person who doesn’t really care about precision will find awesome grip at all times and reduced noise and increased smoothness with the DWS06.

 

[Ty Davis]

I have the 4S and I love em. I haven’t had the chance to push them hard, but everyday drivability is perfectly fine. They’re just “loud”. Then again the 4 is loud also

Have you considered adding your own sound deadening to the Stinger?
Or are the sounds not bad enough to justify it in your eyes?

I’ve got some dynamat that I’ve been waiting to install. After I do, I’ll update everyone on where I put it and what effect it had.

 

[CKeeler]

I’ve considered it, just haven’t done it. The car is fairly quiet all things considered. But I can definitely hear the tires. Not anywhere near what my Bronco sounds like, but I’m considering the Nitto INVO for next time.

 

[MerlintheMad]

The instant I drove away on my Nitto Motivo A/S UHP tires last fall, I noticed a smoother, quieter ride compared to the PS 4. The same sensation will probably occur again when I change back to the A/S in the next few months.

 

[Revvdmedia]

Just took a look around, seems the 4 and 4s are similar treadwear rated, the early model Continentals have a lower wear rating as expected:

225/40R19
4 - 320
4s- 300
Cont - 280

255/35R19
4- 320
4s- 320
Cont- 280

From what I have learned, a misconception on treadwear ratings is that 300 equals 300 equals 300. Apparently the rating is only relative to other tires from the same manufacturer. Conti's 280 is not necessarily equal to Michelin's 280. The Conti 280 may be substantially lower than Michelin's 320, or maybe close, it's a toss up.

When buying tires with treadwear as the deciding factor, I suggest looking at actual reviews from end users rather than the rating from the manufacturer. I was always amazed with Michelins (Pilot Super Sport, 4, 4S) and how they are universally reviewed as one of the best performance focused street tires, yet users have posted the mileage they have seen out of the tread which is well above what I would have expected from such a grippy tire. Of course, "mileage may vary" based on how the user drives their car, but can't refute what I have seen.

 

[MerlintheMad]

I was always amazed with Michelins (Pilot Super Sport, 4, 4S) and how they are universally reviewed as one of the best performance focused street tires, yet users have posted the mileage they have seen out of the tread which is well above what I would have expected from such a grippy tire. Of course, "mileage may vary" based on how the user drives their car, but can't refute what I have seen.

Just repeating here what I've said before: my personal experience was surprisingly satisfactory. I got c. 18K miles out of my rear tires and over 22K out of my front tires, far more than I was expecting from my reading of others' experiences with the OE Michelins.

 

[Revvdmedia]

Just repeating here what I've said before: my personal experience was surprisingly satisfactory. I got c. 18K miles out of my rear tires and over 22K out of my front tires, far more than I was expecting from my reading of others' experiences with the OE Michelins.

I would consider that mileage completely acceptable on a performance tire, especially on a staggered setup that cannot be rotated to maximize mileage.

 

[ScottM]

That being said, a good tire choice for those who want less road noise is the Continental DWS06.
These tires are a bit quieter (depending on the road surface) and also add a layer of smoothness to the ride quality. They grip very well in dry, wet, and snow. My issue with the DWS are that they dulled steering response, effort, and feel. I took them off of my Bimmer because of what they did to handling precision and steering. Literally felt like I was riding on severely under inflated tires. So this tire isn’t for everybody, but the person who doesn’t really care about precision will find awesome grip at all times and reduced noise and increased smoothness with the DWS06.

I went from the stock Mich 4 to the DWS's. They seem to fit my driving style better. My biggest concern was the confidence I had in the Mich's in less than perfect conditions. I live in Las Vegas, so it doesn't get all the bad stuff very often, but when it does I wanted to make sure I was set. I had the opportunity to test them out in a flash flood situation two days ago. I will say...I'm now very confident in my tires. Other drivers...not so much! Of course, as you said in concept... it all depends on your expectations and driving style.

 

[Ty Davis]

From what I have learned, a misconception on treadwear ratings is that 300 equals 300 equals 300. Apparently the rating is only relative to other tires from the same manufacturer. Conti's 280 is not necessarily equal to Michelin's 280. The Conti 280 may be substantially lower than Michelin's 320, or maybe close, it's a toss up.

When buying tires with treadwear as the deciding factor, I suggest looking at actual reviews from end users rather than the rating from the manufacturer. I was always amazed with Michelins (Pilot Super Sport, 4, 4S) and how they are universally reviewed as one of the best performance focused street tires, yet users have posted the mileage they have seen out of the tread which is well above what I would have expected from such a grippy tire. Of course, "mileage may vary" based on how the user drives their car, but can't refute what I have seen.

This is correct. I always weight the treadlife warranty against the wear rating. Using both can give more accurate insights into how the tire matches the competition and how it may actually wear in the real world.

 

[Ty Davis]

I went from the stock Mich 4 to the DWS's. They seem to fit my driving style better. My biggest concern was the confidence I had in the Mich's in less than perfect conditions. I live in Las Vegas, so it doesn't get all the bad stuff very often, but when it does I wanted to make sure I was set. I had the opportunity to test them out in a flash flood situation two days ago. I will say...I'm now very confident in my tires. Other drivers...not so much! Of course, as you said in concept... it all depends on your expectations and driving style.

Not bashing the DWS at all... Years ago I put a set on my 2010 535i and my moms 2008 535i.
The DWS are very good tires with specific ride/handling traits. But as we know, every tire is a compromise between many key traits. The DWS are smoother and quieter than most tires in its segment. It’s grip levels are astounding (for such a smooth riding tire) in most all conditions. Truly a class-act. The trade-off for that occurs in sharpness, response and precision.

They are nowhere near the best choice for “canyon carving” or drivers that value precision over all else.
My mom was 100% satisfied with the DWS.
But like you said, different expectations... I too was enamored with the civilized point a to point b ride, but missing that bit of lost handling acuity, I took them off of my car when the summer came. I do recall them wearing quite slowly on my car and even slower on my mothers.

A great tire, just not the sportiest choice.
Both the pros and cons of the DWS are magnified by the fact the BMW original fitments are stiff runflat tires.

I’m interested in how these behave on the Stinger chassis. Where do you find they are an improvement over the PS4?

 

[ScottM]

I’m interested in how these behave on the Stinger chassis. Where do you find they are an improvement over the PS4?

You're spot on with the precision or minor lack there of. I don't do much carving and such, mostly I'm an a to b driver...with some spirited straight aways with a few corners here and there. The PS4 seemed to steer quicker (if that's a thing). Basically, I'd turn in a direction and it sliced on a dime. With these, I feel a tad bid slower. BUT... honestly, I don't really notice it until I think about it in this conversations.

Sooo...with all that. My opinion, the improvement for me is the they seem to hug the road better. When I first got the car, I had a hell of a time when trying to pull out from a side street and turning left across oncoming traffic and into my lane. I was so squirrely , it was a little crazy. I got the eibachs front and rear sways and that seemed to help (thought that would tighten it)...but still. Now that I have these, about 1.5 months now I feel more planted as I do the same thing. I'm happy with them.

 

[Ty Davis]

You're spot on with the precision or minor lack there of. I don't do much carving and such, mostly I'm an a to b driver...with some spirited straight aways with a few corners here and there. The PS4 seemed to steer quicker (if that's a thing). Basically, I'd turn in a direction and it sliced on a dime. With these, I feel a tad bid slower. BUT... honestly, I don't really notice it until I think about it in this conversations.

Sooo...with all that. My opinion, the improvement for me is the they seem to hug the road better. When I first got the car, I had a hell of a time when trying to pull out from a side street and turning left across oncoming traffic and into my lane. I was so squirrely , it was a little crazy. I got the eibachs front and rear sways and that seemed to help (thought that would tighten it)...but still. Now that I have these, about 1.5 months now I feel more planted as I do the same thing. I'm happy with them.

Do you notice them being quieter at all?