Has Pirelli Finally Figured Out How to Beat Michelin?

For years, Michelin has been the go-to tire manufacturer for OEMs and individual shoppers looking to improve grip and handling. The Pilot Sport 4S, released all the way back in 2017, remains a dominant force in the segment, delivering superior performance in virtually every scenario. But it’s no longer the king. That title now belongs to Pirelli.

The Tyre Reviews YouTube channel brought together some of the greatest ultra-high-performance tires on the market today for a side-by-side comparison test, including those from Michelin, Pirelli, Continental, Goodyear, and Bridgestone.

As with any well-rounded tire comparison, this one uses multiple types of tests, both in the wet and the dry, to see how the tires cope with different scenarios, allowing for a wide range of performance metrics to measure against each other.  The channel ran all seven tires, listed below, through wet handling, wet braking, dry handling, dry braking, aquaplaning, comfort and noise, and rolling resistance tests.

The P Zero is the newest tire in this test, with its more advanced compound technology putting up excellent results in virtually every measurement. It was the best in the wet braking test, and second-best in the wet handling lap, just behind the Bridgestone. The Pirelli was fastest overall in the dry, and second quickest to stop in the dry braking test. It was also one of the quieter and more comfortable tires out of the seven tested:

So the Pirelli takes the overall win, followed by the Continental in second and the Michelin in third. Host Jonathan Benson is quick to point out that the top four tires were all extremely close in performance, and you likely wouldn’t be able to sense the nuanced differences if you didn’t drive them back to back. Between them, there are no bad choices.

One question remains: How does the Pirelli P Zero PZ5 stack up against Michelin’s newest tire, the Pilot Sport S 5? A head-to-head test is in order.