Falken Azenis RS820 vs Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S

In this article we will be looking at independent tire test data, and real world driver reviews of the Falken Azenis RS820 and the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S to find out which tire is best for your own driving.

The good news is that both the Falken Azenis RS820 and Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S are Max Performance Summer tires designed to be fitted to Passenger Cars, which means comparing the two tires is relatively simple.

Both tires are hugely popular in the market place with drivers, and both have been featured in independent tire tests.

In This Article
Test Results Driver Reviews Conclusion Similar Comparisons
Azenis-RS820 VS Pilot-Sport-4-S

Test Results

Independent comparison tire tests are the best source of data to get tire information from, and the good news is there have been one tests which compare both tires directly!

Out of these one tests:

  • Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S finished ahead of the Falken Azenis RS820 in one of the tests

While it might look like the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S is better than the Falken Azenis RS820 purely based on the higher number of test wins, tires are very complicated objects which means where one tire is better than the other can be more important in real world use.

Let's look at how the two tires compare across multiple tire test categories.

Dry Braking

Looking at data from one tire tests, the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S was better during one dry braking tests. On average the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S stopped the vehicle in 1.48% less distance than the Falken Azenis RS820.

Falken Azenis RS820
33.8M
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
33.3M
Dry braking in meters, lower is better

Best In Dry Braking: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S

2025 Sport Auto UUHP Tire Test
285/30 R20		 Falken Azenis RS820:33.8M ✓ Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S: 33.3M

Dry Handling [Km/H]

Looking at data from one tire tests, the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S was better during one dry handling [km/h] tests. On average the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S was 2.24% faster around a lap than the Falken Azenis RS820.

Falken Azenis RS820
126.4Km/H
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
129.3Km/H
Dry Handling Average Speed, higher is better

Best In Dry Handling [Km/H]: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S

2025 Sport Auto UUHP Tire Test
285/30 R20		 Falken Azenis RS820:126.4Km/H ✓ Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S: 129.3Km/H

Wet Braking

Looking at data from one tire tests, the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S was better during one wet braking tests. On average the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S stopped the vehicle in 6.4% less distance than the Falken Azenis RS820.

Falken Azenis RS820
32.8M
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
30.7M
Wet braking in meters, lower is better

Best In Wet Braking: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S

2025 Sport Auto UUHP Tire Test
285/30 R20		 Falken Azenis RS820:32.8M ✓ Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S: 30.7M

Wet Handling [Km/H]

Looking at data from one tire tests, the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S was better during one wet handling [km/h] tests. On average the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S was 0.63% faster around a wet lap than the Falken Azenis RS820.

Falken Azenis RS820
79.4Km/H
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
79.9Km/H
Wet Handling Average Speed, higher is better

Best In Wet Handling [Km/H]: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S

2025 Sport Auto UUHP Tire Test
285/30 R20		 Falken Azenis RS820:79.4Km/H ✓ Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S: 79.9Km/H

Straight Aqua

Looking at data from one tire tests, the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S was better during one straight aqua tests. On average the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S floated at a 1.28% higher speed than the Falken Azenis RS820.

Falken Azenis RS820
85.1Km/H
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
86.2Km/H
Float Speed in Km/H, higher is better

Best In Straight Aqua: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S

2025 Sport Auto UUHP Tire Test
285/30 R20		 Falken Azenis RS820:85.1Km/H ✓ Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S: 86.2Km/H

Curved Aquaplaning

Looking at data from one tire tests, the Falken Azenis RS820 was better during one curved aquaplaning tests. On average the Falken Azenis RS820 slipped out at a 2.99% higher speed than the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S.

Falken Azenis RS820
2.01m/sec2
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
1.95m/sec2
Remaining lateral acceleration, higher is better

Best In Curved Aquaplaning: Falken Azenis RS820

2025 Sport Auto UUHP Tire Test
285/30 R20		 ✓ Falken Azenis RS820:2.01m/sec2 Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S: 1.95m/sec2

Noise

Looking at data from one tire tests, the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S was better during one noise tests. On average the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S measured 1.87% quieter than the Falken Azenis RS820.

Falken Azenis RS820
74.8dB
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
73.4dB
External noise in dB, lower is better

Best In Noise: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S

2025 Sport Auto UUHP Tire Test
285/30 R20		 Falken Azenis RS820:74.8dB ✓ Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S: 73.4dB

Rolling Resistance

Looking at data from one tire tests, the Falken Azenis RS820 was better during one rolling resistance tests. On average the Falken Azenis RS820 had a 2.2% lower rolling resistance than the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S.

Falken Azenis RS820
8.9kg / t
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
9.1kg / t
Rolling resistance in kg t, lower is better

Best In Rolling Resistance: Falken Azenis RS820

2025 Sport Auto UUHP Tire Test
285/30 R20		 ✓ Falken Azenis RS820:8.9kg / t Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S: 9.1kg / t

Real World Driver Reviews

Tire Reviews also collects real world driver reviews for the Falken Azenis RS820 and Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S.

In total the Falken Azenis RS820 has been reviewed 4 times and drivers have given the tire 93% overall.

The Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S has been reviewed 139 times and drivers have given the tire 86% overall.

This means in real world driving, people prefer the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S.

Best Review for the Falken Azenis RS820
Given 91% 275/35 R19 on track for 300 spirited miles
Very good and predictable tire on wet.similar traction to michelin ps4s. Dry handling is great for street tire,but after 7-8 hard laps on 3.2km track they start to feel soft and degrade slowly. Very good tire for beginners because it is not snappy and traction does not lose instantly on limit.
Helpful 73 - tire reviewed on June 10, 2024
View all Falken Azenis RS820 driver reviews >>
Best Review for the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
Given 100% 275/35 R19 on a combination of roads for 1,000 spirited miles
Replaced the Pilot Super Sports on my F80 M3 and it's better in every way. The wet grip is insane, it's like you're driving in the dry. Best tire on the market.
Helpful 697 - tire reviewed on March 9, 2017
View all Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S driver reviews >>

Conclusion

In conclusion the Falken Azenis RS820 performed better in curved aquaplaning and rolling resistance, while the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S performed better in dry braking, dry handling [km/h], wet braking, wet handling [km/h], straight aqua and noise.

Which tire is best for you depends a lot on your driving style and situation, plus what you want from the tire. Comparing all the data in the tire reviews database, on balance Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S seems to be the best tire overall.

However, it's important to note that both tires have their strengths.

Remember, the best tire for you might depend on which of these factors are most important for your specific driving needs and conditions.

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S

Overall Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S

Based on the tire test data and user reviews we have in our database, the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S has demonstrated better overall performance in this comparison. However, as you can see from the spider diagram above, each tire has its own strengths which should be considered in your final tire buying choice.

Similar Comparisons

Looking for more tire comparisons? Here are other direct comparisons involving these tires:

Falken Azenis FK520
VS
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
Falken Azenis FK520 VS Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
Falken Azenis RS820
VS
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
Falken Azenis RS820 VS Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
Continental SportContact 7
VS
Falken Azenis RS820
Continental SportContact 7 VS Falken Azenis RS820
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6
VS
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 VS Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
VS
Vredestein Ultrac Pro
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S VS Vredestein Ultrac Pro
Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport
VS
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport VS Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
Continental SportContact 7
VS
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
Continental SportContact 7 VS Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
VS
Pirelli P Zero PZ4
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S VS Pirelli P Zero PZ4
Bridgestone Potenza Sport
VS
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
Bridgestone Potenza Sport VS Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S

Footnote

This page has been developed using tire industry testing best practices. This means we are only comparing tests which have had both tires in the same test.

Why is this important? Tire testing is heavily affected by things like surface grip levels and surface temperature, which means you can only compare values from the same day. During a tire test external condition changes are calculated into the overall results, but it is not possible to calculate this between tire tests performed on different days or at different locations.

As a result you will see other tests on Tire Reviews which feature both the %s and %s, but as they weren't conducted on the same day, the results are not comparable.

Lots of other websites do this sort of tire comparison, Tire Reviews doesn't.