Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S *

Compared to the no-name tires that came with the car, the Pilot Sport 4S changed how the car felt – night and day. It suddenly felt as responsive as a proper sports car.

Noise levels were also far better than the previous tires, though those were no benchmark to begin with. Now that they've worn down to about 3.5–4.5 mm, some drone is starting to set in on the highway.

The car is heavy, but the grip makes it feel much lighter and nimbler. Dry grip is excellent. At the limit they let go progressively. Most of my experience with that is in the wet; in the dry I've felt them start to slip only once, and progressively as well.

As for wear, they wore down fast, but not as fast as the previous ones. To be fair, I should have gone with the SUV version for more tread life, so I can't blame the tires for that.

I bought a new set a few months ago for next season, this time the PS4 SUV. Hope they're as good.
Maybe I am a little to harsh on the ratings due to my car not being the car kept in mind when developing the PS4S.

Previously my BMW 220i Coupe (G42) with M-Sport Pro Pack (19” upgraded alloys) was on OE Pirelli P Zero (*) from factory and were very good in all respects. Decided to go Michelin this time and very pleased with the decision as these OE PS4S are in another league. Dry grip, steering feel, cornering and overall driving experience is at another level and surpasses the P Zeros in every respect.

I cannot comment for wet handling yet as we are having some great sunshine in the UK and neither for wear, as only been on my car for x3 weeks. Overall, these tires have significantly improved the driving experience of my BMW and they are much more comfortable than the P Zeros on both motorways and local roads, especially over rougher roads. These tires are standard fitment on the M240i and they definitely provide a massive improvement on the 220i and same if you have the 230i, so would highly recommend getting these when you’re ready for replacement. 100% from me so far!

I drive an Alpina B3S Allrad which is based upon the E92 BMW 335ix. I bought the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S* tires from my local BMW Alpina dealer; 235/35/19 on the front and 265/35/19 on the rear. The difference between the star * designated version of the tires and the regular Michelin Pilot Sport 4S is quite noticeable on my car and it’s clear that BMW really worked hard with Michelin to optimize the tires’ capabilities when paired with their vehicles. I am not a person to exaggerate and I will not embellish the difference that the tires made by saying that they transformed my car and I will stick to differences I felt between how the tires felt as new on my car, compared to how previous tires felt new on my car. The first thing I noticed with the star* tires fitted was that it made my car feel like it had a tighter steering rack. The new tires, at any speed, felt like they were mind-reading where I wanted to go, steady, progressive and immediate but also reassuring. The comfort levels felt to be slightly improved and the road noise seemed to be dampened. I recently drove 5000 motorway miles through continental Europe on them and I was really impressed by just how comforting and quiet the car became after I fitted these tires. The grip is fabulous for accelerating, braking, turn in and progression. The tires have to my mind, given me a tighter rein on my car and it feels as though a dial or a knob has been turned up a notch, even though I know it’s an analogue change. Wet handling is fine and the tires don’t give me any cause for concern during any downpours or when there’s any standing surface water to drive through. I would definitely buy them again and in future stick to any tire that’s specifically designated for any particular brand or model. So until a Michelin Pilot Sport 5S* is brought to market, I will stick with these 4S* tires for as long as I drive my Alpina.