Over the years I have used multitudes of tyres from various brands and ranges. With my current staggered wheel setup, I had trouble finding tyres for my stock rim sizes. These stock rims were the standard 17-inch BMW M-Sport rims.
- 17/45/225 – 17 inch rims, 225mm width tyres
- 17/40/255 – 17 inch rims, 255mm width tyres
These were the “stock” setup on my car and finding those sizes for my car meant I had to search for the non-popular types. I was using HPY Champiro series tyres previously which came in the tyre sizes above.
Michelin launched the Pilot Sport 4 earlier in October and I have always been a fan of Michelin tyres. I loved how grippy their tyres were especially the PS Cup 2 series tyres as well as the all-rounder PSS range. My favourite would have been the Pilot Super Sport tyres but getting them in the sizes I need was tricky.
Finally, I decided to downsize my rear tyres, swapping from a 255 width to a 245width and slapped on a set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres and boy, I haven’t stopped grinning since. It was a “eureka” moment for me because all these while I never knew that I could have gone for “skinnier” tyres instead of sticking to the 255 width tyres in the rear.
Dry Grip
The grip these Michelin Pilot Sport 4 have in the dry was just mind blowing. I never expected to get these level of grips on a day-to-day set of road tyres. Of course, realistically, they aren’t competing in the range of the super street types where the average treadwear of 140 is prevalent. I can definitely corner a lot more confidently at sharp bends or high-speed corners and I definitely enjoy the softness of the tyres. It doesn’t have that harsh feeling especially when you are using run-flat tyres.
Wet Grip
As I take my usual route to and from work, in this rainy season, the one thing I noticed is how grippy these set of tyres are as well. Corners, especially at the Penchala Tunnel highway, which used to drive my traction control crazy suddenly seem so sedated. Those little metal connectors you get on the highways suddenly don’t light up the dashboard on my screen anymore.
Conclusion
Remember that tyres are the only piece of contact your car has on the road. Choosing a good set is key to road safety. So far, I have only travelled less than 3,000 kilometers with these tyres, I can’t give any comments yet on the wear and tear of the tyres. But, I am thoroughly pleased with these tyres and it’s no wonder it received such great reviews on TyreReview.co.uk (94% buy again rating). If you are looking for tyres for your ride and can afford a set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4, I definitely would recommend you to get them.
