Michelin Pilot Sport 4, first impressions after five months of testing

Continuing with the long-term test of the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres that we started a few months ago, today we want to analyse the first impressions after five months of testing and driving in sunny, dry weather. We have fitted them to a Mercedes-Benz C-Class (W204) 220 CDI AMG, which has 17-inch AMG alloy wheels, dimensions more typical of a sports car than a saloon.

The front wheels are fitted with 225/45 R17 tyres, while the rear ones measure 245/40 R17. This generation of the Mercedes C-Class is not precisely known as a sports car; on the contrary, it seeks comfort on the road and, except in this AMG version, the suspension tends to be rather soft. For this reason, the choice of tyres was made with the aim of improving the dynamic qualities, because tyres have a great deal to say about how well a car behaves, regardless of the suspension layout, and can even correct the car’s behaviour or emphasise its more dynamic side.

Michelin Pilot Sport 4

As we already mentioned at the start of the tyre test, the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 comes with two fundamental innovations that can be felt at the wheel: the ultra-responsive tread and the dynamic response. The French brand has drawn on data gathered from more than 30,000 vehicles driving around the world and on experience from Formula E, which is where the ultra-responsive tread comes from. It constantly adapts to the road thanks to control over the dynamic interactions between the architecture, the sculpting and the material, allowing optimal management of the contact patch, that is, total control between the steering inputs and the tyres’ response.

The other important innovation is the dynamic response technology, which improves stability at high speeds thanks to a new belt with a hybrid aramid and nylon reinforcement, keeping the contact patch constantly in touch with the road at high speed. As with all Michelin tyres, water evacuation is high thanks to the width and depth of its longitudinal grooves, and it is the best in its class for wet braking (according to a comparison carried out by Dekra).

5,100 km – 5 months – Dry weather

After fitting the new Michelin Pilot Sport 4 to the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, the first thing we noticed is a high level of ride comfort. The innovations we saw in theory begin to show in practice over the first kilometres on the motorway: the response to steering inputs is more precise and quicker than with other tyres (which surprised me), and with a small movement of the wheel you get a more direct and precise turn.

On the journey from Madrid to Vigo, mostly on the motorway, I could verify that fuel consumption stayed practically the same as with the old tyres, falling by only 0.1 litres per 100 km (a minimal variation), reaching an average of 5.1 litres per 100 km on arrival in Vigo. At high speeds the stability is outstanding, always with precise responses to our steering inputs. The tyre label tells us that in terms of fuel saving, the Pilot Sport 4 has a C rating, improving on the energy efficiency of its direct competitors, except the GOODYEAR Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2, which matches it.

After several months with them on the road and in town, it is worth highlighting the good grip even during hard acceleration (it is not at all difficult for the C-Class to be abrupt when setting off unless you meter the pedal, since it has a generous torque that goes straight to the rear wheels). I had to make a short trip outside the country, and by chance I experienced first-hand the dynamic response technology, since on the motorway I came up to a long bend, one I should honestly have taken at a lower speed, and the Pilot Sport 4 maintained grip and stability outstandingly. It is precisely at high speeds or on the motorway that high stability is noticeable (if it is perceptible in a 170 hp diesel saloon, I imagine it will be felt even more in a more sporty vehicle).

In everyday driving, what I have noticed most is that they correct the typical response of the C-Class chassis, which, despite having a slightly firmer suspension than standard, is still a saloon that seeks comfort. In other words, more dynamism can be demanded from it thanks to the good grip of the tyres and the

Regarding wear, after 5,100 km and more than five months, we see that wear is similar on the front and rear wheels (the car is rear-wheel drive), with only a slight difference of 0.5 mm between one axle and the other. Measuring the tread depth, I find that on the front tyres the depth is 6.5 mm and on the rear ones 6.0 mm, approximately, from a depth of 7.4 mm on new tyres (always under normal driving). The French brand claims, according to various tests carried out by Dekra, that they can last up to 29,000 km (1.6 mm of depth). Certainly, judging by the wear in the first 5,000 km, it is feasible to get close to the figure the brand quotes.

When the winter rains arrive, especially in Galicia, we will put their behaviour in wet conditions to the test, and in a few months we will tell you about it here again.

Photos | Diego G. Moreira