Michelin Pilot Sport 4 VS Bridgestone Potenza Adrenalin RE003

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 VS Bridgestone Potenza Adrenalin RE003: Both tires under discussion are max performance summer tires which are designed to provide extreme performance with higher durability. Sport 4 has a lower void ratio, providing lower dry and wet braking distances while RE003 with a comparatively higher void ratio is known for its superior hydroplaning resistence.

Both tires were compared under the same size of 225/45 R17 where PS4 has a tread depth of 9.5/32” and the other with 8/32”.

Pilot Sport 4 with a stronger built provides higher durability to better resist the treadwear while Bridgestone Potenza RE003 even with a lower rolling resistance is unable to resist the treadwear due to its weaker built quality.

Comparing Michelin Pilot Sport 4 with Bridgestone Potenza Adrenalin RE003

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 has an asymmetrical five-pitch tread design having a total of four circumferential grooves, two of which are wide with one a little narrower and the fourth one being minute.

These grooves are relatively deeper with a tread depth of 9.5/32”.

There are 3 ribs and no tread blocks column available in the tread.

Lateral grooves are available on the shoulders, forming shoulder blocks.

One of the shoulders features smaller lateral grooves along with a higher distance with the nearest inner rib whereas the other shoulder has lengthier lateral grooves covering full shoulders.

Then it opens into the fourth narrowest groove, extending halfway through the nearest rib which almost feels like a shoulder’s extension.

The central rib has sipes on half of its surface that is closer to the smaller shoulder while the rib in between the central and smaller shoulder has inclined sipes reciprocating each other at intervals, covering other the quarter of the rip length.

RE003 also has an asymmetrical five-pitch tread design with four circumferential grooves having a slightly larger width but they are not as deep as that of its counterpart with a depth of 8/32”. 

The central groove is in the form of a pulse having curved groove walls and being the widest of all.

The rest of these grooves gradually decrease in width with the fourth one as thin as a line. It has one rib and two tread blocks columns.

Its shoulders have two different unique designs with one containing lateral grooves defining its blocks while the other has full-length sipes doing the same for it.

The rib near the siped shoulder also has deep sipes starting from the circumferential groove then extending to almost the end but not opening into the central pulsating groove.

The rest of the two tread columns are separated into blocks by inclined lateral grooves.

The narrowest grooves separate one of the tread blocks column from the shoulder with lateral grooves, almost making the column an extension of the shoulder.

Grip Comparison

The Sport 4 has a higher contact patch due to its three ribs, allowing greater grip with the road, therefore, allowing the tire to accelerate and decelerate readily.

(But the Pirelli P Zero PZ4 was still able to perform even better)

A certain point A was set and vehicles going 100 Km/H were applied brakes at that point, then their speed was checked at another reference point B, that how much the tire has de-accelerated.

On testing Sport 4 tire we found the speed of 10.5 Km/H on reference point B in dry conditions.

While on a wet track, the tire came from 80 to 0 Km/H in 51.1 meters, which is much lower due to its efficient siping.

On the other hand, with RE003 when applied brakes on point A with the speed of 100Km/H, it was only able to lower its speed up to 20.3 Km/H until it reached reference point B.

The lower deceleration of this tire was caused by its lower contact patch, reducing its grip on the road.

Whereas this tire covered 61.3 meters on wet roads when stopping from 80 to 0 Km/H.

The reason for the higher wet braking distance is due to the lack of decent siping on its tread. Therefore, this loses in terms of both wet and dry gripping.

Handling Comparison

Sport 4 has a lower shoulder block length of its shoulders, decreasing its dry handling capability, thus, allowing a slightly lower average dry handling speed of 112.5 Km/H while driving on a circular track.

In wet conditions, the presence of deep lateral grooves on shoulder blocks, increases its wet handling speed up to 76.1 Km/H, a little higher compared to its counterpart.

RE003 is praised for its unorthodox shoulder design which performs better in dry conditions, allowing a higher average speed of 114 Km/H whereas has on wet circular track its average handling speed is 73 Km/H, a little lower than the other tire because of its shoulder design which has deep sipes on one end and lateral grooves on the other.

This combination doesn’t work very well on a wet road, being the sole reason for the lesser performance of this tire.

Comparison of Hydroplaning resistance

Sport 4 has a respectable float speed of 73.4 Km/H which is achieved by its deeper grooves, allowing enough water to pass through the tread.

This makes Sport 4 an attractive option in flooded conditions.

RE003 has a fancy design of its grooves but they are proven to be not efficient in wiping away the water through its tread.

It has a float speed of 70.5 Km/H, lower than its competitor. Finds out that pulsating grooves don’t work very well.

Comparing of Rolling Resistance

Sport 4 due to its higher contact patch causes higher friction with the road, therefore, results in a higher rolling resistance.

Hence, it can be confidently said that this tire does not help us to save fuel.

Bridgestone RE003 has an edge over its counterpart here.

The reason for marginally lower rolling resistance coefficient is due to its lower contact patch, causing lower hysteresis loss.

This tire is also not fuel efficient but is better when compared with the other tire.

Comfort and Noise Comparison

The grooves trap air particles that strike with their walls to produce noise. Sport has a noise level of 63 dB while moving at 50Km/H and 65.4 dB while moving at 80 Km/H.

The reason for the loud noise is its narrow but deep grooves, allowing a large volume for the air particle to get trapped. Its subjective comfort score is 6.5.

The wider but shallow grooves of RE003 produce a noise of 63.5 dB while traveling at 50 Km/H and 65.9 dB at 80Km/H.

The reason for almost similar loud noise is due large volume provided by both tires for the striking of air particles, with RE003 being a little louder due to its wider grooves. It also has a subjective comfort score of 6.5 due to similar reasons.

Durability and Treadwear Differences

UTQG rating of sports 4 is 320 meaning it has better mileage despite having higher rolling resistance due to its stronger built providing extra durability and increasing its treadwear resistance, thus, resulting in a higher mileage tire.

On the other hand, Potenza RE003 has a UTQG rating of 220, far lesser than its counterpart despite having a lower rolling resistance.

The durability of this tire is so less that it can’t even withstand a lower rolling resistance, decreasing the mileage of this tire a lot.

Price Differences

The RE003 tire is higher priced than Sport 4 even with lesser performance and lower durability plus mileage.

Sport 4 is the better choice, providing higher performance and mileage at a slightly lower rate.

Quick Summary

• Both are max performance summer tires
• Both the dry and the wet grip of Sport 4 is better.
• RE003 can steer well in dry conditions whereas Sport 4 is better at wet handling.
• Sport 4 has a higher float speed.
• The rolling resistance of RE003 is lower.
• Sport 4 is comparatively quieter on the road.
• UTQG rating of Sport 4 is better.
• RE003 is a higher-priced tire.