Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4 Winter/Snow Tire for Sportscars & High Performance Vehicles in 265/35R18

Purchased these over a set of full blown snow tires for the improved wet traction, speed rating, and improved dry grip. Michelin seems to have forgotten to walk back the snow traction as these were nothing less than excellent. Easily controlled power induced slides with strong reserve traction made these a bunch of fun in heavy snowstorms. Additionally, these have been some of the best tires I’ve owned in the rain. They really almost refuse to hydroplane even in standing water on the highway.

This is now my go to tire for New York winters. I just hit 10,000 miles on this set of tires and completed my second tire rotation. The front two tires show a bit more wear than the rear, mainly because they guide the car through steering. Only the outer sidewall show a slight sign of wear. Overall the tires look and drive like they are brand new.

Winter driving:
The PA4's truly are amazing. During one of the snowfalls, I tried to make them slip in an empty parking lot just to see how good they really were. I could barely lose grip. Even on ice these tires find a way to stop my car. The PA4's have definitely saved my life this winter numerous times. The overall design of the tire and thoughtful tread placements are very effective. These are the safest tires that I have driven on in bad weather.

Dry/Wet Road:
On dry roads I feel as if I have performance summer tires. Cornering responsiveness with these tires make the $400 stock Yoko's look like junk. Crisp steering and amazing grip, I have made moves with these tires that most dedicated summer tires would not be able to hold me. These tires are drivable all year round, although they shine brilliantly during winter conditions.

On wet roads, the large tread cuts through puddles and eliminates hydroplaning. They also provide more cushion when hitting potholes and bumps, and give a very secure feeling when doing so.

Currently, there is no better tire to fit on a performance car than these. Many people overlook the importance of good tires. Do not compromise your life by driving summer tires in the winter. Get a pair of PA4's and feel safe and secure.

Outstanding snow, wet snow, and wet traction - surprising resistance to hydroplaning. Very good cold weather dry traction.

Like how PA4 communicates to driver in ice or snow conditions. First winter on the PA4 but has proved grippy and secure. Can tell when tire will break away on fresh or packed snow and what it takes to bring it back. More sophisticated than an average snow tire. In times past used Nokian, Blizzack, Dunlop, and many standard or high performance snow tires on various vehicles. Thus high expectations, even though there are few reviews of PA4. Interesting that Porsche had been involved with development too. We usually have traction control devices engaged in cars --on mode- when entering harsh weather. Recently, however, have been turning off DSC in Bimmer sport-wagon, as control and performance of vehicle seems even better with PA4's. Car handled better without using DSC. Added control with such throttle response has been fun and added new dynamic. Generally enhanced winter driving experience in the 5 Series wagon with sports suspension. Rear wheel drive BMW has been easier to drive fast in snow and ice latley, yet with more control. Car more predicable now. Cornering to date has been superb in dry/wet conditions and the sidewall feels firm while offering quiet, comfortable ride. Have not pushed tires too hard yet, as want to give belts and rubber break in period. Yet already feels like an Ultra High Performance tire with intriguing winter capability. Have not yet finished testing and haven't been in really deep, heavy snow, but if these are first indications of what to expect then we're excited. For higher performance, lower clearance vehicles this should be a serious candidate for winter consideration. Looking forward to also trying the Michelin Xi-3 on other cars, as we are also big fans of the Conti Extreme Winter Contact which was very impressive on a Saab we own. That and the PA4 seem like the real leaders currently. Shall report back as we find out more about PA4 on BMW. Thus far does seem like a game changer in winter segment. Thanks Tirerack.

Love this tire. Performs great around town and excels on winter highways headed skiing.
My only complaint is a visual one, that the asymmetrical tread design looks like you put the tires on wrong if you look at the car from the back.

The best cold weather tire I have used for great traction on high power RWD sports car. I have used during winter to take my car out in temperatures from 40F down to 5F with excellent grip. On a freezing winter day these Alpin PA4 gives you the same confidence you may have with the Michelin Pilot Super Sport on a hot summer day. Very impressive.

This was my first set of winter tires for my Focus RS. I primarily use the tires around the coastal mountain roads in Northern California, bumpy and often wet from the morning dew or runoff from nearby steams. On the weekends, I (like all other Bay Area yuppies) drive up to Tahoe to ski. These tires perform well in both conditions. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised at their dry traction and performance in below freezing temperatures. While not nearly as sticky sweet as my Pilot Super Sports, these perform much better than "no-season" tires on previous vehicles. All in all, a great tire that I recommend to someone looking for more dry condition performance than your typical winter tire.

This is by far the best set of winter tires ever made by man, I've run Blizzaks in the past and while a fair winter tire by comparison the Michelin blows it away. For starters these feel like an all season/summer tire when it's dry out, first time I carved a canyon with these I couldn't stop smiling because now instead of a passable tire through the winter my little Golf R could drive like it's summer still. One of the more amazing aspects of this tire is the grip not just in corners, which is amazing, but in a launch/race conditions...my Golf is not stock and if I can do a "launch control" with 375lb ft. of torque, at 4,200 RPM, against a Mercedes with 150+ more horsepower and win...then these are the holy grail of winter tires. More than once I've done a launch and not even heard them chirp, when the Continental's my car came with from the factory were begging for mercy in comparison again proving the grip and confidence is other worldly in the dry where if you have ever driven Blizzak's when it's 75-80 degrees outside you know that when you lean them into a corner you will FEEL them lean with you whereas these are just grip monsters. They are also great in the snow/ice, I'm in Colorado and learned to drive in the mountains/snowstorms and whether it's a surprise patch of ice going up a mountain or pushing through a Blizzard to get from Denver to Glenwood you can still do it with these and you'll have some confidence whereas everyone around you is clearly struggling. Last thing I will say in their favor is their evenness of wear, the tech's who take care of my car have been consistently impressed/amazed at how even and low the wear rate is and I drive hard and often. Buy these tires, they are worth it especially if you live in a climate like CO where it's a blizzard one week and 60-70 degrees for the next 2-3 weeks you will get to enjoy your sports car again instead of just waiting for summer tires (of which I run PS4S from Michelin and you should too!)

I bought these tire for my wife's BMW. She is currently assigned as a Principal in Germany. German law requires winter tire with the three peak symbol on them. As for the tires, we have driven in snow, ice and rain with these tires. The tires are amazing. And yes, they are Autobahn tested. Dry grip and corning is crazy fun with these tires as well. The car is now back in the U.S. I kept the winter tires on even though I no longer need them here in Alabama. The tires are just so good in heavy rain and dry conditions. They are worth every penny I paid for them. Sorry for the long review.

Wow what a difference from the factory 20 inch Goodyear F1! It actually out handles an ultra high performance “all season” tire! They are quite, responsive, and almost feel like you’re driving a pilot sport in the winter! My EV barely noticed a range drop and acceleration is great. I noticed that they do break loose when accelerating from 40-75 at full throttle though nothing serious. I love these tires! The PA4 I received was the N-spec version which is a different pattern than the the traditional PA-4. Exceptional tire overall!

C7 collectors edition, Daily driver, 100 miles round trip on freeway.
Pacific NW, so lots of rain. 4 days of snow this last year. YES, I drive my corvette in the snow!
Averaged about 4" per snow day and melts away fast. Tires handled excellent!
No traction loss. Real problems came from car being so low I was plowing the snow
and had to slow a little or risk splitter damage. Wish I would have turned on my PDR and
posted.
These tires are definitely different than OEM. Non-run flat so much softer/better ride.
When I first put them on it was much more common for my traction control to flash as
I pulled into 2nd or cornered aggressively. Maybe break-in, but I still feel the performance loss.
Definitely not running these in the summer. If your looking for a all year solution go with
all season. As for track days, these are not allowed at my closest.

I had these tires installed before I left the dealership so I have to little to compare to. With that said, I went from an AWD16 Golf R on Blizzaks to a 19 Z06 on these. I took delivery in a snow storm and drive 150 miles home through all conditions imaginable. Then went through the worst February NW Montana has ever seen. These tires performed flawlessly. Did not get stuck once. I believe we totalled about 60 inches and my road was rarely plowed. Only once everything started to melt did I start to have difficulties, but that was more down to the 3 inches of ground clearance on the Z06 than the tires. Outside air temps down to -20 and these tires stayed compliant. Highly recommend these tires to anyone that wants to winter their sports car/super car. I had plenty of funny looks from WRXs and lifted trucks as I sailed past in the passing lane.

I've been a Michelin customer since 1961. I have 2 cars, each of which have a set of Michelins for winter use and another set for summer use. I just purchased a 2016 Subary WRX in July, but haven't driven the PA4's much, as we haven't received much snow. One of my previous cars ( which I just sold) had Pilot Alpin PA3's and they had terrific wear characteristics and their handling was exemplary on wet and dry roads; they were also pretty decent in the snow, though not as good as the X-Ice3's on my daughter's Corolla. The PA4's handle every bit as well as the PA3's, in addition to having better traction in snow, thanks to a more aggressive tread pattern. The PA4's are very smooth and quiet, and give you a very great sense of security when you drive them. You never feel that they are going to catch you out. My WRX also has Michelin Pilot Super Sports on it during spring, summer and fall and they are exemplary in every respect. My other car is a 2016 Lexus IS350 AWD, which replaced my 2014 IS350 RWD. The summer tires on my Enkei wheels, are used in spring, summer and fall, and use Michelin Pilot Super Sports; they are exemplary in every way. I don't drive the IS in the winter to keep it salt and rust free. My factory wheels for the Lexus have Michelin Pilot Sport AS3's which are very good all-season tires, but do not have the same high performance characteristics as the Super Sports. I would heartily recommend the Pilot Alpin PA4's to any person who drives a high performance car in the winter and is more concerned with having high performance handling characteristics for their car(s), and good tread life, rather than the ultimate snow tire capabilities.