Another titan of the category, the Pilot Sport All-Season 4 (or "PSAS 4" if you're into acronyms) needs little introduction. It's a customer favorite and a testing benchmark - the aspirational milestone other tires have to meet and exceed if they want to make an impact in the market.
On the road, the Pilot Sport All-Season 4 was a typical UHPAS tire, striking a balance between cushy luxury and firm compliance - and that's a good thing. It didn't beat the road down, but stayed comfortable and composed. Noise in the cabin was noticeable: a pronounced ring, some warble over smoother sections, and natural tread interaction with coarser surfaces. It was never overtly objectionable, but the floor was higher than some of the other tires here. Steering paired nicely with the BMW's slightly mushy electronic rack, feeling quick and responsive in a way that read as appropriately sporty.
The Pilot Sport All-Season 4 produced heavy understeer at the limit on the BMW, with the drivetrain easing the car into push rather than letting sharp breakaway happen. It occasionally created frustration; it felt like there was more promise than delivery. With the right combination of speed and input, we could hit a kind of in-the-zone moment where the tire flowed around the track like it was on rails - but too much speed or steering and we were right back into understeer. When we did coax it into that window, it was unquestionably good.
In spite of the occasional frustration, the PSAS 4 was one of the best tires in the wet, period: fastest average laps (31.55 seconds), tied for highest lateral g, and second-best 60-0 mph braking (132.6 feet).
Capable, but not outstanding. The Pilot Sport All Season 4 felt athletic in the dry, but not fully locked down either. The 330i's relative lack of power made it feel more like we were managing momentum than driving. We were rewarded by early braking, smooth inputs, and avoiding overloading the front end." The 330i's relative lack of power made it feel more like we were managing momentum than driving, and we were rewarded by early braking, smooth inputs, and avoiding overloading the front end. The tire's sharp steering response occasionally clashed with the BMW's softer, touring-oriented rack, but once adapted to it worked reasonably well: quick turn-in for the chassis, enough holding on even when the car pitched noticeably into corners, and a fine, competent overall drive that was neither bad nor great.
Objectively it had the strongest dry braking in the test (109.7 feet), the highest lateral g (0.90), and the second-fastest average lap times of the group (30.20 seconds - seven hundredths off the closest tire). Just like in the wet, the performance was ultimately better than it felt.
Orders
