How to understand Michelin's PS4 line? EU Tire ratings

[TB404]

Hello people,
I had Michelin PS4 (classics) on my BMW F30 330e (and Primacy on other cars) for a few years now and they're ace.

Thinking of getting a new EV (EV6) and looking at optional Michelin tires (not a fan of Continental). The Pilot Sport range is now expanded to include dedicated SUV and EV tires as well as the 'normal' PS4s.

My question is, is there any specific benefit for a specialised 'SUV' tire on an SUV as opposed to a normal non SUV tire (with the same load rating etc)?
Also how do these EU ratings work, you can see two tires from the same family, size, load and speed rate - but the eu ratings are different. For example:




Appreciate the advice - Thank you

[E-bmw]

Straight away they are actually different speed ratings, there may be other differences that those pages don't show.

They will actually be constructed differently.

RFT (for example) has stiffer side walls & this frequently drop the grip level slightly as there can be less tyre on the road.

[TB404]

Thanks mate,
The speed rating is theoretical, the EV6 tops at 114 MPH

Will it be a problem using a 'Mercedes specific' version of the tire on a KIA (other than the irony?). How different are those manufacture specific versions to the 'normal' ones?

Thank you!

[E-bmw]

They aren't strictly Merc specific, just Merc recommended.

They tend to be a slightly different compound/mix of compounds and may have slightly different load ratings.

They will be fine.

[stevieturbo]

There are so many reviews on Tyre Reviews on Youtube.....it covers most aspects.

Although for the most part, the EU ratings are completely and utterly meaningless. There are dangerous Chinese crap out there with good ratings, but you wouldn't trust them on your wheelbnarrow.

[TB404]

Thanks people,
How or who makes these EU label tire ratings?

I read many magazine tests and it's confusing because the same tires get different results in different tests, I suspect because the same model of tire in different sizes behaves differently? Is this correct?

Thank you

[E-bmw]

TB404 said:

I read many magazine tests and it's confusing because the same tires get different results in different tests, I suspect because the same model of tire in different sizes behaves differently? Is this correct?

Yes, it is, also, as I said RFT can make a difference.

[wyson]

TB404 said:

Thanks people,
How or who makes these EU label tire ratings?

I read many magazine tests and it's confusing because the same tires get different results in different tests, I suspect because the same model of tire in different sizes behaves differently? Is this correct?

Thank you

That and their judgement criteria are different. Some tests might weight wet performance more than dry for instance and move strong wet performers up the rankings.

You can dig into the ratings more, there is usually a breakdown, or you can look at a spread of results from different tests and pick something that’s done consistently well.

Edited by wyson on Saturday 28th May 08:27

[Pica-Pica]

TB404 said:

Thanks mate,
The speed rating is theoretical, the EV6 tops at 114 MPH

Will it be a problem using a 'Mercedes specific' version of the tire on a KIA (other than the irony?). How different are those manufacture specific versions to the 'normal' ones?

Thank you!

Speed rating is also about accelerative loading, not just speed.

[anonymous-user]

There can be differences such as rubber grade, construction, side wall profile, etc. I would be choosing the manufacturer variant (if available) or the standard one. I wouldn't be fitting a different manufacturer variant.