TRISTUPE.COM: Michelin Pilot Sports 5 (PS5) : Review

New Wheels and Rubber for the decade old ICE

First launched in March 2022 globally, the Michelin Pilot Sports 5 or PS5 has won over raves and review of many that wanted a performance tire that performs. Understandably as the legacy of the previous PS3 and 4 sharp handling and responsiveness has many staying loyal to the PS iteration.

Falling in love again with my car

About 6 years ago, when PS4 was first launched, I could not even get one set that suits my Forester XT due to the size (225/55/R18) and the SUV version was supposed to be launched. I wrote to Michelin Malaysia and was silly to think they will entertain my questions/queries on the availability. I in return went for the next best option which was the Continental UC6 SUV, which has served me over the past 6 years. Here was my initial review and the Year 2 review.

Left: PS5. Right: Conti UC6 SUV

Thank you for keeping me and the family safe

With the UC6 SUV worn down to minimum on the sidewall, and the procurement of a very nice STI Enkei rim, the time was ripe to change it out.

Reason why i work hard

My choices of replacement after consulting my friend, which is a subject matter expert and runs a business that specialises with tires and alignment boils down to these few choices. Note: the STI Enkei rim is 18x7.5.

225/55/R18 Continental UC6 SUV
225/55/R18 Michelin Primacy 4+
245/50/R18 Continental UC7 SUV
245/50/R18 Michelin PS5

The original 225/55/R18 when converted to 245/50/R18 resulted in marginally differences when it comes to speedometer reading, which was ideally what I was aiming for.

Gets yours calculated out at Tire Calculator

Moreover the 7.5inch wide new rim will greatly compliment the 245mm width of the new tire.

So I committed to likely one of the most expensive upgrades I did on the car this year.

05/24. Acceptable storage time

Michelin Pilot Sports 5 (PS5)

Summary: This tire reputation precedes it's name and legacy. It makes me feel FOMO for the past 7 years wondering if I had actually waited a bit longer I could had gotten the PS4 SUV. 2 years after the PS5 launch, here I am, looking at the tire fitted on the spanking newly refurbished/painted STI Enkei rims that completely changed the look of my 10 years old car.

Front old original Enkei. Rear new STI Enkei

Fresh out of fitment, balancing and alignment by expert hands, I took the first drive to get home - a 20km journey over highways and residential roads, with the road wet in afternoon rain and bumps and potholes that make Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur.

As expected from a new tire, the ride was plush and comfortable. It soaks up the usual bumps and uneven road well. Trickles of gravels and loose sand and small stones were kicked up and rattled against the tirewalls - a sign that the tire is gripping and picking up debris with the new soft compound.

Lets Go!

Then I hit the main road. The launch and pick up from the turbocharged Subaru boxer engine was directly transmitted to the tire and I felt immediate response. There were almost no delay or hesitation. Perhaps it's the lighter unsprung weight of the new rim (it was almost 40% lighter) or maybe it is really the PS5 lending to these butt-dyno feel of performance.

kicking up the sand and debris

I then hit the legal speed on the highway and immediately was dissapointed as I could hear the tire noise to be louder than my 6 years old tire. It's louder than usual but the PS5 remained to be sticking to the group with great responsiveness as I change lane and opened up the throttle slightly more.

velvet sidewall

Braking from 110 to 40 was commendable. It felt as good as the previous tire (which was really good vs the Bridgestone that came with it as stock tire) and gave me a lot of confidence to modulate the brakes as usual without having to unlearn and relearn how the tire respond to sudden change in speed.

Bearing in mind this is post afternoon rain, so the performance on dry road will definitely be better.

Overall, apart from the noise, PS5 indeed lives up to the performance reputation.

Pros:

Grippy. No doubt.
Responsive. The car goes where my steering points to, no delay.
Good braking confidence. Able to modulate the brakes as normal.
Very good (not exceptional) wet handling feel - maybe will be better after KM100/worn in.

Cons:

Noise. I need to crank up the radio if cruising on highway.
Expensive. As the chinese say, good thing not cheap, cheap thing not good.
Mid-wear likely. Treadwear of 340 index indicate softer compound for grip vs longevity

I guess they know the tire is "self-selling" as certain sizes and stocks is hard to get. I had to get mine directly from Michelin and not from the tire shops as no one want to stock up these expensive rubbers in unpopular sizing.

Unlikely to drive to the max speed allowed for this tire even when I can

Here are the technical marketing stuff from Michelin website, which actually doesn't really tell you much about the tire - and it continue to heavily rely on user experience (hopefully unbiased) and reputation.

Dual Sport Tread Design Technology – a dual side functionalised tread design, featuring the inner side with large grooves and high void ratio for enhanced wet road traction, and the external side with rigid blocks for better grip on dry roads
Groove Clear – large longitudinal grooves that dump water into wide transversal channels designed to efficiently divert water out of the way.
Dynamic Response Technology – features a hybrid aramid and nylon belt for optimum transmission of steering instructions onto the road for precise and responsive driving feel
MaxTouch Construction – maximises the tyre’s contact with the road and evenly distributes the forces of acceleration, braking, and cornering to deliver longer tread life without sacrificing performance
Premium Touch Sidewall Design – creates a sleek, matte-black aesthetic with a velvet-like micro texture
Wear2Check – an easy-to-find and easy-to-read tread wear indicator, designed to facilitate monitoring and to help drivers to optimise the longevity potential of the tyre
Wear2Check Groves Each hole is 25% wear

Why can't Michelin has this in their write up?

There are some of the photos taken as the fitting was done. Very subtle features that Michelin did not really tell, nor any auto-writer (paid or unpaid) ever mentioned. Most review I saw online only speaks of the good stuff.