Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV vs Bridgestone Turanza 6: Following five years of outstanding performance in the touring sector, Bridgestone has finally bid farewell to the Turanza T005 and introduced its successor, the Turanza 6, in 2023. Boasting an impeccable “A” label wet braking lineup, as well as superior mileage and improved fuel/energy efficiency claims, the Turanza 6 is undoubtedly a top-notch tire that one would not hesitate to have during the warm summer months. In addition to covering the standard 17-21″ touring sizes, the Turanza 6 also encompasses a wide range of SUV sizes.
The Turanza 6 will make its first competitive press test debut in this assessment and will be pitted against the well-established Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV, which has dominated the SUV landscape for the last four years by winning countless press tests. Without further delay, let us witness the head-to-head battle between the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV and Bridgestone Turanza 6.
Table of Contents
Results
Results below were taken from the 2023 Auto Bild SUV Test with a total of 12 tires tested. The graph below shows the comparison between Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV vs Bridgestone Turanza 6 based on the relevant performance category. The Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV was set as a reference hence at the 100% mark.
For handling performances, the evaluation was done on the average speed rather than the preferred lap times or subjective rating. The tire size of interest is a 225/65 R17 which is a common tire size for Mazda Cx-5 & Nissan X-Trail. You can check out our latest tire size table for more information. The testing vehicle is a Toyota RAV 4 which has the same designated OE tire size as the tested tire size.
Wet
Safety has consistently been the overarching theme in the quest for exceptional wet performance. The Pilot Sport 4 SUV held an advantage in wet braking, coming to a halt 3.1 meters earlier than the Turanza 6. The Pilot Sport 4 SUV claimed the top spot on the wet braking charts, while the Turanza 6 could only manage to finish mid-pack. In wet handling, the margin was narrower, with the Pilot Sport 4 SUV slightly faster by +0.4 km/h on average lap time speed, clocking in at a lap speed of 86.8 km/h.
Michelin’s unwavering commitment to excellence was once again demonstrated through their unrivaled aquaplaning tire. The Pilot Sport 4 SUV reigned supreme on the aquaplaning charts with a slipping speed of 96 km/h, as opposed to the 89 km/h achieved by the Turanza 6. In lateral aquaplaning, the Pilot Sport 4 SUV was once again the top-performing tire, enjoying a +0.19 m/s2 advantage over the Turanza 6. It is abundantly clear that the Pilot Sport 4 SUV reigns supreme in the wet, outperforming the Turanza 6 in every wet performance category.
Turanza 6 :
- -5.9% in wet braking
- -0.5% in wet handling (average speed)
- -1.2% in wet circle
- -7.2% in straight aquaplaning
- -6.4% in curved aquaplaning
Dry
In the ultra ultra high performance segment, a robust dry performance is among the most critical factors. Similar to its wet performance, the Pilot Sport 4 SUV managed to outperform the Turanza 6 in dry braking, coming to a halt 2 meters earlier. Dry handling proved to be a more tightly contested affair, with the Pilot Sport 4 SUV once again claiming the top spot on the charts, with an average lap speed of 103.3 km/h, compared to the 102.4 km/h achieved by the Turanza 6. Overall, the advantage in dry performance undoubtedly goes to the Pilot Sport 4 SUV, but the margin is considerably narrower when compared to the wet performance.
Turanza 6 :
- -3.8% in dry braking
- -0.9% in dry handling (average speed)
Noise
Regarding noise, the Pilot Sport 4 SUV proved to be the quieter of the two, registering a 0.5 dB lower noise level than the Turanza 6.
Turanza 6 :
- -0.7% in exterior noise (+ 0.5 dB)
Rolling Resistance
When it comes to extreme sporty tires, rolling resistance is definitely not something the user has in mind when purchasing the tire. However with the sustainability topic being more prevalent, it is good to know where they stand. Turanza 6 topped the charts when it came to rolling resistance as it managed the lowest rolling resistance coefficient value of 7.4 N/kN compared to Pilot Sport 4S value of 8.4 N/kN.
Turanza 6 :
- +13.8% in rolling resistance
Off-road
Sand/Grass/Mud/Dirt/Gravel
As both SUV tires have the potential to be driven off-road, Auto Bild conducted tests on five different off-road surfaces. Before delving into the detailed results, a word of caution must be given: objective off-road testing often comes with high test variance due to uneven surface uniformity, so these results should be taken with a grain of salt. There were not significant differences in terms of gravel traction and dirt handling, with the Pilot Sport 4 SUV slightly outperforming the Turanza 6. However, a notable discrepancy was observed in sand traction, with the Turanza 6 providing an additional 600N of traction compared to the Pilot Sport 4 SUV.
In terms of grass traction, the Pilot Sport 4 SUV took the lead, offering an additional 185 N of traction compared to the Turanza 6. Similarly, mud traction favored the Pilot Sport 4 SUV, providing an additional 92 N of traction forces compared to the Turanza 6. Overall, both tires performed decently in off-road testing, but did not stand out from the competition.
Turanza 6 :
- -0.1% in gravel traction
- -0.5% in dirt handling
- +7.8% in sand traction
- -7.5% in grass traction
- -3% in mud traction
Price
Even though we are looking at 2 different segments, the price difference observed was surprisingly low. In fact the UHP Pilot Sport 4 SUV was found to be ₤2 more cheaper than Turanza 6 which is from the touring segment. Usually you would expect the UHP segment tires to be more expensive than the touring segments.
Tire size: 225/65 R17
Turanza 6 : ₤148
Pilot Sport 4 SUV: ₤146
Difference: +1% more expensive for Turanza 6.
Summary
Based on the test results, the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV clearly outperformed the Bridgestone Turanza 6 in wet, dry, noise and off-road performance categories. While the Turanza 6 only had an advantage in rolling resistance. Pilot Sport 4 SUV is the better tire overall and would be the recommended choice for drivers who prioritize safety and performance.