Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 vs Michelin Pilot Sport 4S: Goodyear’s Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 had a wonderful debut season in 2022 by winning 3/4 press tests it has participated in and is definitely the hottest ultra high performance (UHP) tire out there in the market. Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 predominantly serves the 17-19″ market which overlaps the ultra ultra high performance (UUHP) segment as well. On the other side of the corner we have a well established UUHP tire in the form of Michelin Pilot Sport 4S. This tire has won countless press tests and it is one of the best in class tires you can wish for.
While both tires are designed for sports cars and other high-performance vehicles, they belong to different categories, with Pilot Sport 4S in the UUHP segment while Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 in the UHP segment. Hence please compare them with care and take note of their limitations. Without further ado, let’s put the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 vs Michelin Pilot Sport 4S in a head to head battle !
Table of Contents
Results
Results below were taken from the 2023 Sport Auto Tire Test with a total of 11 tires tested. The graph below shows the comparison between Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 vs Michelin Pilot Sport 4S based on the relevant performance category. The Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 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 225/40 R18 which is a common tire size for Audi A3 Sedan & Hyundai Veloster Turbo. You can check out our latest tire size table for more information. The testing vehicle is an Audi S3 which has the same designated OE tire size as the tested tire size.
Wet
Safety has always been the main theme when it comes to the need for wet performances. Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 had an advantage in wet braking by stopping 0.7m earlier than Pilot Sport 4S. Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 topped the wet braking charts while Pilot Sport 4S could only afford to finish in the mid pack. While in wet handling, Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 maintains its advantage by being +1.8 km/h faster than Pilot Sport 4S in average lap time speed. There were no clear advantages distinguishable in the wet circle performance category with Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 being +0.06 m/s2 better which is a very small margin.
The tables were turned when it came to aquaplaning as Pilot Sport 4S showed clear dominance with a slip speed of 80.6 km/h compared to the 79.1 km/h achieved by Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6. While in lateral aquaplaning, Pilot Sport 4S was the best tire among the competition and had a +0.25 m/s2 advantage over Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6. Overall both tires have its own unique strength in wet with Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 being strong in wet braking/handling while Pilot Sport 4S is strong in aquaplaning.
Pilot Sport 4S :
- -2.9% in wet braking
- -2.1% in wet handling (average speed)
- -0.7% in wet circle
- +1.9% in straight aquaplaning
- +7.4% in curved aquaplaning
Dry
One of the most important performances when it comes to the ultra ultra high performance segment is to have a very strong dry showing. To our amazement, Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 managed to edge Pilot Sport 4S in dry braking by stopping 0.1m earlier than Pilot Sport. While both tires performed equally well in dry handling with an average lap speed of 100.6 km/h to finish joint 4th in the test.
Pilot Sport 4S :
- -0.3% in dry braking
- 0% in dry handling (average speed)
Noise
When it comes to noise, Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 was 1.2 dB quieter compared to Pilot Sport 4S.
Pilot Sport 4S :
- -1.7% in exterior noise (+1.2 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. Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 managed a much lower rolling resistance coefficient value of 8.3 N/kN compared to Pilot Sport 4S value of 9.6 N/kN.
Pilot Sport 4S :
- –13.5% in rolling resistance
Price
As we are looking at 2 different segments, the price difference observed was extremely large. Pilot Sport 4S was found to be €95 more expensive than Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6
Tire size: 225/40 R18
Pilot Sport 4S : €199
Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6: €104
Difference: +48% more expensive for Pilot Sport 4S.
Summary
Based on the test results, Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 showed clear strengths in wet braking/handling, dry, noise & rolling resistance. While Pilot Sport 4S was only better in aquaplaning category. With such a commanding lead, Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 is clearly the winner in this duel. Not to mention a better value proposition as Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 cost way lower than the Pilot Sport 4S.