Packed with innovative technology and engineered for maximum performance, Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 and BFGoodrich G-force Comp-2 A/S Plus are some of very strong contenders out there. So let’s uncover both these tire’s differences and similarities, so that you can choose what best suits your needs.
Table of Contents
Quick Takeaway
The Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 performs better in:
- Directional grip or braking ability, mainly due to its longitudinally aligned ribs and compact design, resulting in 2 feet shorter braking distances on average.
- Dry handling and steering response, thanks to its compact shoulder lugs and direct steering response, leading to higher lateral traction values.
- Fuel consumption, as it’s lighter and has a harder rubber composition that decreases surface adhesion, resulting in lower fuel consumption.
- Durability and treadwear, with a more durable and harder compound and reinforced internal structure that’s less prone to fast wear.
- Noise reduction, due to the advanced pitch sequencing technology that cancels out noise frequencies.
- Wet traction and handling, primarily due to its more effective structure and increased number of sipes.
The BFGoodrich G-force Comp-2 A/S Plus outperforms in:
- Winter performance on soft snowy terrains, thanks to its design with elongated lugs and narrower section width, which allows better removal of slush and snow.
- Road comfort in terms of shock absorption, due to its softer rubber compound.
- Hydroplaning resistance in wet conditions, thanks to its ample grooves that effectively clear water.
Both tires performed equally in:
Winter performance on ice, with Michelin offering superior ice traction due to more in number, biters.
Durability, as both offer a 45k miles warranty, despite BF Goodrich showing marginally faster tread wear.
Keep in mind: Neither tire has a 3 peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) rating, and both exhibit average performance in fuel consumption due to high rolling resistance values.
Dry Performance
The dry performance of a tire, the most important aspect of everyday driving, hinges on two components: grip and handling. Here, grip, or directional grip, pertains to the tire’s braking ability, predominantly involving the central tread area, as that part gets the most pressure on it, during straight-rolling motion.
While the handling refers to the tire’s behavior during cornering, with the shoulder lugs playing a pivotal role since they create a tighter bond with the road during turns due to the highest weight concentration.
Let’s discuss what both tires offered in both these performance metrics.
Directional Grip
For the directional grip, the Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 is taking the lead, and looking at its design it makes sense.
The tire offers longitudinally aligned ribs, which are also comparatively more compact, and offering biters (in the form of in-groove notches) in all directions.
These features allow the tire to show up with 2 feet shorter braking distances on average (as seen on multiple tests).
In contrast the the BFGoodirch Comp-2 A/S Plus with it’s directional pattern, wasn’t able to perform in a similar way, and it makes sense as the tire features wider lateral grooves, which hinder in tread rubber’s proper contact with the road.
Side Note: BF Goodrich’s performance can be significantly impacted by high temperatures, slightly reducing its overall braking efficacy in extreme summer conditions.
So the Michelin is taking the lead here.
Dry Handling
This metric heavily relies on how much of the shoulder lugs contact the road, combined with the flexibility of the tread.
And so this ones again a win for Michelin.
The tire offers a lot more compacted up shoulder lugs, so they connect with the road better, as the tire corners.
Moreover, you also get a more direct steering response. Basically the lugs on this tire’s tread make a more firm contact with the road, resulting in a smaller amount of over and under-steering.
This results in more appreciable lateral traction values, measured as g-forces during cornering.
In contrast, the BFGoodrich G-force Comp-2 A/S Plus is lacking here, mainly because of it’s chunky in-groove notches, which don’t allow enough rubber to meet up with the road.
Though overall the average handling time differences between both tires was only 0.4 seconds (taken on average).
Verdict: It’s a win for Michelin.
Winter Performance
In terms of winter traction, the BFGoodrich G-force Comp-2 A/S Plus firmly holds the top position, as its design, including elongated lugs, facilitates efficient removal of slush and snow, providing superior forward moving inertia.
Moreover, the tire distinguishes itself with a narrower average section width and that, coupled with its greater weight, it exerts more pressure on the snow, thereby effectively capturing particles in its tread voids, enhancing snow-on-snow contact.
This contact is important, because snow like to stick on other snowflakes more, compared to rubber.
The Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 although lacks this feature, which is really helpful on fluffy snow, it offers more in number, biters, which basically supply you with superior ice traction.
So in a way, its a win for both tires, where the BFG is great with slightly softer snowy terrains, while Michelin on ice.
Side Note: Both tires are not branded with 3 peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) ratings. To clarify, the 3PMSF rating is predominantly an acceleration metric and does not pertain to snow braking and handling capabilities. A tire bearing this rating simply outperforms an average all-season tire without this rating by approximately 10%.
Fuel Consumption
The efficiency of fuel utilization is largely influenced by the rolling resistance.
And this resistance is produced by tire properties, including tread structure/composition, and weight.
Now given the high resistance values presented by both of these tires, their just average performance in this area is understandable.
Nonetheless, comparative evaluations indicate that the Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 still emerges as the superior choice, when you compare both these tires here together.
Michelin’s tire is not only lighter than the BFGoodrich G-force Comp-2 A/S Plus but also features a harder rubber composition, that decreases surface adhesion, resulting in more effortless rolling and lower fuel consumption.
In contrast, the softer compound of the BFGoodrich allows for more lug bending, resulting in a loss of energy. Why you ask?
Well, because fuel energy is used in to the molding of the tread, and not in the actually tire’s rolling.
So its a win for Michelin.
Durability and Treadwear
The BF Goodrich G-force Comp-2 A/S Plus exhibits marginally higher rolling resistance values, which accounts for its faster tread wear. Its substantial weight means each lug bears more pressure, escalating friction with the road and leading to quicker rubber wear.
And yes, the tire also has 1/32″ less tread depth on average, in comparison, which is also not helping, since it takes down to 2/32″ of replacement levels quicker.
On the other side, the Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 features a more durable and a harder comound, which is not so prone to as much of the faster wear.
And yes, speaking of durability, the tire also offers wider internal steel belts, and a joint-less full-cover reinforcement ply, and folded belt-edge tape, which contribute to its increased reliability and enhanced puncture resistance.
So yes, the Michelin takes the upper hand here.
Though keep in mind, the difference is marginal, and it makes sense why both of these tires offer the same 45k miles warranty.
On-Road Comfort
The overall ride comfort is governed by two things, noise levels, and bumps absorption efficacy.
The Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 excels in diminishing noise levels, which is fundamentally caused by the collision of air particles with the tire’s tread walls.
This is because this tire employs cutting-edge pitch sequencing technology that angles its lugs to create varied frequencies when air particles collide in different areas, and these disparate frequencies interact and cancel each other out, leading to reduced noise levels.
Conversely, while the BFGoodrich G-force Comp-2 A/S Plus also incorporates competent pitch sequencing, its softer rubber compound is more susceptible to higher in-groove resonance, though the very rubber, helps the tire excel in absorbing road vibrations with better efficacy.
So overall, where the Michelin Pilot is quieter, the BFG G Force is more cushioning.
Wet Traction
Among the two tires, the Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 demonstrates superior performance in wet conditions due to its specialized tread design and an increased number of sipes.
Sipes, essentially slits in the tread, are designed to draw in water particles, effectively clearing off in-compressible water. This facilitates the rubber’s grip on the newly cleared surface.
With a greater number of sipes and a more effective structure, the Michelin tire leads in overall wet handling, manifesting shorter lap times.
On the other side, the BF Goodrich G-force Comp-2 A/S Plus may not deliver ample siping, it does offer ample grooves, and those allow this tire to have superior hydroplaning resistance.
Final Verdict
In this comparative analysis between its evident that both tires have their distinct strengths and weaknesses, and that the selection ultimately depends on the driver’s specific needs and driving conditions.
The Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 exhibits superior performance in the context of dry handling and grip, primarily due to its compact and longitudinally aligned ribs. It also excels in wet traction, courtesy of its specialized tread design and higher number of sipes.
Further, its harder rubber composition and lighter weight ensure lower fuel consumption and greater durability.
Conversely, the BFGoodrich G-force Comp-2 A/S Plus emerges as the top choice for winter performance, specifically on softer snowy terrains, thanks to its elongated lugs, which also offer a better resistance to hydroplaning.
Moreover, the tire special tread compound provides better absorption of road vibrations, contributing to a smoother ride.
In the realm of durability, and tread life, both tires offer a warranty for 45k miles, indicating their manufacturer’s confidence in their longevity, although the Michelin tire’s harder compound and additional structural reinforcements offer it a slight edge.
And lastly, for noise reduction, the Michelin tire takes the lead with its advanced pitch sequencing technology. However, the softer compound of the BF Goodrich G-force Comp-2 A/S Plus means it produces a more cushioned ride.
