September 6, 2019
Max Performance Summer tires represent the pinnacle of their respective manufacturers’ street tire technology, and they truly are feats of engineering. With refined athleticism on the road, dry traction capable of harnessing some of the most powerful vehicles in existence, and as a category, the best wet traction in the industry, the breadth of their talents is remarkable. As with all groups, though, some are more talented than others, and their differing characteristics give each one a unique personality.
Yokohama recently introduced the Max Performance Summer ADVAN Apex V601, and it’s the first ADVAN tire to be designed specifically for the North American market. This allows the performance tire engineers at Yokohama to tune the final product to meet the unique needs of drivers in North America based on the way we use tires. Toyo Tires also recently introduced their new flagship performance tire, the Proxes Sport. To determine where these two new Max Performance Summer tires’ talents lie, we compared them to two of the best performers in the category, the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S and the Pirelli P Zero (PZ4). Our testing used 2020 BMW F36 430i sedans fitted with new, full tread depth 245/40R18 tires mounted on 18x8.0 wheels.
Our 6.0-mile loop of expressway, state highway and county roads provides a great variety of road conditions that include city and highway speeds, smooth and coarse concrete, as well as new and patched asphalt. This route allows our team to experience noise comfort, ride quality and everyday handling, just as you would during your drive to school or work.
The Pilot Sport 4S set itself apart in the on-road portion of our testing. The steering feel and light handling were ideal for a street-focused performance tire, with a natural athleticism that felt just right. Steering that was responsive, but not overly so, with an intuitive buildup of effort and output earned high scores and much praise from our team. The ride was performance tire-firm without any harshness over large impacts, and perceptible tread and impact noise were kept to a minimum. The P Zero (PZ4) also was a sporty and refined performer on the street. The steering had a small dead spot on-center that made the tire feel a little slow to respond to initial inputs, but once the wheel was a couple degrees off center, it woke up and responded appropriately with nice precision. Ride quality was another strong point, though big impacts felt a little sharp, and the tire’s premium tuning shone through with just a small amount of tread noise. Taking a slight step down, the ADVAN Apex V601 conducted itself well, though not quite to the level of the leaders. Very fast steering response could be perceived as an indication of the tire’s performance credentials, but some of our testers found it to be a bit too much. Small steering inputs could illicit more response than expected, imparting a slightly darty feel to the vehicle. The ride was taut, and while each impact was concise, sometimes they felt slightly more dramatic than in the other tires. Along a similar line, overall the tire was rather quiet, but a distinct tone over most surfaces made its way into the cabin, which ultimately hurt the tire’s score for noise. Rounding out the group, the Proxes Sport didn’t feel like it was quite on the same level as the other tires. The steering was somewhat vague and imprecise, though it did have confident straight-line tracking down the highway. Ride quality was a little ponderous for a Max Performance Summer tire, with soft damping and some excess motion following impacts that upset the vehicle. While it wasn’t loud, the Proxes Sport had some boom over road imperfections and moderate tread growl, particularly on rough surfaces.
Our 1/3-mile per lap test track course includes 90-degree street corners, a five-cone slalom and simulated expressway ramps. Run in both dry and wet conditions, the test track allows our team to experience the traction, responsiveness, handling and drivability normally only encountered during abrupt emergency avoidance maneuvers or competition events.
When testing Max Performance Summer tires on the track, we have to continually remind ourselves they are street tires, not intended to be used for extended lapping or even autocross competition. It’s easy to forget because they are so capable and sometimes feel flat-out great on the track, but that isn’t what they were designed for, and they shouldn’t be expected to withstand the rigors of consistent track use.
The Pilot Sport 4S was a prime example. It felt almost as good and was nearly as fast around our track as some much more track-focused tires. The steering was amazingly precise and ideally weighted, allowing the driver to pick a point through a turn and drive directly there. Strong front-end authority was balanced with just the right amount of engagement from the rear axle, so the driver could instinctively use mild rotation to complete a turn. Combined with test-leading cornering traction and 50-0 mph braking distances, the Pilot Sport 4S delivered a genuinely impressive performance. Not to be left behind, the P Zero (PZ4) put down some strong numbers, as well. The front end didn’t respond quite as urgently, and some slight imbalance between the front and rear axles meant it didn’t feel as graceful around the track, but the tire was an adept performer. The ADVAN Apex V601 also proved itself very capable, though a little more difficult to maximize; the Yokohama’s fastest lap was quicker than the Pirelli’s, but it was a step behind in our top ten average. The disparity primarily resulted from the Yokohama’s incredibly fast steering response. Using gentle, deliberate inputs, the tire proved balanced and composed, and if the driver remained at its narrow performance peak, it could turn out very fast laps. Bigger inputs at the steering wheel or the pedals, however, could upset the balance. This manifested as understeer on the way into a turn or controllable, but persistent, oversteer from mid-corner to corner exit if the driver was early to the gas. Compared to the other tires, the Proxes Sport drove like it was in a lower performance category, both in the way it felt and the outright pace it was capable of. The somewhat rubbery and imprecise steering made it hard to judge the input needed to place the vehicle where the driver wanted, and lower ultimate grip than the rest of the group meant less speed could be carried through turns. In isolation, the Proxes Sport is a strong dry performer, but driven back-to-back against the three other entrants in our test, it was a step behind.
The P Zero (PZ4) was as impressive in the wet as the Pilot Sport 4S was in the dry, handily dominating the objective results and receiving universal praise from our team. In the wet, the steering felt just right, and the available traction allowed drivers to pick up the throttle sooner and with more authority than the rest of the group. We knew the Pilot Sport 4S was strong in the wet at the outset of the test, and the tire once again demonstrated it deserves the praise. We were somewhat surprised, though, at the strong tendency toward understeer and the sizable step back from the top spot in objective performance, both of which differed from our past experiences. The ADVAN Apex V601 felt edgy in the wet with a fine line separating peak traction and the abrupt drop off that occurred when the limit was exceeded. Overall, the available grip was adequate for our testing and would likely feel good on the road during normal driving, but the behavior at and around the limit left something to be desired. The Proxes Sport, on the other hand, was a benign performer that was very easy to drive, but the outright traction was noticeably lower than the rest of the group. Looking far ahead and using gentle inputs, the driver could coerce smooth, controlled laps from the tire. Trying to rush or drive aggressively proved to be futile, though, as the middling traction readily dissolved into a slide with abrupt inputs.
Our Real World Road Ride features a relatively flat 6.0-mile loop of 65-mph expressway, 55-mph state highway and 40-mph county roads along with three stop signs every lap. Our team drove each tire approximately 500 miles over the course of several days. Since we wanted to compare fuel consumption results that typical drivers would experience, our drivers were instructed to maintain the flow of traffic by running at the posted speed limits and sustain the vehicle’s speed using cruise control whenever possible. They did not use hypermiling techniques to influence vehicle fuel economy.
| Tire | Test MPG* | Gallons/Year @ 15,000 Miles |
% vs. Most Efficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michelin Pilot Sport 4S | 29.7 | 505.1 | -2.0% |
| Pirelli P Zero (PZ4) | 29.8 | 503.4 | -1.7% |
| Toyo Proxes Sport | 30.3 | 495.0 | -- |
| Yokohama ADVAN Apex V601 | 30.0 | 500.0 | -1.0% |
| Our evaluation used Race Technology DL1 data loggers to record true distance traveled. | |||
Fuel economy is a consideration for most drivers, even when comparing performance tires, and within this group we found a minor .6-mile per gallon disparity between our lowest and highest observed fuel economy. This difference would result in an additional 10.1 gallons of premium gasoline used per year for a vehicle driven 15,000 miles annually.
It’s important to note our test’s fuel consumption measurements follow consistent procedures designed to minimize variables that could influence the results; however, they do not represent an exhaustive long-range fuel consumption study. While our procedures require the test vehicles in each convoy to run under the same prevailing conditions, the week-to-week differences in ambient temperatures, barometric pressures and wind speeds that we experience over a season of testing can influence vehicle fuel consumption and prevent the absolute mpg values of this test from being compared directly against those of others.
Larger differences in consumption between tires may indicate a difference that might be experienced on the road, while smaller differences should be considered equivalent. As they say, your mileage may vary.
The Michelin Pilot Sport 4S has a sparkling reputation in the marketplace, and every time we test the tire we’re reminded why. From the first turn of the steering wheel, it feels precisely tuned for its mission as a performance tire. The Pilot Sport 4S exudes athleticism with accurate steering and fast reflexes, and the ride is firm, but never seems to put a foot wrong. Dry track performance is nearly on par with some much more track-focused tires, and the wet traction is competitive with the best on the market. The Pirelli P Zero (PZ4) is another world-class option, with a sophisticated demeanor on the road, poised confidence on the track, and wet traction that could be the best we have ever tested. Our only minor concern involves the steering, as we wish it was a little more responsive and alert. Yokohama’s ADVAN Apex V601 is a tire whose personality is shaped in large part by its steering. The ultra-fast response makes the vehicle feel eager to change directions on the road, and during dry and wet track use it can certainly aid lap times, but it can lead to some less desirable behaviors, as well. We observed some light but distinct tread noise on our road ride route, and from an objective standpoint some additional wet traction would help the tire keep up with the competition. The Toyo Proxes Sport is a balanced and capable tire, but it always seemed to be a step behind in this comparison. The steering isn’t quite as crisp or precise as we expect from a Max Performance Summer tire, and while the ride and noise comfort aren’t objectionable, we would like a little more motion control following impacts and a little less tread noise. Similarly, the tire generates dry track performance figures that are strong when considered on their own, but trail this group by a significant margin. Wet traction is an area we would like improvement, even without taking the competitors into consideration. Even so, the tire is still likely to satisfy most drivers on rainy days.
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