Summer tire Updated October 2026

Bridgestone Potenza S-02 review

Name: Bridgestone Potenza S-02
Brand: Bridgestone

± 8

Relative score from owner reviews only

Better than 48% of the summer tires we score.

Owners 60 · 21 reviews analysed

How scores work

Check price on Amazon · Potenza S-02 Compare with another tire

Add your size for an exact match

Width/AspectRRim

The Amazon link then searches this exact size.

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Bridgestone Potenza S-02 has a Relative Score of 63 out of 100 among summer tires. 21 owner reviews rate it 60 out of 100. 72% would buy it again.

What owners say

No road-test results yet, so every score here comes from owner reviews found online.

How scores work

Relative score: 0–100. Blends road tests (60%) and owner reviews (40%) category by category, the same way on every TireWheelGuide page. With only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from it, so the score stays closer to average. It needs at least one road test or five owner reviews.
Road tests: 0–100 per score, from published tests, newer tests counting more. Each result is compared with every other tire in the same test, so a win against a strong field counts for more. The average tested tire gets 70, the best 100; with only one or two tests a tire stays nearer 70. The discipline rows show % of the best tire in that test.
Owner reviews: 0–100 from the owner reviews we found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates and scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70. With only a few reviews a tire stays near the average.

Full methodology

By owner reviews

60/100

From 21 owner reviews analysed, scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70.

Would buy again 72%

Dry

Overall dry

Wet

Overall wet

Snow & ice

Overall snow & ice

Comfort

Overall comfort

Noise

Overall noise

Treadwear

Overall treadwear

Handling

Overall handling

Own these tires? Write a review →

What owners like and dislike

Themes extracted from 21 owner reviews found online.

The Bridgestone Potenza S-02 is widely celebrated by sports car enthusiasts, particularly Honda S2000 owners, for providing legendary dry grip, exceptional steering feedback, and unique handling characteristics that define the factory feel of certain classic sports cars. However, users frequently note significant drawbacks including rapid tread wear, poor performance in cold weather, and the fact that the tire is largely discontinued.

Pros

Exceptional dry grip and superior cornering performance
Outstanding steering feedback, communication, and progressiveness
Faithful reproduction of original equipment (OE) handling characteristics for sports cars like the Honda S2000
Surprising wet traction for a high-performance tire when conditions are right
Stiff sidewalls offering stability and poise

Cons

Very rapid and sometimes extreme tread wear
Poor performance and loss of traction in cold weather or below certain temperatures
High noise levels and stiff ride compromising comfort
Discontinued availability, making fresh inventory difficult to source

Worth knowing

Honda S2000 owners consistently praise the tire for providing the exact neutral steer and handling dynamics intended by the factory designers.
Users running track days or aggressive setups on cars like the MR2 Turbo noted excellent track performance, though some experienced accelerated wear on the inner edges after hard track use.