Head-to-head Updated

Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS vs Kumho V70a — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 3 + 0 road tests and 453 + 21 owner reviews. How we score

Potenza RE 71RS leads, 75–72 Narrow edge

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Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS
± 5

Tests 79 · 3 tests Owners 69 · 453 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 11 in 2022 Tire Rack Extreme Performance Track Tyre Test (dry handling)

“Drove my GR86 coast to coast on pre-thrashed 200tw tires in 3.5 days AMA 2024 GR86 Premium performance package mt Bridgestone Potenza RE-71rs tires Car had 24,000ish miles and now has 27,000ish”

Kumho V70a
Tire BKumho

V70a

Summer

± 8

Tests – · none yet Owners 70 · 21 reviews

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 84

    Dry

    Potenza RE 71RS +5
    79
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE 71RSV70a
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests78≈ 75 (est.)
    Reviews found online9286

    Potenza RE 71RS: 60% × 78.2 + 40% × 91.5 = 84

    V70a: 60% × 75.3 (est.) + 40% × 85.7 = 79

    No road tests of dry for V70a. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 77

    Wet

    Potenza RE 71RS +3
    74
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE 71RSV70a
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / – tests85≈ 73 (est.)
    Reviews found online6775

    Potenza RE 71RS: 60% × 84.6 + 40% × 66.7 = 77

    V70a: 60% × 73 (est.) + 40% × 74.9 = 74

    No road tests of wet for V70a. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 60

    Comfort

    V70a +6
    66
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE 71RSV70a
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests71≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online5265

    Potenza RE 71RS: 40% × 71 + 60% × 52.2 = 60

    V70a: 40% × 67.8 (est.) + 60% × 64.6 = 66

    No road tests of comfort for V70a. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  4. 65

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE 71RSV70a
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests67–
    Reviews found online63–

    Potenza RE 71RS: 60% × 66.6 + 40% × 63.4 = 65

  5. 58

    Treadwear

    Potenza RE 71RS +4
    54
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE 71RSV70a
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 61 (est.)≈ 59 (est.)
    Reviews found online5247

    Potenza RE 71RS: 60% × 61.3 (est.) + 40% × 52.2 = 58

    V70a: 60% × 59.5 (est.) + 40% × 47 = 54

    No road tests of treadwear for Potenza RE 71RS. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

    No road tests of treadwear for V70a. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  6. 86

    Handling (owners)

    Potenza RE 71RS +8
    78
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE 71RSV70a
    Reviews found online8678
Scores at a glance
Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS vs Kumho V70a: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryBridgestone Potenza RE 71RSKumho V70a
Relative Score 75 72
Dry 84 79
Wet 77 74
Comfort 60 66
Noise 65 –
Treadwear 58 54
Handling (owners) 86 78

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip starts at “Important”. Treadwear starts at “Neutral” here: road tests measured it for at most one of the two tires, so it rests on owner reviews. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
± 5

Potenza RE 71RS

± 8

V70a

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

The professional test results behind the scores

Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.

DisciplineCategoryPotenza RE 71RSV70aΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #1/7 2025 Tire Rack Extreme Performance Track Tyre Test #5/6 2013 Auto Bild Track Day Semi Slick Tyre Test – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Potenza RE 71RS

Pros

  • Outstanding dry grip and rapid warm-up characteristics.
  • Highly predictable and communicative at the limit, allowing for easy recovery.
  • Improved on-road refinement, noise levels, and comfort compared to its predecessor.

Cons

  • Rapid tread wear, especially when used aggressively on track or heavy vehicles.
  • Tendency to become 'greasy' or lose peak grip during extended track sessions.
  • Stiff sidewalls can make mounting the tires onto rims difficult.
All owner themes in the Potenza RE 71RS review

Tire B V70a

Pros

  • Exceptional dry grip and track performance
  • Rapid warm-up time compared to competitors
  • Strong stability and stiff sidewall construction

Cons

  • Rapid tread wear rate
  • Difficult to mount due to stiff sidewalls
  • Limited longevity for daily driving
All owner themes in the V70a review

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS

Positive

Community sentiment toward the Bridgestone Potenza RE-71RS is overwhelmingly positive, with drivers praising its high grip levels, responsive turn-in, and improved refinement over the older RE-71R. Discussions frequently center around track and autocross setups, optimal hot tire pressures, clearance pricing, and its streetability regarding road noise and gravel pickup. Minor caveats noted include fast wear characteristic of 200tw competition tires and rotation limits stemming from an asymmetrical tread design.

r/CarTrackDays ·2 upvotes ·2025-02-17

“Need heat cycle advice I recently got a screaming deal on some Bridgestone Potenza RE-71RS for my daily driver. It usually doesn't see track time but I figured it would be fun to try it out for the cost. The tires were cheap because they had a 2021 production date. In the past to heat cycle a tire, I've just driven on the highway a couple of hours and let the tire sit for 24 hours. The hurdle is, It's winter and too cold to really make an impact. To add to that, I doubt I will have clean enough roads for that tire. My track does have winter lapping when it is clean and dry, but it still may be cold. Any suggestions on how to get a heat cycle on these tires in cold temperatures? Read more”

civicx.com ·2 upvotes ·2025-02-25

“I just put some Bridgestone Potenza Re71rs on my FC1 and holt shit these things kick ass. I took the same turn series before/after the tire change and the turn-in is ridiculous. Looking forward to hitting up some backroads and Lagun Seca for a trackday.”

s2ki.com

“Quote: Back to the RE71RS tires: 1. How loud is the tread noise? 2. How much gravel are they picking up in normal and back roads driving? Just replaced my 7 and 8 year old Bridgestone S04 tires (aged out). Less than 100 miles so far. I'm happy. 1. No increase in tread noise I can detect. Surprisingly quiet. My former RE-11As were a little noisey. The Dunlops were LOUD. 2. Twinkling of fine gravel is present under the car. Noticeable and expected. -- Chuck”

Top themes
#track and autocross performance#tire pressure tuning#road noise and refinement#clearance pricing and availability#fitment and sizing#tread wear and longevity#comparison to previous RE-71R

Based on 33 community posts

Tire B

Kumho V70a

We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS B · Kumho V70a
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available10—
Rim diameters15″ – 19″—
Tread depth7/32″—
UTQG200 A A—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure51 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS

Kumho V70a

Narrow edge: Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS — better handling, dry and treadwear. Pick the Kumho V70a if comfort matters most to you.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS scores 86 vs 78 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Kumho V70a scores 66 vs 60 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS scores 84 vs 79 on dry.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS scores 58 vs 54 on treadwear.

Tire A · Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS
Tire B · Kumho V70a

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Potenza RE 71RS or V70a?

Which is better in the wet, Potenza RE 71RS or V70a?

Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS, 77 vs 74 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Potenza RE 71RS or V70a?

Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS, 84 vs 79 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, Potenza RE 71RS or V70a?

Kumho V70a, 66 vs 60 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Potenza RE 71RS or V70a?

Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS, 58 vs 54 on our treadwear score.

How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.

Handling is the exception: road tests measure it inside the dry and wet scores, so its own row comes from owner ratings only and starts as less important.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score. Full methodology