Head-to-head Updated

Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS vs Nexen N Fera Sport SU2 — 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 + 20 road tests and 453 + 18 owner reviews. How we score

Potenza RE 71RS leads, 74–70 Narrow edge

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Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS
± 6

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”

Nexen N Fera Sport SU2
Tire BNexen

N Fera Sport SU2

Summer

± 5

Tests 78 · 20 tests Owners 55 · 18 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2026 Autobild Summer Tyre Test (noise)

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 +12
    72
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE 71RSN Fera Sport SU2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 18 tests7881
    Reviews found online9259

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

    N Fera Sport SU2: 60% × 80.6 + 40% × 58.6 = 72

  2. 77

    Wet

    Potenza RE 71RS +1
    76
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE 71RSN Fera Sport SU2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 19 tests8584
    Reviews found online6764

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

    N Fera Sport SU2: 60% × 83.7 + 40% × 64.2 = 76

  3. 60

    Comfort

    N Fera Sport SU2 +5
    65
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE 71RSN Fera Sport SU2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 5 tests7187
    Reviews found online5250

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

    N Fera Sport SU2: 40% × 86.9 + 60% × 49.9 = 65

  4. 65

    Noise

    N Fera Sport SU2 +18
    83
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE 71RSN Fera Sport SU2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 14 tests6793
    Reviews found online63≈ 66 (est.)

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

    N Fera Sport SU2: 60% × 93.3 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 83

    No owner ratings of noise for N Fera Sport SU2. The owner half is the owners’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  5. 58

    Treadwear

    Potenza RE 71RS +4
    54
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE 71RSN Fera Sport SU2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 6 tests≈ 61 (est.)63
    Reviews found online5241

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

    N Fera Sport SU2: 60% × 62.9 + 40% × 41 = 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).

  6. 86

    Handling (owners)

    Potenza RE 71RS +25
    61
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE 71RSN Fera Sport SU2
    Reviews found online8661
  7. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    47
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE 71RSN Fera Sport SU2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 13 tests–47
Scores at a glance
Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS vs Nexen N Fera Sport SU2: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryBridgestone Potenza RE 71RSNexen N Fera Sport SU2
Relative Score 74 70
Dry 84 72
Wet 77 76
Comfort 60 65
Noise 65 83
Treadwear 58 54
Handling (owners) 86 61
Efficiency – 47

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
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

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

Recomputed
Headline score
± 6

Potenza RE 71RS

± 5

N Fera Sport SU2

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 71RSN Fera Sport SU2ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 100% #2/7 · 2025 Tire Rack Extreme Performance Track Tyre Test 97% #3/50 · 2026 Summer Braking Super Tyre Test - How do 52 Tyres Perform in Wet and Dry Braking? – Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 100% #1/7 · 2025 Tire Rack Extreme Performance Track Tyre Test 98% #16/20 · 2026 Autobild Summer Tyre Test – Different tests
Dry Handling (tester's mark) Dry 100% #1/7 · 2025 Tire Rack Extreme Performance Track Tyre Test 91% #4/7 · 2026 AutoView Sport Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 100% #1/7 · 2025 Tire Rack Extreme Performance Track Tyre Test 93% #3/50 · 2026 Summer Braking Super Tyre Test - How do 52 Tyres Perform in Wet and Dry Braking? – Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 100% #1/7 · 2025 Tire Rack Extreme Performance Track Tyre Test 98% #14/20 · 2026 Autobild Summer Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Handling (tester's mark) Wet 100% #1/7 · 2025 Tire Rack Extreme Performance Track Tyre Test 84% #14/20 · 2026 Autobild Summer Tyre Test – Different tests
Comfort (tester's mark) Comfort 96% #4/7 · 2025 Tire Rack Extreme Performance Track Tyre Test 95% #4/7 · 2026 AutoView Sport Tyre Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #1/7 2025 Tire Rack Extreme Performance Track Tyre Test #10/10 2026 ACE Summer 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 N Fera Sport SU2

Pros

  • Significantly cheaper than premium tier alternatives like Michelin and Continental
  • Impressive dry grip and predictable, controllable handling
  • Strong wet weather performance and high-speed stability

Cons

  • Rapid and uneven tread wear, often requiring replacement prematurely
  • Stiff carcass leading to mediocre ride comfort and harshness over road imperfections
  • Soft rubber compound prone to squirming under hard cornering or experiencing shoulder damage
All owner themes in the N Fera Sport SU2 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

Nexen N Fera Sport SU2

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

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS B · Nexen N Fera Sport SU2
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

Nexen N Fera Sport SU2

Narrow edge: Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS — better handling, dry and treadwear. Pick the Nexen N Fera Sport SU2 if noise and comfort matter most to you.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS scores 86 vs 61 on handling.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Nexen N Fera Sport SU2 scores 83 vs 65 on noise.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS scores 84 vs 72 on dry.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Nexen N Fera Sport SU2 scores 65 vs 60 on comfort.

Tire A · Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS
Tire B · Nexen N Fera Sport SU2

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Potenza RE 71RS or N Fera Sport SU2?

Which is better in the wet, Potenza RE 71RS or N Fera Sport SU2?

Neither, by our numbers: 77 vs 76 on the wet score, within 3 points.

Which grips better on dry roads, Potenza RE 71RS or N Fera Sport SU2?

Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS, 84 vs 72 on our dry score.

Which is quieter, Potenza RE 71RS or N Fera Sport SU2?

Nexen N Fera Sport SU2, 83 vs 65 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Potenza RE 71RS or N Fera Sport SU2?

Nexen N Fera Sport SU2, 65 vs 60 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Potenza RE 71RS or N Fera Sport SU2?

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