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Bridgestone Potenza RE030 looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.

Head-to-head Updated

Bridgestone Potenza RE030 vs Dunlop SP Sport Maxx — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 0 + 0 road tests and 8 + 173 owner reviews. How we score

Too close to call: Potenza RE030 58, SP Sport Maxx 59.

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Category by category

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

  1. 59

    Dry

    SP Sport Maxx +2
    61
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE030SP Sport Maxx
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 63 (est.)≈ 64 (est.)
    Reviews found online5558

    Potenza RE030: 60% × 62.5 (est.) + 40% × 54.8 = 59

    SP Sport Maxx: 60% × 63.7 (est.) + 40% × 57.7 = 61

    No road tests of dry for Potenza RE030. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

    No road tests of dry for SP Sport Maxx. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

  2. 56

    Wet

    SP Sport Maxx +5
    61
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE030SP Sport Maxx
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 59 (est.)≈ 63 (est.)
    Reviews found online5157

    Potenza RE030: 60% × 59.5 (est.) + 40% × 51.4 = 56

    SP Sport Maxx: 60% × 62.9 (est.) + 40% × 57.4 = 61

    No road tests of wet for Potenza RE030. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

    No road tests of wet for SP Sport Maxx. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

  3. –

    Snow

    No comparison
    54
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE030SP Sport Maxx
    Professional tests (TWG score)–≈ 61 (est.)
    Reviews found online–43

    SP Sport Maxx: 60% × 61 (est.) + 40% × 43 = 54

    No road tests of snow for SP Sport Maxx. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.33).

  4. 56

    Comfort

    SP Sport Maxx +4
    60
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE030SP Sport Maxx
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 65 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online4351

    Potenza RE030: 60% × 64.6 (est.) + 40% × 43.1 = 56

    SP Sport Maxx: 60% × 66 (est.) + 40% × 51.1 = 60

    No road tests of comfort for Potenza RE030 or SP Sport Maxx. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    63
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE030SP Sport Maxx
    Professional tests (TWG score)–≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online–57

    SP Sport Maxx: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 56.7 = 63

    No road tests of noise for SP Sport Maxx. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 67

    Treadwear

    Potenza RE030 +11
    56
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE030SP Sport Maxx
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)≈ 60 (est.)
    Reviews found online6949

    Potenza RE030: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 68.7 = 67

    SP Sport Maxx: 60% × 60.4 (est.) + 40% × 48.7 = 56

    No road tests of treadwear for Potenza RE030. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

    No road tests of treadwear for SP Sport Maxx. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

  7. 49

    Handling (owners)

    SP Sport Maxx +6
    55
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE030SP Sport Maxx
    Reviews found online4955
Scores at a glance
CategoryBridgestone Potenza RE030Dunlop SP Sport Maxx
Relative Score 58 59
Dry 59 61
Wet 56 61
Snow – 54
Comfort 56 60
Noise – 63
Treadwear 67 56
Handling (owners) 49 55

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
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

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

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

Potenza RE030

SP Sport Maxx

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

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Potenza RE030

Pros

  • Exceptional tread longevity and durability
  • Reliable and consistent dry road grip
  • Strong, stiff sidewall construction

Cons

  • High levels of cabin road noise
  • Poor traction and handling in wet conditions
  • Tendency toward understeer
All owner themes in the Potenza RE030 review

Tire B SP Sport Maxx

Pros

  • Strong dry and wet grip when brand new
  • Responsive handling and sharp cornering precision
  • Low initial road noise and good ride comfort on smooth surfaces

Cons

  • Rapid and uneven tread wear (often wearing out in under 10,000–15,000 miles)
  • High road noise and 'sawtoothing' issues as the tires age
  • Noticeable drop in wet-weather traction and sudden loss of grip near the end of their lifespan
All owner themes in the SP Sport Maxx review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Bridgestone Potenza RE030 B · Dunlop SP Sport Maxx
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—8
Rim diameters—16″ – 21″
Tread depth—10/32″
Sidewall—Blackwall

Which one should you actually buy?

Bridgestone Potenza RE030

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx

Too close to call: Bridgestone Potenza RE030 and Dunlop SP Sport Maxx are within 2 points overall. Bridgestone Potenza RE030 is stronger on treadwear. Dunlop SP Sport Maxx is stronger on handling, wet and comfort. Bridgestone Potenza RE030 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 8 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Bridgestone Potenza RE030 scores 67 vs 56 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx scores 55 vs 49 on handling.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx scores 61 vs 56 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx scores 60 vs 56 on comfort.

Tire A · Bridgestone Potenza RE030
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Tire B · Dunlop SP Sport Maxx
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Potenza RE030 or SP Sport Maxx?

Which is better in the wet, Potenza RE030 or SP Sport Maxx?

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx, 61 vs 56 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Potenza RE030 or SP Sport Maxx?

Neither, by our numbers: 59 vs 61 on the dry score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, Potenza RE030 or SP Sport Maxx?

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx, 60 vs 56 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Potenza RE030 or SP Sport Maxx?

Bridgestone Potenza RE030, 67 vs 56 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