Tests – · none yet Owners 56 · 8 reviews
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 Michelin Defender T+H — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 0 + 1 road tests and 8 + 1 owner reviews. How we score
Defender T+H is ahead, 73–58
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Tests – · 1 test Owners 71 · 1 review
Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2022 Consumer Reports All-Season Tires (tested tread life (miles))
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
59
Dry
Defender T+H +1372Why this score
Source Potenza RE030 Defender T+H Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 63 (est.) ≈ 70 (est.) Reviews found online 55 74 Potenza RE030: 60% × 62.5 (est.) + 40% × 54.8 = 59
Defender T+H: 60% × 70.3 (est.) + 40% × 74.1 = 72
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 Defender T+H. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).
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56
Wet
Defender T+H +1874Why this score
Source Potenza RE030 Defender T+H Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 59 (est.) ≈ 73 (est.) Reviews found online 51 75 Potenza RE030: 60% × 59.5 (est.) + 40% × 51.4 = 56
Defender T+H: 60% × 72.7 (est.) + 40% × 74.9 = 74
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 Defender T+H. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).
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–
Snow
No comparison66Why this score
Source Potenza RE030 Defender T+H Professional tests (TWG score) – ≈ 68 (est.) Reviews found online – 63 Defender T+H: 60% × 67.7 (est.) + 40% × 63.3 = 66
No road tests of snow for Defender T+H. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.33).
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56
Comfort
Defender T+H +1470Why this score
Source Potenza RE030 Defender T+H Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 65 (est.) ≈ 69 (est.) Reviews found online 43 70 Potenza RE030: 60% × 64.6 (est.) + 40% × 43.1 = 56
Defender T+H: 60% × 69.3 (est.) + 40% × 70.1 = 70
No road tests of comfort for Potenza RE030 or Defender T+H. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
-
–
Noise
No comparison69Why this score
Source Potenza RE030 Defender T+H Professional tests (TWG score) – ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online – 71 Defender T+H: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 70.5 = 69
No road tests of noise for Defender T+H. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
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67
Treadwear
Defender T+H +673Why this score
Source Potenza RE030 Defender T+H Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 67 (est.) 75 Reviews found online 69 70 Potenza RE030: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 68.7 = 67
Defender T+H: 60% × 74.8 + 40% × 70 = 73
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).
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49
Handling (owners)
Defender T+H +2372Why this score
Source Potenza RE030 Defender T+H Reviews found online 49 72
Scores at a glance
| Category | Bridgestone Potenza RE030 | Michelin Defender T+H |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 58 | 73 |
| Dry | 59 | 72 |
| Wet | 56 | 74 |
| Snow | – | 66 |
| Comfort | 56 | 70 |
| Noise | – | 69 |
| Treadwear | 67 | 73 |
| Handling (owners) | 49 | 72 |
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
58
/ 100
Potenza RE030
73
/ 100
Defender T+H
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
Tire B Defender T+H
Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Bridgestone Potenza RE030 | B · Michelin Defender T+H |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Premium Touring All Season tire |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | SUV and 4x4 |
Which one should you actually buy?
58
/ 100
Bridgestone Potenza RE030
73
/ 100
Michelin Defender T+H
Winner: Michelin Defender T+H — better handling, wet and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score. Bridgestone Potenza RE030 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 8 reviews), so read this result as provisional. Michelin Defender T+H rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 1 review), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin Defender T+H scores 72 vs 49 on handling.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Defender T+H scores 74 vs 56 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Defender T+H scores 70 vs 56 on comfort.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin Defender T+H scores 72 vs 59 on dry.
Tire A · Bridgestone Potenza RE030
Tire B · Michelin Defender T+H
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Potenza RE030 or Defender T+H?
Which is better in the wet, Potenza RE030 or Defender T+H?
Michelin Defender T+H, 74 vs 56 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Potenza RE030 or Defender T+H?
Michelin Defender T+H, 72 vs 59 on our dry score.
Which is more comfortable, Potenza RE030 or Defender T+H?
Michelin Defender T+H, 70 vs 56 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Potenza RE030 or Defender T+H?
Michelin Defender T+H, 73 vs 67 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