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Head-to-head Updated

Bridgestone Potenza RE040 vs Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT — 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 0 + 0 road tests and 49 + 10 owner reviews. How we score

Potenza RE040 is ahead, 51–30

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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. 54

    Dry

    Potenza RE040 +24
    30
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE040SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 59 (est.)≈ 44 (est.)
    Reviews found online4610

    Potenza RE040: 60% × 58.8 (est.) + 40% × 46 = 54

    SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT: 60% × 43.9 (est.) + 40% × 10 = 30

    No road tests of dry for Potenza RE040. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

    No road tests of dry for SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 51

    Wet

    Potenza RE040 +21
    30
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE040SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 56 (est.)≈ 40 (est.)
    Reviews found online4315

    Potenza RE040: 60% × 55.6 (est.) + 40% × 43.2 = 51

    SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT: 60% × 40.1 (est.) + 40% × 14.9 = 30

    No road tests of wet for Potenza RE040. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

    No road tests of wet for SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 49

    Snow

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE040SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 59 (est.)–
    Reviews found online33–

    Potenza RE040: 60% × 58.8 (est.) + 40% × 33.2 = 49

    No road tests of snow for Potenza RE040. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 46

    Comfort

    Potenza RE040 +17
    29
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE040SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 62 (est.)≈ 57 (est.)
    Reviews found online3510

    Potenza RE040: 40% × 61.8 (est.) + 60% × 34.7 = 46

    SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT: 40% × 56.8 (est.) + 60% × 10 = 29

    No road tests of comfort for Potenza RE040. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

    No road tests of comfort for SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 54

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE040SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)–
    Reviews found online35–

    Potenza RE040: 60% × 66.3 (est.) + 40% × 34.8 = 54

    No road tests of noise for Potenza RE040. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 50

    Treadwear

    Potenza RE040 +18
    32
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE040SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 57 (est.)≈ 47 (est.)
    Reviews found online4011

    Potenza RE040: 60% × 57 (est.) + 40% × 39.8 = 50

    SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT: 60% × 46.6 (est.) + 40% × 10.9 = 32

    No road tests of treadwear for Potenza RE040. 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 SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 48

    Handling (owners)

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE040SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT
    Reviews found online48–
Scores at a glance
CategoryBridgestone Potenza RE040Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT
Relative Score 51 30
Dry 54 30
Wet 51 30
Snow 49 –
Comfort 46 29
Noise 54 –
Treadwear 50 32
Handling (owners) 48 –

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

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

Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

Potenza RE040

± 8

SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT

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 RE040

Pros

  • Excellent dry weather grip and handling
  • High level of steering feedback and directness
  • Progressive and predictable breakaway characteristics

Cons

  • Excessive and intrusive road noise
  • Poor performance and lack of confidence in wet or cold conditions
  • Harsh ride quality due to stiff construction
All owner themes in the Potenza RE040 review

Tire B SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT

Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Bridgestone Potenza RE040 B · Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT
CategorySummerSummer tire
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available3—
Rim diameters16″ – 18″—
Tread depth10/32″—
UTQG140 A A260 - 280 A - B A
SidewallBlackwall—

Which one should you actually buy?

Bridgestone Potenza RE040

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT

Winner: Bridgestone Potenza RE040 — better dry, wet and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score. Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 10 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Bridgestone Potenza RE040 scores 54 vs 30 on dry.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Bridgestone Potenza RE040 scores 51 vs 30 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Bridgestone Potenza RE040 scores 50 vs 32 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Bridgestone Potenza RE040 scores 46 vs 29 on comfort.

Tire A · Bridgestone Potenza RE040
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Tire B · Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT
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Potenza RE040 or SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT?

Which is better in the wet, Potenza RE040 or SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT?

Bridgestone Potenza RE040, 51 vs 30 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Potenza RE040 or SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT?

Bridgestone Potenza RE040, 54 vs 30 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, Potenza RE040 or SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT?

Bridgestone Potenza RE040, 46 vs 29 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Potenza RE040 or SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT?

Bridgestone Potenza RE040, 50 vs 32 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