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Head-to-head Updated

Bridgestone Potenza RE050 vs Bridgestone Potenza RE040 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

Potenza RE050 leads, 59–55 Narrow edge

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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. 62

    Dry

    Potenza RE050 +4
    58
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE050Potenza RE040
    Reviews found online5852
  2. 61

    Wet

    Potenza RE050 +7
    54
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE050Potenza RE040
    Reviews found online5848
  3. 58

    Snow

    Potenza RE050 +8
    50
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE050Potenza RE040
    Reviews found online5037
  4. 58

    Comfort

    Potenza RE050 +2
    56
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE050Potenza RE040
    Reviews found online4842
  5. 62

    Noise

    Potenza RE050 +6
    56
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE050Potenza RE040
    Reviews found online5440
  6. 57

    Treadwear

    Potenza RE050 +2
    55
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE050Potenza RE040
    Reviews found online5147
  7. 57

    Handling

    Potenza RE050 +4
    53
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE050Potenza RE040
    Reviews found online5753
Scores at a glance
CategoryBridgestone Potenza RE050Bridgestone Potenza RE040
Relative Score 59 55
Dry 62 58
Wet 61 54
Snow 58 50
Comfort 58 56
Noise 62 56
Treadwear 57 55
Handling 57 53

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

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Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

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Recomputed
Headline score

Potenza RE050

Potenza RE040

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Potenza RE050

Pros

  • Exceptional dry weather grip and cornering stability
  • High levels of steering feedback and road communication
  • Predictable and progressive handling characteristics when new

Cons

  • Significant increase in road noise over the life of the tire
  • Noticeable decline in wet-weather traction and hydroplaning resistance as tread depth decreases
  • Inconsistent tread life, with many users reporting premature wear
All owner themes in the Potenza RE050 review

Tire B 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

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Bridgestone Potenza RE050 B · Bridgestone Potenza RE040
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available43
Rim diameters17″ – 19″16″ – 18″
Tread depth9/32″10/32″
UTQG140 A A140 A A
SidewallBlackwallBlackwall
Max pressure51 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Bridgestone Potenza RE050

Bridgestone Potenza RE040

Winner: Bridgestone Potenza RE050 — better snow, wet and noise. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Bridgestone Potenza RE050 scores 58 vs 50 on snow.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Bridgestone Potenza RE050 scores 61 vs 54 on wet.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Bridgestone Potenza RE050 scores 62 vs 56 on noise.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Bridgestone Potenza RE050 scores 62 vs 58 on dry.

Tire A · Bridgestone Potenza RE050
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Tire B · Bridgestone Potenza RE040
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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.

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

59

Narrow edge

Potenza RE050

Amazon