Tests – · none yet Owners 71 · none yet
Head-to-head
Updated
Bridgestone Potenza RE050A Pole Position RFT vs Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
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Tests 77 · 2 tests Owners 72 · 452 reviews
“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.”
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
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Dry
No comparison81Why this score
Source Potenza RE050A Pole Position RFT Potenza RE 71RS Professional tests (TWG score) – 75 Reviews found online – 90 -
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Wet
No comparison77Why this score
Source Potenza RE050A Pole Position RFT Potenza RE 71RS Professional tests (TWG score) – 84 Reviews found online – 68 -
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Comfort
No comparison65Why this score
Source Potenza RE050A Pole Position RFT Potenza RE 71RS Professional tests (TWG score) – 71 Reviews found online – 56 -
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Noise
No comparison66Why this score
Source Potenza RE050A Pole Position RFT Potenza RE 71RS Professional tests (TWG score) – 67 Reviews found online – 64 -
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Treadwear
No comparison61Why this score
Source Potenza RE050A Pole Position RFT Potenza RE 71RS Reviews found online – 59 -
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Handling
No comparison84Why this score
Source Potenza RE050A Pole Position RFT Potenza RE 71RS Reviews found online – 84
Scores at a glance
| Category | Bridgestone Potenza RE050A Pole Position RFT | Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | – | 73 |
| Dry | – | 81 |
| Wet | – | 77 |
| Comfort | – | 65 |
| Noise | – | 66 |
| Treadwear | – | 61 |
| Handling | – | 84 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Weight the categories that matter to you
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
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/ 100
Potenza RE050A Pole Position RFT
73
/ 100
Potenza RE 71RS
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 RE050A Pole Position RFT
Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.
Tire B 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.
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Bridgestone Potenza RE050A Pole Position RFT
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Tire B
Positive
Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS
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”
rennlist.com
“I ran RE-71R on 19" rims, 255/285 F/R, and starting at about 26 psi would end up at around 35 at end of 25 min session with even tire temps across the width of the tire once I got my camber dialed in.”
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
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Bridgestone Potenza RE050A Pole Position RFT | B · Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS |
|---|---|---|
| Category | — | Summer |
| Sizes available | — | 10 |
| Rim diameters | — | 15″ – 19″ |
| Tread depth | — | 7/32″ |
| UTQG | — | 200 A A |
| Sidewall | — | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | — | 51 psi |
Which one should you actually buy?
–
/ 100
Bridgestone Potenza RE050A Pole Position RFT
73
/ 100
Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS
Only Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS has enough test and review data for a Relative Score, so there is no head-to-head winner yet.
Tire A · Bridgestone Potenza RE050A Pole Position RFT
Tire B · Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS
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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.