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Bridgestone Potenza RE050A Run Flat vs Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3 — 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 146 + 308 owner reviews. How we score

Pilot Sport 3 PS3 is ahead, 73–45

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Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3
Tire BMichelin

Pilot Sport 3 PS3

Summer

Tests 71 · 1 test Owners 74 · 308 reviews

“I used them for my PS3’s last year, got the cash back offer too. Saved a fortune over the other big name tyre suppliers.”

Category by category

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

  1. 46

    Dry

    Pilot Sport 3 PS3 +26
    72
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE050A Run FlatPilot Sport 3 PS3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 54 (est.)67
    Reviews found online3578

    Potenza RE050A Run Flat: 60% × 54.4 (est.) + 40% × 34.5 = 46

    Pilot Sport 3 PS3: 60% × 67.2 + 40% × 78.4 = 72

    No road tests of dry for Potenza RE050A Run Flat. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

  2. 47

    Wet

    Pilot Sport 3 PS3 +30
    77
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE050A Run FlatPilot Sport 3 PS3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 52 (est.)76
    Reviews found online3979

    Potenza RE050A Run Flat: 60% × 52.4 (est.) + 40% × 38.7 = 47

    Pilot Sport 3 PS3: 60% × 75.8 + 40% × 79.4 = 77

    No road tests of wet for Potenza RE050A Run Flat. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

  3. 42

    Comfort

    Pilot Sport 3 PS3 +29
    71
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE050A Run FlatPilot Sport 3 PS3
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 60 (est.)≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online1573

    Potenza RE050A Run Flat: 60% × 59.7 (est.) + 40% × 14.8 = 42

    Pilot Sport 3 PS3: 60% × 69.8 (est.) + 40% × 73.1 = 71

    No road tests of comfort for Potenza RE050A Run Flat or Pilot Sport 3 PS3. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  4. 48

    Treadwear

    Pilot Sport 3 PS3 +17
    65
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE050A Run FlatPilot Sport 3 PS3
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 56 (est.)≈ 65 (est.)
    Reviews found online3564

    Potenza RE050A Run Flat: 60% × 56.3 (est.) + 40% × 35.3 = 48

    Pilot Sport 3 PS3: 60% × 65.2 (est.) + 40% × 64.1 = 65

    No road tests of treadwear for Potenza RE050A Run Flat. 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 Pilot Sport 3 PS3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

  5. 29

    Handling (owners)

    Pilot Sport 3 PS3 +48
    77
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE050A Run FlatPilot Sport 3 PS3
    Reviews found online2977
Scores at a glance
CategoryBridgestone Potenza RE050A Run FlatMichelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3
Relative Score 45 73
Dry 46 72
Wet 47 77
Comfort 42 71
Treadwear 48 65
Handling (owners) 29 77

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
Less important
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Neutral
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Less important
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Recomputed
Headline score

Potenza RE050A Run Flat

Pilot Sport 3 PS3

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Potenza RE050A Run Flat

Pros

  • Strong grip and predictable handling in dry conditions
  • Precise steering response and high-speed cornering stability
  • Good overall longevity and mileage for certain drivers on smooth highways

Cons

  • Extremely harsh, rigid, and uncomfortable ride quality
  • Severe tramlining and tendency to follow ruts or road imperfections
  • Poor grip, reduced traction, and nervous handling in wet weather
All owner themes in the Potenza RE050A Run Flat review

Tire B Pilot Sport 3 PS3

Pros

  • Exceptional wet and dry grip
  • Outstanding wet-weather performance and hydroplaning resistance
  • Enhanced ride comfort and compliance over road imperfections

Cons

  • Faster-than-expected tread wear, particularly with spirited driving
  • Softer sidewalls can result in a slightly spongy or 'squidgy' feel during aggressive cornering
  • Higher initial purchase price compared to some mid-range alternatives
All owner themes in the Pilot Sport 3 PS3 review

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Bridgestone Potenza RE050A Run Flat

We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.

Tire B

Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3

Mixed

Community sentiment regarding the Michelin Pilot Sport 3 (PS3) is mixed, with users commending its wet grip, aquaplaning resistance, and daily ride comfort. However, enthusiasts often note soft sidewalls and subdued sportiness compared to the PS2, with many recommending newer iterations like the PS4 and PS4S for sharper handling and reduced road noise.

mbworld.org

“Michelin Pilot Sport (PS3)for the summer and Conti 's wintercontact TS850 for the winter for me and very content with this the last three years.”
zerotohundred.com ·2016-03-14

“I think I might get the RE003 because PS3 is about RM40 more expensive per piece. After 2 sets, the PS3 seem a bit boring... :sleep:”
alfaowner.com ·2015-02-20

“Wow Brian, that must be quite a while ago, because I went for a 3.8 in the GTA , had some issues with that so went back to a 3.2 and now have a GTV . Regarding the tyres, I'd be looking for the 185/70 equivalent to the kind of performance tyre I used to use on the GTA (PS3s). I probably don't want to go for one of the expensive "classic" tyres the historic racers use but I wondered if there is something out there in the modern tyre world that is a step up from the Rain Expert. Having said that, the Rain Experts seem to score quite well in grip (as you might expect) so may be quite a good everyday tyre for the car. I will be using the car mainly for long distance touring rather than a lot of track work.”
Top themes
#Wet grip performance#Aquaplaning resistance#Comparison to PS4#Comfortable daily driving#Soft sidewall feel#Road noise issues#Availability and sizing

Based on 37 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Bridgestone Potenza RE050A Run Flat B · Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle type—Passenger Car / Crossover

Which one should you actually buy?

Bridgestone Potenza RE050A Run Flat

Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3

Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3 — better handling, wet and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3 scores 77 vs 29 on handling.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3 scores 77 vs 47 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3 scores 71 vs 42 on comfort.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3 scores 72 vs 46 on dry.

Tire A · Bridgestone Potenza RE050A Run Flat
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Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3
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Potenza RE050A Run Flat or Pilot Sport 3 PS3?

Which is better in the wet, Potenza RE050A Run Flat or Pilot Sport 3 PS3?

Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3, 77 vs 47 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Potenza RE050A Run Flat or Pilot Sport 3 PS3?

Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3, 72 vs 46 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, Potenza RE050A Run Flat or Pilot Sport 3 PS3?

Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3, 71 vs 42 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Potenza RE050A Run Flat or Pilot Sport 3 PS3?

Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3, 65 vs 48 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