tirewheelguide
Head-to-head Updated

Bridgestone Potenza RE050A vs Dunlop SP Sport Maxx — Compared

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

Potenza RE050A leads, 59–58 Narrow edge

Check price on Amazon · Potenza RE050A or SP Sport Maxx on Amazon
Add your size for an exact match
/R

Both Amazon links then search this exact size.

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Tire ABridgestone

Potenza RE050A

Summer

Tests – · none yet Owners 53 · 2,182 reviews

“I've gone through two sets of RE050As, and I've got 75k on my car. The second set is in dire need of replacement. HTH.”

Category by category

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

  1. 63

    Dry

    Potenza RE050A +2
    61
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE050ASP Sport Maxx
    Reviews found online6158
  2. 60

    Wet

    SP Sport Maxx +1
    61
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE050ASP Sport Maxx
    Reviews found online5758
  3. 57

    Snow

    Potenza RE050A +3
    54
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE050ASP Sport Maxx
    Reviews found online4944
  4. 57

    Comfort

    SP Sport Maxx +3
    60
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE050ASP Sport Maxx
    Reviews found online4452
  5. 62

    Noise

    Level
    62
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE050ASP Sport Maxx
    Reviews found online5656
  6. 54

    Treadwear

    SP Sport Maxx +2
    56
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE050ASP Sport Maxx
    Reviews found online4649
  7. 57

    Handling

    Potenza RE050A +2
    55
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE050ASP Sport Maxx
    Reviews found online5755
Scores at a glance
CategoryBridgestone Potenza RE050ADunlop SP Sport Maxx
Relative Score 59 58
Dry 63 61
Wet 60 61
Snow 57 54
Comfort 57 60
Noise 62 62
Treadwear 54 56
Handling 57 55

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.

Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Recomputed
Headline score

Potenza RE050A

SP Sport Maxx

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Potenza RE050A

Pros

  • Phenomenal dry grip and cornering stability
  • Precise steering response and sharp turn-in feedback
  • Stiff sidewalls that enhance sporty handling and provide rim protection

Cons

  • Harsh ride quality and stiff impact absorption, especially over rough roads and potholes
  • Noticeable and escalating road noise as the tires wear
  • Mediocre performance and reduced traction in cold temperatures or wintry conditions
All owner themes in the Potenza RE050A review

Tire B SP Sport Maxx

Pros

  • Strong dry and wet grip when brand new
  • Responsive handling and sharp cornering precision
  • Low initial road noise and good ride comfort on smooth surfaces

Cons

  • Rapid and uneven tread wear (often wearing out in under 10,000–15,000 miles)
  • High road noise and 'sawtoothing' issues as the tires age
  • Noticeable drop in wet-weather traction and sudden loss of grip near the end of their lifespan
All owner themes in the SP Sport Maxx review

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Bridgestone Potenza RE050A

Mixed

The Bridgestone Potenza RE050A is recognized as an older high-performance summer tire design that still delivers strong dry grip, handling, and cornering capabilities. While some users appreciate their longevity with proper maintenance, others note reduced wet and cold weather traction and point out that newer alternatives are available.

r/NZcarfix ·4 upvotes ·2025-10-19

“Tyre pressure Was wondering whats the correct tyre pressure for Bridgestone Potenza RE050A — 195/45R17 81W The car said 33 psi, but Toyota put 40, so I’m just wondering whats the maximum psi it can take? Google doesn’t really say anything. Thanks.”
r/cars ·2 upvotes ·2017-11-18

“My FiST came with the Potenza RE050A and i am pleasantly surprised with how well they handle. Excellent grip from acceleration and cornering as well as excellent stopping power. The only problem is when it gets cold out and if it's wet the tires don't grip as well as I'd like but other than that no complaints.”
r/Miata ·1 upvote ·2014-10-30

“Replacements for Bridgestone Potenza RE050A sticky Summer tires Went to for an NC (2008) Miata and they are trying to sell their house brand tires for around $350 (205/45R17, all season generic, I believe the treadware is 400, official rating is 30,000 miles but will realistically be more like 20,000). They mentioned their model is the "Sofero s1000" if I heard it correctly. Can't find any product reviews online, has anyone used them? How do they compare to name brands (have been using Bridgestone Potenza RE050A sticky summer tires, treadware 140, traction A, temperature A, ). The issue here is that you can't "try on" their house brand tires to see if it's to your liking. One you buy them, you're stuck. And I really like the feeling of the tires I have now, but they are very expensive to replace! Edit: going for the Continental ExtremeContact DW (around $400, best bang for the buck it would seem). Now just need to find a quality tire shop in San Diego!”
Top themes
#Dry grip and handling#Wet and cold performance#Tread life and mileage#Run-flat options#Aging tire design#Pricing and value

Based on 13 community posts

Tire B

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx

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

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Bridgestone Potenza RE050A B · Dunlop SP Sport Maxx
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available111
Rim diameters18″ – 20″20″
Tread depth10/32″10/32″
UTQG140 A A—
SidewallBlackwallBlackwall
Max pressure50 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Bridgestone Potenza RE050A

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx

Too close to call: Bridgestone Potenza RE050A and Dunlop SP Sport Maxx are within 2 points overall. Bridgestone Potenza RE050A is stronger on snow. Dunlop SP Sport Maxx is stronger on comfort.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Bridgestone Potenza RE050A scores 57 vs 54 on snow.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx scores 60 vs 57 on comfort.

Tire A · Bridgestone Potenza RE050A
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Dunlop SP Sport Maxx
Check price on Amazon

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

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 RE050A

Amazon