Tests – · none yet Owners 50 · 2,182 reviews
“Got my Camelot rims mounted with Bridgestone Potenza Re050a tires!”
Head-to-head
Updated
Bridgestone Potenza RE050A vs Michelin Pilot Super Sport — 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 + 1 road tests and 2,182 + 1,507 owner reviews. How we score
Pilot Super Sport is ahead, 78–57
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Tests 75 · 1 test Owners 82 · 1,507 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 9 in 2017 Motor Mag UHP Tyre Test (dry handling)
“Damn. 295s on Style 359Ms? That's pushing it a bit, isn't it? I so desperately wish Michelin would make a 285/30 PSS. I'm running 275/35s now, and while I like the extra rubber on the road, I don't like the increased sidewall height over the OEM 265/35.”
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
61
Dry
Pilot Super Sport +2182Why this score
Source Potenza RE050A Pilot Super Sport Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 64 (est.) 77 Reviews found online 58 90 Potenza RE050A: 60% × 63.6 (est.) + 40% × 57.5 = 61
Pilot Super Sport: 60% × 77.5 + 40% × 89.8 = 82
No road tests of dry for Potenza RE050A. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
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59
Wet
Pilot Super Sport +1877Why this score
Source Potenza RE050A Pilot Super Sport Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 62 (est.) 73 Reviews found online 54 84 Potenza RE050A: 60% × 61.7 (est.) + 40% × 54.3 = 59
Pilot Super Sport: 60% × 73 + 40% × 83.8 = 77
No road tests of wet for Potenza RE050A. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
-
57
Snow
No comparison–Why this score
Source Potenza RE050A Pilot Super Sport Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 64 (est.) – Reviews found online 48 – Potenza RE050A: 60% × 63.5 (est.) + 40% × 48.2 = 57
No road tests of snow for Potenza RE050A. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
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48
Comfort
Pilot Super Sport +2674Why this score
Source Potenza RE050A Pilot Super Sport Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 63 (est.) ≈ 70 (est.) Reviews found online 38 76 Potenza RE050A: 40% × 62.5 (est.) + 60% × 38.1 = 48
Pilot Super Sport: 40% × 70.3 (est.) + 60% × 76.2 = 74
No road tests of comfort for Potenza RE050A. 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 Pilot Super Sport. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
-
62
Noise
No comparison–Why this score
Source Potenza RE050A Pilot Super Sport Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 66 (est.) – Reviews found online 55 – Potenza RE050A: 60% × 66.3 (est.) + 40% × 55.2 = 62
No road tests of noise for Potenza RE050A. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
-
51
Treadwear
Pilot Super Sport +1970Why this score
Source Potenza RE050A Pilot Super Sport Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 57 (est.) ≈ 69 (est.) Reviews found online 41 73 Potenza RE050A: 60% × 57.4 (est.) + 40% × 41 = 51
Pilot Super Sport: 60% × 68.7 (est.) + 40% × 72.7 = 70
No road tests of treadwear for Potenza RE050A. 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 Pilot Super Sport. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
-
54
Handling (owners)
Pilot Super Sport +2983Why this score
Source Potenza RE050A Pilot Super Sport Reviews found online 54 83
Scores at a glance
| Category | Bridgestone Potenza RE050A | Michelin Pilot Super Sport |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 57 | 78 |
| Dry | 61 | 82 |
| Wet | 59 | 77 |
| Snow | 57 | – |
| Comfort | 48 | 74 |
| Noise | 62 | – |
| Treadwear | 51 | 70 |
| Handling (owners) | 54 | 83 |
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
Recomputed
Headline score
57
/ 100
Potenza RE050A
78
/ 100
Pilot Super Sport
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
The professional test results behind the scores
Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.
In the overall rankings of 1 tests that ran both, Bridgestone Potenza RE050A finished ahead 0 times and Michelin Pilot Super Sport 1 times.
| Discipline | Category | Potenza RE050A | Pilot Super Sport | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #8/9 | #6/9 | – | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2011 Autoreview Max Performance Summer Tyre Test · 235/35 R19 |
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
Tire B Pilot Super Sport
Pros
- Phenomenal dry grip and cornering stability
- Precise steering response and excellent road feedback
- Better-than-expected tread wear and mileage for a performance tire
Cons
- Reduced grip and traction in cold weather (below 15°C)
- Mediocre performance and tendency to aquaplane when tread wears down in heavy rain
- High price point compared to some alternatives
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Mixed
Bridgestone Potenza RE050A
Community sentiment regarding the Bridgestone Potenza RE050A is largely mixed, with drivers acknowledging solid dry grip, responsive handling, and decent wet traction when warm. However, many owners criticize the tire's harsh ride quality, high road noise, fast treadwear, high replacement cost, and complete lack of traction in cold or snowy conditions. Run-flat variants are particularly disliked for their stiff ride and difficulty of repair.
e90post.com
“So here's whats on my car, and how I got here (2011 335d m-sport): Rear: RE 050 A, no designation of I or II, so I'm thinking they were first gen. The BMW dealership put them on the car at about 18k. Front: Original OEM from the factory RE 050 A I. I'm about to have these two replaced tomorrow after a major alignment issue has worn both outside front edges, although the car tracks straight... we'll see what i end up with tomorrow!”
r/skoda
·26 upvotes ·2022-03-09
“Got my Camelot rims mounted with Bridgestone Potenza Re050a tires!”
r/CamryTRD
·1 upvote ·2026-04-18
“Re050a is more of a semi racing stickies. It's more in line with the potenza race. Any of the popular sport tires i.e pilot sport or potenza sport will do. For me. I'd go for Toyo Proxes sport 2.”
Top themes
#tread life and wear#cold and snow performance#ride comfort and stiffness#dry and wet grip#high replacement cost#run flat complaints#road noise
Based on 76 community posts
Tire B
Positive
Michelin Pilot Super Sport
The Michelin Pilot Super Sport is widely praised by the community as a benchmark high-performance street tire offering outstanding dry grip, sharp cornering capability, and decent ride comfort for daily driving. Many drivers note that its successor, the Pilot Sport 4S, improves upon it—especially in cold and wet conditions—while several users highlight downsides such as poor winter/snow capability, premium pricing, and eventual rubber degradation or tread cracking as the tires age.
r/ft86
·2 upvotes ·2016-04-18
“As someone who lapped the car until I destroyed the OEM tires, and then lapped a set of PSS until I destroyed those too. The PSS are stickier than stock for sure, but they arent really sticky when it comes to tires for the track. They overheat and get greasy if you drive them hard, and they will slip at just slightly higher speeds. TL;DR: they are better than stock, but they arent a track sticky tire by any means so tail happy is still a thing.”
r/370z
·2 upvotes ·2017-10-20
“I switched to Pilot Super Sports a couple months ago and can say there is some noise reduction. So far they are holding up pretty well, probably better than the RE50A considering I did a fair bit of auto crossing with it. Biggest difference I noticed was grip, significantly more grip especially when abused (hot). I also went 255 up front so that may have had an effect on the grip as well. They are also more comfortable over rough surfaces.”
r/BMW
·1 upvote ·2014-01-22
“Damn. 295s on Style 359Ms? That's pushing it a bit, isn't it? I so desperately wish Michelin would make a 285/30 PSS. I'm running 275/35s now, and while I like the extra rubber on the road, I don't like the increased sidewall height over the OEM 265/35.”
Top themes
#Dry grip and cornering#Comparison to PS4S#Poor snow performance#Tread life and wear#High purchase price#Age and cracking issues#Daily driving comfort
Based on 364 community posts
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Bridgestone Potenza RE050A | B · Michelin Pilot Super Sport |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 37 | 50 |
| Rim diameters | 15″ – 20″ | 17″ – 23″ |
| Tread depth | 10/32″ | — |
| UTQG | 140 A A | 300 AA A |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 50 psi | — |
| Sizes in common | 18 | 18 |
Which one should you actually buy?
57
/ 100
Bridgestone Potenza RE050A
78
/ 100
Michelin Pilot Super Sport
Winner: Michelin Pilot Super Sport — better handling, comfort and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin Pilot Super Sport scores 83 vs 54 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Pilot Super Sport scores 74 vs 48 on comfort.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin Pilot Super Sport scores 82 vs 61 on dry.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Pilot Super Sport scores 70 vs 51 on treadwear.
Tire A · Bridgestone Potenza RE050A
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Super Sport
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Potenza RE050A or Pilot Super Sport?
Which is better in the wet, Potenza RE050A or Pilot Super Sport?
Michelin Pilot Super Sport, 77 vs 59 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Potenza RE050A or Pilot Super Sport?
Michelin Pilot Super Sport, 82 vs 61 on our dry score.
Which is more comfortable, Potenza RE050A or Pilot Super Sport?
Michelin Pilot Super Sport, 74 vs 48 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Potenza RE050A or Pilot Super Sport?
Michelin Pilot Super Sport, 70 vs 51 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