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Head-to-head Updated

Bridgestone Potenza RE080 vs Dunlop SP Sport Maxx — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 0 + 0 road tests and 9 + 173 owner reviews. How we score

Potenza RE080 is ahead, 65–59

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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. 66

    Dry

    Potenza RE080 +5
    61
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE080SP Sport Maxx
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 64 (est.)
    Reviews found online6558

    Potenza RE080: 60% × 66.5 (est.) + 40% × 64.6 = 66

    SP Sport Maxx: 60% × 63.7 (est.) + 40% × 57.7 = 61

    No road tests of dry for Potenza RE080. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

    No road tests of dry for SP Sport Maxx. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

  2. 66

    Wet

    Potenza RE080 +5
    61
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE080SP Sport Maxx
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)≈ 63 (est.)
    Reviews found online6557

    Potenza RE080: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 65.3 = 66

    SP Sport Maxx: 60% × 62.9 (est.) + 40% × 57.4 = 61

    No road tests of wet for Potenza RE080. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

    No road tests of wet for SP Sport Maxx. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

  3. –

    Snow

    No comparison
    54
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE080SP Sport Maxx
    Professional tests (TWG score)–≈ 61 (est.)
    Reviews found online–43

    SP Sport Maxx: 60% × 61 (est.) + 40% × 43 = 54

    No road tests of snow for SP Sport Maxx. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.33).

  4. 64

    Comfort

    Potenza RE080 +4
    60
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE080SP Sport Maxx
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online6051

    Potenza RE080: 60% × 67.5 (est.) + 40% × 59.6 = 64

    SP Sport Maxx: 60% × 66 (est.) + 40% × 51.1 = 60

    No road tests of comfort for Potenza RE080 or SP Sport Maxx. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    63
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE080SP Sport Maxx
    Professional tests (TWG score)–≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online–57

    SP Sport Maxx: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 56.7 = 63

    No road tests of noise for SP Sport Maxx. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 63

    Treadwear

    Potenza RE080 +7
    56
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE080SP Sport Maxx
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 64 (est.)≈ 60 (est.)
    Reviews found online6149

    Potenza RE080: 60% × 64.2 (est.) + 40% × 61 = 63

    SP Sport Maxx: 60% × 60.4 (est.) + 40% × 48.7 = 56

    No road tests of treadwear for Potenza RE080. 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 SP Sport Maxx. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

  7. 67

    Handling (owners)

    Potenza RE080 +12
    55
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE080SP Sport Maxx
    Reviews found online6755
Scores at a glance
CategoryBridgestone Potenza RE080Dunlop SP Sport Maxx
Relative Score 65 59
Dry 66 61
Wet 66 61
Snow – 54
Comfort 64 60
Noise – 63
Treadwear 63 56
Handling (owners) 67 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 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

Potenza RE080

SP Sport Maxx

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 RE080

Pros

  • Excellent grip performance in both wet and dry road conditions
  • High durability and impressive tread life for many users
  • Predictable steering response and cornering confidence

Cons

  • Noticeable increase in road noise and tire roar over time
  • Ride comfort diminishes as the tire wears
  • Inconsistent tread life reports ranging from 25,000km to over 60,000km
All owner themes in the Potenza RE080 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

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Bridgestone Potenza RE080 B · Dunlop SP Sport Maxx
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available18
Rim diameters15″16″ – 21″
Tread depth—10/32″
Sidewall—Blackwall

Which one should you actually buy?

Bridgestone Potenza RE080

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx

Winner: Bridgestone Potenza RE080 — better handling, treadwear and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score. Bridgestone Potenza RE080 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 9 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Bridgestone Potenza RE080 scores 67 vs 55 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Bridgestone Potenza RE080 scores 63 vs 56 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Bridgestone Potenza RE080 scores 66 vs 61 on dry.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Bridgestone Potenza RE080 scores 66 vs 61 on wet.

Tire A · Bridgestone Potenza RE080
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Tire B · Dunlop SP Sport Maxx
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Potenza RE080 or SP Sport Maxx?

Which is better in the wet, Potenza RE080 or SP Sport Maxx?

Bridgestone Potenza RE080, 66 vs 61 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Potenza RE080 or SP Sport Maxx?

Bridgestone Potenza RE080, 66 vs 61 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, Potenza RE080 or SP Sport Maxx?

Bridgestone Potenza RE080, 64 vs 60 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Potenza RE080 or SP Sport Maxx?

Bridgestone Potenza RE080, 63 vs 56 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