Tests – · none yet Owners 70 · 13 reviews
Bridgestone Potenza RE11 looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.
Head-to-head
Updated
Bridgestone Potenza RE11 vs Michelin Defender T+H — 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 13 + 1 owner reviews. How we score
Too close to call: Potenza RE11 70, Defender T+H 71.
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Tests – · 1 test Owners 71 · 1 review
Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2022 Consumer Reports All-Season Tires (tested tread life (miles))
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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77
Dry
Potenza RE11 +572Why this score
Source Potenza RE11 Defender T+H Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 74 (est.) ≈ 70 (est.) Reviews found online 83 74 Potenza RE11: 60% × 73.8 (est.) + 40% × 82.7 = 77
Defender T+H: 60% × 70.3 (est.) + 40% × 74.1 = 72
No road tests of dry for Potenza RE11. 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 Defender T+H. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).
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73
Wet
Defender T+H +174Why this score
Source Potenza RE11 Defender T+H Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 72 (est.) ≈ 73 (est.) Reviews found online 74 75 Potenza RE11: 60% × 71.9 (est.) + 40% × 73.6 = 73
Defender T+H: 60% × 72.7 (est.) + 40% × 74.9 = 74
No road tests of wet for Potenza RE11. 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 Defender T+H. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).
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56
Snow
Defender T+H +1066Why this score
Source Potenza RE11 Defender T+H Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 62 (est.) ≈ 68 (est.) Reviews found online 46 63 Potenza RE11: 60% × 62 (est.) + 40% × 46 = 56
Defender T+H: 60% × 67.7 (est.) + 40% × 63.3 = 66
No road tests of snow for Potenza RE11. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.33).
No road tests of snow for Defender T+H. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.33).
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69
Comfort
Defender T+H +170Why this score
Source Potenza RE11 Defender T+H Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 69 (est.) ≈ 69 (est.) Reviews found online 70 70 Potenza RE11: 60% × 69.2 (est.) + 40% × 69.6 = 69
Defender T+H: 60% × 69.3 (est.) + 40% × 70.1 = 70
No road tests of comfort for Potenza RE11 or Defender T+H. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
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68
Noise
Defender T+H +169Why this score
Source Potenza RE11 Defender T+H Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 67 (est.) ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 68 71 Potenza RE11: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 68 = 68
Defender T+H: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 70.5 = 69
No road tests of noise for Potenza RE11 or Defender T+H. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
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66
Treadwear
Defender T+H +773Why this score
Source Potenza RE11 Defender T+H Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 66 (est.) 75 Reviews found online 66 70 Potenza RE11: 60% × 65.6 (est.) + 40% × 65.5 = 66
Defender T+H: 60% × 74.8 + 40% × 70 = 73
No road tests of treadwear for Potenza RE11. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).
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78
Handling (owners)
Potenza RE11 +672Why this score
Source Potenza RE11 Defender T+H Reviews found online 78 72
Scores at a glance
| Category | Bridgestone Potenza RE11 | Michelin Defender T+H |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 70 | 71 |
| Dry | 77 | 72 |
| Wet | 73 | 74 |
| Snow | 56 | 66 |
| Comfort | 69 | 70 |
| Noise | 68 | 69 |
| Treadwear | 66 | 73 |
| Handling (owners) | 78 | 72 |
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
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
70
/ 100
Potenza RE11
71
/ 100
Defender T+H
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Potenza RE11
Pros
- Surreal and formidable dry grip
- Predictable handling characteristics when pushed to the limit
- Better-than-expected tread life and longevity under spirited driving and track use
Cons
- Can become greasy on a hot track if pushed too hard
- Increases in road noise compared to standard tires
- Stiff sidewalls that contribute to a firmer ride
Tire B Defender T+H
Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Bridgestone Potenza RE11 | B · Michelin Defender T+H |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Premium Touring All Season tire |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | SUV and 4x4 |
| Tread depth | 9/32″ | — |
| UTQG | 200 A A | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 50 psi | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
70
/ 100
Bridgestone Potenza RE11
71
/ 100
Michelin Defender T+H
Too close to call: Bridgestone Potenza RE11 and Michelin Defender T+H are within 2 points overall. Bridgestone Potenza RE11 is stronger on handling and dry. Michelin Defender T+H is stronger on snow and treadwear. Bridgestone Potenza RE11 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 13 reviews), so read this result as provisional. Michelin Defender T+H rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 1 review), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire B
You drive through snowy winters
Michelin Defender T+H scores 66 vs 56 on snow.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Defender T+H scores 73 vs 66 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Bridgestone Potenza RE11 scores 78 vs 72 on handling.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Bridgestone Potenza RE11 scores 77 vs 72 on dry.
Tire A · Bridgestone Potenza RE11
Tire B · Michelin Defender T+H
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Potenza RE11 or Defender T+H?
Which is better in the wet, Potenza RE11 or Defender T+H?
Neither, by our numbers: 73 vs 74 on the wet score, within 3 points.
Which grips better on dry roads, Potenza RE11 or Defender T+H?
Bridgestone Potenza RE11, 77 vs 72 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, Potenza RE11 or Defender T+H?
Michelin Defender T+H, 66 vs 56 on our snow score.
Which is quieter, Potenza RE11 or Defender T+H?
Neither, by our numbers: 68 vs 69 on the noise score, within 3 points.
Which is more comfortable, Potenza RE11 or Defender T+H?
Neither, by our numbers: 69 vs 70 on the comfort score, within 3 points.
Which lasts longer, Potenza RE11 or Defender T+H?
Michelin Defender T+H, 73 vs 66 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