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Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS vs Continental SecureContact AW — 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 + 0 road tests and 9 + 6 owner reviews. How we score

SecureContact AW is ahead, 79–61

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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. 64

    Dry

    SecureContact AW +14
    78
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE980ASSecureContact AW
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 74 (est.)
    Reviews found online6383

    Potenza RE980AS: 60% × 65.7 (est.) + 40% × 62.6 = 64

    SecureContact AW: 60% × 74.1 (est.) + 40% × 82.9 = 78

    No road tests of dry for Potenza RE980AS. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

    No road tests of dry for SecureContact AW. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 66

    Wet

    SecureContact AW +19
    85
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE980ASSecureContact AW
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)≈ 81 (est.)
    Reviews found online6490

    Potenza RE980AS: 60% × 66.9 (est.) + 40% × 63.7 = 66

    SecureContact AW: 60% × 81.1 (est.) + 40% × 89.8 = 85

    No road tests of wet for Potenza RE980AS. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

    No road tests of wet for SecureContact AW. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 56

    Snow

    SecureContact AW +21
    77
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE980ASSecureContact AW
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 62 (est.)≈ 74 (est.)
    Reviews found online4582

    Potenza RE980AS: 60% × 62.5 (est.) + 40% × 45.2 = 56

    SecureContact AW: 60% × 74.3 (est.) + 40% × 82.3 = 77

    No road tests of snow for Potenza RE980AS. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

    No road tests of snow for SecureContact AW. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 54

    Comfort

    SecureContact AW +24
    78
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE980ASSecureContact AW
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 64 (est.)≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online4783

    Potenza RE980AS: 40% × 64.2 (est.) + 60% × 46.5 = 54

    SecureContact AW: 40% × 71.5 (est.) + 60% × 83 = 78

    No road tests of comfort for Potenza RE980AS. 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 SecureContact AW. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 62

    Noise

    SecureContact AW +9
    71
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE980ASSecureContact AW
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online5577

    Potenza RE980AS: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 54.5 = 62

    SecureContact AW: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 77.3 = 71

    No road tests of noise for Potenza RE980AS or SecureContact AW. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 56

    Treadwear

    SecureContact AW +19
    75
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE980ASSecureContact AW
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 60 (est.)≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online4981

    Potenza RE980AS: 60% × 60.2 (est.) + 40% × 49 = 56

    SecureContact AW: 60% × 71.7 (est.) + 40% × 80.8 = 75

    No road tests of treadwear for Potenza RE980AS. 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 SecureContact AW. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 55

    Handling (owners)

    SecureContact AW +27
    82
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE980ASSecureContact AW
    Reviews found online5582
Scores at a glance
CategoryBridgestone Potenza RE980ASContinental SecureContact AW
Relative Score 61 79
Dry 64 78
Wet 66 85
Snow 56 77
Comfort 54 78
Noise 62 71
Treadwear 56 75
Handling (owners) 55 82

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
± 8

Potenza RE980AS

± 8

SecureContact AW

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Potenza RE980AS

Pros

  • Excellent dry grip and sporty handling characteristics
  • Sharp and responsive initial turn-in
  • Competitive pricing within the premium high-performance category

Cons

  • Increased road noise as the tread wears down
  • Poor snow and ice traction compared to other all-season options
  • Stiffer sidewall impact comfort relative to competitors like Michelin
All owner themes in the Potenza RE980AS review

Tire B SecureContact AW

Pros

  • Significantly reduced road noise and smooth highway cruising
  • Excellent wet weather traction and cornering confidence
  • Solid grip and stability in light winter snow conditions

Cons

  • Slightly squirmy feel reported on long sweeping corners for larger vehicles
All owner themes in the SecureContact AW review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS B · Continental SecureContact AW
CategoryAll SeasonAll-Season tire
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available145
Rim diameters17″15″ – 20″
Tread depth10/32″11 - 12/32″
UTQG500 A A700 A A
Treadwear warranty50,000 mi60,000 mi
SidewallBlackwallBlack Side Wall
Max pressure51 psi51 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS

Continental SecureContact AW

Winner: Continental SecureContact AW — better handling, comfort and snow. It leads or ties in every category we score. Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 9 reviews), so read this result as provisional. Continental SecureContact AW rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 6 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Continental SecureContact AW scores 82 vs 55 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Continental SecureContact AW scores 78 vs 54 on comfort.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Continental SecureContact AW scores 77 vs 56 on snow.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Continental SecureContact AW scores 85 vs 66 on wet.

Tire A · Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS
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Tire B · Continental SecureContact AW
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Potenza RE980AS or SecureContact AW?

Which is better in the wet, Potenza RE980AS or SecureContact AW?

Continental SecureContact AW, 85 vs 66 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Potenza RE980AS or SecureContact AW?

Continental SecureContact AW, 78 vs 64 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Potenza RE980AS or SecureContact AW?

Continental SecureContact AW, 77 vs 56 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Potenza RE980AS or SecureContact AW?

Continental SecureContact AW, 71 vs 62 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Potenza RE980AS or SecureContact AW?

Continental SecureContact AW, 78 vs 54 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Potenza RE980AS or SecureContact AW?

Continental SecureContact AW, 75 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