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Head-to-head Updated

Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS vs Firestone Firehawk AS — 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 + 8 owner reviews. How we score

Firehawk AS is ahead, 69–61

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Firestone Firehawk AS
Tire BFirestone

Firehawk AS

All Season High Performance tires

± 8Provisional

Tests – · none yet Owners 69 · 8 reviews

Category by category

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

  1. 65

    Dry

    Firehawk AS +5
    70
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE980ASFirehawk AS
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online6371

    Potenza RE980AS: 60% × 66 (est.) + 40% × 63 = 65

    Firehawk AS: 60% × 69.4 (est.) + 40% × 71.1 = 70

    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 0.42).

    No road tests of dry for Firehawk AS. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 66

    Wet

    Firehawk AS +3
    69
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE980ASFirehawk AS
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online6469

    Potenza RE980AS: 60% × 67 (est.) + 40% × 63.9 = 66

    Firehawk AS: 60% × 69.6 (est.) + 40% × 68.7 = 69

    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 Firehawk AS. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 55

    Snow

    Firehawk AS +11
    66
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE980ASFirehawk AS
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 61 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online4563

    Potenza RE980AS: 60% × 61.3 (est.) + 40% × 45.3 = 55

    Firehawk AS: 60% × 67.8 (est.) + 40% × 62.8 = 66

    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 0.37).

    No road tests of snow for Firehawk AS. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).

  4. 54

    Comfort

    Firehawk AS +15
    69
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE980ASFirehawk AS
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 65 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online4770

    Potenza RE980AS: 40% × 65.1 (est.) + 60% × 47.2 = 54

    Firehawk AS: 40% × 69.2 (est.) + 60% × 69.5 = 69

    No road tests of comfort for Potenza RE980AS or Firehawk AS. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 62

    Noise

    Firehawk AS +8
    70
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE980ASFirehawk AS
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online5574

    Potenza RE980AS: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 54.8 = 62

    Firehawk AS: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 74.3 = 70

    No road tests of noise for Potenza RE980AS or Firehawk AS. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 56

    Treadwear

    Firehawk AS +14
    70
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE980ASFirehawk AS
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 60 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online4972

    Potenza RE980AS: 60% × 60.1 (est.) + 40% × 48.9 = 56

    Firehawk AS: 60% × 68.1 (est.) + 40% × 71.7 = 70

    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 0.35).

    No road tests of treadwear for Firehawk AS. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  7. 56

    Handling (owners)

    Firehawk AS +11
    67
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza RE980ASFirehawk AS
    Reviews found online5667
Scores at a glance
CategoryBridgestone Potenza RE980ASFirestone Firehawk AS
Relative Score 61 69
Dry 65 70
Wet 66 69
Snow 55 66
Comfort 54 69
Noise 62 70
Treadwear 56 70
Handling (owners) 56 67

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
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Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

Potenza RE980AS

± 8

Firehawk AS

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 Firehawk AS

Pros

  • Exceptionally quiet and smooth ride quality
  • Strong dry handling and improved cornering response
  • Good water dispersion and wet road performance for most users

Cons

  • Potential susceptibility to hydroplaning in heavy rain according to select reviewers
  • Requires proper balancing to prevent irregular tread wear
All owner themes in the Firehawk AS review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS B · Firestone Firehawk AS
CategoryAll SeasonAll Season High Performance tires
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available14
Rim diameters17″15″ – 18″
Tread depth10/32″11/32″
UTQG500 A A480 A A
Treadwear warranty50,000 mi50,000 mi
SidewallBlackwallBlackwall
Max pressure51 psi44 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS

Firestone Firehawk AS

Winner: Firestone Firehawk AS — better comfort, treadwear 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. Firestone Firehawk AS rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 8 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Firestone Firehawk AS scores 69 vs 54 on comfort.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Firestone Firehawk AS scores 70 vs 56 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Firestone Firehawk AS scores 66 vs 55 on snow.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Firestone Firehawk AS scores 67 vs 56 on handling.

Tire A · Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS
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Tire B · Firestone Firehawk AS
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Potenza RE980AS or Firehawk AS?

Which is better in the wet, Potenza RE980AS or Firehawk AS?

Firestone Firehawk AS, 69 vs 66 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Potenza RE980AS or Firehawk AS?

Firestone Firehawk AS, 70 vs 65 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Potenza RE980AS or Firehawk AS?

Firestone Firehawk AS, 66 vs 55 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Potenza RE980AS or Firehawk AS?

Firestone Firehawk AS, 70 vs 62 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Potenza RE980AS or Firehawk AS?

Firestone Firehawk AS, 69 vs 54 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Potenza RE980AS or Firehawk AS?

Firestone Firehawk AS, 70 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