Tests – · none yet Owners 55 · 9 reviews
Head-to-head
Updated
Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS vs Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ — 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 9 + 658 owner reviews. How we score
Pilot Sport A/S 3+ is ahead, 71–61
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Tests – · 1 test Owners 69 · 658 reviews
Best test result: #6 of 19 in 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance All-Season Tires (tested tread life (miles))
“Just had these Pilot Sport A/S 3+ installed to replace OEM Dunlops”
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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64
Dry
Pilot Sport A/S 3+ +1074Why this score
Source Potenza RE980AS Pilot Sport A/S 3+ Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 66 (est.) ≈ 72 (est.) Reviews found online 63 77 Potenza RE980AS: 60% × 65.7 (est.) + 40% × 62.5 = 64
Pilot Sport A/S 3+: 60% × 71.8 (est.) + 40% × 77.3 = 74
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 Pilot Sport A/S 3+. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
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66
Wet
Pilot Sport A/S 3+ +1278Why this score
Source Potenza RE980AS Pilot Sport A/S 3+ Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 67 (est.) ≈ 76 (est.) Reviews found online 64 80 Potenza RE980AS: 60% × 66.9 (est.) + 40% × 63.7 = 66
Pilot Sport A/S 3+: 60% × 75.9 (est.) + 40% × 80.1 = 78
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 Pilot Sport A/S 3+. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
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56
Snow
Pilot Sport A/S 3+ +460Why this score
Source Potenza RE980AS Pilot Sport A/S 3+ Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 62 (est.) ≈ 65 (est.) Reviews found online 45 53 Potenza RE980AS: 60% × 62.4 (est.) + 40% × 45.1 = 56
Pilot Sport A/S 3+: 60% × 64.8 (est.) + 40% × 52.5 = 60
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 Pilot Sport A/S 3+. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
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54
Comfort
Pilot Sport A/S 3+ +963Why this score
Source Potenza RE980AS Pilot Sport A/S 3+ Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 64 (est.) ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 46 60 Potenza RE980AS: 40% × 64.2 (est.) + 60% × 46.4 = 54
Pilot Sport A/S 3+: 40% × 67 (est.) + 60% × 60 = 63
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 Pilot Sport A/S 3+. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
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62
Noise
No comparison–Why this score
Source Potenza RE980AS Pilot Sport A/S 3+ Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 66 (est.) – Reviews found online 54 – Potenza RE980AS: 60% × 66.3 (est.) + 40% × 54.3 = 62
No road tests of noise for Potenza RE980AS. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
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56
Treadwear
Pilot Sport A/S 3+ +1369Why this score
Source Potenza RE980AS Pilot Sport A/S 3+ Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 60 (est.) 73 Reviews found online 49 64 Potenza RE980AS: 60% × 60.3 (est.) + 40% × 49 = 56
Pilot Sport A/S 3+: 60% × 72.5 + 40% × 63.5 = 69
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).
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55
Handling (owners)
Pilot Sport A/S 3+ +1267Why this score
Source Potenza RE980AS Pilot Sport A/S 3+ Reviews found online 55 67
Scores at a glance
| Category | Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS | Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 61 | 71 |
| Dry | 64 | 74 |
| Wet | 66 | 78 |
| Snow | 56 | 60 |
| Comfort | 54 | 63 |
| Noise | 62 | – |
| Treadwear | 56 | 69 |
| Handling (owners) | 55 | 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
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
61
/ 100
Potenza RE980AS
71
/ 100
Pilot Sport A/S 3+
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 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
Tire B Pilot Sport A/S 3+
Pros
- Dry and wet grip, cornering, and steering response, with many reviewers describing it as close to a summer tire. Wet traction and hydroplaning resistance are especially praised.
- Large improvement over OEM tires (Pirelli, Bridgestone, Goodyear, Dunlop, Continental) and especially over run-flats, with better ride, handling and often less noise.
- Good light-snow and cold-weather capability for an ultra-high-performance all-season tire, which lets owners avoid separate summer and winter sets.
Cons
- Premature treadwear is the most common complaint. Many report 10k–25k miles, rear tires and staggered setups wearing fastest, and some cases of tread chunking, flaking, cracking or dry rot. Many call the 45k warranty unrealistic.
- Road noise, including humming, droning or roaring around 60–75 mph. It often worsens with wear, and some reviewers say it is among the loudest tires they have owned.
- Weak snow and ice traction for some owners. Some describe it as unsafe, especially in deeper snow or on RWD cars, and say it falls short of the marketed winter rating.
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Tire B
Positive
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+
Community members widely praise the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ for its dry handling, wet grip, and substantial improvement in ride comfort over stock tires. However, several users express reservations about its poor traction in genuine snow conditions and note that road noise can become prominent as the tread wears. It is frequently compared against competitors like the Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 as well as its successor, the Pilot Sport All Season 4.
bobistheoilguy.com
·2 upvotes ·2024-03-01
“Slam me if you must, but I bought the Falken Azenis FK460 A/S in size 255-40x19 for my 2016 Mustang GT, based largely on Tire Rack testing and their customer comments. First thing I noticed was they are quieter than my old Michelin Pilot Sport A/S3+ tires, which were noisy when new and got worse. Also, the rear tires don't want to slip out like the Michelins when I get on the gas through a tight turn. However, the Michelins had been on the car for >6 years and 27K miles. But other than than the two categories above, it's hard for me to discern a lot of difference. Maybe it's only in my head, but perhaps the Michelins were a bit more responsive to quick motions at the steering wheel. I have no idea how well the Falkens will perform after 20K miles, but for me that's probably 4 years from now. Fair or not, I shied away from the Contis because I had read about balancing issues on a couple websites.”
r/WRX
·28 upvotes ·2017-12-19
“Just had these Pilot Sport A/S 3+ installed to replace OEM Dunlops”
r/GolfGTI
·4 upvotes ·2020-02-14
“Pilot Sport A/S 3+ Tires just installed Just got the tires on this morning with an alignment and proper balancing. Holy cow, night and day difference from the original Bridgestones on the car. Car handles so much better. It honestly makes me feel like I just bought a new car. If you have any questions or are considering getting them, feel free to ask!”
Top themes
#Dry cornering grip#Wet traction performance#Snow traction limitations#Road noise over time#Ride comfort comparison#Balancing and tire pressure#Comparison to Continental DWS
Based on 47 community posts
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS | B · Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ |
|---|---|---|
| Category | All Season | All Season |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Tread depth | 10/32″ | — |
| UTQG | 500 A A | 500 AA A |
| Treadwear warranty | 50,000 mi | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 51 psi | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
61
/ 100
Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS
71
/ 100
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+
Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ — better treadwear, wet and handling. 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.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ scores 69 vs 56 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ scores 78 vs 66 on wet.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ scores 67 vs 55 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ scores 74 vs 64 on dry.
Tire A · Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+
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Potenza RE980AS or Pilot Sport A/S 3+?
Which is better in the wet, Potenza RE980AS or Pilot Sport A/S 3+?
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+, 78 vs 66 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Potenza RE980AS or Pilot Sport A/S 3+?
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+, 74 vs 64 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, Potenza RE980AS or Pilot Sport A/S 3+?
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+, 60 vs 56 on our snow score.
Which is more comfortable, Potenza RE980AS or Pilot Sport A/S 3+?
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+, 63 vs 54 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Potenza RE980AS or Pilot Sport A/S 3+?
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+, 69 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