Tests – · none yet Owners 56 · 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 + 655 owner reviews. How we score
Pilot Sport A/S 3+ is ahead, 72–61
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Tests – · 1 test Owners 72 · 655 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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65
Dry
Pilot Sport A/S 3+ +1075Why this score
Source Potenza RE980AS Pilot Sport A/S 3+ Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 66 (est.) ≈ 73 (est.) Reviews found online 63 79 Potenza RE980AS: 60% × 66 (est.) + 40% × 63 = 65
Pilot Sport A/S 3+: 60% × 72.5 (est.) + 40% × 78.6 = 75
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 Pilot Sport A/S 3+. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
-
66
Wet
Pilot Sport A/S 3+ +1379Why this score
Source Potenza RE980AS Pilot Sport A/S 3+ Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 67 (est.) ≈ 77 (est.) Reviews found online 64 82 Potenza RE980AS: 60% × 67 (est.) + 40% × 63.9 = 66
Pilot Sport A/S 3+: 60% × 77 (est.) + 40% × 82.1 = 79
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).
-
55
Snow
Pilot Sport A/S 3+ +863Why this score
Source Potenza RE980AS Pilot Sport A/S 3+ Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 61 (est.) ≈ 66 (est.) Reviews found online 45 58 Potenza RE980AS: 60% × 61.3 (est.) + 40% × 45.3 = 55
Pilot Sport A/S 3+: 60% × 66 (est.) + 40% × 57.9 = 63
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 Pilot Sport A/S 3+. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).
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54
Comfort
Pilot Sport A/S 3+ +1165Why this score
Source Potenza RE980AS Pilot Sport A/S 3+ Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 65 (est.) ≈ 68 (est.) Reviews found online 47 63 Potenza RE980AS: 40% × 65.1 (est.) + 60% × 47.2 = 54
Pilot Sport A/S 3+: 40% × 68 (est.) + 60% × 62.8 = 65
No road tests of comfort for Potenza RE980AS or Pilot Sport A/S 3+. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
-
62
Noise
No comparison–Why this score
Source Potenza RE980AS Pilot Sport A/S 3+ Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 67 (est.) – Reviews found online 55 – Potenza RE980AS: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 54.8 = 62
No road tests of noise for Potenza RE980AS. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
-
56
Treadwear
Pilot Sport A/S 3+ +1470Why this score
Source Potenza RE980AS Pilot Sport A/S 3+ Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 60 (est.) 73 Reviews found online 49 66 Potenza RE980AS: 60% × 60.1 (est.) + 40% × 48.9 = 56
Pilot Sport A/S 3+: 60% × 72.5 + 40% × 66.1 = 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).
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56
Handling (owners)
Pilot Sport A/S 3+ +1470Why this score
Source Potenza RE980AS Pilot Sport A/S 3+ Reviews found online 56 70
Scores at a glance
| Category | Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS | Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 61 | 72 |
| Dry | 65 | 75 |
| Wet | 66 | 79 |
| Snow | 55 | 63 |
| Comfort | 54 | 65 |
| Noise | 62 | – |
| Treadwear | 56 | 70 |
| Handling (owners) | 56 | 70 |
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
72
/ 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
- Exceptional grip and cornering stability in both dry and wet conditions
- Crisp, highly responsive steering and handling feel
- Substantial upgrade in performance and wet weather confidence compared to OEM tires
Cons
- Significantly faster tread wear than expected, often failing to reach the mileage warranty
- High levels of road noise, buzzing, and droning that increase noticeably as the tread wears down
- Stiff sidewalls leading to a harsher, less comfortable ride over bumps and road imperfections
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.
civicx.com
·3 upvotes ·2020-11-18
“The Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ is what I have on my car, they are quieter and offer a softer ride than the stock Goodyear eagle sport, and are also grippier. Best of both worlds, and it's a decent price.”
clublexus.com
“Quote: Originally Posted by pqn628 I had the OEM Bridgestone Potenza with at least 6/9 thread left on the tires and got rid of them because I didnt like how hard they ride. I ended up getting Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ All Season (245/35/19 and 275/35/19) and its a completely different car now. It rides much smoother and quieter than the Bridgestones. I got them at costco for around 950 installed. They are running an instant 70 dollar rebate on 4 Michelin and 1 penny install per tire. Make sure you do a wheel alignment, Costco nationwide does not do alignments for some dumb reason.”
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 | — |
| Treadwear warranty | 50,000 mi | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 51 psi | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
61
/ 100
Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS
72
/ 100
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+
Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ — better treadwear, handling and wet. 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 70 vs 56 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ scores 70 vs 56 on handling.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ scores 79 vs 66 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ scores 65 vs 54 on comfort.
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+, 79 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+, 75 vs 65 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, Potenza RE980AS or Pilot Sport A/S 3+?
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+, 63 vs 55 on our snow score.
Which is more comfortable, Potenza RE980AS or Pilot Sport A/S 3+?
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+, 65 vs 54 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Potenza RE980AS or Pilot Sport A/S 3+?
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+, 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