Tests – · none yet Owners 47 · 10 reviews
Bridgestone Potenza S-02A looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.
Head-to-head
Updated
Bridgestone Potenza S-02A vs Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS — 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 10 + 9 owner reviews. How we score
Potenza RE980AS is ahead, 61–54
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Tests – · none yet Owners 56 · 9 reviews
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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53
Dry
Potenza RE980AS +1265Why this score
Source Potenza S-02A Potenza RE980AS Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 59 (est.) ≈ 66 (est.) Reviews found online 45 63 Potenza S-02A: 60% × 58.6 (est.) + 40% × 45.4 = 53
Potenza RE980AS: 60% × 66 (est.) + 40% × 63 = 65
No road tests of dry for Potenza S-02A. 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 Potenza RE980AS. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
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55
Wet
Potenza RE980AS +1166Why this score
Source Potenza S-02A Potenza RE980AS Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 59 (est.) ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 49 64 Potenza S-02A: 60% × 58.8 (est.) + 40% × 49.1 = 55
Potenza RE980AS: 60% × 67 (est.) + 40% × 63.9 = 66
No road tests of wet for Potenza S-02A. 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 Potenza RE980AS. 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
Potenza S-02A +155Why this score
Source Potenza S-02A Potenza RE980AS Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 62 (est.) ≈ 61 (est.) Reviews found online 47 45 Potenza S-02A: 60% × 62 (est.) + 40% × 47.4 = 56
Potenza RE980AS: 60% × 61.2 (est.) + 40% × 45.3 = 55
No road tests of snow for Potenza S-02A. 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 Potenza RE980AS. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).
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52
Comfort
Potenza RE980AS +254Why this score
Source Potenza S-02A Potenza RE980AS Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 64 (est.) ≈ 65 (est.) Reviews found online 43 47 Potenza S-02A: 40% × 64.4 (est.) + 60% × 43 = 52
Potenza RE980AS: 40% × 65.1 (est.) + 60% × 47.1 = 54
No road tests of comfort for Potenza S-02A or Potenza RE980AS. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
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61
Noise
Potenza RE980AS +162Why this score
Source Potenza S-02A Potenza RE980AS Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 67 (est.) ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 52 55 Potenza S-02A: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 51.5 = 61
Potenza RE980AS: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 54.7 = 62
No road tests of noise for Potenza S-02A or Potenza RE980AS. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
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52
Treadwear
Potenza RE980AS +456Why this score
Source Potenza S-02A Potenza RE980AS Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 58 (est.) ≈ 60 (est.) Reviews found online 44 49 Potenza S-02A: 60% × 58.2 (est.) + 40% × 43.7 = 52
Potenza RE980AS: 60% × 60 (est.) + 40% × 48.8 = 56
No road tests of treadwear for Potenza S-02A. 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 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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49
Handling (owners)
Potenza RE980AS +756Why this score
Source Potenza S-02A Potenza RE980AS Reviews found online 49 56
Scores at a glance
| Category | Bridgestone Potenza S-02A | Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 54 | 61 |
| Dry | 53 | 65 |
| Wet | 55 | 66 |
| Snow | 56 | 55 |
| Comfort | 52 | 54 |
| Noise | 61 | 62 |
| Treadwear | 52 | 56 |
| Handling (owners) | 49 | 56 |
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
54
/ 100
Potenza S-02A
61
/ 100
Potenza RE980AS
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Potenza S-02A
Pros
- Exceptional dry and wet grip with reliable road holding
- Superior steering feedback and linear response requiring less slip angle
- Impressive tread longevity for daily driving under normal conditions
Cons
- Poor grip and performance when tires are cold
- Inconsistent tread life expectations, with some users reporting rapid wear
- Can feel skittish in snow, particularly as the tread nears its wear limit
Tire B 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
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Bridgestone Potenza S-02A | B · Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | All Season |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Tread depth | 10/32″ | 10/32″ |
| UTQG | 140 A A | 500 A A |
| Treadwear warranty | — | 50,000 mi |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | 51 psi | 51 psi |
Which one should you actually buy?
54
/ 100
Bridgestone Potenza S-02A
61
/ 100
Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS
Winner: Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS — better dry, wet and handling. Where the Bridgestone Potenza S-02A is ahead, it is by less than 3 points. Bridgestone Potenza S-02A rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 10 reviews), so read this result as provisional. 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 most grip on dry roads
Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS scores 65 vs 53 on dry.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS scores 66 vs 55 on wet.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS scores 56 vs 49 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS scores 56 vs 52 on treadwear.
Tire A · Bridgestone Potenza S-02A
Tire B · Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS
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Potenza S-02A or Potenza RE980AS?
Which is better in the wet, Potenza S-02A or Potenza RE980AS?
Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS, 66 vs 55 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Potenza S-02A or Potenza RE980AS?
Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS, 65 vs 53 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, Potenza S-02A or Potenza RE980AS?
Neither, by our numbers: 56 vs 55 on the snow score, within 3 points.
Which is quieter, Potenza S-02A or Potenza RE980AS?
Neither, by our numbers: 61 vs 62 on the noise score, within 3 points.
Which is more comfortable, Potenza S-02A or Potenza RE980AS?
Neither, by our numbers: 52 vs 54 on the comfort score, within 3 points.
Which lasts longer, Potenza S-02A or Potenza RE980AS?
Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS, 56 vs 52 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