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Bridgestone Potenza S-02A vs Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

Potenza RE980AS leads, 63–59 Narrow edge

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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. 59

    Dry

    Potenza RE980AS +8
    67
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza S-02APotenza RE980AS
    Reviews found online5567
  2. 60

    Wet

    Potenza RE980AS +8
    68
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza S-02APotenza RE980AS
    Reviews found online5668
  3. 57

    Snow

    Potenza S-02A +1
    56
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza S-02APotenza RE980AS
    Reviews found online4947
  4. 60

    Comfort

    Potenza RE980AS +2
    62
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza S-02APotenza RE980AS
    Reviews found online5254
  5. 63

    Noise

    Potenza RE980AS +1
    64
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza S-02APotenza RE980AS
    Reviews found online5760
  6. 57

    Treadwear

    Potenza RE980AS +3
    60
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza S-02APotenza RE980AS
    Reviews found online5156
  7. 57

    Handling

    Potenza RE980AS +4
    61
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza S-02APotenza RE980AS
    Reviews found online5761
Scores at a glance
CategoryBridgestone Potenza S-02ABridgestone Potenza RE980AS
Relative Score 59 63
Dry 59 67
Wet 60 68
Snow 57 56
Comfort 60 62
Noise 63 64
Treadwear 57 60
Handling 57 61

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

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Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

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Recomputed
Headline score

Potenza S-02A

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
All owner themes in the Potenza S-02A review

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
All owner themes in the Potenza RE980AS review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Bridgestone Potenza S-02A B · Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS
CategorySummerAll Season
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Tread depth10/32″10/32″
UTQG140 A A500 A A
Treadwear warranty—50,000 mi
SidewallBlackwallBlackwall
Max pressure51 psi51 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Bridgestone Potenza S-02A

Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS

Winner: Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS — better dry, wet and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS scores 67 vs 59 on dry.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS scores 68 vs 60 on wet.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS scores 61 vs 57 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS scores 60 vs 57 on treadwear.

Tire A · Bridgestone Potenza S-02A
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Tire B · Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS
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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.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.

63

Narrow edge

Potenza RE980AS

Amazon