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Head-to-head Updated

Bridgestone Potenza S-02 vs Nexen N'Fera RU1 — 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 + 3 road tests and 21 + 28 owner reviews. How we score

Too close to call: Potenza S-02 64, N'Fera RU1 65.

Check price on Amazon · Potenza S-02 Check price on Amazon · N'Fera RU1
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Nexen N'Fera RU1
Tire BNexen

N'Fera RU1

Summer

± 8

Tests 61 · 3 tests Owners 67 · 28 reviews

Category by category

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

  1. 68

    Dry

    Potenza S-02 +9
    59
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza S-02N'Fera RU1
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests≈ 68 (est.)54
    Reviews found online6866

    Potenza S-02: 60% × 68 (est.) + 40% × 68 = 68

    N'Fera RU1: 60% × 54.2 + 40% × 65.9 = 59

    No road tests of dry for Potenza S-02. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 66

    Wet

    N'Fera RU1 +2
    68
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza S-02N'Fera RU1
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests≈ 67 (est.)67
    Reviews found online6470

    Potenza S-02: 60% × 67.2 (est.) + 40% × 64.2 = 66

    N'Fera RU1: 60% × 67 + 40% × 70.3 = 68

    No road tests of wet for Potenza S-02. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 61

    Snow

    N'Fera RU1 +6
    67
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza S-02N'Fera RU1
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 65 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online5465

    Potenza S-02: 60% × 65.3 (est.) + 40% × 54 = 61

    N'Fera RU1: 60% × 68.9 (est.) + 40% × 65.4 = 67

    No road tests of snow for Potenza S-02. 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 N'Fera RU1. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 58

    Comfort

    N'Fera RU1 +7
    65
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza S-02N'Fera RU1
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online5363

    Potenza S-02: 40% × 65.6 (est.) + 60% × 53.2 = 58

    N'Fera RU1: 40% × 67.6 (est.) + 60% × 63 = 65

    No road tests of comfort for Potenza S-02. 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 N'Fera RU1. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 61

    Noise

    N'Fera RU1 +6
    67
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza S-02N'Fera RU1
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 66 (est.)67
    Reviews found online5468

    Potenza S-02: 60% × 66.3 (est.) + 40% × 53.9 = 61

    N'Fera RU1: 60% × 67.3 + 40% × 67.7 = 67

    No road tests of noise for Potenza S-02. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 58

    Treadwear

    N'Fera RU1 +9
    67
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza S-02N'Fera RU1
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 61 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online5267

    Potenza S-02: 60% × 61.3 (est.) + 40% × 52 = 58

    N'Fera RU1: 60% × 66.9 (est.) + 40% × 67.4 = 67

    No road tests of treadwear for Potenza S-02. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

    No road tests of treadwear for N'Fera RU1. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 71

    Handling (owners)

    Potenza S-02 +6
    65
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza S-02N'Fera RU1
    Reviews found online7165
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    52
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza S-02N'Fera RU1
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests–52
Scores at a glance
CategoryBridgestone Potenza S-02Nexen N'Fera RU1
Relative Score 64 65
Dry 68 59
Wet 66 68
Snow 61 67
Comfort 58 65
Noise 61 67
Treadwear 58 67
Handling (owners) 71 65
Efficiency – 52

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
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

Potenza S-02

± 8

N'Fera RU1

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 S-02

Pros

  • Exceptional dry grip and superior cornering performance
  • Outstanding steering feedback, communication, and progressiveness
  • Faithful reproduction of original equipment (OE) handling characteristics for sports cars like the Honda S2000

Cons

  • Very rapid and sometimes extreme tread wear
  • Poor performance and loss of traction in cold weather or below certain temperatures
  • High noise levels and stiff ride compromising comfort
All owner themes in the Potenza S-02 review

Tire B N'Fera RU1

Pros

  • Exceptional value for money compared to premium tier brands
  • High level of ride comfort and impact absorption over rough roads
  • Low road noise and quiet highway cruising

Cons

  • Faster-than-expected tread wear or chipping reported by some users
  • Softer sidewalls can lead to reduced steering feedback and vague high-speed handling
  • Mixed performance in colder temperatures or under hard acceleration
All owner themes in the N'Fera RU1 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Bridgestone Potenza S-02 B · Nexen N'Fera RU1
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverSUV and 4x4
Sizes available—45
Rim diameters—16″ – 20″
Tread depth10/32″10/32″
UTQG140 A A320 A A
SidewallBlackwallBlackwall
Max pressure—51 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Bridgestone Potenza S-02

Nexen N'Fera RU1

Too close to call: Bridgestone Potenza S-02 and Nexen N'Fera RU1 are within 2 points overall. Bridgestone Potenza S-02 is stronger on dry and handling. Nexen N'Fera RU1 is stronger on treadwear, comfort and snow.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Bridgestone Potenza S-02 scores 68 vs 59 on dry.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Nexen N'Fera RU1 scores 67 vs 58 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Nexen N'Fera RU1 scores 65 vs 58 on comfort.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Bridgestone Potenza S-02 scores 71 vs 65 on handling.

Tire A · Bridgestone Potenza S-02
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Tire B · Nexen N'Fera RU1
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Potenza S-02 or N'Fera RU1?

Which is better in the wet, Potenza S-02 or N'Fera RU1?

Neither, by our numbers: 66 vs 68 on the wet score, within 3 points.

Which grips better on dry roads, Potenza S-02 or N'Fera RU1?

Bridgestone Potenza S-02, 68 vs 59 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Potenza S-02 or N'Fera RU1?

Nexen N'Fera RU1, 67 vs 61 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Potenza S-02 or N'Fera RU1?

Nexen N'Fera RU1, 67 vs 61 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Potenza S-02 or N'Fera RU1?

Nexen N'Fera RU1, 65 vs 58 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Potenza S-02 or N'Fera RU1?

Nexen N'Fera RU1, 67 vs 58 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