Tests – · none yet Owners 64 · 3 reviews
Best test result: #2 of 4 in 2011 Tirerack Max Performance Summer Tyre Test (overall ranking)
Head-to-head
Updated
Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position vs Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
Potenza S-04 Pole Position is ahead, 65–60
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Tests – · 1 test Owners 56 · 23 reviews
Best test result: #13 of 22 in 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance Summer Tires (overall ranking)
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
69
Dry
Potenza RE-71R +675Why this score
Source Potenza S-04 Pole Position Potenza RE-71R Reviews found online 70 79 -
69
Wet
Potenza S-04 Pole Position +564Why this score
Source Potenza S-04 Pole Position Potenza RE-71R Reviews found online 69 63 -
–
Snow
No comparison48Why this score
Source Potenza S-04 Pole Position Potenza RE-71R Reviews found online – 33 -
66
Comfort
Potenza S-04 Pole Position +858Why this score
Source Potenza S-04 Pole Position Potenza RE-71R Reviews found online 62 47 -
66
Noise
Potenza S-04 Pole Position +462Why this score
Source Potenza S-04 Pole Position Potenza RE-71R Reviews found online 65 54 -
56
Treadwear
Potenza S-04 Pole Position +2135Why this score
Source Potenza S-04 Pole Position Potenza RE-71R Professional tests (TWG score) – 38 Reviews found online 50 31 -
69
Handling
Potenza RE-71R +473Why this score
Source Potenza S-04 Pole Position Potenza RE-71R Reviews found online 69 73
Scores at a glance
| Category | Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position | Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 65 | 60 |
| Dry | 69 | 75 |
| Wet | 69 | 64 |
| Snow | – | 48 |
| Comfort | 66 | 58 |
| Noise | 66 | 62 |
| Treadwear | 56 | 35 |
| Handling | 69 | 73 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Weight the categories that matter to you
Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
Important
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Important
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Neutral
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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.
Less important
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Less important
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Important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score
65
/ 100
Potenza S-04 Pole Position
60
/ 100
Potenza RE-71R
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
The professional test results behind the scores
Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.
| Discipline | Category | Potenza S-04 Pole Position | Potenza RE-71R | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 50% #2/4 · 2011 Tirerack Max Performance Summer Tyre Test | 43% #13/22 · 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance Summer Tires | +7.1 | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Potenza S-04 Pole Position
Pros
- Excellent dry handling and cornering stability
- Competent performance in wet conditions
- Unexpectedly high levels of ride comfort for a performance-oriented tire
Cons
- Rapid tread wear rate
- Audible road noise or humming on certain surfaces
- Wet-weather performance is good but outperformed by some direct competitors
Tire B Potenza RE-71R
Pros
- Phenomenal dry grip and exceptional cornering traction
- Fast heat-up times, making them ideal for autocross and time attacks
- Consistent performance throughout the lifespan of the tire
Cons
- Rapid tread wear and short lifespan, wearing faster in hot weather or heavy track use
- Noticeable road noise on the highway due to the aggressive tread pattern
- Uncomfortable and stiff ride quality for daily driving
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position | B · Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R |
|---|---|---|
| Category | — | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Tread depth | — | 8/32″ |
| UTQG | — | 200 A A |
| Sidewall | — | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | — | 44 psi |
Which one should you actually buy?
65
/ 100
Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position
60
/ 100
Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R
Winner: Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position — better treadwear, comfort and wet. Pick the Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R if dry and handling matter most to you.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position scores 56 vs 35 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position scores 66 vs 58 on comfort.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R scores 75 vs 69 on dry.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position scores 69 vs 64 on wet.
Tire A · Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position
Tire B · Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R
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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.