Tests – · none yet Owners 46 · 10 reviews
Head-to-head
Updated
Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position vs Hankook Ventus S1 evo2 — 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 + 11 road tests and 10 + 2,131 owner reviews. How we score
Ventus S1 evo2 is ahead, 72–58
Add your size for an exact match
/R
Both Amazon links then search this exact size.
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.
Tests 78 · 11 tests Owners 66 · 2,131 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 16 in 2018 Test World Summer Tyre Test (dry braking)
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
63
Dry
Ventus S1 evo2 +1174Why this score
Source Potenza S-04 Pole Position Ventus S1 evo2 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 11 tests ≈ 65 (est.) 77 Reviews found online 60 70 Potenza S-04 Pole Position: 60% × 64.7 (est.) + 40% × 60.1 = 63
Ventus S1 evo2: 60% × 76.7 + 40% × 69.5 = 74
No road tests of dry for Potenza S-04 Pole Position. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
-
57
Wet
Ventus S1 evo2 +2279Why this score
Source Potenza S-04 Pole Position Ventus S1 evo2 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 11 tests ≈ 61 (est.) 83 Reviews found online 52 73 Potenza S-04 Pole Position: 60% × 60.6 (est.) + 40% × 52.2 = 57
Ventus S1 evo2: 60% × 82.9 + 40% × 73.2 = 79
No road tests of wet for Potenza S-04 Pole Position. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
-
35
Snow
No comparison–Why this score
Source Potenza S-04 Pole Position Ventus S1 evo2 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 52 (est.) – Reviews found online 11 – Potenza S-04 Pole Position: 60% × 51.6 (est.) + 40% × 11.1 = 35
No road tests of snow for Potenza S-04 Pole Position. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
-
57
Comfort
Ventus S1 evo2 +966Why this score
Source Potenza S-04 Pole Position Ventus S1 evo2 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 65 (est.) 72 Reviews found online 52 62 Potenza S-04 Pole Position: 40% × 65.3 (est.) + 60% × 51.8 = 57
Ventus S1 evo2: 40% × 71.5 + 60% × 62.1 = 66
No road tests of comfort for Potenza S-04 Pole Position. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
-
62
Noise
Ventus S1 evo2 +1072Why this score
Source Potenza S-04 Pole Position Ventus S1 evo2 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 6 tests ≈ 66 (est.) 76 Reviews found online 55 ≈ 66 (est.) Potenza S-04 Pole Position: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 55 = 62
Ventus S1 evo2: 60% × 75.5 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 72
No road tests of noise for Potenza S-04 Pole Position. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
No owner ratings of noise for Ventus S1 evo2. The owner half is the owners’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.
-
50
Treadwear
Ventus S1 evo2 +1161Why this score
Source Potenza S-04 Pole Position Ventus S1 evo2 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 57 (est.) ≈ 63 (est.) Reviews found online 40 57 Potenza S-04 Pole Position: 60% × 57 (est.) + 40% × 40.1 = 50
Ventus S1 evo2: 60% × 63.2 (est.) + 40% × 57.2 = 61
No road tests of treadwear for Potenza S-04 Pole Position. 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 Ventus S1 evo2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
-
57
Handling (owners)
Ventus S1 evo2 +1067Why this score
Source Potenza S-04 Pole Position Ventus S1 evo2 Reviews found online 57 67 -
–
Efficiency
No comparison72Why this score
Source Potenza S-04 Pole Position Ventus S1 evo2 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 5 tests – 72
Scores at a glance
| Category | Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position | Hankook Ventus S1 evo2 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 58 | 72 |
| Dry | 63 | 74 |
| Wet | 57 | 79 |
| Snow | 35 | – |
| Comfort | 57 | 66 |
| Noise | 62 | 72 |
| Treadwear | 50 | 61 |
| Handling (owners) | 57 | 67 |
| Efficiency | – | 72 |
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
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
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
58
/ 100
Potenza S-04 Pole Position
72
/ 100
Ventus S1 evo2
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
The professional test results behind the scores
Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.
| Discipline | Category | Potenza S-04 Pole Position | Ventus S1 evo2 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #2/4 2011 Tirerack Max Performance Summer Tyre Test | #5/10 2020 Auto Bild UHP 19 inch Tyre Test | – | 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
- Exceptional dry and wet handling with predictable, repeatable limits
- Solid sidewall design that improves cornering and braking performance
- Surprisingly smooth and comfortable ride quality for a performance tire
Cons
- Accelerated tread wear, which is typical for tires in this category
- Complete lack of usability in freezing temperatures, ice, or snow
- Development of a road humming noise as the tire wears
Tire B Ventus S1 evo2
Pros
- Excellent dry and wet grip performance
- Strong value compared to premium alternatives like Michelin or Continental
- Crisp steering response and confident cornering handling
Cons
- Faster-than-expected tread wear, particularly on heavier or high-performance vehicles
- Increased road noise and harsher ride quality as the tire ages and tread depth lowers
- Occasional reports of structural weaknesses such as sidewall bulges or cracking
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position | B · Hankook Ventus S1 evo2 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer tire | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | — | 61 |
| Rim diameters | — | 16″ – 20″ |
| Tread depth | 10/32″ | — |
| UTQG | 280 A A | 220 - 440 AA - B A |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 50 psi | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
58
/ 100
Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position
72
/ 100
Hankook Ventus S1 evo2
Winner: Hankook Ventus S1 evo2 — better wet, dry and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score. Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 10 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Hankook Ventus S1 evo2 scores 79 vs 57 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Hankook Ventus S1 evo2 scores 74 vs 63 on dry.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Hankook Ventus S1 evo2 scores 61 vs 50 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You want a quieter cabin
Hankook Ventus S1 evo2 scores 72 vs 62 on noise.
Tire A · Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position
Tire B · Hankook Ventus S1 evo2
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.
Potenza S-04 Pole Position or Ventus S1 evo2?
Which is better in the wet, Potenza S-04 Pole Position or Ventus S1 evo2?
Hankook Ventus S1 evo2, 79 vs 57 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Potenza S-04 Pole Position or Ventus S1 evo2?
Hankook Ventus S1 evo2, 74 vs 63 on our dry score.
Which is quieter, Potenza S-04 Pole Position or Ventus S1 evo2?
Hankook Ventus S1 evo2, 72 vs 62 on our noise score.
Which is more comfortable, Potenza S-04 Pole Position or Ventus S1 evo2?
Hankook Ventus S1 evo2, 66 vs 57 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Potenza S-04 Pole Position or Ventus S1 evo2?
Hankook Ventus S1 evo2, 61 vs 50 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