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Head-to-head Updated

Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position vs Kumho Ecsta PA51 — 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 + 1 road tests and 10 + 165 owner reviews. How we score

Ecsta PA51 is ahead, 69–55

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Kumho Ecsta PA51
Tire BKumho

Ecsta PA51

All Season

± 8

Tests – · 1 test Owners 70 · 165 reviews

Category by category

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

  1. 63

    Dry

    Ecsta PA51 +6
    69
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza S-04 Pole PositionEcsta PA51
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 65 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online6070

    Potenza S-04 Pole Position: 60% × 64.7 (est.) + 40% × 60.1 = 63

    Ecsta PA51: 60% × 68.8 (est.) + 40% × 69.9 = 69

    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).

    No road tests of dry for Ecsta PA51. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 57

    Wet

    Ecsta PA51 +14
    71
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza S-04 Pole PositionEcsta PA51
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 61 (est.)≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online5271

    Potenza S-04 Pole Position: 60% × 60.6 (est.) + 40% × 52.2 = 57

    Ecsta PA51: 60% × 71.1 (est.) + 40% × 71.4 = 71

    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).

    No road tests of wet for Ecsta PA51. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 35

    Snow

    Ecsta PA51 +29
    64
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza S-04 Pole PositionEcsta PA51
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 52 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online1159

    Potenza S-04 Pole Position: 60% × 51.6 (est.) + 40% × 11.1 = 35

    Ecsta PA51: 60% × 67 (est.) + 40% × 59.3 = 64

    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).

    No road tests of snow for Ecsta PA51. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 57

    Comfort

    Ecsta PA51 +9
    66
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza S-04 Pole PositionEcsta PA51
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 65 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online5265

    Potenza S-04 Pole Position: 40% × 65.3 (est.) + 60% × 51.8 = 57

    Ecsta PA51: 40% × 67.9 (est.) + 60% × 64.7 = 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).

    No road tests of comfort for Ecsta PA51. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 62

    Noise

    Ecsta PA51 +7
    69
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza S-04 Pole PositionEcsta PA51
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online5574

    Potenza S-04 Pole Position: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 55 = 62

    Ecsta PA51: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 74 = 69

    No road tests of noise for Potenza S-04 Pole Position or Ecsta PA51. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 50

    Treadwear

    Ecsta PA51 +22
    72
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza S-04 Pole PositionEcsta PA51
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 57 (est.)70
    Reviews found online4074

    Potenza S-04 Pole Position: 60% × 57 (est.) + 40% × 40.1 = 50

    Ecsta PA51: 60% × 69.9 + 40% × 74.4 = 72

    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).

  7. 57

    Handling (owners)

    Ecsta PA51 +10
    67
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza S-04 Pole PositionEcsta PA51
    Reviews found online5767
Scores at a glance
CategoryBridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole PositionKumho Ecsta PA51
Relative Score 55 69
Dry 63 69
Wet 57 71
Snow 35 64
Comfort 57 66
Noise 62 69
Treadwear 50 72
Handling (owners) 57 67

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
± 8

Potenza S-04 Pole Position

± 8

Ecsta PA51

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.

DisciplineCategoryPotenza S-04 Pole PositionEcsta PA51ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #2/4 2011 Tirerack Max Performance Summer Tyre Test #7/19 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance All-Season Tires – 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
All owner themes in the Potenza S-04 Pole Position review

Tire B Ecsta PA51

Pros

  • Excellent price-to-performance ratio
  • Strong dry pavement traction and cornering grip
  • Quiet and smooth ride quality

Cons

  • Inconsistent performance in heavy rain or standing water
  • Some reports of increased road noise over time
  • Limited availability in certain niche sizes
All owner themes in the Ecsta PA51 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position B · Kumho Ecsta PA51
CategorySummer tireAll Season
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—13
Rim diameters—16″ – 19″
Tread depth10/32″10.5/32″
UTQG280 A A500 A A
Treadwear warranty—45,000 mi
SidewallBlackwallBlackwall
Max pressure50 psi51 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position

Kumho Ecsta PA51

Winner: Kumho Ecsta PA51 — better snow, treadwear and wet. 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 You drive through snowy winters

Kumho Ecsta PA51 scores 64 vs 35 on snow.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Kumho Ecsta PA51 scores 72 vs 50 on treadwear.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Kumho Ecsta PA51 scores 71 vs 57 on wet.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Kumho Ecsta PA51 scores 67 vs 57 on handling.

Tire A · Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position
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Tire B · Kumho Ecsta PA51
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Potenza S-04 Pole Position or Ecsta PA51?

Which is better in the wet, Potenza S-04 Pole Position or Ecsta PA51?

Kumho Ecsta PA51, 71 vs 57 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Potenza S-04 Pole Position or Ecsta PA51?

Kumho Ecsta PA51, 69 vs 63 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Potenza S-04 Pole Position or Ecsta PA51?

Kumho Ecsta PA51, 64 vs 35 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Potenza S-04 Pole Position or Ecsta PA51?

Kumho Ecsta PA51, 69 vs 62 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Potenza S-04 Pole Position or Ecsta PA51?

Kumho Ecsta PA51, 66 vs 57 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Potenza S-04 Pole Position or Ecsta PA51?

Kumho Ecsta PA51, 72 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