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Head-to-head Updated

Bridgestone Potenza S001 RFT vs Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR — 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 + 0 road tests and 79 + 14 owner reviews. How we score

ContiSportContact 5 SSR leads, 58–54 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. 54

    Dry

    ContiSportContact 5 SSR +4
    58
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza S001 RFTContiSportContact 5 SSR
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 59 (est.)≈ 61 (est.)
    Reviews found online4752

    Potenza S001 RFT: 60% × 59.3 (est.) + 40% × 47.2 = 54

    ContiSportContact 5 SSR: 60% × 61.4 (est.) + 40% × 52.1 = 58

    No road tests of dry for Potenza S001 RFT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

    No road tests of dry for ContiSportContact 5 SSR. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 58

    Wet

    ContiSportContact 5 SSR +5
    63
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza S001 RFTContiSportContact 5 SSR
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 61 (est.)≈ 65 (est.)
    Reviews found online5360

    Potenza S001 RFT: 60% × 61.1 (est.) + 40% × 53.2 = 58

    ContiSportContact 5 SSR: 60% × 64.8 (est.) + 40% × 60 = 63

    No road tests of wet for Potenza S001 RFT. 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 ContiSportContact 5 SSR. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 41

    Snow

    ContiSportContact 5 SSR +15
    56
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza S001 RFTContiSportContact 5 SSR
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 53 (est.)≈ 62 (est.)
    Reviews found online2348

    Potenza S001 RFT: 60% × 52.8 (est.) + 40% × 22.8 = 41

    ContiSportContact 5 SSR: 60% × 62.1 (est.) + 40% × 47.5 = 56

    No road tests of snow for Potenza S001 RFT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).

    No road tests of snow for ContiSportContact 5 SSR. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).

  4. 46

    Comfort

    ContiSportContact 5 SSR +4
    50
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza S001 RFTContiSportContact 5 SSR
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 63 (est.)≈ 64 (est.)
    Reviews found online3540

    Potenza S001 RFT: 40% × 62.8 (est.) + 60% × 34.6 = 46

    ContiSportContact 5 SSR: 40% × 63.8 (est.) + 60% × 40.4 = 50

    No road tests of comfort for Potenza S001 RFT or ContiSportContact 5 SSR. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 61

    Noise

    ContiSportContact 5 SSR +1
    62
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza S001 RFTContiSportContact 5 SSR
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online5356

    Potenza S001 RFT: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 52.8 = 61

    ContiSportContact 5 SSR: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 56.2 = 62

    No road tests of noise for Potenza S001 RFT or ContiSportContact 5 SSR. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 58

    Treadwear

    Potenza S001 RFT +8
    50
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza S001 RFTContiSportContact 5 SSR
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 61 (est.)≈ 57 (est.)
    Reviews found online5340

    Potenza S001 RFT: 60% × 61.5 (est.) + 40% × 52.7 = 58

    ContiSportContact 5 SSR: 60% × 56.9 (est.) + 40% × 39.6 = 50

    No road tests of treadwear for Potenza S001 RFT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

    No road tests of treadwear for ContiSportContact 5 SSR. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  7. 49

    Handling (owners)

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza S001 RFTContiSportContact 5 SSR
    Reviews found online49–
Scores at a glance
CategoryBridgestone Potenza S001 RFTContinental ContiSportContact 5 SSR
Relative Score 54 58
Dry 54 58
Wet 58 63
Snow 41 56
Comfort 46 50
Noise 61 62
Treadwear 58 50
Handling (owners) 49 –

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

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 S001 RFT

± 8

ContiSportContact 5 SSR

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 S001 RFT

Pros

  • Exceptional tread life and durability
  • Precise steering feedback and handling responsiveness
  • Strong dry-road grip

Cons

  • Poor wet-weather traction and hydroplaning resistance
  • High levels of road noise and cabin vibration
  • Harsh, stiff ride quality over road imperfections
All owner themes in the Potenza S001 RFT review

Tire B ContiSportContact 5 SSR

Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Bridgestone Potenza S001 RFT B · Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR
CategorySummerSummer tire
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available1425
Rim diameters17″ – 21″17″ – 20″
Tread depth9/32″9/32″
UTQG280 A A280 - 420 A - AA A
SidewallBlackwallBlack Side Wall
Max pressure51 psi50 - 51 psi
Sizes in common88

Which one should you actually buy?

Bridgestone Potenza S001 RFT

Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR

Narrow edge: Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR — better snow, wet and dry. Pick the Bridgestone Potenza S001 RFT if treadwear matters most to you. Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 14 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR scores 56 vs 41 on snow.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Bridgestone Potenza S001 RFT scores 58 vs 50 on treadwear.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR scores 63 vs 58 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR scores 58 vs 54 on dry.

Tire A · Bridgestone Potenza S001 RFT
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Tire B · Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR
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Potenza S001 RFT or ContiSportContact 5 SSR?

Which is better in the wet, Potenza S001 RFT or ContiSportContact 5 SSR?

Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR, 63 vs 58 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Potenza S001 RFT or ContiSportContact 5 SSR?

Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR, 58 vs 54 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Potenza S001 RFT or ContiSportContact 5 SSR?

Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR, 56 vs 41 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Potenza S001 RFT or ContiSportContact 5 SSR?

Neither, by our numbers: 61 vs 62 on the noise score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, Potenza S001 RFT or ContiSportContact 5 SSR?

Continental ContiSportContact 5 SSR, 50 vs 46 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Potenza S001 RFT or ContiSportContact 5 SSR?

Bridgestone Potenza S001 RFT, 58 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