Head-to-head Updated

Bridgestone Potenza S001 vs Dunlop SP Sport Maxx — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

Potenza S001 is ahead, 63–58

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Potenza S001

Summer

Tests 71 · 6 tests Owners 56 · 5,804 reviews

“Quote: Originally Posted by ProjectBoost Yeah and the Bridgestone's should be replaced too. +1 Bridgestone Potenza S001 are near the bottom of all run flat tires. If you prefer run flat tires, Pirelli P Zero are much better.”

Category by category

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

  1. 72

    Dry

    Potenza S001 +11
    61
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza S001SP Sport Maxx
    Professional tests (TWG score)79–
    Reviews found online6358
  2. 75

    Wet

    Potenza S001 +14
    61
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza S001SP Sport Maxx
    Professional tests (TWG score)84–
    Reviews found online6257
  3. 51

    Snow

    SP Sport Maxx +3
    54
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza S001SP Sport Maxx
    Reviews found online3944
  4. 59

    Comfort

    SP Sport Maxx +1
    60
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza S001SP Sport Maxx
    Professional tests (TWG score)63–
    Reviews found online5151
  5. 52

    Noise

    SP Sport Maxx +10
    62
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza S001SP Sport Maxx
    Professional tests (TWG score)48–
    Reviews found online5856
  6. 54

    Treadwear

    SP Sport Maxx +2
    56
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza S001SP Sport Maxx
    Professional tests (TWG score)58–
    Reviews found online4949
  7. 61

    Handling

    Potenza S001 +6
    55
    Why this score
    SourcePotenza S001SP Sport Maxx
    Reviews found online6155
Scores at a glance
Bridgestone Potenza S001 vs Dunlop SP Sport Maxx: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryBridgestone Potenza S001Dunlop SP Sport Maxx
Relative Score 63 58
Dry 72 61
Wet 75 61
Snow 51 54
Comfort 59 60
Noise 52 62
Treadwear 54 56
Handling 61 55

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

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Headline score

Potenza S001

SP Sport Maxx

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Potenza S001

Pros

  • Precise and sharp steering response
  • Strong dry-pavement cornering grip
  • Stiff sidewalls providing robust rim protection and high-speed stability

Cons

  • High levels of road noise and cabin drone
  • Stiff, harsh ride quality (particularly noticeable on run-flat versions)
  • Poor or unpredictable wet-weather grip and sudden loss of traction
All owner themes in the Potenza S001 review

Tire B SP Sport Maxx

Pros

  • Strong dry and wet grip when brand new
  • Responsive handling and sharp cornering precision
  • Low initial road noise and good ride comfort on smooth surfaces

Cons

  • Rapid and uneven tread wear (often wearing out in under 10,000–15,000 miles)
  • High road noise and 'sawtoothing' issues as the tires age
  • Noticeable drop in wet-weather traction and sudden loss of grip near the end of their lifespan
All owner themes in the SP Sport Maxx review

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Bridgestone Potenza S001

Mixed

Community opinion on the Bridgestone Potenza S001 is divided, with some users praising their dry grip and stability, while many others criticize their rapid wear, stiffness (especially run-flat variants), noise, and cracking issues. Owners frequently compare them unfavorably to alternatives like Michelin or Pirelli, though budget-friendly deals tend to draw occasional interest.

r/TyreReviews ·3 upvotes ·2026-02-22

“Replacing Bridgestone Potenza s001 RunFlats with Primacy 5 vs. PS5. Suggestions? I drive a VW Jetta which only has 160 Hp. I do occasionally really enjoy some spirited driving or taking aggressive turns. My considerations are that I do really care about Comfort and road noise and so that leads me towards the Primacy 5. At the same time, I don't think the power of my car justifies the PS5. My question is basically, I've online that for runflats to be runflats they have really stiff sidewalls, which might be contributing to the current feel of my car and I wonder if, even though everything else about the Potenza s001 is quite worse compared to the Primacy 5, I wonder if I will miss the stiff sidewall? And just because of that should I consider the PS5?”

r/CarTalkUK ·2 upvotes ·2023-11-15

“Brand New Bridgestone Potenza S001 Tyres worn after 10k mileage? So I got 4 brand new tyres last June from Costco, 255/35 R19. I only drive locally, occasional trips to another city. 10k mileage later, my front two tyres flagged up on my recent MOT as : Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge CHANGE ASAP (5.2.3 (e)) Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge EDGED (5.2.3 (e)) Seems surprising to me as I don't drive crazy, occasional spirited driving. 2011 Audi s5. is this normal? Thinking of getting another brand this time for the front two tyres. Car is a quattro but same types on same axis should suffice? Any recommendations on tyres? Read more”

r/Miata ·2022-03-30

“Potenza S001 cracking Has anyone had issues with their OEM Bridgestone Potenza S001 tires cracking? I have OEM tires on my 2018 CLub with 17k miles with cracking in the treads for all 4 tires and because they are 4 years + 3 months past manufacture date, Bridgestone told me to Beat It. These are $185 tires that don't last 4 seasons....why would I ever buy them if they are PoS?”

Top themes
#Tread Wear and Longevity#Run-Flat Stiffness and Comfort#Road Noise and Harshness#Dry Grip and Stability#Quality and Cracking Issues#Value and Deals

Based on 16 community posts

Tire B

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx

We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Bridgestone Potenza S001 B · Dunlop SP Sport Maxx
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available558
Rim diameters15″ – 21″16″ – 21″
Tread depth8/32″10/32″
UTQG280 A A—
SidewallBlackwallBlackwall
Max pressure50 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Bridgestone Potenza S001

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx

Winner: Bridgestone Potenza S001 — better wet, dry and handling. Pick the Dunlop SP Sport Maxx if noise and snow matter most to you.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Bridgestone Potenza S001 scores 75 vs 61 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Bridgestone Potenza S001 scores 72 vs 61 on dry.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx scores 62 vs 52 on noise.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Bridgestone Potenza S001 scores 61 vs 55 on handling.

Tire A · Bridgestone Potenza S001
Tire B · Dunlop SP Sport Maxx

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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.

63

Leads

Potenza S001

Amazon