Tests 72 · 6 tests Owners 52 · 5,811 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2020 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test (wet braking)
“Had a set of run flats for a brief period, heavy tires, very stiff sidewalls, wouldn't run them again.. .”
Head-to-head
Updated
Bridgestone Potenza S001 vs Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 — 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 6 + 0 road tests and 5,811 + 166 owner reviews. How we score
Pilot Sport PS2 is ahead, 79–67
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Tests – · none yet Owners 81 · 166 reviews
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
72
Dry
Pilot Sport PS2 +1082Why this score
Source Potenza S001 Pilot Sport PS2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / – tests 79 ≈ 77 (est.) Reviews found online 60 90 Potenza S001: 60% × 79.4 + 40% × 60 = 72
Pilot Sport PS2: 60% × 77.3 (est.) + 40% × 90.1 = 82
No road tests of dry for Pilot Sport PS2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
-
75
Wet
Pilot Sport PS2 +681Why this score
Source Potenza S001 Pilot Sport PS2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / – tests 86 ≈ 79 (est.) Reviews found online 60 85 Potenza S001: 60% × 85.5 + 40% × 60 = 75
Pilot Sport PS2: 60% × 78.5 (est.) + 40% × 84.8 = 81
No road tests of wet for Pilot Sport PS2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
-
50
Snow
No comparison–Why this score
Source Potenza S001 Pilot Sport PS2 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 58 (est.) – Reviews found online 38 – Potenza S001: 60% × 58.4 (est.) + 40% × 37.6 = 50
No road tests of snow for Potenza S001. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).
-
54
Comfort
Pilot Sport PS2 +2276Why this score
Source Potenza S001 Pilot Sport PS2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 63 ≈ 71 (est.) Reviews found online 47 79 Potenza S001: 40% × 63.3 + 60% × 47.2 = 54
Pilot Sport PS2: 40% × 70.9 (est.) + 60% × 79.1 = 76
No road tests of comfort for Pilot Sport PS2. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
-
56
Noise
No comparison–Why this score
Source Potenza S001 Pilot Sport PS2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests 56 – Reviews found online 56 – Potenza S001: 60% × 55.7 + 40% × 55.8 = 56
-
52
Treadwear
Pilot Sport PS2 +1567Why this score
Source Potenza S001 Pilot Sport PS2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests 58 ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 43 68 Potenza S001: 60% × 58 + 40% × 42.7 = 52
Pilot Sport PS2: 60% × 66.7 (est.) + 40% × 67.9 = 67
No road tests of treadwear for Pilot Sport PS2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).
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60
Handling (owners)
Pilot Sport PS2 +2585Why this score
Source Potenza S001 Pilot Sport PS2 Reviews found online 60 85 -
41
Efficiency
No comparison–Why this score
Source Potenza S001 Pilot Sport PS2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests 41 –
Scores at a glance
| Category | Bridgestone Potenza S001 | Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 67 | 79 |
| Dry | 72 | 82 |
| Wet | 75 | 81 |
| Snow | 50 | – |
| Comfort | 54 | 76 |
| Noise | 56 | – |
| Treadwear | 52 | 67 |
| Handling (owners) | 60 | 85 |
| Efficiency | 41 | – |
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
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
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
67
/ 100
Potenza S001
79
/ 100
Pilot Sport PS2
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.
In the overall rankings of 1 tests that ran both, Bridgestone Potenza S001 finished ahead 0 times and Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 1 times.
| Discipline | Category | Potenza S001 | Pilot Sport PS2 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #7/9 | #4/9 | – | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2010 EVO FWD Tyre Test · 235/35 r19 |
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
Tire B Pilot Sport PS2
Pros
- Outstanding dry grip and traction
- Confident, predictable handling and progressive limit feedback
- Excellent steering response and turn-in precision
Cons
- High initial purchase price
- Rapid tread wear, particularly on rear axles or under spirited driving
- Reduced wet traction and potential for sudden breakaway as the tread wears down
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Mixed
Bridgestone Potenza S001
Community sentiment regarding the Bridgestone Potenza S001 is predominantly mixed to negative, particularly concerning the run-flat variants. Drivers frequently report stiff sidewalls, harsh ride quality, road noise, premature wear, and tread cracking, leading many to switch to non-run-flat alternatives like Michelin. However, several owners find them adequate for spirited driving, citing satisfactory dry and wet grip as well as acceptable ride comfort on specific vehicle setups.
mybmwi3.com
·2026-03-31
“I run the Bridgestone Potenza S001 Ultra-High Summer Peformance Tire 215/45R/20s on the rear and 195s on the front. They ride softer than stock tires. Not cheap tho.”
f30.bimmerpost.com
“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.”
r/tires
·1 upvote ·2025-10-01
“Bridgestone Potenza S001 all year in Portland Oregon? As a second car in the family, do you think I can get away with running Bridgestone Potenza S001, with good tread depth, all year in Portland Oregon? I've lived here my whole life so I know the climate well. As long as I don't drive during the 1-3 snow days, do you think I'm good? My other car is a Honda Pilot AWD that we do summer/winter tire swap and take skiing ~20 times a year. For a car I never plan on taking in the snow, doing summer/winter swap or summer/all-season seems like overkill.”
Top themes
#run-flat stiffness and harshness#premature tread wear#tread cracking issues#wet and dry grip#switching to non-run-flats#road noise generation#OEM tire replacement
Based on 43 community posts
Tire B
Michelin Pilot Sport PS2
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Bridgestone Potenza S001 | B · Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 55 | 7 |
| Rim diameters | 15″ – 21″ | 17″ – 540″ |
| Tread depth | 8/32″ | — |
| UTQG | 280 A A | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 50 psi | — |
| Sizes in common | 1 | 1 |
Which one should you actually buy?
67
/ 100
Bridgestone Potenza S001
79
/ 100
Michelin Pilot Sport PS2
Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 — better handling, comfort and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 scores 85 vs 60 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 scores 76 vs 54 on comfort.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 scores 67 vs 52 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 scores 82 vs 72 on dry.
Tire A · Bridgestone Potenza S001
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport PS2
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Potenza S001 or Pilot Sport PS2?
Which is better in the wet, Potenza S001 or Pilot Sport PS2?
Michelin Pilot Sport PS2, 81 vs 75 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Potenza S001 or Pilot Sport PS2?
Michelin Pilot Sport PS2, 82 vs 72 on our dry score.
Which is more comfortable, Potenza S001 or Pilot Sport PS2?
Michelin Pilot Sport PS2, 76 vs 54 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Potenza S001 or Pilot Sport PS2?
Michelin Pilot Sport PS2, 67 vs 52 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