Tests 80 · 28 tests Owners 63 · 725 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 52 in 2025 Summer Tyre Test Shootout (dry braking)
“Replacement tires. Bridgestone Potenza Sport. 8k miles. Fronts/Rears. WTF Bridgestone? Or is it me? No burnouts!”
Head-to-head
Updated
Bridgestone Potenza Sport vs Michelin Pilot Sport 5 — 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 28 + 23 road tests and 725 + 6,469 owner reviews. How we score
Pilot Sport 5 is ahead, 86–73
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Tests 86 · 23 tests Owners 87 · 6,469 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2026 Autobild Summer Tyre Test (dry handling (tester's mark))
“Put some 235/45 R17 ps5’s on my 9-5 They fill up the arches quite nice!”
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
Key facts
- In 11 tests that measured dry braking for both, Potenza Sport won 9 and Pilot Sport 5 won 2 (average 99% vs 97% of the best).
- In 11 tests that measured wet braking for both, Potenza Sport won 7 and Pilot Sport 5 won 3 (average 97% vs 97% of the best).
- In 9 tests that measured straight aquaplaning for both, Potenza Sport won 2 and Pilot Sport 5 won 7 (average 95% vs 97% of the best).
- In 9 tests that measured rolling resistance for both, Potenza Sport won 0 and Pilot Sport 5 won 9 (average 79% vs 90% of the best).
- In 8 tests that measured dry handling for both, Potenza Sport won 7 and Pilot Sport 5 won 1 (average 99% vs 98% of the best).
-
88
Dry
Pilot Sport 5 +492Why this score
Source Potenza Sport Pilot Sport 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · 27 / 23 tests 96 93 Reviews found online 74 90 Dry Braking (% of best) · 11 shared tests · wins 9–2 99% 97% Dry Handling (% of best) · 8 shared tests · wins 7–1 99% 98% Dry Handling (tester's mark) (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 1–1 96% 91% Dry (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 98% 93% Potenza Sport: 60% × 96.3 + 40% × 74.4 = 88
Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 93.2 + 40% × 90.4 = 92
-
86
Wet
Pilot Sport 5 +793Why this score
Source Potenza Sport Pilot Sport 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · 27 / 23 tests 95 94 Reviews found online 72 93 Curved Aquaplaning (% of best) · 5 shared tests · wins 1–4 82% 96% Straight Aquaplaning (% of best) · 9 shared tests · wins 2–7 95% 97% Wet Handling (tester's mark) (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 2–1 93% 83% Wet (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 94% 99% Wet Braking (% of best) · 11 shared tests · wins 7–3 97% 97% Wet Braking (concrete) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 99% 97% Wet Circle (% of best) · 5 shared tests · wins 4–1 100% 99% Wet Handling (% of best) · 8 shared tests · wins 8–0 100% 96% Potenza Sport: 60% × 94.8 + 40% × 72.3 = 86
Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 93.5 + 40% × 93.4 = 93
-
59
Comfort
Pilot Sport 5 +2079Why this score
Source Potenza Sport Pilot Sport 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / 9 tests 54 71 Reviews found online 62 85 Comfort (tester's mark) (% of best) · 4 shared tests · wins 1–3 84% 88% Potenza Sport: 40% × 54.1 + 60% × 61.7 = 59
Pilot Sport 5: 40% × 71 + 60% × 84.5 = 79
-
43
Noise
Pilot Sport 5 +447Why this score
Source Potenza Sport Pilot Sport 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · 23 / 15 tests 30 33 Reviews found online 63 ≈ 67 (est.) Interior Noise (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 95% 95% Noise (% of best) · 5 shared tests · wins 2–3 96% 96% Exterior Noise (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–0 71% 71% Noise (tester's mark) (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 1–0 84% 84% Potenza Sport: 60% × 30 + 40% × 63 = 43
Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 33.3 + 40% × 66.5 (est.) = 47
No owner ratings of noise for Pilot Sport 5. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.
-
59
Treadwear
Pilot Sport 5 +2887Why this score
Source Potenza Sport Pilot Sport 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / 6 tests 71 92 Reviews found online 40 79 Abrasion (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 0–2 75% 89% Wear (% of best) · 3 shared tests · wins 0–3 74% 88% Potenza Sport: 60% × 71.4 + 40% × 39.8 = 59
Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 91.9 + 40% × 79.1 = 87
-
73
Handling (owners)
Pilot Sport 5 +1689Why this score
Source Potenza Sport Pilot Sport 5 Reviews found online 73 89 -
11
Efficiency
Pilot Sport 5 +5364Why this score
Source Potenza Sport Pilot Sport 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · 26 / 17 tests 11 64 Fuel Consumption (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 91% 95% Rolling Resistance (% of best) · 9 shared tests · wins 0–9 79% 90%
Scores at a glance
| Category | Bridgestone Potenza Sport | Michelin Pilot Sport 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 73 | 86 |
| Dry | 88 | 92 |
| Wet | 86 | 93 |
| Comfort | 59 | 79 |
| Noise | 43 | 47 |
| Treadwear | 59 | 87 |
| Handling (owners) | 73 | 89 |
| Efficiency | 11 | 64 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Weight the categories that matter to you
Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
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Recomputed
Headline score
73
/ 100
Potenza Sport
86
/ 100
Pilot Sport 5
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 11 tests that ran both, Bridgestone Potenza Sport finished ahead 7 times and Michelin Pilot Sport 5 4 times.
| Discipline | Category | Potenza Sport | Pilot Sport 5 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry | Dry | 98% | 93% | +5.6 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ 2023 Summer Tire Test R18 · 245/45R18 |
| Dry Braking | Dry | 99% | 97% | +2.3 | 9–2 in 11 shared tests Newest: Top Tire Review 2026 UHP Tyre Test: Big Brands vs Challengers · 225/45 R18 |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 99% | 98% | +1.2 | 7–1 in 8 shared tests Newest: Top Tire Review 2026 UHP Tyre Test: Big Brands vs Challengers · 225/45 R18 |
| Dry Handling (tester's mark) | Dry | 96% | 91% | +5.7 | 1–1 in 3 shared tests Newest: Top Tire Review 2026 UHP Tyre Test: Big Brands vs Challengers · 225/45 R18 |
| Curved Aquaplaning | Wet | 82% | 96% | −14.0 | 1–4 in 5 shared tests Newest: 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
| Straight Aquaplaning | Wet | 95% | 97% | −1.7 | 2–7 in 9 shared tests Newest: Top Tire Review 2026 UHP Tyre Test: Big Brands vs Challengers · 225/45 R18 |
| Wet | Wet | 94% | 99% | −4.2 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ 2023 Summer Tire Test R18 · 245/45R18 |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 97% | 97% | +0.3 | 7–3 in 11 shared tests Newest: Top Tire Review 2026 UHP Tyre Test: Big Brands vs Challengers · 225/45 R18 |
| Wet Braking (concrete) | Wet | 99% | 97% | +1.9 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
| Wet Circle | Wet | 100% | 99% | +0.6 | 4–1 in 5 shared tests Newest: 2025 AZ Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R18 |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 100% | 96% | +3.7 | 8–0 in 8 shared tests Newest: Top Tire Review 2026 UHP Tyre Test: Big Brands vs Challengers · 225/45 R18 |
| Wet Handling (tester's mark) | Wet | 93% | 83% | +9.9 | 2–1 in 3 shared tests Newest: Top Tire Review 2026 UHP Tyre Test: Big Brands vs Challengers · 225/45 R18 |
| Comfort (tester's mark) | Comfort | 84% | 88% | −3.4 | 1–3 in 4 shared tests Newest: Top Tire Review 2026 UHP Tyre Test: Big Brands vs Challengers · 225/45 R18 |
| Exterior Noise | Noise | 71% | 71% | 0.0 | 0–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2023 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ 2023 Summer Tire Test R18 · 245/45R18 |
| Interior Noise | Noise | 95% | 95% | −0.6 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17 |
| Noise | Noise | 96% | 96% | +0.1 | 2–3 in 5 shared tests Newest: 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
| Noise (tester's mark) | Noise | 84% | 84% | +0.5 | 1–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2025 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
| Abrasion | Treadwear | 75% | 89% | −13.8 | 0–2 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
| Wear | Treadwear | 74% | 88% | −13.2 | 0–3 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
| Fuel Consumption | Efficiency | 91% | 95% | −3.2 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 79% | 90% | −10.5 | 0–9 in 9 shared tests Newest: Top Tire Review 2026 UHP Tyre Test: Big Brands vs Challengers · 225/45 R18 |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Price | Cost | 66% | 61% | +5.3 | 2–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2023 AutoBild Sports Car Summer Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
| Total Cost of Ownership | Cost | #10/10 | #5/10 | – | 0–2 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2025 AZ Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R18 |
| Value | Cost | 65% | 65% | +0.2 | 2–1 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test · 225/40 R18 |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #6/7 | #1/7 | – | 7–4 in 11 shared tests Newest: Top Tire Review 2026 UHP Tyre Test: Big Brands vs Challengers · 225/45 R18 |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Potenza Sport
Pros
- Outstanding dry and wet grip
- Precise, telepathic steering response and feedback
- Excellent braking performance
Cons
- Fast tread wear and short lifespan
- High road noise
- Firm, sometimes harsh ride quality over bumps
Tire B Pilot Sport 5
Pros
- Outstanding wet and dry traction with high resistance to aquaplaning
- Superior tread life and longevity compared to competitors and previous generations
- Noticeable improvements in ride comfort and a quieter cabin over rough road surfaces
Cons
- Softer sidewalls can lead to initial steering vagueness or understeer during hard cornering
- Higher price point compared to some tier-one competitors
- Performance and grip degrade significantly under intense track heat or heavy circuit use
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Mixed
Bridgestone Potenza Sport
The community praises the Bridgestone Potenza Sport for its exceptional dry and wet grip, sharp steering response, and value pricing compared to competitors. However, users frequently highlight drawbacks such as fast tread wear and poor durability when used for track days, along with some complaints regarding lower fuel economy and narrower physical dimensions.
r/mazda6
·29 upvotes ·2023-04-08
“Trying Bridgestone Potenza Sports for summers with simple Spirt Edition A19 wheels Last fall I put Blizzaks WS90s on the stock rims, and had a confident time this winter. I love the stock Mazda rims and intended to swap on a set of performance summer tires. However decide to go with aftermarket wheels that match the stock as much as I could afford, so here they are. 19X8 SPORT EDITION A19 DARK GREY 225/45R-19 BRIDGESTONE POTENZA SPORT I love the look of the new rims maybe even more than the stock now that they are on simple as they are. Will have to see how the tires behave. I may decide to go back to a set of Conti DwS HiPer All-Seasons next year. Read more”
r/ft86
·16 upvotes ·2025-09-11
“Bridgestone Potenza Sport Anybody running potenza sports? My rear right tire inside sidewall got shredded suddenly at highway speed (85+ mph). Fortunately I did not lose control and was able to move the car to a nearby school parking lot with a spare. Ordered a set of DWS06+ and they should be delivered tomorrow. The tires are a little more than 4 years old and had about 12k miles on them. Kind of bummed at the situation, but this could’ve been much worse. Are potenza sports generally that bad? Read more”
r/fordfusion
·2 upvotes ·2026-09-16
“Just replaced my set of Potenza Sport AS. 2 side wall failures with 70% tread left. Replaced them with Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 4s. Michelin's are a much better riding tire than the Bridgestones. A little more road noise though.”
Top themes
#Steering response and feel#Dry and wet grip#Tread wear and longevity#Track performance limitations#Price and value
Based on 93 community posts
Tire B
Positive
Michelin Pilot Sport 5
The community generally views the Michelin Pilot Sport 5 as an exceptional daily-driving tire that bridges the gap between high performance and everyday comfort. Users frequently praise its outstanding wet grip, low road noise, and impressive tread life compared to more track-focused alternatives like the PS4S. However, some enthusiast drivers feel the sidewalls and feedback can feel a bit numb or soft for aggressive track use, noting it is built more for sporty road use than dedicated circuit driving.
r/CarTalkUK
·3 upvotes ·2023-11-19
“How good are pilot sport 5's in winter? Thinking between another set of ps5's on a new car or cross climate 2. Ps5: wearing really slowly, didn't catch a winter on old car yet Cc2: worn in 4 months to 3mm, very soft in bends causing body roll, really good in last year's snow through, and surface water is a non-issue. Also weird humming doe to tread pattern. I guess the question is, should i risk summer tyres with the odd snow fall we have around here?”
r/tires
·8 upvotes ·2026-03-21
“Should I worry about this? Michelin pilot sport 5, 23k km (14.3k miles) doesn't seem to be that deep, not sure how it happened, looks like I hit a curb.”
r/TyreReviews
·31 upvotes ·2026-04-26
“My 8-month experience with Michelin Pilot Sport 5 – honest thoughts after highway + city use Switched to Michelin Pilot Sport 5s about 8 months ago on my Hyundai Creta]and figured I'd share a proper update since I couldn't find many India-based long-term reviews when I was researching. Background: I drive a mix of Delhi–Gurugram highway stretches and stop-go city traffic. Previous tyres were Ceat tyres. Wet grip: This is where they genuinely shine. Monsoon season in NCR was the real test — braking distances felt noticeably shorter than my previous set, and I never had that nervous moment on waterlogged roads near Dhaula Kuan. Dry handling: Confident and predictable. Not much to complain about here. Cornering feel is crisp, especially at highway speeds. Ride comfort: Slightly firmer than my old tyres, which I expected given the performance focus. Not harsh — just different. Long highway runs are still comfortable. Noise: Quieter than I expected for a performance tyre. Road noise on concrete sections of NH-48 is very manageable. Fuel efficiency: Marginal difference — maybe 0.3–0.5 kmpl lower, hard to say definitively. Wear so far: Looking good at 8 months / ~7,000 km. No uneven wear patterns. Would I buy again? Probably yes, especially if wet weather safety matters to you. Price premium over budget options is real, but the wet grip gives peace of mind. Happy to answer any questions. Anyone else running Michelins in Indian conditions? Read more”
Top themes
#Wet grip and safety#Tread life and durability#Road noise and comfort#Daily driving performance#Soft sidewall feedback#Comparison to PS4S and competitors#Value and pricing
Based on 177 community posts
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Bridgestone Potenza Sport | B · Michelin Pilot Sport 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 128 | 66 |
| Rim diameters | 16″ – 24″ | 16″ – 22″ |
| Tread depth | 7 - 10/32″ | — |
| UTQG | 200 - 320 A - AA A | — |
| Sidewall | Black Side Wall - Raised Black Lettering | — |
| Max pressure | 50 - 51 psi | — |
| Sizes in common | 54 | 54 |
Which one should you actually buy?
73
/ 100
Bridgestone Potenza Sport
86
/ 100
Michelin Pilot Sport 5
Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 5 — better efficiency, treadwear and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire B
You want lower fuel or energy use
Michelin Pilot Sport 5 scores 64 vs 11 on efficiency.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Pilot Sport 5 scores 87 vs 59 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Pilot Sport 5 scores 79 vs 59 on comfort.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin Pilot Sport 5 scores 89 vs 73 on handling.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet handling
Bridgestone Potenza Sport won 8 of 8 shared wet handling tests.
Tire A · Bridgestone Potenza Sport
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport 5
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Potenza Sport or Pilot Sport 5?
Which is better in the wet, Potenza Sport or Pilot Sport 5?
Michelin Pilot Sport 5, 93 vs 86 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Potenza Sport or Pilot Sport 5?
Michelin Pilot Sport 5, 92 vs 88 on our dry score.
Which is quieter, Potenza Sport or Pilot Sport 5?
Michelin Pilot Sport 5, 47 vs 43 on our noise score.
Which is more comfortable, Potenza Sport or Pilot Sport 5?
Michelin Pilot Sport 5, 79 vs 59 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Potenza Sport or Pilot Sport 5?
Michelin Pilot Sport 5, 87 vs 59 on our treadwear score.
Which rolls more easily, Potenza Sport or Pilot Sport 5?
Michelin Pilot Sport 5, 64 vs 11 on our efficiency 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