Tests – · none yet Owners 67 · 102 reviews
Head-to-head
Updated
Firestone Destination LE2 vs Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
Potenza RE 71RS is ahead, 73–68
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Tests 77 · 2 tests Owners 72 · 452 reviews
“When I said 'they are more different than I expected,' the best way to describe that with one word is SMOOTH! These tires are smooth in all aspects. They are substantially quieter than the old 71R, maybe a 2 out of 10. After driving on two lane blacktops, I have not noticed any measurable gravel or other debris picked up at this point, definitely less than the 71R, maybe 50% reduction. Handling is the most important aspect for me personally and Bridgestone has hit a home run! Stopping fantastic and according to Bridgestone they are better on wet roads, IDK as I try to avoid driving in the rain. Steering is amazing and more sensitive! There is even a level of comfort that I did not expect for performance tires. Honestly, I am unable to come up with any negative. Five Stars! The post by jst2878 was spot on about them being a 'gift!' After break in greater than 300 miles, they just need to be hammered! After doing so yesterday, I have returned home for Pina Coladas & Pool this weekend!”
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
67
Dry
Potenza RE 71RS +1481Why this score
Source Destination LE2 Potenza RE 71RS Professional tests (TWG score) – 75 Reviews found online 67 90 -
69
Wet
Potenza RE 71RS +877Why this score
Source Destination LE2 Potenza RE 71RS Professional tests (TWG score) – 84 Reviews found online 69 68 -
66
Snow
No comparison–Why this score
Source Destination LE2 Potenza RE 71RS Reviews found online 63 – -
66
Comfort
Destination LE2 +165Why this score
Source Destination LE2 Potenza RE 71RS Professional tests (TWG score) – 71 Reviews found online 64 56 -
68
Noise
Destination LE2 +266Why this score
Source Destination LE2 Potenza RE 71RS Professional tests (TWG score) – 67 Reviews found online 71 64 -
67
Treadwear
Destination LE2 +661Why this score
Source Destination LE2 Potenza RE 71RS Reviews found online 67 59 -
68
Handling
Potenza RE 71RS +1684Why this score
Source Destination LE2 Potenza RE 71RS Reviews found online 68 84
Scores at a glance
| Category | Firestone Destination LE2 | Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 68 | 73 |
| Dry | 67 | 81 |
| Wet | 69 | 77 |
| Snow | 66 | – |
| Comfort | 66 | 65 |
| Noise | 68 | 66 |
| Treadwear | 67 | 61 |
| Handling | 68 | 84 |
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.
Important
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Important
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Neutral
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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.
Less important
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Important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score
68
/ 100
Destination LE2
73
/ 100
Potenza RE 71RS
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 Destination LE2
Pros
- Excellent dry and wet traction
- Affordable, high-value pricing
- Quiet and comfortable highway ride
Cons
- Tendency to pick up and retain small stones from gravel roads
- Occasional reports of higher-than-expected road noise on specific vehicle models
- Isolated instances of balancing difficulties or premature wear
Tire B Potenza RE 71RS
Pros
- Outstanding dry grip and rapid warm-up characteristics.
- Highly predictable and communicative at the limit, allowing for easy recovery.
- Improved on-road refinement, noise levels, and comfort compared to its predecessor.
Cons
- Rapid tread wear, especially when used aggressively on track or heavy vehicles.
- Tendency to become 'greasy' or lose peak grip during extended track sessions.
- Stiff sidewalls can make mounting the tires onto rims difficult.
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Firestone Destination LE2
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Tire B
Positive
Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS
Community sentiment toward the Bridgestone Potenza RE-71RS is overwhelmingly positive, with drivers praising its high grip levels, responsive turn-in, and improved refinement over the older RE-71R. Discussions frequently center around track and autocross setups, optimal hot tire pressures, clearance pricing, and its streetability regarding road noise and gravel pickup. Minor caveats noted include fast wear characteristic of 200tw competition tires and rotation limits stemming from an asymmetrical tread design.
r/GR86
·256 upvotes ·2026-09-23
“Drove my GR86 coast to coast on pre-thrashed 200tw tires in 3.5 days AMA 2024 GR86 Premium performance package mt Bridgestone Potenza RE-71rs tires Car had 24,000ish miles and now has 27,000ish”
civicx.com
·2025-02-25
“They are an amazing tire, both for autocross and track days. I'm currently running Falkens but my next track set will be RE71s for sure. Should be able to get a half second off my laps from what I've seen so far.”
r/ElantraN
·5 upvotes ·2025-09-06
“Track tire fitment Just got some new Bridgestone Potenza RE-71rs in 245/40r18. I did my research on this subreddit and it seems like that will fit without rubbing/camber bolts. Does anyone know if the RE-71rs’ run wide cause they measure a full inch wider than the stock PS4s’, I’m just wondering now if I’ll need camber bolts. I’d prefer not, just want to throw them on and go. For reference they are being mounted onto a 18x8.5 +45 Enkei TS-V wheel. If anyone could offer insight cause I just can’t understand how they would fit but maybe I’m just over thinking it. Stock suspension by the way. I searched the sub and didn’t see anything with exact matching specs, only bigger and different tires. Tl;dr Will 245/40r18 Bridgestone Potenza RE-71rs’ fit on an 18x8.5 +45 wheel without clearance issues/adding other modifications (camber bolts) on our car? Thanks for any help! Read more”
Top themes
#track and autocross performance#tire pressure tuning#road noise and refinement#clearance pricing and availability#fitment and sizing#tread wear and longevity#comparison to previous RE-71R
Based on 33 community posts
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Firestone Destination LE2 | B · Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS |
|---|---|---|
| Category | — | Summer |
| Sizes available | 5 | 10 |
| Rim diameters | 16″ – 18″ | 15″ – 19″ |
| Tread depth | 11/32″ | 7/32″ |
| UTQG | 520 A B | 200 A A |
| Treadwear warranty | 60,000 mi | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | 44 psi | 51 psi |
Which one should you actually buy?
68
/ 100
Firestone Destination LE2
73
/ 100
Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS
Winner: Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS — better handling, dry and wet. Pick the Firestone Destination LE2 if treadwear matters most to you.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS scores 84 vs 68 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS scores 81 vs 67 on dry.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS scores 77 vs 69 on wet.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Firestone Destination LE2 scores 67 vs 61 on treadwear.
Tire A · Firestone Destination LE2
Tire B · Bridgestone Potenza RE 71RS
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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.