Tests – · none yet Owners 81 · 166 reviews
Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 vs Bridgestone Potenza RE050A — 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 166 + 2,182 owner reviews. How we score
Pilot Sport PS2 is ahead, 79–57
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Tests – · none yet Owners 51 · 2,182 reviews
“Got my Camelot rims mounted with Bridgestone Potenza Re050a tires!”
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
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82
Dry
Pilot Sport PS2 +2161Why this score
Source Pilot Sport PS2 Potenza RE050A Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 77 (est.) ≈ 64 (est.) Reviews found online 90 58 Pilot Sport PS2: 60% × 77.3 (est.) + 40% × 90.1 = 82
Potenza RE050A: 60% × 63.8 (est.) + 40% × 57.9 = 61
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).
No road tests of dry for Potenza RE050A. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
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81
Wet
Pilot Sport PS2 +2259Why this score
Source Pilot Sport PS2 Potenza RE050A Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 79 (est.) ≈ 62 (est.) Reviews found online 85 55 Pilot Sport PS2: 60% × 78.5 (est.) + 40% × 84.8 = 81
Potenza RE050A: 60% × 61.9 (est.) + 40% × 54.7 = 59
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).
No road tests of wet for Potenza RE050A. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
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–
Snow
No comparison57Why this score
Source Pilot Sport PS2 Potenza RE050A Professional tests (TWG score) – ≈ 63 (est.) Reviews found online – 49 Potenza RE050A: 60% × 62.6 (est.) + 40% × 49 = 57
No road tests of snow for Potenza RE050A. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).
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76
Comfort
Pilot Sport PS2 +2749Why this score
Source Pilot Sport PS2 Potenza RE050A Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 71 (est.) ≈ 64 (est.) Reviews found online 79 39 Pilot Sport PS2: 40% × 70.9 (est.) + 60% × 79.1 = 76
Potenza RE050A: 40% × 63.6 (est.) + 60% × 38.9 = 49
No road tests of comfort for Pilot Sport PS2 or Potenza RE050A. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
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–
Noise
No comparison62Why this score
Source Pilot Sport PS2 Potenza RE050A Professional tests (TWG score) – ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online – 56 Potenza RE050A: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 55.7 = 62
No road tests of noise for Potenza RE050A. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
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67
Treadwear
Pilot Sport PS2 +1651Why this score
Source Pilot Sport PS2 Potenza RE050A Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 67 (est.) ≈ 57 (est.) Reviews found online 68 41 Pilot Sport PS2: 60% × 66.7 (est.) + 40% × 67.9 = 67
Potenza RE050A: 60% × 57.3 (est.) + 40% × 41 = 51
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).
No road tests of treadwear for Potenza RE050A. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).
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85
Handling (owners)
Pilot Sport PS2 +3055Why this score
Source Pilot Sport PS2 Potenza RE050A Reviews found online 85 55
Scores at a glance
| Category | Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 | Bridgestone Potenza RE050A |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 79 | 57 |
| Dry | 82 | 61 |
| Wet | 81 | 59 |
| Snow | – | 57 |
| Comfort | 76 | 49 |
| Noise | – | 62 |
| Treadwear | 67 | 51 |
| Handling (owners) | 85 | 55 |
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.
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Pilot Sport PS2
Potenza RE050A
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.
| Discipline | Category | Pilot Sport PS2 | Potenza RE050A | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #4/9 2010 EVO FWD Tyre Test | #3/8 2015 Australian Motor 235/35 R19 Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A 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
Tire B Potenza RE050A
Pros
- Phenomenal dry grip and cornering stability
- Precise steering response and sharp turn-in feedback
- Stiff sidewalls that enhance sporty handling and provide rim protection
Cons
- Harsh ride quality and stiff impact absorption, especially over rough roads and potholes
- Noticeable and escalating road noise as the tires wear
- Mediocre performance and reduced traction in cold temperatures or wintry conditions
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Michelin Pilot Sport PS2
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Bridgestone Potenza RE050A
Community sentiment regarding the Bridgestone Potenza RE050A is largely mixed, with drivers acknowledging solid dry grip, responsive handling, and decent wet traction when warm. However, many owners criticize the tire's harsh ride quality, high road noise, fast treadwear, high replacement cost, and complete lack of traction in cold or snowy conditions. Run-flat variants are particularly disliked for their stiff ride and difficulty of repair.
“So here's whats on my car, and how I got here (2011 335d m-sport): Rear: RE 050 A, no designation of I or II, so I'm thinking they were first gen. The BMW dealership put them on the car at about 18k. Front: Original OEM from the factory RE 050 A I. I'm about to have these two replaced tomorrow after a major alignment issue has worn both outside front edges, although the car tracks straight... we'll see what i end up with tomorrow!”
“Got my Camelot rims mounted with Bridgestone Potenza Re050a tires!”
“Re050a is more of a semi racing stickies. It's more in line with the potenza race. Any of the popular sport tires i.e pilot sport or potenza sport will do. For me. I'd go for Toyo Proxes sport 2.”
Based on 76 community posts
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 | B · Bridgestone Potenza RE050A |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 7 | 37 |
| Rim diameters | 17″ – 540″ | 15″ – 20″ |
| Tread depth | — | 10/32″ |
| UTQG | — | 140 A A |
| Sidewall | — | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | — | 50 psi |
| Sizes in common | 2 | 2 |
Which one should you actually buy?
Michelin Pilot Sport PS2
Bridgestone Potenza RE050A
Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 — better handling, comfort and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 scores 85 vs 55 on handling.
Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 scores 76 vs 49 on comfort.
Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 scores 81 vs 59 on wet.
Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 scores 82 vs 61 on dry.
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Pilot Sport PS2 or Potenza RE050A?
Which is better in the wet, Pilot Sport PS2 or Potenza RE050A?
Michelin Pilot Sport PS2, 81 vs 59 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Pilot Sport PS2 or Potenza RE050A?
Michelin Pilot Sport PS2, 82 vs 61 on our dry score.
Which is more comfortable, Pilot Sport PS2 or Potenza RE050A?
Michelin Pilot Sport PS2, 76 vs 49 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Pilot Sport PS2 or Potenza RE050A?
Michelin Pilot Sport PS2, 67 vs 51 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