Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 2 + 0 road tests and 196 + 13 owner reviews. How we score
Primacy 3 is ahead, 71–43
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Tests 73 · 2 tests Owners 66 · 196 reviews
Best test result: #3 of 20 in 2017 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test (wear)
“I have just put a new set of Michelin Primacy 3 T0 Acoustics on and they have been faultless. Lots of grip, very quiet etc. They were also good last year in the snow and were from blackcircles for about £240 a tyre.”
Tests – · none yet Owners 31 · 13 reviews
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
| Source | Primacy 3 | Potenza RE050A RFT |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / – tests | 74 | ≈ 52 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 70 | 30 |
Primacy 3: 60% × 74.3 + 40% × 69.5 = 72
Potenza RE050A RFT: 60% × 52.5 (est.) + 40% × 30.4 = 44
No road tests of dry for Potenza RE050A RFT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
| Source | Primacy 3 | Potenza RE050A RFT |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / – tests | 72 | ≈ 52 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 72 | 37 |
Primacy 3: 60% × 71.9 + 40% × 71.8 = 72
Potenza RE050A RFT: 60% × 52.2 (est.) + 40% × 36.8 = 46
No road tests of wet for Potenza RE050A RFT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
| Source | Primacy 3 | Potenza RE050A RFT |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | ≈ 61 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | – | 40 |
Potenza RE050A RFT: 60% × 60.7 (est.) + 40% × 39.6 = 52
No road tests of snow for Potenza RE050A RFT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
| Source | Primacy 3 | Potenza RE050A RFT |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | ≈ 68 (est.) | ≈ 58 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 67 | 14 |
Primacy 3: 40% × 68.4 (est.) + 60% × 67.3 = 68
Potenza RE050A RFT: 40% × 57.7 (est.) + 60% × 14.2 = 32
No road tests of comfort for Primacy 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
No road tests of comfort for Potenza RE050A RFT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
| Source | Primacy 3 | Potenza RE050A RFT |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | ≈ 66 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | – | 37 |
Potenza RE050A RFT: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 36.8 = 55
No road tests of noise for Potenza RE050A RFT. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
| Source | Primacy 3 | Potenza RE050A RFT |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests | 73 | ≈ 51 (est.) |
| Reviews found online | 57 | 25 |
Primacy 3: 60% × 73.1 + 40% × 57.1 = 67
Potenza RE050A RFT: 60% × 51.5 (est.) + 40% × 24.9 = 41
No road tests of treadwear for Potenza RE050A RFT. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
| Source | Primacy 3 | Potenza RE050A RFT |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews found online | 68 | – |
| Category | Michelin Primacy 3 | Bridgestone Potenza RE050A RFT |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 71 | 43 |
| Dry | 72 | 44 |
| Wet | 72 | 46 |
| Snow | – | 52 |
| Comfort | 68 | 32 |
| Noise | – | 55 |
| Treadwear | 67 | 41 |
| Handling (owners) | 68 | – |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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.
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Primacy 3
Potenza RE050A RFT
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Community members generally view the Michelin Primacy 3 as a quiet, smooth, and capable grand touring tire, with several users highlighting the run-flat (ZP) version as superior in comfort to competing run-flats. However, some drivers report fast tread wear, a harsh ride compared to standard non-run-flat alternatives, and note that the model is older and increasingly replaced by newer generations like the Primacy 4.
“Is your tire size 235/55-18? You might like the Michelin Primacy 3 which is actually a good price for an 18" Michelin. They are summer tires, but that's OK if you have separate winter tires. The Goodyear Assurance Maxlife sounds like something that will last a long time. The Cooper Enduramax is good if you drive over potholes and curbs because it's supposed to be tougher”
“The Primacy3 ZP were installed today. Of course, they need a break-in period, but from some highway and city traffic, I'm already sold that these are the best replacement run-flat tires for our 18" size. The car now glides where it previously "sandpapered" its way down the road with the original harsh and noisy Pirellis. Bumps feel far more isolated. The reviews for DriveGuard have been mediocre, not great. These are far better to my senses. The 225/50-18 size is hard to find. Tire Rack carries the Primacy3 ZP, but not in that size. Another tire store in my area confused them with the non-runflat which Michelin has named the same...just Primacy3. Then, realized they couldn't get the ZP version. Very odd wholesale distribution pattern. Discount Tire was able to order them. First day, but very, very pleased. EDIT: My wife even noticed and she never notices anything about cars. She said the car felt smoother to her as a passenger!”
“Continental DWS06 Plus non-runflats, going on my car next week. Have had OEM Michelin Primacy 3's and they are like driving on bricks. I also ordered an OEM donut spare and jack kit for the trunk. Jack kit goes in lower compartment, spare kept under the horizontal floor net (Coupe).”
Based on 23 community posts
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
| Attribute | A · Michelin Primacy 3 | B · Bridgestone Potenza RE050A RFT |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Max Performance Summer tire |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 42 | 6 |
| Rim diameters | 15″ – 20″ | 18″ – 20″ |
| Tread depth | — | 9/32″ |
| UTQG | 240 A A | 140 A A |
| Sidewall | — | Blackwall |
| Sizes in common | 0 | 0 |
Michelin Primacy 3
Bridgestone Potenza RE050A RFT
Winner: Michelin Primacy 3 — better comfort, dry and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score. Bridgestone Potenza RE050A RFT rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 13 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Michelin Primacy 3 scores 68 vs 32 on comfort.
Michelin Primacy 3 scores 72 vs 44 on dry.
Michelin Primacy 3 scores 72 vs 46 on wet.
Michelin Primacy 3 scores 67 vs 41 on treadwear.
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Michelin Primacy 3, 72 vs 46 on our wet score.
Michelin Primacy 3, 72 vs 44 on our dry score.
Michelin Primacy 3, 68 vs 32 on our comfort score.
Michelin Primacy 3, 67 vs 41 on our treadwear score.
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
