Head-to-head Updated

Pirelli P Zero vs Bridgestone Potenza S001 — 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 3 + 6 road tests and 3,484 + 5,811 owner reviews. How we score

Too close to call: P Zero 61, Potenza S001 62.

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Pirelli P Zero
Tire APirelli

P Zero

Summer

± 8

Tests 74 · 3 tests Owners 48 · 3,484 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2019 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test (dry handling)

“New rubber for the road wheels Pirelli P-Zero RS TLR 30mm, measuring 33mm on 25mm inner rim width. Rides like a dream, but the center thread is narrow, so I'd not feel confident if I raced anything with tighter cornering.”

Bridgestone Potenza S001

Potenza S001

Summer

± 7

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.. .”

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 73

    Dry

    P Zero +1
    72
    Why this score
    SourceP ZeroPotenza S001
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 4 tests8079
    Reviews found online6260
    Dry Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–192%96%

    P Zero: 60% × 79.6 + 40% × 61.9 = 73

    Potenza S001: 60% × 79.4 + 40% × 60 = 72

  2. 71

    Wet

    Potenza S001 +4
    75
    Why this score
    SourceP ZeroPotenza S001
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 4 tests8186
    Reviews found online5560
    Wet Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–183%100%

    P Zero: 60% × 81.5 + 40% × 55.4 = 71

    Potenza S001: 60% × 85.5 + 40% × 60 = 75

  3. 50

    Snow

    Level
    50
    Why this score
    SourceP ZeroPotenza S001
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 58 (est.)≈ 58 (est.)
    Reviews found online3738

    P Zero: 60% × 58.2 (est.) + 40% × 37.1 = 50

    Potenza S001: 60% × 58.4 (est.) + 40% × 37.6 = 50

    No road tests of snow for P Zero. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).

    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).

  4. 56

    Comfort

    P Zero +2
    54
    Why this score
    SourceP ZeroPotenza S001
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests7063
    Reviews found online4747

    P Zero: 40% × 69.8 + 60% × 47.1 = 56

    Potenza S001: 40% × 63.3 + 60% × 47.2 = 54

  5. 58

    Noise

    P Zero +2
    56
    Why this score
    SourceP ZeroPotenza S001
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 3 tests6156
    Reviews found online5456

    P Zero: 60% × 60.7 + 40% × 53.6 = 58

    Potenza S001: 60% × 55.7 + 40% × 55.8 = 56

  6. 50

    Treadwear

    Potenza S001 +2
    52
    Why this score
    SourceP ZeroPotenza S001
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 3 tests6558
    Reviews found online2843

    P Zero: 60% × 65.2 + 40% × 27.8 = 50

    Potenza S001: 60% × 58 + 40% × 42.7 = 52

  7. 57

    Handling (owners)

    Potenza S001 +3
    60
    Why this score
    SourceP ZeroPotenza S001
    Reviews found online5760
  8. 59

    Efficiency

    P Zero +18
    41
    Why this score
    SourceP ZeroPotenza S001
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 3 tests5941
Scores at a glance
Pirelli P Zero vs Bridgestone Potenza S001: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryPirelli P ZeroBridgestone Potenza S001
Relative Score 61 62
Dry 73 72
Wet 71 75
Snow 50 50
Comfort 56 54
Noise 58 56
Treadwear 50 52
Handling (owners) 57 60
Efficiency 59 41

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

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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
± 8

P Zero

± 7

Potenza S001

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 15 tests that ran both, Pirelli P Zero finished ahead 12 times and Bridgestone Potenza S001 3 times.

DisciplineCategoryP ZeroPotenza S001ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 92% 96% −3.6 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2020 Tyre Market Overview Braking Test · 245/45 R18
Wet Braking Wet 83% 100% −17.1 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2020 Tyre Market Overview Braking Test · 245/45 R18
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #25/49 #3/49 – 12–3 in 15 shared tests Newest: 2020 Tyre Market Overview Braking Test · 245/45 R18

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A P Zero

Pros

  • Outstanding dry grip and handling performance
  • Precise steering feedback and high-speed stability
  • Good wet-weather braking and cornering when warm

Cons

  • Rapid and uneven tread wear, often requiring replacement much sooner than expected
  • Poor grip and unpredictable traction in cold temperatures (below 7°C/45°F)
  • Prone to tramlining and tracking road imperfections
All owner themes in the P Zero review

Tire B 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
All owner themes in the Potenza S001 review

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Pirelli P Zero

Mixed

Community opinions on the Pirelli P Zero tire line are divided depending on whether users are discussing the cycling tires or automotive variants. Cyclists generally praise the road and gravel options for speed, comfort, and grip, though some note they can be difficult to mount. Automotive users offer a more mixed review, praising the high-performance grip, responsive steering, and comfort of options like the P Zero AS Plus 3, while frequently criticizing summer and OE variants for rapid tread wear, wet weather traction issues, and susceptibility to sidewall bubbles.

Top themes
#Dry Grip and Handling#Rapid Tread Wear#Wet Weather Performance#Ride Comfort and Noise#Cycling Tire Installation#All-Season vs Summer#Value and Pricing

Based on 284 community posts

Tire B

Bridgestone Potenza S001

Mixed

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.

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

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Pirelli P Zero B · Bridgestone Potenza S001
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available19455
Rim diameters17″ – 24″15″ – 21″
Tread depth10/32″8/32″
UTQG220 A A280 A A
SidewallBlackwallBlackwall
Max pressure50 psi50 psi
Sizes in common4444

Which one should you actually buy?

Pirelli P Zero

Bridgestone Potenza S001

Too close to call: Pirelli P Zero and Bridgestone Potenza S001 are within 2 points overall. Pirelli P Zero is stronger on efficiency. Bridgestone Potenza S001 is stronger on wet.

Pick tire A You want lower fuel or energy use

Pirelli P Zero scores 59 vs 41 on efficiency.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Bridgestone Potenza S001 scores 75 vs 71 on wet.

Tire A · Pirelli P Zero
Tire B · Bridgestone Potenza S001

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P Zero or Potenza S001?

Which is better in the wet, P Zero or Potenza S001?

Bridgestone Potenza S001, 75 vs 71 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, P Zero or Potenza S001?

Neither, by our numbers: 73 vs 72 on the dry score, within 3 points.

Which is better in snow, P Zero or Potenza S001?

Neither, by our numbers: 50 vs 50 on the snow score, within 3 points.

Which is quieter, P Zero or Potenza S001?

Neither, by our numbers: 58 vs 56 on the noise score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, P Zero or Potenza S001?

Neither, by our numbers: 56 vs 54 on the comfort score, within 3 points.

Which lasts longer, P Zero or Potenza S001?

Neither, by our numbers: 50 vs 52 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.

Which rolls more easily, P Zero or Potenza S001?

Pirelli P Zero, 59 vs 41 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