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Bridgestone Potenza RE050A

Bridgestone Potenza RE050A Review - A Good Buy? [2024]

Here are the key stats for the Potenza RE050A, at a glance.
Key Info - Australia
Vehicle SuitabilityPassenger
Driving StyleUltra High Performance Summer
SeasonSummer
Release Date2002
Run Flat?No
Overall Score62/100

Pricing

Enter your tyre size below to see the best prices for your specific size (if unsure, check placard on the driver's side door or your existing tyres).

Bridgestone Potenza RE050A in Australia

This offering by Bridgestone has been around in Australia for about 22 years. Especially designed for regular passenger (non-SUV) vehicles, it comes in a total of 76 sizes.

This ultra high performance summer tyre is a solid option for those looking for a summer tyre in the premium end of the market. Note that it is not a runflat tyre.

Read on to see how it stacks up against the competition!

How We Reviewed The Potenza RE050A Tyres

Unlike the Australian government, the European Union carries out standardised tests on all tyres sold in Europe. These tests are carried out in identical conditions, making them a reliable way to compare tyres.

For this review, we use averaged results from tests done on 50 sizes of the Potenza RE050A tyres by the European Union.

We then compare these to the same results for the following similar tyres, also rated for Ultra High Performance Summer usage and sold in Australia.

Fuel Efficiency

EU GradeCompared to an A grade tyre?
Fuel Efficiency
(A - E)
D0.3L/100km extra fuel consumption. ~$75 extra per year

The US Department of Energy estimates that around 25% of the fuel consumption of a vehicle is attributable to the tyres. That's a lot, and it means that choosing fuel efficient tyres can save you quite a bit of money.

The Potenza RE050A tyres rank a D on a scale of A to E in the official fuel efficiency tests carried out by the EU (they call these rolling resistance tests).

Relative to an A grade tyre, expect to use an extra 0.3L/100km. This works out to $75 extra spent on petrol per year, based on a typical 12,000 km driven per year.

Comparison

Here's how the Potenza RE050A compares to similar tyres for fuel efficiency (1 = Grade E, 5 = Grade A).

Based on the comparison tyres we've selected, the Potenza RE050A ranked # out of 0 tyres.

Grip & Handling

EU GradeCompared to an A grade tyre?
Wet Grip
(A - E)
B2.5 metre greater stopping distance when braking at 80km/h

We'll now take a look at how these tyres compare in terms of grip and handling.

A good measure of this is 'wet grip', which is an indication of how well the tyres will allow the vehicle to come to a stop in wet conditions.

The Potenza RE050A tyres rank a B on a scale of A to E in the official fuel tests carried out by the EU.

Relative to an A grade tyre, expect these tyres to require about an extra 2.5 metres to come to a complete stop when braking at 80km/h.

Comparison

Here's how the Potenza RE050A compares to similar tyres for wet grip (1 = Grade E, 5 = Grade A).

For wet grip, they scored # out of 0 comparison tyres.

Noise

EU GradeCompared to an A grade tyre?
Noise
(A - C)
B (72 dB)2 times as noisy

Another key factor to consider when choosing a tyre is road noise. Once you're over about 40 km/h, the dominant source of noise you hear is from the contact of your tyres on the road.

There is a surprisingly wide variation in the amount of noise each tyre makes.

The Potenza RE050A tyres produce 71.8 dB of road noise, which corresponds to a rank of B on a scale of A to C in the standardised testing done by the EU.

Expect these tyres to produce about 2 times as much noise as an A grade tyre (the decibel scale is logarithmic).

Comparison

Here's how the Potenza RE050A compares to similar tyres for noise (1 = Grade C, 3 = Grade A).

For noise, they ranked # out of 0 comparison tyres.

Comfort

Based on the results of a number of tyre benchmarks, including those below, the Potenza RE050A scores 4 out of 5 for comfort.

  • TireRack: Best in Max Performance Summer

Treadwear

With a UTQG treadwear rating of 140, the Potenza RE050A would theoretically last 1.4 times longer than a tyre with a treadwear rating of 100.

Traction

The UTQG system measures traction as straight-line braking in dry conditions. The scale is AA, A, B, C, with AA being the best grade, and C the worst.

These tyres score a grade of A.

Temperature Resistance

The UTQG temperature resistance tests measure how well tyres can dissipate heat that builds up due to friction with the road. The scale is A, B, C, with A being the highest grade.

These tyres score a grade of A.

Warranty

The Potenza RE050A tyres have a warranty of 50,000 kilometres.

Comparisons With Similar Tyres

Still undecided as to whether to go with these ultra high performance summer tyres? Check out our data-driven comparisons to similar tyres on the market in Australia!

Summary

With an overall rating of 62 out of 100, the Potenza RE050A tyres are a solid choice for anyone looking to replace their car rubber with some tyres designed for ultra high performance summer action.

For fuel efficiency, they score a grade of D, which is below average, though this isn't a super important factor.

More important is the wet grip, which gives you an indication of their traction and handling. In this regard, they get a score of B, which is above average.

Finally, for road noise, they receive a B grade, which is about typical.

In terms of data out of the US, they have the following UTQG ratings:

  • Treadwear: 140
  • Traction: A (scale: AA, A, B, C)
  • Temperature Resistance: A (scale: A, B, C)

Full Size List (click to show)

Below is a list of all 76 sizes of the Potenza RE050A tyres sold in Australia, sorted by tyre width. Select your preferred size to compare prices across multiple suppliers.

Size
175/55 R15 77V
195/55 R16 87V
205/40 R17 84W XL
205/45 R17 88V XL
205/45 R17 84W
205/45 R17 84V
205/50 R17 89W
205/45 R17 88W XL
215/50 R17 91W
215/45 R18 93Y XL
215/40 R17 87V XL
215/45 R17 87V
215/45 R17 87Y
225/50 R17 98Y XL
225/45 R19 92W
225/35 R19 84Y
225/40 R19 89Y
225/45 R19 96W XL
225/45 R18 91W
225/40 R19 93Y XL
225/50 R17 94W
225/50 R18 95W
225/40 R18 92Y XL
225/40 R19 89W
235/40 R19 92Y
235/40 R19 96Y
235/40 R18 91Y
235/40 R19 96Y XL
235/45 R17 94W
235/45 R18 94Y
235/35 R19 91Y XL
235/40 R18 95Y XL
235/35 R19 87Y
245/35 R20 95Y XL
245/40 R19 98Y XL
245/40 R18 93Y
245/40 R20 95W
245/45 R18 96W
245/40 R19 94Y
245/45 R18 100W XL
245/45 R17 95Y
245/35 R19 89Y
245/40 R19 94W
245/35 R20 91Y
245/40 R19 98W XL
255/35 R19 92Y
255/40 R17 94W
255/45 R18 99V
255/40 R18 95Y
255/40 R17 94Y
255/40 R18 95W
255/40 R18 99Y XL
255/35 R19 96Y XL
265/35 R20 99Y XL
265/35 R19 94W
265/35 R19 94Y
265/35 R19 98Y XL
265/40 R18 101Y XL
275/35 R18 95Y
275/35 R19 96W
275/30 R20 97Y XL
275/35 R19 100W XL
275/45 R18 103Y
275/40 R18 99Y
275/35 R19 96Y
275/35 R19 100Y XL
285/30 R19 98Y XL
285/35 R20 100Y
285/35 R19 99Y
285/35 R18 97W
285/40 R19 103Y
295/35 R18 99Y
295/30 R19 100Y XL
305/30 R19 98Y
305/30 R19 102Y XL
345/35 R19 110Y
Louis from Tyre Geek

Louis

I'm Louis, an engineer passionate about helping Australians choose better tyres for their vehicles!