Bridgestone Potenza S005 Review - Buy Or Avoid?

Here are the key stats for the Potenza S005, at a glance.

Key Info - Australia
Vehicle Suitability	Passenger
Driving Style	Ultra High Performance Summer
Season	Summer
Release Date
Run Flat?	No

Review Summary

In a hurry? Here's what you need to know about the Bridgestone Potenza S005:

Fuel efficiency is more or less average.
Wet condition grip and handling is above average.
Dry condition grip is decent.
Noise levels are quite poor.
Temperature resistance is decent.
Tread life is low.

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).

Width

Aspect Ratio

Rim Diameter

Bridgestone Potenza S005 in Australia

This offering by Bridgestone has been around in Australia for about 2024 years. Especially designed for regular passenger (non-SUV) vehicles, it comes in a total of 2 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 S005 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 2 sizes of the Potenza S005 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 Grade	Compared to an A grade tyre?
Fuel Efficiency (A - E)	C	0.2L/100km extra fuel consumption. ~$36 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 S005 tyres rank a C 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 0.2L/100km. This works out to $36 extra spent on petrol per year, based on a typical 12,000 km driven per year.

Comparison

Here's how the Potenza S005 compares to similar tyres for fuel efficiency (1 = Grade E, 5 = Grade A).

Based on the comparison tyres we've selected, the Potenza S005 ranked # out of 0 tyres.

Grip & Handling

	EU Grade	Compared to an A grade tyre?
Wet Grip (A - E)	B	2.5 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 S005 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 S005 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 Grade	Compared 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 S005 tyres produce 71.5 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 S005 compares to similar tyres for noise (1 = Grade C, 3 = Grade A).

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

Treadwear

With a UTQG treadwear rating of 240, the Potenza S005 would theoretically last 2.4 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 S005 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

The Potenza S005 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 C, which is more or less 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: 240
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 2 sizes of the Potenza S005 tyres sold in Australia, sorted by tyre width. Select your preferred size to compare prices across multiple suppliers.

Size
225/40 R18 92Y
235/35 R19 91Y