The Bridgestone Potenza RE050A Run Flat draws its strongest owner criticism for a harsh ride, mentioned in well over half of reviews. Dry grip is the clearest positive, although it is not universally praised. Around a quarter of reviews criticises wet grip, and similar proportions mention noise or tramlining, with some describing the tire skipping over rough corners. Tread life is mixed, with more complaints than praise, while mid-life and end-of-life reports range from rapid wear to long service. Steering kickback and limited feedback are further recurring concerns, making comfort and confidence on uneven roads the main weaknesses.
What owners mention most counted across 136 reviews
Tap one to read only the reviews that mention it.
Owner ratings averaged from 147 ratings
Owner score49%
Dry Grip71%
Wear55%
Road Feedback55%
Wet Grip54%
Handling48%
Comfort32%
Bridgestone Potenza RE050A Run Flat Reviews - Page 8
I've done 26000 miles on these tires and the rear are down 2/3 and the front down 1/3 so I still have a few miles to go still. I have not had any problems with these tires at all but I must admit they are now become uncomfortable and I'm feeling every bump on the road now.
I would get these again as the miles travelled on them has been very good - mostly long distance travelling - unless someone can recommend a more comfortable run flat tire. As I have never had run flats before I am not qualified to compare with other brands.
Terrible terrible tires!! Bone shatteringly hard. DSC light on more than off on potholed roads. Noisey in town and motorway. The car more or less hops ound corners if there are any undulations.
The good news - Direct Line said that changing to non run flats was acceptable and the insurance was still valid and that it did not amount to a modification. They merely noted the file. Quick Fit said they would not fit them as it would void my insurancebut would have charges £20 a corner.
BMW (Syntners) said they would - provided they had confirmation from my insurance company...but "Of course Sir the car has been designed for these tires and changing them may change the handling charecteristics" - they would say that wouldnt they.
Brilliant service at Equipe in Heywood Lancs. £39.95 fitted, balanced and valved for 4 tires. New Vredesteins excellent - the car is like a new car - non of the above problems much quieter
Check out how the BEST all seasons tires perform against premium summer and winter tires!
Reasonable performance when new,and to be fair, they wear well(about 18-20k in my hands). This is by no means reason enough to warrant buying them again though,bleedin' awful tires. Where to start really - first and foremost they ride so hard,the constant jostling drives you mad. They do give enough grip in warm and dry conditions however,it is inversely proportional to that of wet and cold,though. When wet,these tires are woeful, the combination of very stiff side walls and a relatively hard compound make for poor grip to say the least. I have recently ditched these tires in favor of non run-flats,which one you choose is entirely your own preference,but I implore you do the same. If, like me you drive a BMW(or indeed anything else riding on these awful Bridgestones) you will not regret getting rid of them. I took the plunge with Avon ZZ3's, which seem to offer a fair compromise in both wet/dry grip against cost(they are £75 per tire cheaper than the RE050a's),they're also British!
Noisy. Really horrible over bumps and pot holes. A hard ride - which you do get used to. Expensive - c£1200 for a set.
BUT
Mine have lasted 27,000 miles and there is still a bit of wear left. Now searching for comfortable non runflats, but a set of Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta's are about £750 for four and may only last 15k, so we will see.
They really are 2 tires in one: When they're new they're relatively quiet and the ride isn't that bad. As they wear though everything changes.
After 14K miles or so (with 5mm of tread left, so not anywhere near the limit) the tire noise becomes really noticeable and the ride quality drops off a cliff. Tramlining doesn't even begin to describe it - they seem to actively seek out ruts in the road and drag the car into them.
Avoid - there are better options.
19%
Member
BMW
255/30 R19 W
8,000 miles
A Combination of Roads
Average
gonna ditch these horrible runflats for normal tires.All four tires are wearing on outer edge while still having about 5mm of tread in middle.what a waste of money.
They have lasted pretty well in all fairness. I am used to changing tires every 15000 miles or so due to how I drive (like an idiot)
I have just hit 32000 and the tires have only just got into the wear indicator.
As for a review. In the dry it spins, in the wet it spins, in the ice, it wouldn't move. The tires are very hard and you feel everything on the road. It tramlines a lot due to its hard side wall. It under steers a lot as well.
Unfortunately tires are covered in a maintenance package with the company, and they replace the tires like for like. Which i am gutted about.
Would i have these again if i had to pay for them. Short answer is NO!.
Having put up with these for 20000 miles, I'm qualified to say they're the worst sports tire I've ever driven, and fitting them to a Z4 is tantamount to sabotage. Tramlining and weave on anything but a really flat road is appalling, and the ride punishingly hard with no payback in handling. On the contrary, the hardness causes skitter on pocked or ridged surfaces, with the tires seemingly in the air much of time! This simply doesn't compare to previous experience of the Z4 on non-runflats. Adding insult to injury, I have print-outs of the Press launch in 2009 of Bridgestone's third generation (3G) Potenza, which is supposedly better, but can I buy it to replace my worn out set? No... two YEARS later Bridgestone say it's available only on new cars, and BMW says it's never heard of it (despite supplying demo cars for the Press launch - how does that work, then?) Could it be they have a lot of the outdated 2G tires to get rid of? Goodbye Bridgestone! On balance, and appreciating that conventional tires might still be the ultimate, I'm sticking with the safety benefits of runflats and fitting the new Conti Contact Sport 5G SSR instead. It's so new I have no reviews, but they cannot be any worse.
My last review of these tires was in February 2011, when i put a pair of new tires on my car. That pair are now needing replaced so another review!
Between February and November I have driven 23000 miles from the Outer Hebridees to South Wales and everywhere inbetween in scortching sun shine and in rain of Biblical proportions. The Bridgestones have offered good grip and a decent amount of feedback on unclassified, B roads, A roads and Motorway / dual cariageways. They dont generate too much noise and ride quality is not too bad. They are a decent all round tire.
However i have driven a 3 series BMW fitted with 19" runflats and the ride quality was shockingly poor. Could it be that 40/45 profile is the ideal profile for runflat tires?? Draw you own conclusions!
BUT. . . . They are very sensitive what pressure they are inflated to. 0.1 bar either side of their optimum pressure makes the difference between nice even tire ware and the shoulders being worn to the canvas while the rest of the tire still has 5mm of tread.
Unfortunatly they are expensive currently £225 each, but there are still too few alternative manufacturers making tires in the 255/40/17 size so prices are going to remain high!
Summary: A decent all round tire which doesn't excell in one particular area but crucially its not bad in one particular area either.(225/45/17 & 255/40/17), but has to be inflated to suit your individual circumstances. Buy a good pressure gauge and tread depth gauge, check and adjust your tire pressures once a week and you'll be fine
