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Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS

Replaced by the Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS Plus Replaces the Bridgestone RE970AS Pole Position

The Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS is a premium UHP all-season tire with responsive dry handling and strong dry and wet braking in its independent test. A firm ride, high noise and limited snow traction are the main compromises, with some owners also reporting reduced wet confidence as it wears.

The quick answer

Owners say 64% from 8 owner reviews 57% would buy again Read the reviews
Tests say 3rd average finish across 1 independent tests Latest: P3 of 7 · 2020 See every test
Strengths & weaknesses Wet, Dry Comfort Relative to its rivals across every test we hold

Built from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold for this tire - the evidence is all further down the page. Data updated December 2025.

  • 8owner reviews
  • 166,729miles driven
  • 1professional tests

Tire Reviews Score

Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS

8.3/10

Better than 65% of UHP all-season tires

  • Limited Confidence
  • 1 test
  • 8 owner reviews
Scores of the 28 UHP all-season tires we have tested

How this score is built

Source Better than Weight
Independent tests1 test · 1 publication · 2020 69% 87%
Owner reviews8 owner reviews · rated 64% 38% 13%
Combined 65% 8.3

A fixed curve turns the combined figure into the 0 to 10 score, so roughly the top 10% of a group score 9 or more.

Category by category

How it compares with other UHP all-season tires in each area, and how much each area counts. 50 is the middle of the group.

Category Better than Weight Tests
WetBraking, handling and aquaplaning in the wet 93% 38% 1
DryBraking and handling on dry roads 59% 29% 1
SnowBraking, traction and handling on snow 41% 27% 1
ComfortNoise and ride comfort 0% 6% 1

Weights are shares of the test result. Owner reviews are blended in afterwards. Faded bars rest on one or two tests.

By discipline

The same results grouped by what the tire was doing. They are not counted a second time.

HandlingEvery handling test, on any surface 72% 1
BrakingEvery braking test, on any surface 67% 1
TractionEvery traction test, on any surface 8% 1

Confidence

  1. Limited
  2. Medium
  3. High

Its own test results decide 81% of the test figure. The other 19% is the average for its group, and it shrinks as more tests arrive.

High needs at least 3 tests, with its own results deciding 90% or more. Medium needs 2 tests and 70%. Anything less is Limited: expect the number to move as tests arrive.

The tests behind it

  1. 2020 2020 Tire Reviews UHP All Season Tire Test Tire Reviews · 245/40 R18 P3 / 7
1 Tests
0 Test Wins
3rd Average
3rd Best
3rd Worst
The latest test

2020 Tire Reviews UHP All Season Tire Test P3 of 7

The Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS is a dynamic feeling ultra high performance all season tire with excellent grip in the dry and wet, that just lacks a little detail at the limit of grip.

Strong: Dry Braking, Subj. Dry Handling, Wet Handling, Subj. Wet Handling Weak: Snow Traction, Subj. Noise, Tire Weight Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4

Every independent test of the Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS, newest first
YearTestResultAward
20202020 Tire Reviews UHP All Season Tire TestTire Reviews · 245/40 R18P3 / 7Tested by Tire Reviews Recommended
Awards
Recommended
2020 Tire Reviews UHP All Season Tire Test
2020 · 245/40 R18
Frequently Asked Questions
How good is the Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS in the wet?
Across the 1 wet-braking test it has featured in, the Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS stops level with premium rivals, 3.2% shorter than mid-range rivals and 13% shorter than budget rivals. It has a Tire Reviews wet score of 93/100, and owners rate it 7.6/10 in the wet from 8 reviews.
How good is the Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS in the dry?
Across the 1 dry-braking test it has featured in, the Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS stops 1.2% shorter than premium rivals, 3.5% shorter than mid-range rivals and 2.9% shorter than budget rivals. It has a Tire Reviews dry score of 59/100, and owners rate it 8.8/10 in the dry from 8 reviews.
How good is the Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS in the snow?
Across the 1 snow-braking test it has featured in, the Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS stops 6.5% longer than premium rivals, 2.6% shorter than mid-range rivals and 1.9% shorter than budget rivals. Across the 1 snow-traction test, it is 8.1% worse than premium rivals, 2% worse than mid-range rivals and 1.9% worse than budget rivals. It has a Tire Reviews snow score of 41/100, and owners rate it 4/10 in the snow from 8 reviews.
How many miles does the Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS last?
Based on test and owner data, the Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS is expected to last around 38,567 miles (62,067 km).
What do owners say about the Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS?
Across 8 owner ratings the Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS averages 64%. Owners rate Dry Grip highest at 8.8 out of 10 and Ice Grip lowest at 3.5. 5 of those reviews come from owners past 10,000 miles. 57% of owners score it 70% or better.
More questions about the Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS (5)
How comfortable and quiet are the Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS?
Owners rate the Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS 5.6 out of 10 for comfort and noise across 7 reviews.
How well do the Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS wear, according to owners?
Owners rate the Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS 6.3 out of 10 for wear across 7 reviews. 5 of those reviews come from owners past 10,000 miles, and the typical review covers 20,000 miles.
Would owners buy the Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS again?
57% of owners say they would buy the Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS again, based on the 7 owner reviews that answered the question. 14% of them gave it the highest possible answer.
What does the Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS replace?
The Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS is the successor to the Bridgestone RE970AS Pole Position in Bridgestone's range.
Has the Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS been replaced?
The Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS has been replaced by the Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS Plus.
Owner Questions
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Questions and Answers for the Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS

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Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS Owner Reviews

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What owners say summarised from 7 reviews

Dry handling is the clearest shared strength of the Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS, with five of seven owners praising its cornering behavior or feedback. Comfort is the main drawback, criticised in four accounts, particularly over broken surfaces. Two longer-term accounts describe increasing noise, and two raise concerns about aquaplaning resistance. Wet grip is satisfactory for some drivers but less reassuring as wear progresses in others. Tread life varies between the mid-life and end-of-life reports, so neither rapid wear nor exceptional mileage is a common verdict. Snow experience is limited but includes reservations about traction and control.

What owners mention most counted across 7 reviews

Tap one to read only the reviews that mention it.

Owner ratings averaged from 8 ratings

  • Owner score 64%
  • Dry Grip 88%
  • Road Feedback 83%
  • Wet Grip 76%
  • Handling 70%
  • Wear 63%
  • Comfort 56%
  • Snow Grip 40%
  • Ice Grip 35%

Featured reviews

Most helpful 93%

“The OE Michelin Energy Saver A/S tires wore out after a short 22k miles. I was not very impressed with those as far as handling. I replaced them with the Bridgestone Potenza RE980+ A/S. I can tell immediately these will...”

  • Lexus ES350
  • 1,000 miles
Read full review → 383 found this helpful
Most critical 40%

“I would NOT recommend these tires, and will not be purchasing them again. Long story short, 3 of my stock OEM tires on my sport hatch blew out at once while hitting the mother of all potholes. They were replaced with...”

  • Kia Motors
  • 29 miles
Read full review → 903 found this helpful
Longest term 75%

“Well past the 50K warranty and still going but it's about time to replace. They are 90% highway at a very easy going speed to get great MPG's. With consistent rotation/balance as well as alignments these tires have been...”

  • Honda Civic 1.5T
  • 62,000 miles
Read full review → 1,091 found this helpful

All 7 Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS reviews

Score spread across 7 written reviews
69%
Anonymous
I don't think this is the best UHP tire, but if your spirited driving consists of driving at 8/10ths and you can get it at a discount from Costco, I would recommend it.
These tires replaced a set of Bridgestone Turanzas that came with my car, and I replaced these tires with Continental DWS 06s. I chose to switch to DWS 06+ because it was heavily discounted on Tire Rack during Black Friday and about 35% cheaper than the Potenzas.

Pros:
For most daily driving scenarios, these tires give excellent feedback and feel planted in corners in the dry. These tires inspire confidence and deliver great performance for most backroad use. The tires are well-suited for warm, dry conditions. Even in light-to-moderate rain, these tires provide decent grip and retain most of the sporty feel.

Cons:
However, I would not recommend these tires if decent snow performance, comfort, and hydroplaning resistance are essential to you. If you push this car past 8/10s, the tires lose grip and performance. At the limit, the tires don't maintain that feedback and lose some of their grip. The tires by the end of their lifespan were ridiculously loud, and every pothole was felt in the cabin. The tire performance worsened in all conditions, and hydroplaning resistance dropped by the time I replaced them at 4/32. If you also live in a city and parallel park every day like me, when I replaced these tires with the DWS 06s, I noticed the new tires felt noticeably lighter. I was so shocked by the change that I embarrassingly checked if I had an issue with my power steering. As for wear, I am unable to compare it to other tires, as I did the bushing replacement fix for the increased tire wear on the Lexus 3IS about 14k miles into the lifespan of the tires.

I mainly replaced these tires because I had moved to a climate with consistent rain and light snow. With my aging Bridgestone Potenzas, I did not trust that these tires would be enough for the new conditions I was in. The Continental DWS 06+ is not significantly better than the Potenzas in snow, but the difference was enough that I felt the need to change tires for my ten-minute commute. Compared to the Potenzas, I prefer the tradeoff for wet grip and some improvement in snow grip in the Continentals. Ultimately, I think your buying decision for the Bridgestone Potenza should be influenced by the climate you live in and the trade-offs you are willing to make for an all-season UHP.
This owner's scores
  • Dry Grip 10
  • Wet Grip 8
  • Road Feedback 8
  • Handling 8
  • Wear 6
  • Comfort 4
  • Buy again 6
  • Snow Grip 5
Helpful 279
93%
Member
  • Lexus ES350
  • 215/55 R17
  • 1,000 miles
  • A Combination of Roads
  • Average
The OE Michelin Energy Saver A/S tires wore out after a short 22k miles. I was not very impressed with those as far as handling. I replaced them with the Bridgestone Potenza RE980+ A/S. I can tell immediately these will be better in the dry and wet. They are slightly louder than the Michelins, but the comfort is comparable and the road feedback is much better. I would most likely purchase these again for my 2021 Lexus ES 350.
This owner's scores
  • Dry Grip 9
  • Wet Grip 9
  • Road Feedback 10
  • Handling 9
  • Comfort 9
  • Buy again 10
Helpful 383
74%
Member
This tire is priced right and is a top contender in the premium class of high performance tires. Great on mileage , tire really grips well when warm . I rotate every 3,000 to ensure same tread depths and longevity of the life of the tire. Only small discomfort was the ride quality, which had to do with the plus of the sidewall which Michelin will hold the title in all the tire categories due to the softness of their sidewalls , which in my personal piece of mind preference, I would sacrifice a little discomfort for piece of mind knowing that my side walls are thicker, stronger layers of plies and can with stand a pothole of two without damaging sidewall (non-repairable) condition . Overall best tire to get performance without sacrificing safety or day in and day out abuse of our local roads and highways throughput the state of California.
This owner's scores
  • Dry Grip 9
  • Wet Grip 7
  • Road Feedback 7
  • Handling 8
  • Wear 7
  • Comfort 7
  • Snow Grip 7
  • Ice Grip 7
Helpful 1,049

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Own the Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS?
75%
Member
Well past the 50K warranty and still going but it's about time to replace. They are 90% highway at a very easy going speed to get great MPG's. With consistent rotation/balance as well as alignments these tires have been great. Much better than the stock conti's. Much more quieter on the highway in the beginning. Around 20% tread they have become more noisy.
This owner's scores
  • Dry Grip 8
  • Wet Grip 7
  • Wear 10
  • Comfort 6
  • Buy again 8
Helpful 1,091
40%
Member
  • Kia Motors
  • 225/40 R18
  • 29 miles
  • A Combination of Roads
  • Average
I would NOT recommend these tires, and will not be purchasing them again. Long story short, 3 of my stock OEM tires on my sport hatch blew out at once while hitting the mother of all potholes. They were replaced with some RE980A/S. The good : the tires grip well in the dry and roll well over pristine pavement. On dry corners, they grip laterally without feeling like there is a limit. Turn in might be a little light for my taste, but that could be my car. Early on, they actually did really well on wet cornering and decent with standing water on highways. The bad #1 : the ride quality on these things is atrocious for "all season" tires. I understand they are low profile tires, but there is zero compliance to speak of. Small choppy bumps unsettles the suspension and the car seems to want to bounce around and shake. Large potholes are absolutely terrifying to hit as it sounds like the rim is hitting the pavement followed by the suspension slamming into the strut tower. The bad #2 - Forget using these as an "all season" tire, as you should consider these summer tires. Driving in anything other than a light power is downright scary. Acceleration is very slow as they struggle for grip and spin up even while short shifting. Sliding as you come to a stop is common. I got stuck in the middle of a plowed intersection last year and had to be pushed out. Plus as they have aged, the hydroplaning has gotten slightly worse on the highway. The bad #3 : I'm not even at 30,000 miles on them and they already need replaced. The tread is already worn down even with the wear bars and the shoulders are pretty shagged. The lone OEM tire that was left has 54,000 miles on it and is only marginally worse off than the 3 RE980AS, and it is 24,000 miles older. In the end, very disappointed in these.
This owner's scores
  • Dry Grip 9
  • Wet Grip 6
  • Road Feedback 7
  • Handling 8
  • Wear 2
  • Comfort 1
  • Buy again 1
  • Snow Grip 1
  • Ice Grip 1
Helpful 903
43%
Member
  • Audi S4
  • 255/35 R19
  • 20,000 miles
  • A Combination of Roads
  • Spirited
I had the Bridgestones for about 20k miles before they were worn to the way to the legal limit. The initial turn-in was great on dry surfaces for the life of the tire. Felt really planted. As far as the wet, it started great but by about 30% life they got really sketchy. And as far as snow and ice, I would suggest not even trying it. These are as bad as full summer tires in the snow, from my experience. Not that it means much for cornering and braking, but I have quattro AWD and a lot of snow driving experience. So I didn't have issues getting stuck, but if I didn't have that technology it definitely would have. As far as comfort, they are awfully uncomfortable. They feel like squares before they're warm so the car shakes like you're out of alignment for about the first 3mi/5km on days that are not already quite warm. You feel everything on the road even when they're warm. So good for track driving, but not good for a daily driver if though they're labeled as all seasons. At the time of writing this I've recently installed on Michelin A/S 4, and the difference in comfort is quite large. The Michelin is much more comfortable and feels like you're actually driving on rubber, the Bridgestones feel like driving on bricks. Which means the Bridgestones also have much more feedback to what's happening on the road. As far as the noise, they are quite loud. Only got worse over time. Overall, I would not recommend these tires, personally. From my experience they were not suitable for daily driving, and wouldn't be as good as a dedicated summer tire even in the areas the Bridgestones excelled in.
This owner's scores
  • Dry Grip 8
  • Wet Grip 8
  • Road Feedback 10
  • Handling 7
  • Wear 1
  • Comfort 1
  • Buy again 1
  • Snow Grip 2
  • Ice Grip 1
Helpful 1,007
81%
Member
  • BMW 325i
  • 245/45 R18
  • 20,000 miles
  • A Combination of Roads
  • Spirited
The RE 988 is a really great tire, matches the BMW perfectly and feels nice and sporty for an all season tire :)
This owner's scores
  • Dry Grip 9
  • Wet Grip 9
  • Road Feedback 9
  • Handling 9
  • Wear 9
  • Comfort 9
  • Buy again 9
  • Snow Grip 5
  • Ice Grip 5
Helpful 1,194
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