Bridgestone Potenza S001 RFT Reviews - Page 4
Given 50%
while driving a
BMW M240i
(225/45 R17)
on a combination of roads
for 10,000 spirited miles
Really struggled with these tires, which came as standard on the car, a 2017 BMW M240i.
Did several track days, and experimented with wildly varying pressures to try and find some kind of decent compromise between extreme outside wear and grip. Low pressures gave the best track times (~2.2bar) but they wore very quickly, all the way over the edge of the tire, scraping off the Bridgestone marking. Totally inadequate grip for the power of the car, but good for practicing throttle control with DSC off.
They tramline horribly, to address this I ended up running at 3bar, which gave the most comfortable feel for normal daily driving.
Very good wet traction though, and completely adequate for road use, but not a good tracking option
Did several track days, and experimented with wildly varying pressures to try and find some kind of decent compromise between extreme outside wear and grip. Low pressures gave the best track times (~2.2bar) but they wore very quickly, all the way over the edge of the tire, scraping off the Bridgestone marking. Totally inadequate grip for the power of the car, but good for practicing throttle control with DSC off.
They tramline horribly, to address this I ended up running at 3bar, which gave the most comfortable feel for normal daily driving.
Very good wet traction though, and completely adequate for road use, but not a good tracking option
Given 70%
while driving a
(225/45 R17)
on a combination of roads
for 2,000 spirited miles
Got this tires cheap from a friend upgrading his BMW 1-series tires.
I really like the steering feels and feedback from this tire, really spot-on and direct compared to my previous Continental CSC3 SSR (yeah i use runflats). Perhaps this is due to its stiff sidewall which the CSC3 was lacking.
Dry grip is fine but not great, wet is a bit scary, especially after the thread has worn out to maybe 50%.
In summary:
Likes: Steering feedback and feels, dry grip, progressive feedback on traction
Dislikes: wet grip,noise
I really like the steering feels and feedback from this tire, really spot-on and direct compared to my previous Continental CSC3 SSR (yeah i use runflats). Perhaps this is due to its stiff sidewall which the CSC3 was lacking.
Dry grip is fine but not great, wet is a bit scary, especially after the thread has worn out to maybe 50%.
In summary:
Likes: Steering feedback and feels, dry grip, progressive feedback on traction
Dislikes: wet grip,noise
Check out how the BEST all seasons tires perform against premium summer and winter tires!
Given 66%
while driving a
BMW 320D MSport Tourer XDrive
(225/45 R18 W)
on mostly country roads
for 8,000 average miles
After 12 years of RFT experience on an e90 BMW now have S001s on an F31 320d Msport xdrive. They are the most comfortable RFT tire to date but that may be due to BMW rather than the tire. Over 12m use I have found a real variance in the ride quality dependent on temperature, in UK winter they are back to traditional hard RFT ride, but in Summer much better. The main reason I would not buy them again is due to the tramlining and general wandering on heavily used UK roads, on freshly surfaced roads the car tracks dead straight so I know it's not the car at fault. I last experienced this with Bridgestone RE050 RFTs, cured on my E90 by switching to Conti sport contact in 3 and then 5 guise, so it's a Bridgestone problem.
Given 46%
while driving a
BMW X1 X Drive
(225/45 R19)
on mostly motorways
for 8,000 spirited miles
Low profile 22545 r19 run flats; rough ride, slightest road imperfection rattles the entire X1. They do corner well, hope they wear fast like other reviews, can't wait to replace with a more comfortable (non-runflat) all season tire. Summer tires won't work at all even in light snow.
Given 73%
while driving a
BMW 330d M Sport
(225/45 R18 W)
on mostly motorways
for 6,000 spirited miles
These are runflats fitted to an F30 LCI 330D M-sport. My last car (also an F30) had Continental SportContacts and even in their worn state were quieter running than these. These are lasting 50% better than the Conti's though. That's really the headline for the 2 main runflat choices for the current 3 series.
My interpretation is that these must be on a harder compound. The Bridgestone wins significantly for mileage and also steering feel is better. The Conti's are quieter and better riding, but suffer significantly faster wear. As for grip, the Conti's hang on longer outright in both wet and dry, but the Bridgestone's have the edge for breakaway progression in the dry. You pays your money, you makes your choice…
My interpretation is that these must be on a harder compound. The Bridgestone wins significantly for mileage and also steering feel is better. The Conti's are quieter and better riding, but suffer significantly faster wear. As for grip, the Conti's hang on longer outright in both wet and dry, but the Bridgestone's have the edge for breakaway progression in the dry. You pays your money, you makes your choice…
Given 34%
while driving a
BMW M140i
(225/45 R17)
on mostly country roads
for 4,000 average miles
Spec'd these on a brand-new M140i, have done 4k miles and have just had them removed and replaced by some Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 tires! instantly feel the difference in feedback, comfort and grip. I would totally avoid this tire... really average grip in the dry and appalling, borderline dangerous lack of grip in wet conditions. Also they are a very loud at speed and crash over even small imperfections in the road surface.
Given 36%
while driving a
BMW 320D
(255/30 R19 W)
on mostly motorways
for 10,000 average miles
10K Miles worn out, hit a cats eye and you dont know where you will end up. It feels as if the sidewall is made out of wood, the worst tires ever.
Given 84%
while driving a
BMW 320D MSport Tourer XDrive
(255/35 R19 W)
on mostly country roads
for 42,000 average miles
Excellent tires. Incredible wear, now up to 42,000 miles & plenty of tread left. Will definitely replace with the same again.
Given 20%
while driving a
BMW 320D M Sport
(225/45 R17)
on a combination of roads
for 10,000 average miles
These came new with the car and they are quite simply the worst tires ever. why on earth bmw put these on any car is beyond me they are simply dangerous there is zero grip in the wet and in the dry its doesn't get any better. can't wait to get rid.
Given 33%
while driving a
BMW M240i
(225/35 R18)
on mostly motorways
for 4,000 easy going miles
Came with the car new and having come from Michelin Pilot Super Sports on my previous car these tires are quite simply awful. I dread the trip to/from work if it's ever raining! In all conditions they're very uncomfortable and feel more like a solid rubber tire and tramline on anything less than billiard table smooth roads. Totally agree with a previous review that they make driving in the wet an unpleasant and dangerous experience. Only done 4,000 easy miles on them still look like new but wet grip is like a set of worn out remoulds. Would never buy a car again with them on!
Given 50%
while driving a
BMW M135i
(225/40 R18)
on a combination of roads
for 15,000 spirited miles
Skittish in damp conditions, noisy on the motorway, expensive, not much to like to be honest.
Given 47%
while driving a
BMW 318D
(225/50 R17 W)
on mostly motorways
for 15,000 average miles
Simply outrageous on wet roads. It makes the driving experience of a BMW a truly unsafe and unpleasant one. On moderately to highly damp road, especially on white lines, it simply can't keep the car on track, and it is only thanks to the electronics that I could avoid a close encounter with the road kerb on several occasions. On dry conditions, nothing to declare: it works, like any other no-discount tire.