This is my second car on PS5s (the other set is on a family Civic), and on the E39 with Koni Sport, M tech 2 package, and brake upgrades. The steering comes through as quite direct, clean, and composed. Compared with Bridgestone’s sportier options I had on this car (Potenza Sport / RE004), the PS5 feels a touch lighter in steering weight, a bit slower in that first instant of turn-in, and more sidewall flexes. The upside is that the handling is progressive at the limit, slides are easy to hold, and it never feels spiky or nervous.
Against the older PS4, dry grip is a small step up, while the general handling character is broadly similar. Corner entry and line-holding are solid, and the car stays nicely balanced. Interestingly, the tire seems to suit RWD BMWs better than it does our FWD Civic: on the Civic, it feels a bit vaguer on turn-in and carries more understeer than it did on older RE003s, whereas on the RWD BMW it feels more natural on the PS5. Perhaps a little more sidewall support for FWD cars would help the initial response and hold the line through the corners.
Wet performance on the PS5 is impressive. Hydroplaning resistance is very strong—clearly better than RE004, and roughly on par with Potenza Sport. It’s also a small improvement over PS4 in the wet. Wear has been good so far too—much better than Potenza Sport and better than PS4 in my experience. Ride quality is another win: it’s more compliant and refined than the Potenza Sports and RE004s I’ve run before, which have stiffer sidewalls.
Overall, perhaps not the sportiest-feeling tire, but a strong all-rounder—secure in the wet, durable, comfortable, and still plenty capable in the dry, especially on a well-sorted RWD chassis.
