65
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
65/100
47 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated September 2026
Bridgestone Potenza RE040 vs Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3 — Compared (September 2026)
Our Relative Score blends 60% objective test data with 40% owner-review signal — so any two tires can be compared even if they were never tested on the same day.
VS
90
/ 100
Objective (60%)
73/100
1 professional test
User signal (40%)
92/100
2,239 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3 — better comfort, wet and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Read full
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Category breakdown
6 categories, side by side
Each bar is the Relative Score for that category. Expand a tile to see the test results and owner ratings behind it.
Dry
Score (0–100)
Pilot Sport 3 PS3 leads by 9
Why this score
| Source | Potenza RE040 | Pilot Sport 3 PS3 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 82 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 79 | 90 |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Pilot Sport 3 PS3 leads by 30
Why this score
| Source | Potenza RE040 | Pilot Sport 3 PS3 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 85 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 58 | 88 |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
Pilot Sport 3 PS3 leads by 35
Why this score
| Source | Potenza RE040 | Pilot Sport 3 PS3 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 57 | 82 |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Pilot Sport 3 PS3 leads by 23
Why this score
| Source | Potenza RE040 | Pilot Sport 3 PS3 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 65 | 73 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
Pilot Sport 3 PS3 leads by 24
Why this score
| Source | Potenza RE040 | Pilot Sport 3 PS3 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 70 | 84 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Bridgestone Potenza RE040 | Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 65 | 90 |
| Dry | 79 | 88 |
| Wet | 58 | 88 |
| Comfort | 57 | 92 |
| Noise | – | 92 |
| Treadwear | 65 | 88 |
| Handling | 70 | 94 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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Recomputed
Headline score
65
/ 100
Tire A
90
/ 100
Tire B
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
From owners
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
The Bridgestone Potenza RE040 is a polarizing, performance-oriented tire that excels in dry, warm conditions but struggles significantly with road noise and wet-weather confidence. While many drivers appreciate the stiff sidewalls for their precise steering feedback and progressive handling, the consensus is that the tire is outdated, with modern alternatives offering superior comfort and all-weather capability.
Pros
- Excellent dry weather grip and handling
- High level of steering feedback and directness
- Progressive and predictable breakaway characteristics
- Stiff sidewalls provide a sporty, responsive feel
Cons
- Excessive and intrusive road noise
- Poor performance and lack of confidence in wet or cold conditions
- Harsh ride quality due to stiff construction
- Inconsistent tread life depending on vehicle and driving style
Observations
- Owners of performance-oriented vehicles like the Nissan 350z and Mazda RX-8 often praise the tire's dry-weather feedback but note its limitations on track or in the rain.
- Drivers of front-wheel-drive hatchbacks (e.g., Honda Civic Type R) frequently report significant understeer and rapid front-tire wear.
- Users with quieter, luxury-oriented vehicles (e.g., Audi A8, Mazda 6) report that the tire's high noise levels significantly detract from the overall driving experience.
The Michelin Pilot Sport 3 (PS3) is widely regarded as a high-performance summer tire that excels in wet-weather confidence and ride comfort. While many users praise its ability to transform vehicle handling and provide a quiet, stable driving experience, a significant portion of the user base reports concerns regarding rapid tread wear and soft sidewalls that may feel less precise during aggressive cornering.
Pros
- Exceptional wet-weather grip and hydroplaning resistance
- High levels of ride comfort and low road noise
- Predictable and progressive handling characteristics
- Strong dry-weather traction for daily spirited driving
Cons
- Rapid tread wear, particularly on high-torque or front-wheel-drive vehicles
- Soft sidewalls can lead to a 'squishy' or vague feel during extreme cornering
- High price point relative to longevity
- Performance degradation as the tire reaches the end of its tread life
Observations
- Users with hot hatches and performance-oriented FWD vehicles frequently report faster-than-expected front tire wear.
- Drivers transitioning from run-flat tires to the PS3 consistently note a dramatic improvement in ride quality and noise reduction.
- Some owners of heavier, high-torque vehicles noted that the soft sidewalls can feel less stable under heavy load compared to dedicated track-focused tires.
Community buzz
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Bridgestone Potenza RE040
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Tire B
Mixed
Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3
The Michelin Pilot Sport 3 (PS3) is largely viewed as an older generation tire, often overshadowed by its successor, the PS4. While some users consider buying discounted warehouse stock for daily driving or note limited size availability, others strongly advise against choosing the PS3 when newer iterations are available. (Note: Several posts in the discussion confuse the tire with the PlayStation 3 gaming console.)
r/tires
·3 upvotes ·2025-08-02
“Michelin PS3 MO1 vs Pirelli Pzero MO About to order 4 new tires for this 2012 Mercedes CLS500 SB (X218), but tire choices are quite limited. Sizes: 255/40R18 99Y front 285/35R18 97Y rear Currently running Pirelli Pzero MO on all corners, which are in desperate need of replacement. Unfortunately, Michelin PS4, PS5 or PS4S are not available in both these sizes in Europe. The PS4 has been quite an improvement over the PS3 iirc, so it feels wrong to go for the PS3. However, the Pirelli Pzero MO isn’t the newest PZ5 iteration nor the previous PZ4 I suppose. So… Should we go for another set of Pirelli Pzero or the Michelin PS3? (PFA) Read more”
r/tires
·1 upvote ·2026-04-09
“Is the Michelin Pilot Sport 3 a good choice for a daily driver? I've been considering changing my tires to Michelin Primacy 4 for my Mazda 2. I've been quoted with Michelin Pilot Sport 3 ones with manufacturing date of mid 2024 for 25% less, that the garage wants to clear from their warehouse. Is this an overkill? Edit: Thank you all for your help. I went with the PS3 and it seems that it was a good choice. Read more”
r/tires
·2023-08-29
“~2000 miles into a set of PS3 all seasons, plug or leave in?”
Top themes
#PS3 vs PS4 comparison#Limited size availability#Discounted warehouse stock#Daily driving suitability#Tread life expectations#Console confusion
Based on 10 community posts
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Bridgestone Potenza RE040 | B · Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer Ultra High Performance tires | Summer Ultra High Performance tires |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
65
/ 100
Bridgestone
90
/ 100
Michelin
Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3 — better comfort, wet and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3 scores 92 vs 57 on comfort.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3 scores 88 vs 58 on wet.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3 scores 94 vs 70 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3 scores 88 vs 65 on treadwear.
Tire A · Bridgestone Potenza RE040
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3
More comparisons
Also compared with
Bridgestone Potenza RE040 also compared with
Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3 also compared with
How do we compare tires?
Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements) normalized against the best tire in each test and weighted toward recent tests. 40% comes from thousands of owner reviews collected from retailers and review sites. When a tire has only one of the two, we use what exists and say so.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.