80
/ 100
Objective (60%)
69/100
1 professional test
User signal (40%)
85/100
556 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated September 2026
Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS vs Dunlop SP5000 — 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
79
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
78/100
6 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictToo close to call: Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS and Dunlop SP5000 are within 2 points overall. Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS is stronger on wet, treadwear and dry. Dunlop SP5000 is stronger on comfort and handling.
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Category breakdown
7 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)
Potenza RE980AS leads by 4
Why this score
| Source | Potenza RE980AS | SP5000 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 90 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 88 | 87 |
| SimpleTire owners | 100 | – |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Potenza RE980AS leads by 19
Why this score
| Source | Potenza RE980AS | SP5000 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 92 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 76 | 72 |
| SimpleTire owners | 100 | – |
Snow
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | Potenza RE980AS | SP5000 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 55 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 40 | – |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
SP5000 leads by 31
Why this score
| Source | Potenza RE980AS | SP5000 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 23 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 56 | 80 |
| SimpleTire owners | 100 | – |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | Potenza RE980AS | SP5000 |
|---|---|---|
| SimpleTire owners | 80 | – |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Potenza RE980AS leads by 8
Why this score
| Source | Potenza RE980AS | SP5000 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 63 | 78 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
SP5000 leads by 13
Why this score
| Source | Potenza RE980AS | SP5000 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 70 | 83 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS | Dunlop SP5000 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 80 | 79 |
| Dry | 91 | 87 |
| Wet | 91 | 72 |
| Snow | 63 | – |
| Comfort | 49 | 80 |
| Noise | 100 | – |
| Treadwear | 86 | 78 |
| Handling | 70 | 83 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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Recomputed
Headline score
80
/ 100
Tire A
79
/ 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 RE980AS (and its 'PLUS' iteration) is widely regarded as a high-value, ultra-high-performance all-season tire that excels in dry and wet road handling. While many users praise its quiet ride, responsiveness, and superior wet-weather traction compared to OEM tires, some enthusiasts find the sidewall stiffness lacking for aggressive track use, and a subset of users reports disappointing tread life.
Pros
- Excellent dry and wet road grip
- Quiet and comfortable ride quality
- Strong value proposition compared to premium competitors
- Responsive steering and handling for daily spirited driving
Cons
- Inconsistent tread life, with some users reporting premature wear
- Soft sidewalls perceived as 'sloppy' by some performance-oriented drivers
- Cold-weather flat-spotting that requires a few miles to round out
- Mediocre performance in deep snow or ice despite all-season classification
Observations
- Users with performance sedans and coupes (e.g., BMW, Audi, Mustang) generally appreciate the balance of comfort and grip, though some note it lacks the precision of dedicated summer tires.
- Tesla and EV owners report a noticeable reduction in range (approx. 5%) and a firmer ride, though many find the trade-off for improved handling and lower noise compared to OEM tires acceptable.
- Drivers of heavier or high-torque vehicles occasionally report faster-than-expected tread wear, particularly on staggered setups where rotation is not possible.
The Dunlop SP5000 is viewed as a durable, long-lasting all-season performance tire that offers reliable highway handling. While some users report mixed experiences regarding its wet and winter weather capabilities, others praise its versatility and longevity in varied European climates.
Pros
- Exceptional tread life and overall durability
- Reliable performance on dry highway surfaces
- Capable handling in varied weather conditions when paired with capable vehicles
- Strong reputation for consistent quality
Cons
- High price point compared to competitors
- Inconsistent performance reports in heavy snow and ice
- Availability issues due to production status
Observations
- Users operating 4x4 vehicles report high confidence and safety in adverse weather conditions like sleet and ice.
- Low-profile variants of this tire are noted by some users to have inherent limitations in deep snow regardless of the tire's compound.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS | B · Dunlop SP5000 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | All Season Ultra High Performance tires | Summer High Performance tires |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 6 | — |
| Rim diameters | 17″ – 18″ | — |
| Tread depth | 10/32″ | — |
| UTQG | 500 A A | — |
| Treadwear warranty | 50,000 mi | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 51 psi | — |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
80
/ 100
Bridgestone
79
/ 100
Dunlop
Too close to call: Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS and Dunlop SP5000 are within 2 points overall. Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS is stronger on wet, treadwear and dry. Dunlop SP5000 is stronger on comfort and handling.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Dunlop SP5000 scores 80 vs 49 on comfort.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS scores 91 vs 72 on wet.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Dunlop SP5000 scores 83 vs 70 on handling.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS scores 86 vs 78 on treadwear.
Tire A · Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS
Tire B · Dunlop SP5000
More comparisons
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Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS 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.