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 Firestone Firehawk AS — 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
87
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
88/100
18 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Firestone Firehawk AS — better comfort, snow and treadwear. Pick the Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS if noise and wet matter most to you.
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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)
Firehawk AS leads by 3
Why this score
| Source | Potenza RE980AS | Firehawk AS |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 90 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 88 | 75 |
| SimpleTire owners | 100 | – |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Potenza RE980AS leads by 4
Why this score
| Source | Potenza RE980AS | Firehawk AS |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 92 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 76 | 50 |
| SimpleTire owners | 100 | – |
Snow
Score (0–100)
Firehawk AS leads by 16
Why this score
| Source | Potenza RE980AS | Firehawk AS |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 55 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 40 | 45 |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
Firehawk AS leads by 45
Why this score
| Source | Potenza RE980AS | Firehawk AS |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 23 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 56 | 75 |
| SimpleTire owners | 100 | – |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Potenza RE980AS leads by 10
Why this score
| Source | Potenza RE980AS | Firehawk AS |
|---|---|---|
| SimpleTire owners | 80 | – |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Firehawk AS leads by 6
Why this score
| Source | Potenza RE980AS | Firehawk AS |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 63 | 75 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | Potenza RE980AS | Firehawk AS |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 70 | 70 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS | Firestone Firehawk AS |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 80 | 87 |
| Dry | 91 | 94 |
| Wet | 91 | 87 |
| Snow | 63 | 79 |
| Comfort | 49 | 94 |
| Noise | 100 | 90 |
| Treadwear | 86 | 92 |
| Handling | 70 | 70 |
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
87
/ 100
Tire B
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 Firestone FireHawk AS is generally regarded as a high-value, sporty all-season tire that offers impressive dry grip and handling characteristics. While many users praise its longevity and aesthetic appeal, there is a notable divide regarding its wet-weather performance, with some users reporting significant concerns regarding hydroplaning.
Pros
- Exceptional tread life and durability
- Strong dry traction and cornering stability
- Attractive aesthetic design
- High value-to-price ratio
- Responsive steering feedback and sidewall stiffness
Cons
- Significant concerns regarding hydroplaning in heavy rain
- Potential for tread cracking after extended high-mileage use
- Availability issues at local retail outlets
Observations
- Owners of RWD performance vehicles like the Ford Mustang and Infiniti G35 report high satisfaction with cornering and handling.
- The tire demonstrates robust durability on high-torque FWD vehicles, effectively resisting belt shifting compared to other brands.
- Drivers of heavy, body-on-frame sedans appreciate the increased sidewall stiffness for improved steering feedback.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS | B · Firestone Firehawk AS |
|---|---|---|
| Category | All Season Ultra High Performance tires | All Season High Performance tires |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 6 | 4 |
| Rim diameters | 17″ – 18″ | 15″ – 18″ |
| Tread depth | 10/32″ | 11/32″ |
| UTQG | 500 A A | 480 A A |
| Treadwear warranty | 50,000 mi | 50,000 mi |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | 51 psi | 44 psi |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
80
/ 100
Bridgestone
87
/ 100
Firestone
Winner: Firestone Firehawk AS — better comfort, snow and treadwear. Pick the Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS if noise and wet matter most to you.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Firestone Firehawk AS scores 94 vs 49 on comfort.
Pick tire B
You drive through snowy winters
Firestone Firehawk AS scores 79 vs 63 on snow.
Pick tire A
You want a quieter cabin
Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS scores 100 vs 90 on noise.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Firestone Firehawk AS scores 92 vs 86 on treadwear.
Tire A · Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS
Tire B · Firestone Firehawk AS
More comparisons
Also compared with
Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS also compared with
Firestone Firehawk AS 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.