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 Pirelli P 7 — 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
71
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
69/100
86 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS — better wet, treadwear and dry. Pick the Pirelli P 7 if comfort matters 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)
Potenza RE980AS leads by 11
Why this score
| Source | Potenza RE980AS | P 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 90 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 88 | 80 |
| SimpleTire owners | 100 | – |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Potenza RE980AS leads by 22
Why this score
| Source | Potenza RE980AS | P 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 92 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 76 | 69 |
| SimpleTire owners | 100 | – |
Snow
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | Potenza RE980AS | P 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 55 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 40 | – |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
P 7 leads by 17
Why this score
| Source | Potenza RE980AS | P 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 23 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 56 | 66 |
| SimpleTire owners | 100 | – |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | Potenza RE980AS | P 7 |
|---|---|---|
| SimpleTire owners | 80 | – |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Potenza RE980AS leads by 13
Why this score
| Source | Potenza RE980AS | P 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 63 | 73 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
Potenza RE980AS leads by 1
Why this score
| Source | Potenza RE980AS | P 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 70 | 69 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS | Pirelli P 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 80 | 71 |
| Dry | 91 | 80 |
| Wet | 91 | 69 |
| Snow | 63 | – |
| Comfort | 49 | 66 |
| Noise | 100 | – |
| Treadwear | 86 | 73 |
| Handling | 70 | 69 |
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
71
/ 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 Pirelli P7 is a polarizing tire that receives high praise for its dry-weather handling, steering responsiveness, and longevity, but faces significant criticism regarding road noise and wet-weather performance. While many users appreciate its durability and value as an OEM fitment, a notable segment of owners reports issues with sidewall integrity, premature cracking, and inconsistent grip levels as the tire ages.
Pros
- Excellent dry-weather handling and steering precision
- Strong tread life and durability for many users
- High level of ride comfort on smooth surfaces
- Predictable and progressive behavior when pushed to limits
Cons
- High levels of road noise, particularly at motorway speeds
- Inconsistent or poor wet-weather grip and aquaplaning resistance
- Reports of sidewall bubbles, cracking, and structural failures
- Performance degradation noted as the tire wears
Observations
- Users with stiffer-sprung vehicles (e.g., Seat Ibiza FR) noted that the tire's sidewall stiffness can lead to a harsh ride if pressures are not perfectly tuned.
- Drivers of heavier or high-torque vehicles reported faster wear and occasional traction issues during acceleration.
- Several owners of premium sedans (Mercedes, Audi) reported that the tire's performance characteristics were highly sensitive to correct inflation pressures.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS | B · Pirelli P 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | All Season Ultra High Performance tires | Summer Premium Touring tires |
| Vehicle type | 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
71
/ 100
Pirelli
Winner: Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS — better wet, treadwear and dry. Pick the Pirelli P 7 if comfort matters most to you.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS scores 91 vs 69 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Pirelli P 7 scores 66 vs 49 on comfort.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS scores 86 vs 73 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS scores 91 vs 80 on dry.
Tire A · Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS
Tire B · Pirelli P 7
More comparisons
Also compared with
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.