Tests – · none yet Owners 64 · 3 reviews
Best test result: #2 of 4 in 2011 Tirerack Max Performance Summer Tyre Test (overall ranking)
Head-to-head
Updated
Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position vs Kumho Ecsta PA51 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
Ecsta PA51 leads, 69–66 Narrow edge
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Tests – · 1 test Owners 68 · 159 reviews
Best test result: #7 of 19 in 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance All-Season Tires (overall ranking)
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
70
Dry
Potenza S-04 Pole Position +169Why this score
Source Potenza S-04 Pole Position Ecsta PA51 Reviews found online 71 69 -
70
Wet
Potenza S-04 Pole Position +169Why this score
Source Potenza S-04 Pole Position Ecsta PA51 Reviews found online 70 68 -
–
Snow
No comparison63Why this score
Source Potenza S-04 Pole Position Ecsta PA51 Reviews found online – 58 -
66
Comfort
Ecsta PA51 +167Why this score
Source Potenza S-04 Pole Position Ecsta PA51 Reviews found online 63 65 -
65
Noise
Ecsta PA51 +469Why this score
Source Potenza S-04 Pole Position Ecsta PA51 Reviews found online 63 72 -
56
Treadwear
Ecsta PA51 +1571Why this score
Source Potenza S-04 Pole Position Ecsta PA51 Professional tests (TWG score) – 70 Reviews found online 50 73 -
70
Handling
Potenza S-04 Pole Position +367Why this score
Source Potenza S-04 Pole Position Ecsta PA51 Reviews found online 70 67
Scores at a glance
| Category | Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position | Kumho Ecsta PA51 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 66 | 69 |
| Dry | 70 | 69 |
| Wet | 70 | 69 |
| Snow | – | 63 |
| Comfort | 66 | 67 |
| Noise | 65 | 69 |
| Treadwear | 56 | 71 |
| Handling | 70 | 67 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Weight the categories that matter to you
Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
Important
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Important
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Neutral
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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.
Less important
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Less important
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Important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score
66
/ 100
Potenza S-04 Pole Position
69
/ 100
Ecsta PA51
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
The professional test results behind the scores
Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.
| Discipline | Category | Potenza S-04 Pole Position | Ecsta PA51 | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 50% #2/4 · 2011 Tirerack Max Performance Summer Tyre Test | 67% #7/19 · 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance All-Season Tires | −16.7 | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Potenza S-04 Pole Position
Pros
- Excellent dry handling and cornering stability
- Competent performance in wet conditions
- Unexpectedly high levels of ride comfort for a performance-oriented tire
Cons
- Rapid tread wear rate
- Audible road noise or humming on certain surfaces
- Wet-weather performance is good but outperformed by some direct competitors
Tire B Ecsta PA51
Pros
- Excellent price-to-performance ratio
- Strong dry pavement traction and cornering grip
- Quiet and smooth ride quality
Cons
- Inconsistent performance in heavy rain or standing water
- Some reports of increased road noise over time
- Limited availability in certain niche sizes
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position | B · Kumho Ecsta PA51 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | — | All Season |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | — | 13 |
| Rim diameters | — | 16″ – 19″ |
| Tread depth | — | 10.5/32″ |
| UTQG | — | 500 A A |
| Treadwear warranty | — | 45,000 mi |
| Sidewall | — | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | — | 51 psi |
Which one should you actually buy?
66
/ 100
Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position
69
/ 100
Kumho Ecsta PA51
Winner: Kumho Ecsta PA51 — better treadwear and noise. Pick the Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position if handling matters most to you.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Kumho Ecsta PA51 scores 71 vs 56 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You want a quieter cabin
Kumho Ecsta PA51 scores 69 vs 65 on noise.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position scores 70 vs 67 on handling.
Tire A · Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position
Tire B · Kumho Ecsta PA51
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How do we compare tires?
Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.