78
/ 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 Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 — 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
84
/ 100
Objective (60%)
71/100
1 professional test
User signal (40%)
89/100
4,860 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 — better comfort, handling and snow. Pick the Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS if dry 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 8
Why this score
| Source | Potenza RE980AS | ExtremeContact DWS 06 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 90 | 76 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 88 | 93 |
| SimpleTire owners | 100 | – |
| Dry Braking (% of best) | 99% | 97% |
| Dry Handling (% of best) | 100% | 99% |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | Potenza RE980AS | ExtremeContact DWS 06 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 92 | 91 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 76 | 90 |
| SimpleTire owners | 100 | – |
| Wet Braking (% of best) | 99% | 98% |
| Wet Handling (% of best) | 100% | 95% |
Snow
Score (0–100)
ExtremeContact DWS 06 leads by 4
Why this score
| Source | Potenza RE980AS | ExtremeContact DWS 06 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 55 | 62 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 40 | 77 |
| Snow Handling (% of best) | 86% | 97% |
| Snow Traction (% of best) | 100% | 85% |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
ExtremeContact DWS 06 leads by 40
Why this score
| Source | Potenza RE980AS | ExtremeContact DWS 06 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 23 | 89 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 56 | 66 |
| SimpleTire owners | 100 | – |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | Potenza RE980AS | ExtremeContact DWS 06 |
|---|---|---|
| SimpleTire owners | 80 | – |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Potenza RE980AS leads by 1
Why this score
| Source | Potenza RE980AS | ExtremeContact DWS 06 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 63 | 68 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
ExtremeContact DWS 06 leads by 14
Why this score
| Source | Potenza RE980AS | ExtremeContact DWS 06 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 70 | 84 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS | Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 78 | 84 |
| Dry | 91 | 83 |
| Wet | 91 | 91 |
| Snow | 63 | 67 |
| Comfort | 49 | 89 |
| Noise | 100 | – |
| Treadwear | 86 | 85 |
| Handling | 70 | 84 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Personalize
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.
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Recomputed
Headline score
78
/ 100
Tire A
84
/ 100
Tire B
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
Test data
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 | Tire A | Tire B | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 99% #2/7 · 2020 Tyre Reviews UHP All Season Tyre Test | 97% #4/7 · 2020 Tyre Reviews UHP All Season Tyre Test | +1.9 | Same test |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 100% #4/4 · 2022/23 UHP All Season Tyre Test | 99% #5/7 · 2020 Tyre Reviews UHP All Season Tyre Test | +0.7 | Different tests |
| Price | Other | 99% #6/7 · 2020 Tyre Reviews UHP All Season Tyre Test | 95% #4/7 · 2020 Tyre Reviews UHP All Season Tyre Test | +4.1 | Same test |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 33% #3/4 · 2022/23 UHP All Season Tyre Test | 20% #5/7 · 2020 Tyre Reviews UHP All Season Tyre Test | +13.3 | Different tests |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 86% #1/4 · 2022/23 UHP All Season Tyre Test | 97% #2/7 · 2020 Tyre Reviews UHP All Season Tyre Test | -10.3 | Different tests |
| Snow Traction | Snow | 100% #1/4 · 2022/23 UHP All Season Tyre Test | 85% #3/7 · 2020 Tyre Reviews UHP All Season Tyre Test | +14.7 | Different tests |
| Subj. Comfort | Subj | 90% #3/4 · 2022/23 UHP All Season Tyre Test | 95% #2/7 · 2020 Tyre Reviews UHP All Season Tyre Test | -5 | Different tests |
| Subj. Dry Handling | Subj | 95% #2/7 · 2020 Tyre Reviews UHP All Season Tyre Test | 80% #4/7 · 2020 Tyre Reviews UHP All Season Tyre Test | +15 | Same test |
| Subj. Noise | Subj | 65% #7/7 · 2020 Tyre Reviews UHP All Season Tyre Test | 85% #3/7 · 2020 Tyre Reviews UHP All Season Tyre Test | -20 | Same test |
| Subj. Wet Handling | Subj | 100% #1/7 · 2020 Tyre Reviews UHP All Season Tyre Test | 90% #3/7 · 2020 Tyre Reviews UHP All Season Tyre Test | +10 | Same test |
| Tyre Weight | Tyre | 99% #6/7 · 2020 Tyre Reviews UHP All Season Tyre Test | 85% #1/7 · 2020 Tyre Reviews UHP All Season Tyre Test | +14.5 | Same test |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 99% #3/7 · 2020 Tyre Reviews UHP All Season Tyre Test | 98% #5/7 · 2020 Tyre Reviews UHP All Season Tyre Test | +1 | Same test |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 100% #3/4 · 2022/23 UHP All Season Tyre Test | 95% #1/7 · 2020 Tyre Reviews UHP All Season Tyre Test | +4.5 | Different tests |
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.
Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS | B · Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | All Season Ultra High Performance tires | All Season High Performance tires |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 6 | — |
| Rim diameters | 17″ – 18″ | — |
| Tread depth | 10/32″ | 10/32″ |
| UTQG | 500 A A | 560 A - AA A |
| Treadwear warranty | 50,000 mi | 50,000 mi |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | Black Side Wall |
| Max pressure | 51 psi | 51 psi |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
78
/ 100
Bridgestone
84
/ 100
Continental
Winner: Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 — better comfort, handling and snow. Pick the Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS if dry matters most to you.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 scores 89 vs 49 on comfort.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 scores 84 vs 70 on handling.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS scores 91 vs 83 on dry.
Pick tire B
You drive through snowy winters
Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 scores 67 vs 63 on snow.
Tire A · Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS
Tire B · Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06
More comparisons
Also compared with
Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS also compared with
Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 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.