65
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
65/100
47 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated May 2026
Bridgestone Potenza RE040 vs Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT — Compared (May 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
51
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
4/100
Owner ratings
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Bridgestone Potenza RE040 — better treadwear, comfort and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Read full
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made via links on this page.
Category breakdown
6 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 RE040 leads by 17
Why this score
| Source | Potenza RE040 | SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | – | 63 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 79 | – |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Potenza RE040 leads by 7
Why this score
| Source | Potenza RE040 | SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | – | 56 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 58 | – |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
Potenza RE040 leads by 19
Why this score
| Source | Potenza RE040 | SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | – | 45 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 57 | – |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Potenza RE040 leads by 21
Why this score
| Source | Potenza RE040 | SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | – | 47 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 65 | – |
Handling
Score (0–100)
Potenza RE040 leads by 7
Why this score
| Source | Potenza RE040 | SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 70 | – |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Bridgestone Potenza RE040 | Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 65 | 51 |
| Dry | 79 | 62 |
| Wet | 58 | 51 |
| Comfort | 57 | 38 |
| Noise | – | 32 |
| Treadwear | 65 | 44 |
| Handling | 70 | 63 |
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.
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Recomputed
Headline score
65
/ 100
Tire A
51
/ 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 RE040 is a polarizing, performance-oriented tire that excels in dry, warm conditions but struggles significantly with road noise and wet-weather confidence. While many drivers appreciate the stiff sidewalls for their precise steering feedback and progressive handling, the consensus is that the tire is outdated, with modern alternatives offering superior comfort and all-weather capability.
Pros
- Excellent dry weather grip and handling
- High level of steering feedback and directness
- Progressive and predictable breakaway characteristics
- Stiff sidewalls provide a sporty, responsive feel
Cons
- Excessive and intrusive road noise
- Poor performance and lack of confidence in wet or cold conditions
- Harsh ride quality due to stiff construction
- Inconsistent tread life depending on vehicle and driving style
Observations
- Owners of performance-oriented vehicles like the Nissan 350z and Mazda RX-8 often praise the tire's dry-weather feedback but note its limitations on track or in the rain.
- Drivers of front-wheel-drive hatchbacks (e.g., Honda Civic Type R) frequently report significant understeer and rapid front-tire wear.
- Users with quieter, luxury-oriented vehicles (e.g., Audi A8, Mazda 6) report that the tire's high noise levels significantly detract from the overall driving experience.
Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Bridgestone Potenza RE040 | B · Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer Ultra High Performance tires | — |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | — |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
65
/ 100
Bridgestone
51
/ 100
Dunlop
Winner: Bridgestone Potenza RE040 — better treadwear, comfort and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Bridgestone Potenza RE040 scores 65 vs 44 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Bridgestone Potenza RE040 scores 57 vs 38 on comfort.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Bridgestone Potenza RE040 scores 79 vs 62 on dry.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Bridgestone Potenza RE040 scores 58 vs 51 on wet.
Tire A · Bridgestone Potenza RE040
Tire B · Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT
More comparisons
Also compared with
Bridgestone Potenza RE040 also compared with
Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 050 DSST CTT 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.