Bridgestone Potenzas

[Blaeven]

i was originally going to get RE050a's on my car when i changed tyres about 4-5 months ago... i was going on the basis of you get what you pay for...

but in the end i went for 225/45/17 RE001's and haven't looked back... they're excelent tyres wet or dry and i really like the look of the fatter rubber on the 17x7 legacy wheels that're on my car... (i also think the 225/45s were the same price or possibly cheaper than the 215/45s, so i figure i got more rubber for my money )

and at $230 a corner.. they trumped the $350+ that most places wanted for RE050a's...

the only issue i had with having 225's on my car was that when it's lowered to the max on the coilovers, it scrubs out on the inner guard (the side close to the engine, not the wheel arch)... though i'm running +1.5 degrees of camber on the fronts...

[Arith]

The RE001's are starting to sound quite attractive. From an old geezer perspective (like me), how are they in terms of ride comfort and road noise?

[coyote]

From an old geezer perspective (like me), how are they in terms of ride comfort and road noise?

I suspect I'm an older geezer than you.

The RE001s are much more comfortable and a little quieter than the RE050A.

The performance is crap though. I pulled mine off and sold them after only a couple of thousand kilometres.

Good for taxi tyres, but would be the weakest link on your car Jim.

[teK--]

Can you elaborate further than saying that their performance is crap? What aspect are you not happy about them?

I have been running the RE001s for about 2,000Kms now so they are fully scrubbed in they are very close to the RE050A in terms of outright grip both wet and dry, although I did notice steering and road feedback to be reduced due to softer sidewalls. This was remedied by installation of urethane control arm bushes though.

I would be most happy if taxis ran these tyres, instead of crappy RE92s or Bobjane specials that most of them seem to run!

[THERB3]

Yeah I would like to know how the RE001 are crap aswell.

I have had mine for about 15,000km and they are great. Bridgestone had a track day on these tyres when they first came out and the talk on the tyres performance was excellant.

I dont know were you got your information from.

[Mystique]

I wouldn't quite use Coyote's colourful language, but I agree that the re050A is better in every way (but not far off) apart from ride and noise.

[Arith]

LOL! I think you touched a few nerves there, Tony.

[sundayDriver]

grip from 050 vs 001? only way to be suer is to have back to back timed laps. or two stock cars, then swap tires and go again.

Personally, I think the 050 are the best consumer tire bridgestone make. I've got pirellies now, but when I had the 050, I could lean on them right to the ragged edge and the big plus was the loss of grip was gradual, predictable and fed-back to the driver.

[coyote]

Can you elaborate further than saying that their performance is crap?

I could, but I like to be accurate and succinct.

The RE001 is a triumph of marketing. In it's class, it is a good tyre, but it is not in the same class as the RE050A (at least it shouldn't be considered so).

Then again, there's no use buying more performance than you'll ever use.

On Arith's car however, they would be the weak link. They certainly were on mine.

[Q]

I completely agree with that. They are crap.

I've lost all confidence in the car since I put the 001's on. Terrible corner entry feel, awful mid corner grip, bloody entertaining in the wet though
I'm even considering selling them for something else, that's how much don't like them. Falken FK452's are a much better tyre for the same money imo.

[Arith]

Then again, there's no use buying more performance than you'll ever use. On Arith's car however, they would be the weak link. They certainly were on mine.

Thanks for the advice, Tony. I have to admit, like the Dunlop DZ-101, Hankook S1 Evo,Kumho KU31, etc, they are probably marketed towards the younger modders who have spent all their money on performance mods and don't have much money left over for tires. Good for a daily driver but won't fair too well on the track or super aggressive driving.

[Loose1]

I was told by bridgestone dealer the other day that there are two potenzas one designed for mazda and one for subaru
he even showed me the parts manual/book after i told him hes full of it
he said you wouldnt notice the difference between the two unless you were the stig

[coyote]

he said you wouldnt notice the difference between the two unless you were the stig

Mazda MPS owners who have a clue (both of them) actually specify they want the Subaru tyre (from memory it has code ADZ) and not the Mazda one.

There is a massive difference.

[sundayDriver]

Mazda MPS owners who have a clue

isn't that a contradiction??

[teK--]

Is one version Australian made and the other one JDM?