The Best Bridgestone Tires: Take To the Tarmac Without Trepidation

As much as we wish we could've assembled this list after trying out Bridgestone's massive catalog with our own two hands, feet, and eyeballs—meaning, driving on 'em—that wasn't in the cards this time around. Instead, we read through a massive assortment of reviews by both tire testing professionals and consumers, and compared them with the tires' features, treadwear ratings, pricing, and other notable schema. For more information on how we rate products, take a look at this.

The latest RE-71RS had a tough act to follow after the RE-71R. Folks called it a "cheater tire" for a reason, as it was just so freaking grippy. This author might've set one of his own personal best lap times with it mounted up to his old own car, too.

But by all accounts, it looks like the RE-71RS is even better. It's even grippier, offers a nice stiff sidewall, immense confidence through any course layout or public twisty road, and is even quieter than the old compound. Not that anyone really complained much about the latter. Its downsides are present—such as losing maximum grip quickly as it wears down, and lacking in steering response—but it sounds like these are vastly outweighed by its upsides.

As far as a tire that can trudge through it all, and feel sportier than average when the tarmac is dry, the Potenza RE980AS+ is a well-rounded 500 treadwear compound. Reviewers note that it's not quite as good in the wet as its competitors, and rides a bit stiff, but otherwise offers crisp steering, no noise, and even decent traction in the light now (for its rating—nothing beats focused winter tires). Consumers say it's a confident, well-rounded choice as well that exceeds some of the OE tires that their sportier cars came with.

The Bridgestone Weatherpeak is a 700-treatwear all-season that's widely regarded as a responsive, predictable, and comfortable Grand Touring All-Season. Reviewers didn't find it to be as grippy across all surfaces and conditions as its competition. However, its dry, wet, and winter traction is very well-rated among consumers. One notable downside that seems to be universal is it's a bit noisy. Though, that's common for any All-Season that's designed to fare well in snow.

It's hard to fault Blizzaks. The model's been around for a few decades now, and has always been well-regarded for offering excellent traction in cold, snowy, and/or icy conditions. Reviewers and consumers note that they're a bit noisy and lack on-road refinement—the former is common for tires in its class, though a lot of its competition does better at the latter. Winter tires are becoming increasingly similar to Grand Touring and Performance All-Seasons.

It's important to point out that this category of tire ought not run for very long when ambient temperatures exceed 40 degrees Fahrenheit, otherwise, they'll wear out quickly. But for every condition below that, Blizzaks are a solid option.

Bridgestone's Alenza AS Ultra is an 800 treadwear compound that's meant to compete with the likes of Michelin, Pirelli, and Continental in luxury crossover/SUV mounting. By all accounts, this tire gives its competition a strong run for its money by having a great ride quality, balanced performance, and rolling along quietly, too. Its winter weather traction wasn't rated the highest, but then, it's not a focused winter tire. It even comes in a very wide variety of 17-inch-and-higher sizes.

Users have great things to say about this 520 treadwear compound that's designed for full-size trucks and SUVs. It rolls comfortably, quietly, and confidently down the road. Some users reported that it was a tad on the stiff side, but this wasn't necessarily a bad thing as it lends to more confident handling. The one area where it seems lacking is in winter condition performance.

Finishing off this buyer's guide is Bridgestone's Dueler A/T Revo 3, an all-terrain that's well-equipped across many different surfaces, and at many different temperatures. Sporting a treadwear rating of 540, users will get a good life out of it, too. Reviewers really liked this one, and consumers' impressions generally mirror what they say. Especially when it comes to all-around sturdy ride quality and traction. Reviewers weren't as keen on wet traction, but consumers didn't seem to have any qualms with this aspect.

Normally, we'd stack competitors in the same field for our final verdict. Instead, let's highlight three specific tires that do especially well in their respective fields. If you're after optimum grip in performance driving scenarios, you can't beat the Bridgestone Potenza RE-71RS. If off-roading is more your style, definitely check out the Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo 3. Finally, for a focused set of snow tires, you can't beat the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90.

You've got questions. The Drive has answers.

A: Bridgestone says its tires should be removed from service after ten years regardless of their remaining tread depth. You can figure out their production dates by reading their sidewalls, specifically the final four digits of the tire identification number. The last two numbers are the year it was produced, the first are the week of that year. For more on how long tires last, check this out.

A: Check out this thorough guide!

A: Once again, we've got a great guide that covers that.