Bridgestone Potenza RE960A/S Pole Position

Although it isn't recommended as often as the Michelin Primacy MXV4 (*Est. $130), reviews say the Bridgestone Potenza RE960A/S Pole Position is a fine choice for high-performance, all-season driving. Like most all-season tires, the RE960A/S Pole Position can't handle snowy roads as well as a specialized winter tire; reviews say the best all-season tire for winter driving is the high-performance Continental ExtremeContact DWS (*Est. $100).

Owners give the Bridgestone Potenza RE960A/S Pole Position higher marks than the Continental ExtremeContact DWS for dry-road grip and handling. The Bridgestone tire's AA wet-traction rating places it in the top 3 percent of tires, but expert test results are mixed: Some testers particularly praise the RE960A/S Pole Position's grip on wet pavement, while others get middling results. The Bridgestone carries a 40,000-mile treadwear warranty (the Continental's is 50,000 miles, by comparison), and several owners report getting 40,000 to 50,000 miles out of their RE960A/S Pole Positions.

ConsumerReports.org has the most authoritative review of the Bridgestone Potenza RE960A/S Pole Position, subjecting it to a battery of tests and ranking against 14 of its competitors. TireRack.com's comparison tests are more limited in scope, but they include far more narrative detail about the tires than ConsumerReports.org. TireRack.com also encourages owners to post reviews of their tires, and we found hundreds of owner ratings for the Bridgestone Potenza RE960A/S Pole Position there. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration maintains a searchable database of treadwear, traction and heat-resistance ratings for more than 2,400 tires.