Bridgestone 980AS
 

So I got the new Bridgestone Potenza 980AS installed on my car today and here are my very early impressions from driving around town:

Noticeably sharper turn in. I didn't get to take any high speed corners but the car feels more like my BMW coupe that is running on Michelins.

Much stiffer sidewall on these tires. You can tell they don't flex nearly as much as the Conti DWS06 I removed when you go over speed bumps.

Totally silent. The Conti's were starting to make noise with any speed and these are completely silent when new.

I will try to remember to update this review as I get a few miles and drive a few more roads. I put on a square set of 245/40-19s.

Well, it has been raining non-stop today and I can report that performance in the wet is excellent. Hydroplaning resistance is extremely good--which you would expect from a brand new tire--but also grip in the wet is very good.

I will report in more detail on handling if it ever stops raining....

Follow up after a few thousand miles:

Dry performance/handling is excellent and significantly better than the DWS06 they replaced. Wet traction is also excellent and generally on par with the excellent wet traction of the DWS06.

However, hydroplane resistance is not as good as the DWS06 was when new. We have had a few really heavy thunderstorms with a great deal of ponding water on the road and I believe the DWS06 was better at resisting hydroplaning in those conditions.

Overall I am still happy very happy with the tires.

I'll try to remember to update with treadwear performance next year.

Follow up review on the 980AS: This tire has the best wet traction when worn of any tire I have ever driven on and it is not even remotely close. The tires have only lasted 19000 miles of aggressive driving, even being rotated regularly. However, even at 4/32nds of tread left their wet pavement traction is completely undiminished. I don't know how they did it but the tire compound is amazing. I have to try to spin the rear tires even on wet pavement. By the time I replaced the DWS06s I had before I had to be careful to not spin the tires on wet pavement.

Performance has been great in dry as well. I would put the tire as above average in hydroplane resistance at 245/40-19 size all around. I am somewhat disappointed that they haven't made it more than 20k miles though so I am going to try something else this time.

Thanks for the update u drove less than a year with them and already needed replacement? Sounds like they are great tires, how is the noise level? I'm looking for the most quietiest tires that has good performance. I don't track the car. Just daily driving.

These tires were silent for me...245/40-19 square is what I am running and they were quiet new and are still quiet with 4/32nds left. Their dry performance is also excellent and they feel very smooth on the highway at high speeds. Really an all around great tire except for wearing out too fast. That was another thing I didn't like about the DWS06...they got loud when worn.

However, if you buy them from Discount Tire they will honor the treadwear warranty and you can get a discount on your next set. I am trying the Michelin AS/3 plus next so I will be able to make a direct comparison on the same car. I will post a follow up and then separate review when I get them installed.

Note that I drive aggressively and a lot of high speeds on interstates so perhaps that accounts for the poor treadwear.

Quick follow up, I got new Michelin AS3 + tires on today and feel that they are almost identical in dry performance and feel to the 980AS. Maybe just the tiniest quicker feel to turn-in but the Michelins being new have a little tread flex that the mostly worn out bridgestones didn't, which makes the bridgestones feel a little more planted in fast turns. I think they are close enough to call equal. Keep in mind this is spirited road driving so I can't speak to their performance at the limits of adhesion.

So, for those who are interested in the Bridgestone, they are a definite good buy with amazing wet traction and dry performance very similar to the Michelin AS3.

I am hopeful that the Michelins will last longer for me and will provide slightly better hydroplane resistance...I'll post up a review of them after I get a few miles and maybe some driving in the rain under my belt.