Bridgestone Potenza RE050A RFT 

The Bridgestone Potenza RE050A RFT was the OEM tire for my BMW 550i equipped with the sport package. I trust BMW to put the best or nearly best tire possible on one of their top of the line sports sedans and this tire has not disappointed me whatsoever. I am not an aggressive driver but I do drive very fast. Consequently, I need a tire that gives me confidence to push my car to its limits. The RE050A does just that. In Florida we see a lot of rainy weather and again, but I have never lacked confidence that the RE050A would perform for me when I needed it, wet or dry. BMW is one of the premier auto makers in the world and if they issue these tires as standard equipment, they do so because they know they're good enough for the Ultimate Driving Machine. So far I have no reason to disagree with them.

This is the stock tire for the BMW 135i. Generally I enjoy the tires. They grip very well in dry, and are good when wet as well. My previous car was a Subaru STI so the overall wet handling is not as great by comparison. I'm very happy with the noise levels too. However, my main complaint with the tires is how quickly I go through them, especially the rears. I'm not seeing more than 10-12K on them.

This tire is excellent for a run flat. While I'd prefer to have a spare in the trunk, since BMWs do not come with one, I've stayed with runflats on my 09 3-series sedan. The tires have excellent steering responsiveness and very consistent stability under cornering. I even took this tire to the track at Road America in Wisconsin and it behaved remarkably well. Even through the Carousel it provided excellent feedback and a little slip under power without breaking free. These are, however, definitely a warm-weather tire. Below 45 degrees traction is notably decreased and by 35 degrees I'm wishing I'd switched to winter tires the previous weekend. I have about 15K miles on these tires. Because my car is rear-drive, the fronts will go another 10K miles easily while the rears probably have another 5K.

A Great performance tire hands down. Driver is BMW trained. Car is powerful and responsive with these performance tires. Tramlining only occurs due to poor road conditions. On Autobahn at 130mph these tires are firm and true. In mountainous curves we apply more acceleration not less. Always two hands on wheel and these tires provide instant reliable return. Looking only for even more capability in another Bridgestone or we remain with these. Rough ride is part of the package--its a Sportster after all! LOL

I had these on my previous Corvette and put 20,000 miles on them with no problems. I would love to have a set on my new corvette, but they do not make it in the required size. I currently have these on my twin turbo BMW 535i. I've had these up to 120mph a number of times on the open vacant highway and they are like riding on a rail. These are performance tires. It seems like a number of the reviews must be from Buick or Hyundai drivers. Performance tires help you feel the road as they should. If you are looking for a soft sedan ride buy something cheaper. These are the real deal. I have Michelins on my two Mercedes, but the Bridgestones are every bit as impressive with the added security of Run Flat technology. Good value for great tire.

Due to a poor experience with these tires, I'm switching to non RFTs. Having put about 25K miles on them, I have found the ride comfort to extremely poor! That alone is a sufficient reason for me to switch these out and never opt for these again. I've had RFTs on a Z4 before and they were certainly not as bad as these.

Worst tire ever used in any car owned, came as OEM on Mini Cooper. Noisiest and most uncomfortable tire ever. Would never use Bridgestone again.

I absolutely HATE these tires. I love winter when I can switch to snow tires because it is easier to drive with those on even in snow. These tires are loud and if the road is wet the car is all over the road. They are unforgiving and you feel everything. If the pavement is a little rough on one side sure it uneven you can bet you are going to be pulled in one direction or another. Driving is work with these tires and you better not looose concentration. I cannot wait to get a different set of tires! Worst tires I have ever had and probably the most expensive as well.

OEM tires, I guess for the run flat feature (no spare, just a goo pump). I bought the car for SCCA Solo and spirited mountain driving. Since I’m new to this sport I didn’t notice the 140 TW rating... the tires are just plain awful and the tread is gone after 7500 miles, in less than 6 months! I hope to gain 2 seconds on the track simply by getting rid of these. They don’t hold on turns, they don’t give any confidence, and they are rough and noisy on the interstate.

Tread is wearing down to quickly and tires develop bubbles. Climate here is cool and wet and traffic congestion really does not allow me to get to more than 65 mph for short periods of time. Am not happy with these tires. Purchase other performance run flats but not these. Am going to replace them.

These tires are average when it comes to handling and performance. The real issue is that they wear out too quickly. Most of my driving is to and from work (about 20 miles round trip) and occasionally a trip out of state. I average around the usual 10k to 12k annually. I had to replace the rear tires on my vehicle because they had worn down to the point that the caging under the tread was exposed and the tire burst while I was driving on the interstate. That was the only time I was thankful that these tires are run-flats. While not noticing the wear was my own mistake, I went ahead and purchased these same tires for the rear. Within 6 months and not even 5k miles the same thing is happening again. It's dangerous and it's ridiculous that these tires wear as quickly as they do. I've had the suspension checked and the cambers checked on my vehicle and there is no issue. These tires simply don't last. Also if you're particular about road noise or ride softness, run-flats are never a good option. These tires are the manufacturer recommended and applied by BMW, however any of the advisors or technicians I have talked to recommend Continental or Michelin over these Bridgestones. Stay away from these tires. There are better (and less expensive) options available.