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 a performance oriented tire. It should not be driven when temps drop below 40 degrees. They are, after all, summer tires. In fact, they should not even be stored in temps below 20 degrees. I live in the Northeast and change to Pirelli performance winter tires in late October and put them back on in late April. There is a big difference in ride and handling between the winter tires and these Bridgestones, as would be expected. I find that the tires perform exactly as they are designed. The ride is rough as with most low profile run flat tires. My car has the very excellent magnetic ride suspension and in touring mode the tires are not bad at all. I have tracked these tires on two separate track days (7 total run sessions) in the green group (beginner) and they perform well on the track. I am surprised I got this much life out the the tires. The steering response is very good and both dry and wet traction are very good. I do not notice any noise coming from the tires. They are very expensive but I believe I will put another set on my car. I purchased the ATS for its excellent chassis and handling and I do not want to comprise performance for comfort. If you want comfort and long tread life these tires are not for you. If you are looking for performance, I think these tires are a good choice.

For an OEM tire, these were very sticky. I am very surprised I got 18.5k out of them before they were done. I did several track days and lots of spirited mountain road driving on them and they had awesome grip. They did begin to give up around 17k and it was harder to push them. I would probably buy them again, but the runflat combo on the MINIs is horrible. I am moving on to another max summer performance tire.

Incredible tire, impressive handling and grip. Some may say, Run Flat Tires are a bit noisy and are a little on the stiff side going over bumps, but mine have neither. Quiet ride, with the confidence of being able to drive 50 miles, and 50 mph on a flat tire, can't get any better. Although these are strictly Summer tires, i have a set of Winter wheels to extend the life.

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.

Pros: Sidewall stiffness, dry performance, cornering, predictable, runs when flat.

Cons: Expensive, so-so wet traction, harsh ride, heavy, sidewalls are prone to bubbles at which point you must replace them.

Car originally had a bubble with these tires so I had the dealer replace it before buying (used). One and half years later, another tire developed a bubble. The tire must be replaced if it bubbles. I avoid all potholes and have never curbed the tires/wheels. Some of the major roads in NoVA can get bad, and some construction/repairs in the roads go across the entire roadway, so you cannot avoid some road imperfections. Unless the roads in your area are near perfect, avoid these overpriced tires.

Read the forums to see how many others have had these same issues. And that's only the ones who have actually taken the time to post.

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.

As an OEM tire, the quality of this model leaves much to be desired. With 24,000 miles, I need to replace the rear tires. No crazy driving or wheelspins. I'd understand the short life if there was a ton of traction. However, every aspect of these tires is lackluster at best. BMW must have received a killer price in order to spec such a horrendous tire (esp for the M-sport package).