Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo vs Pirelli P Zero PZ5
In the AutoBild test the Bridgestone looks like the more complete all-rounder, leading key safety metrics such as wet and dry braking, while the Pirelli counters with strong wet-circuit pace and aquaplaning resilience plus lower noise. In the ACE test, the story flips in a more dramatic way: the Pirelli produces standout dry handling and lane-change precision, yet is criticized for feeling insecure on the wet handling course-an imbalance that prevents it from challenging the top group overall.
Test Results
Independent comparison tyre tests are the best source of data to get tyre information from, and the good news is there have been two tests which compare both tyres directly!
| Tyre | Test Wins | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo | two |
While it might look like the Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo is better than the Pirelli P Zero PZ5 purely based on the higher number of test wins, tyres are very complicated objects which means where one tyre is better than the other can be more important in real world use.
Let's look at how the two tyres compare across multiple tyre test categories.
Key Strengths
- Stronger braking performance in shared data: AutoBild dry braking 34.4 m vs 36.0 m and wet braking 43.9 m vs 46.7 m
- More rounded wet capability and stability: described as neutral on the wet course and strong on the skidpad; also wins AutoBild wet circle (12.5 s vs 12.7 s)
- Slight edge in dry handling pace in AutoBild (107 vs 106 km/h) with sporty, precise steering feel noted by testers
- Better objective efficiency metrics in AutoBild rolling resistance (9.21 vs 9.73 kg/t) and higher comfort score there (8.7 vs 7.3)
- Standout steering precision and dry agility in ACE: best-in-test dry handling (19/20) and lane-change (9/10), with praise for precise steering feel
- Very strong aquaplaning resistance: best straight aquaplaning in ACE (82.5 km/h) and wins AutoBild straight aquaplaning (88.9 vs 87.4 km/h)
- Competitive wet handling pace in AutoBild (76.5 vs 75.1 km/h), showing it can be dynamic on a wet circuit in some conditions
- Lower measured noise in AutoBild (72.6 dB vs 74 dB)
Dry Braking
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo was better during one dry braking tests. On average the Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo stopped the vehicle in 4.44% less distance than the Pirelli P Zero PZ5.
Best In Dry Braking: Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo
See how the Dry Braking winner was calculated >>
Dry Handling [Km/H]
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo was better during one dry handling [km/h] tests. On average the Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo was 0.93% faster around a lap than the Pirelli P Zero PZ5.
Best In Dry Handling [Km/H]: Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo
See how the Dry Handling winner was calculated >>
Wet Braking
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo was better during one wet braking tests. On average the Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo stopped the vehicle in 6% less distance than the Pirelli P Zero PZ5.
Best In Wet Braking: Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo
See how the Wet Braking winner was calculated >>
Wet Handling [Km/H]
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Pirelli P Zero PZ5 was better during one wet handling [km/h] tests. On average the Pirelli P Zero PZ5 was 1.83% faster around a wet lap than the Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo.
Best In Wet Handling [Km/H]: Pirelli P Zero PZ5
See how the Wet Handling winner was calculated >>
Wet Circle
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo was better during one wet circle tests. On average the Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo was 1.57% faster around a wet circle than the Pirelli P Zero PZ5.
Best In Wet Circle: Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo
See how the Wet Circle winner was calculated >>
Straight Aqua
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Pirelli P Zero PZ5 was better during one straight aqua tests. On average the Pirelli P Zero PZ5 floated at a 1.69% higher speed than the Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo.
Best In Straight Aqua: Pirelli P Zero PZ5
See how the Straight Aqua winner was calculated >>
Subj. Comfort
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo was better during one subj. comfort tests. On average the Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo scored 16.09% more points than the Pirelli P Zero PZ5.
Best In Subj. Comfort: Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo
See how the Subj. Comfort winner was calculated >>
Noise
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Pirelli P Zero PZ5 was better during one noise tests. On average the Pirelli P Zero PZ5 measured 1.89% quieter than the Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo.
Best In Noise: Pirelli P Zero PZ5
See how the Noise winner was calculated >>
Rolling Resistance
Looking at data from one tyre tests, the Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo was better during one rolling resistance tests. On average the Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo had a 5.34% lower rolling resistance than the Pirelli P Zero PZ5.
Best In Rolling Resistance: Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo
See how the Rolling Resistance winner was calculated >>
Real World Driver Reviews
Tyre Reviews also collects real world driver reviews for the Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo and Pirelli P Zero PZ5.
In total the Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo has been reviewed 8 times and drivers have given the tyre 87% overall.
The Pirelli P Zero PZ5 has been reviewed 14 times and drivers have given the tyre 95% overall.
This means in real world driving, people prefer the Pirelli P Zero PZ5.
They absorb potholes and speed bumps wonderfully. Paid £129.99 a corner from Asda tyres, they were nearly £30 a corner cheaper than Michelin which my 19inch wheels are PS4S. I prefer the Bridgestones.
In the dry these have loads of grip. Their overall feel is very sporty and firm. There is a nice degree of stiffness that makes turning on winding roads really fun. They feel safe and stable - there is no significant tendency to oversteer or understeer and predictability is good. I like the balance. At the limit, on the border of understeer, these bite-in nicely and tighten the... Continue reading this review using the link below
Conclusion
The P Zero PZ5 is the more polarizing tyre. It can be exceptional when you prioritize steering precision and dry agility (ACE singled it out for notably precise steering feel and class-leading dry handling/lane-change scores), and it also shows measurable aquaplaning strengths (best straight-line aquaplaning at 82.5 km/h in ACE; AutoBild win in straight aquaplaning 88.9 vs 87.4 km/h). But its longer braking distances in AutoBild and its very weak wet handling result in ACE mean you're buying into a narrower “sweet spot.”
Practical takeaway: if you want a high-performance summer tyre that remains dependable when conditions turn wet-and you value consistent braking more than headline handling feel-the Bridgestone is the confident pick. Choose the Pirelli if your driving is predominantly dry, you care most about steering precision and responsiveness, and you're willing to accept that its wet-handling behaviour may be more variable depending on conditions and test methodology.
Key Differences
- Braking gap favors Bridgestone in the shared AutoBild test: -1.6 m dry (34.4 vs 36.0) and -2.8 m wet (43.9 vs 46.7), a meaningful safety margin
- Wet handling consistency differs: Pirelli wins AutoBild wet handling (76.5 vs 75.1 km/h) but is described as least-secure in ACE wet handling (11/20), while Bridgestone is consistently rated reliable in the wet
- Dry character differs: Pirelli is praised in ACE for top-tier steering precision and manoeuvre performance, whereas Bridgestone's advantage is more about controllable grip plus braking dominance
- Aquaplaning story is mixed: Pirelli leads straight-line aquaplaning in both narratives, while Bridgestone counters with better wet braking and wet circle performance
- Comfort/noise trade-off: Bridgestone scores much higher for subjective comfort in AutoBild (8.7 vs 7.3), but Pirelli is quieter by measurement (72.6 vs 74 dB)
- Overall competitiveness across the two tests favors Bridgestone (2nd/8 and 3rd/10) versus Pirelli (3rd/8 and 5th/10), indicating a broader operating window
Overall Winner: Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo
Based on the tyre test data and user reviews we have in our database, the Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo has demonstrated better overall performance in this comparison. However, as you can see from the spider diagram above, each tyre has its own strengths which should be considered in your final tyre buying choice.Similar Comparisons
Looking for more tyre comparisons? Here are other direct comparisons involving these tyres:
Footnote
This page has been developed using tyre industry testing best practices. This means we are only comparing tests which have had both tyres in the same test.
Why is this important? Tyre testing is heavily affected by things like surface grip levels and surface temperature, which means you can only compare values from the same day. During a tyre test external condition changes are calculated into the overall results, but it is not possible to calculate this between tyre tests performed on different days or at different locations.
As a result you will see other tests on Tyre Reviews which feature both the %s and %s, but as they weren't conducted on the same day, the results are not comparable.
Lots of other websites do this sort of tyre comparison, Tyre Reviews doesn't.
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