18" Tyre test

[monkeyhanger]

I had the re050a on my old Jetta and they were fine. The thing is even when cold you can't just stamp on the go pedal and expect to get traction from the outset. Drive to the conditions and sensibly and you won't have any issues even on Bridgestones.

I had the RE050A on my R. 18 miles into a 20 mile commute on an unseasonably warm Winter's morning (9C), going around the Greenside roundabout near Prudhoe, a RWD 120d sailed around the roundabout, the R was breaking traction at the back end doing 1/2 the speed of the BMW on the roundabout. That was the event that made me decide to get some Michdlin PSS (which transformed the car). The RE050A are a poor tyre and you don't have to be driving like a loony to feel their shortfalls.

Nursing a car for 2 years with crap tyres when most will only keep the car for 3 really spoils it. Learnt my lesson - get the f**k*rs off ASAP, sell them on ebay and get some adequate rubber on for not a lot more.

[Crockers]

Expecting to be shot down.

I doubt the average driver can really tell the difference between top branded tyres.

Over the years I’ve tried many brands. Not a great deal of difference. Sorry

[barrym381]

Expecting to be shot down.

I doubt the average driver can really tell the difference between top branded tyres.

Over the years I’ve tried many brands. Not a great deal of difference. Sorry

No you should just be shot 

[mcmaddy]

Expecting to be shot down.

I doubt the average driver can really tell the difference between top branded tyres.

Over the years I’ve tried many brands. Not a great deal of difference. Sorry

unless you're driving like a wayne kerr the only real place will be on a track 👍

[mcmaddy]

I had the re050a on my old Jetta and they were fine. The thing is even when cold you can't just stamp on the go pedal and expect to get traction from the outset. Drive to the conditions and sensibly and you won't have any issues even on Bridgestones.

I had the RE050A on my R. 18 miles into a 20 mile commute on an unseasonably warm Winter's morning (9C), going around the Greenside roundabout near Prudhoe, a RWD 120d sailed around the roundabout, the R was breaking traction at the back end doing 1/2 the speed of the BMW on the roundabout. That was the event that made me decide to get some Michdlin PSS (which transformed the car). The RE050A are a poor tyre and you don't have to be driving like a loony to feel their shortfalls.

Nursing a car for 2 years with crap tyres when most will only keep the car for 3 really spoils it. Learnt my lesson - get the f**k*rs off ASAP, sell them on ebay and get some adequate rubber on for not a lot more.

didn't think they were still using RE050As on Rs. Weren't they all not S001s?

[monkeyhanger]

I had the re050a on my old Jetta and they were fine. The thing is even when cold you can't just stamp on the go pedal and expect to get traction from the outset. Drive to the conditions and sensibly and you won't have any issues even on Bridgestones.

I had the RE050A on my R. 18 miles into a 20 mile commute on an unseasonably warm Winter's morning (9C), going around the Greenside roundabout near Prudhoe, a RWD 120d sailed around the roundabout, the R was breaking traction at the back end doing 1/2 the speed of the BMW on the roundabout. That was the event that made me decide to get some Michdlin PSS (which transformed the car). The RE050A are a poor tyre and you don't have to be driving like a loony to feel their shortfalls.

Nursing a car for 2 years with crap tyres when most will only keep the car for 3 really spoils it. Learnt my lesson - get the f**k*rs off ASAP, sell them on ebay and get some adequate rubber on for not a lot more.

didn't think they were still using RE050As on Rs. Weren't they all not S001s?

My R was on Prets 235/35 R19, presumably that's why I got the RE050A on the R but S001 on the GTD with 18" Nogaros.

[Splashalot]

I had the re050a on my old Jetta and they were fine. The thing is even when cold you can't just stamp on the go pedal and expect to get traction from the outset. Drive to the conditions and sensibly and you won't have any issues even on Bridgestones.

I'm beginning to think you work for Bridgestone.    Or alternatively, drive everywhere at 10mph and have never had to make an emergency manoeuvre/braking on the Bridgestones.

I'm not talking about stamping on the go pedal, nor driving in a manner not in tune with conditions.  Nor driving like a lair.  Just everyday driving with the traffic flow.

For example, I had one ~40kmh, constant speed, emergency swerve manoeuvre to avoid another driver who decided they wanted my lane almost put me in a pole on RE030s due to their lack of turning and braking grip.  Then there were the numerous take off's from a standstill uphill resulting in wheel tramp due to no traction.  Or the relatively sedate take offs on level surfaces which had the traction control cutting in.  In a variety of different cars  I could go on for ages listing why these tyres are sh!te, for everyday, cold weather driving, but why bother.  Bridgestones are fine.

And the funny thing is, the numerous different model Michelins and Conts I've used have not exhibited the Bridgestones' appalling cold weather performance.

But yeah, the Bridgestones are fine.

[monkeyhanger]

I think Exonian hit the nail on the head when he said they've got to be hot. Trouble is, in our climate,  with normal driving, even in the height of Summer, they don't get hot. For me, these should be track day tyres, not every day tyres.

In everyday situations without putting your foot down, the difference between Bridgestones and almost every other big make tyre will handle flawlessly. On my latest car, Polo GTI+, in the dry on a warm day, the Bridgestone Turanzas it came on would tramp from a standstill with 30% throttle. Switch to PS4s and you need 70% throttle to make the traction control light flicker in cooler conditions and 90% in warmer (20C) conditions.

Turn in grip is woeful. The back end broke traction exiting Testos roundabout that other cars ahead took far quicker than me. I tried to do the same thing since switching to PS4s and I can't replicate it, even driving much harder (at a quiet time!).

4WD on the R and LSDs on the GTI PP and higher GTIs mask initial tramping but they can't mask lack of turn-in grip.

If you have Bridgestones on and go for a spirited B-riad drive well within spped limits, you've a very high chance of ending up in a ditch. Putting your foot down on a die-straight bit of motorway that you're already rolling on, not so much.

Your GTI/R is much more capable on Conti/Dunlop/Michelin/Pirelli etc. than on any Bridgestone variant.

[mcmaddy]

I had the re050a on my old Jetta and they were fine. The thing is even when cold you can't just stamp on the go pedal and expect to get traction from the outset. Drive to the conditions and sensibly and you won't have any issues even on Bridgestones.

I'm beginning to think you work for Bridgestone.    Or alternatively, drive everywhere at 10mph and have never had to make an emergency manoeuvre/braking on the Bridgestones.

I'm not talking about stamping on the go pedal, nor driving in a manner not in tune with conditions.  Nor driving like a lair.  Just everyday driving with the traffic flow.

For example, I had one ~40kmh, constant speed, emergency swerve manoeuvre to avoid another driver who decided they wanted my lane almost put me in a pole on RE030s due to their lack of turning and braking grip.  Then there were the numerous take off's from a standstill uphill resulting in wheel tramp due to no traction.  Or the relatively sedate take offs on level surfaces which had the traction control cutting in.  In a variety of different cars  I could go on for ages listing why these tyres are sh!te, for everyday, cold weather driving, but why bother.  Bridgestones are fine.

And the funny thing is, the numerous different model Michelins and Conts I've used have not exhibited the Bridgestones' appalling cold weather performance.

But yeah, the Bridgestones are fine.

re030s are not re050s or S001s. I don't drive everywhere at 10mph either but I've never felt unsafe with them. Yes you'll have slightly more grip in the cold with a Michelin or Goodyear or conti tyre but driving to the conditions of the road and surroundings probably has way more weight than just saying oh these tyres are terrible. It's a good job we've got hundreds of tyres to choose really isn't it 👍

[monkeyhanger]

I had the re050a on my old Jetta and they were fine. The thing is even when cold you can't just stamp on the go pedal and expect to get traction from the outset. Drive to the conditions and sensibly and you won't have any issues even on Bridgestones.

I'm beginning to think you work for Bridgestone.    Or alternatively, drive everywhere at 10mph and have never had to make an emergency manoeuvre/braking on the Bridgestones.

I'm not talking about stamping on the go pedal, nor driving in a manner not in tune with conditions.  Nor driving like a lair.  Just everyday driving with the traffic flow.

For example, I had one ~40kmh, constant speed, emergency swerve manoeuvre to avoid another driver who decided they wanted my lane almost put me in a pole on RE030s due to their lack of turning and braking grip.  Then there were the numerous take off's from a standstill uphill resulting in wheel tramp due to no traction.  Or the relatively sedate take offs on level surfaces which had the traction control cutting in.  In a variety of different cars  I could go on for ages listing why these tyres are sh!te, for everyday, cold weather driving, but why bother.  Bridgestones are fine.

And the funny thing is, the numerous different model Michelins and Conts I've used have not exhibited the Bridgestones' appalling cold weather performance.

But yeah, the Bridgestones are fine.

re030s are not re050s or S001s. I don't drive everywhere at 10mph either but I've never felt unsafe with them. Yes you'll have slightly more grip in the cold with a Michelin or Goodyear or conti tyre but driving to the conditions of the road and surroundings probably has way more weight than just saying oh these tyres are terrible. It's a good job we've got hundreds of tyres to choose really isn't it 👍

Never had REO30A, but it's a fair assumption to make that they'll be poor in normal UK driving conditions and climate when the rest are. I've personally experienced:-

Potenza S001
Potenza RE050A
Turanza T001
Turanza T005

They all suffer the same shortfall.

"Driving to the conditions of the road and surroundings" means having to treat the car differently if its got Bridgestones on vs Conti 5, Michelin PS4 etc. You shouldn't need to treat the car differently because it's got Bridgestones on. For me, that highlights the shortcomings of the tyre on UK roads vs its peers. If you can't get safe levels of grip on a GTI with Bridgestones when you put your foot down a little (not driving like a nutter) then what's the point of having a GTI apart from the badge and equipment?

For me, binning the Bridgestones and getting something better on is the best £320 you can spend in modding your GTI or R rather than nursing the car for 2 years on average miles and then realising how much better the car is on different rubber in the last few months of ownership before you chop it in.. I got £210 for my set of Bridgestones on ebay vs a £320 spend on a set of PS4s. So the difference neddn't hit you hard in the pocket.

I know we all have different priorities for our money, but when you're prepared to spend £600 on a detail and ceramic coating but won't spend a few hundred quid on decent tyres, i'd do the tyres first, every single time.

Driving on Bridgestones is like driving on decent summer tyres in snow when everyone else is on winter tyres - extreme caution needed.

If only VW would take on customer feedback and act on it appropriately. I can only think that they're getting these tyres for a song!