Bridgestone Potenza RE-71RZ vs Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate tires

Bridgestone Potenza RE-71RZ tires

The Bridgestone Potenza RE-71RZ is made for street and track enthusiasts who want instant steering precision and maximum dry cornering traction. The tire has features that contribute to maximum surface contact and reduced heat buildup. Its rubber compound is optimized for exceptional contact with the surface, and the pattern sports tread elements to boost handling response. Additionally, the Potenza RE-71RZ is also equipped with tread features that reduce the chances of hydroplaning during track sessions.

Overall, the Potenza RE-71RZ earns a great 8.7 SimpleScore, thanks to its excellent traction, crisp handling, and decent service life.

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Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate tires

The Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate is designed and engineered to combat the intense driving pressures of high-performance sedans and muscle cars throughout the year. The tire is tuned for superior grip in rain, shine, and mild winter weather and sports an all-season compound and high-void silica elements for flexibility in varying temperatures. The asymmetric tread of this tire sports ActiveGrip and ActiveBraking technologies to further boost the grip and braking performance on wet or dry asphalt. Likewise, it also sports ActiveStrength technology for increased structural endurance that helps in high-speed acceleration.

Overall, the Eagle Exhilarate achieves an outstanding 8.9 SimpleScore because of its excellent controllability, superior traction, and admirable tread life.

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Bridgestone Potenza RE-71RZ vs Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate tires on traction

With the overviews of both UHP tires covered, now let’s start with the traction analysis and find out which of the two grips the surface better and offers better traction performance. The Bridgestone Potenza RE-71RZ is rated an impressive 9.2 SimpleScore for its outstanding traction on wet and dry roads in warmer weather conditions. The tire is racing-derived and utilizes a high-grip polymer formula that allows it to bite into dry asphalt better and keep the vehicle grounded. There are inner tread channels to clear water from the footprint, and the optimized rubber compound, along with a wider contact patch, helps in maintaining grip for speedy acceleration and in-time braking.

In contrast, the Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate comes with dominating traction performance, which is also attested by its outstanding 9.5 SimpleScore in this area. This ultra-high-performance all-season tire features a high-end rubber compound that utilizes advanced silica polymers to maintain flexibility across different temperatures. Furthermore, the ActiveGrip technology and multiple 3D sipes provide a larger number of biting edges to confidently grip wet and light wintry surfaces for exceptional year-round performance.

No doubt, the Bridgestone tire comes with superb traction abilities, but the winner with a higher traction score and year-round versatility is the Eagle Exhilarate.

ADVANTAGE: Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate

Bridgestone Potenza RE-71RZ vs Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate tires on handling

Moving on to handling analysis, which is indeed one of the most important factors to consider when you are buying ultra-high-performance tires. This will help us understand which tire leads in handling, ride control, stability, steering response, braking efficiency, and cornering. Beginning with the Potenza RE-71RZ, the tire offers world-class handling with an excellent 9.1 SimpleScore. The UHP tire features a strong internal carcass and stiff sidewalls to withstand higher lateral stress, and its solid center ribs facilitate instant steering feedback. There are wider shoulder blocks that improve contact with the surface for responsive cornering and confident steering at higher speeds.

On the other hand, the Eagle Exhilarate shows a thrilling performance with a whopping 9.5 SimpleScore in handling. All thanks to its ActiveStrength technology and sturdy outer shoulder blocks, the contact patch is maximized for improved lateral connection during high-speed handling. Likewise, the optimized profile withstands heavy cornering pressures for confident stability, crisp steering precision, and outstanding control under hard braking.

In the handling race, it is the Eagle Exhilarate that wins by a small margin again, beating the Potenza RE-71RZ.

ADVANTAGE: Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate

Bridgestone Potenza RE-71RZ vs Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate tires on longevity

Both tires are made for performance, and they are prone to wearing faster than standard all-season tires. But which one controls wear rate better and offers lasting service? Let’s try to understand it here.

Starting with the Potenza RE-71RZ, the tire secures an 8.0 SimpleScore in longevity. The wide and flat contact patch of this tire contributes to even and longer wear, and the robust casing, along with a solid rubber compound, also controls wear for extended service.

Contrarily, the Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate secures a great 8.6 SimpleScore for its long-lasting tread life. Despite being a high-performance tire, this tire is also covered by a 45,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty. Likewise, its optimized rubber compound and flat footprint contribute to even pressure distribution, whereas the built-in Tread Wear Gauge helps drivers easily track tread depth.

Like traction and handling, the Eagle Exhilarate also excels in longevity, sweeping the comparative analysis by a 3-0!

ADVANTAGE: Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate

When to use each

Both the Potenza RE-71RZ and the Eagle Exhilarate are performance tires but satisfy different seasonal requirements. While the Potenza RE-71RZ is a dedicated UHP summer tire suitable for use only in warmer weather conditions, in temperatures above 45 degrees Fahrenheit. On the other hand, the Eagle Exhilarate is an ultra-high-performance all-season tire, and it offers enthusiasts the ability to drive in rain, shine, and light winter conditions, ensuring year-round service.

As far as rim sizes are concerned, the Potenza RE-71RZ is available in 15- to 20-inch options, while the Eagle Exhilarate is available in 17- to 22-inch rim options.

Which one should you choose?

Based on overall SimpleScores, the Eagle Exhilarate is clearly a better tire than the Potenza RE-71RZ (8.9 vs 8.7). However, your decision to buy tires should be based on whether you need a raw, track-focused UHP summer tire or a versatile UHP all-season tire that comes with generous tread life warranty backing.

As far as the pricing is concerned, the Potenza RE-71RZ is available at a starting price of at least $178 per tire, which means a set of four will be available at a price of at least $712. The Eagle Exhilarate is offered at a starting price of at least $137 per tire, which means a set of four will cost you at least $548.

Looking at SimpleScore, you should consider the Bridgestone Potenza RE-71RZ if you:

• Drive a vehicle like the Mazda Miata, Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, or Honda Civic.
• Want a tire that’s suitable for driving in warmer weather conditions.
• Want a tire that’s best suited for autocross and track driving.
• Want a tire that’s street-legal and offers faster lap times.
• Are ready to pay slightly extra for a solid UHP tire
• Want a tire that’s available in 15- to 20-inch rim sizes.

On the other hand, you should choose the Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate if you:

• Drive vehicles like the BMW 3 Series, Audi S4, or Dodge Challenger.
• Need a tire that’s good for year-round use in dry, wet, and light winter weather.
• Need a tire that’s exceptional in traction (9.5 vs 8.2).
• Need a tire that’s superior in handling (9.5 vs 8.6).
• Need a tire that’s great in longevity (8.6 vs 8.1).
• Need a tire that’s also backed by a 45,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty.

Still not sure which tire to buy? Fortunately, SimpleTire is here to help, as our helpful agents are more than happy to assist you in selecting the right tire for your ride and budget.