Nerd Out on Tires With Us and Our 2023 Volkswagen Golf GTI

The 2023 Volkswagen Golf GTI is available with two distinct summer performance tires—the Hankook Ventus S1 Evo3 and the Bridgestone Potenza S005. Our yearlong review GTI arrived fitted with the Hankooks, and from the moment we took delivery, we noted that the ride was harsher than expected, even when the adaptive dampers were dialed to their softest setting. After encountering a bubble in one of the tires and noticing ever-increasing wear, we decided to switch to a new tire option. While the Potenza S005 was our first option, they’ve been out of stock for a few months. We pivoted to the Potenza Sport, which we recently rated as one of the best summer tires. And we were quite impressed, as soon as we drove away from the tire shop, the difference in ride quality was remarkable. 

While our ideal move would’ve been to get the original equipment tires, we pivoted to aftermarket tires after our experience in our long-term Toyota Tundra, which chewed up two sets of OE tires in less than 20,000 miles. We didn’t want to go down that road again, so we opted for the Bridgestone Potenza tires, which are designed for high-performance sports cars, coupes, and sedans, and they’re offered in the GTI’s size. 

The Bridgestone Potenza tires have notably enhanced the GTI’s ride quality, transforming it into a smoother, quieter, and more refined experience. Previously, over uneven or broken pavement, the vibrations transmitted into the cabin were more pronounced, creating a somewhat jarring effect. With the transition to Potenzas, these vibrations are significantly lessened, and the minor road imperfections that once disrupted the ride with the Hankooks are now almost imperceptible. This improvement has effectively addressed our previous concerns regarding ride comfort, providing a smoother experience despite the GTI’s performance-oriented ride and its summer tires. Our observations in our long-term GTI are corroborated by our recent experience with the 2024 Volkswagen GTI manual we had for a couple of weeks, which also featured Bridgestone tires and demonstrated a similarly refined ride. 

But were there any drawbacks to the new rubber? We took our GTI to the track for a head-to-head performance metrics comparison between the two tire options and found their overall performance to be quite similar. 

During the 60-0 mph braking test, the Bridgestones demonstrated a slight edge over the Hankooks, where the GTI came to a halt from 60 mph in 109 feet with the Hankooks and in 103 feet with the Bridgestones. This difference, while seemingly modest, could be crucial in real-world scenarios, potentially making the difference between a near miss and a rear-end collision, or even in autocross events where seconds are equally important. We also performed acceleration tests—our regular 0-60 mph test, and the figure eight test. In the former, the GTI might have had an off day, as it was 0.2-second slower to 60 mph with the Bridgestones than with the Hankooks while figure-eight performance is nearly identical with both tires (the improved lateral and longitudinal grip being offset by reduced acceleration).  

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We’re also impressed that the grip improvements are delivered along with a noticeable improvement in ride quality. A set of four Bridgestone Potenza S tires cost us $637.76, which is $554.51 more than a new set of Hankooks. We'd take the Bridgestone Potenza S every day and save the money.  

As we get ready to bid adieu to our long-term Volkswagen Golf GTI, we wish we had swapped tires earlier, as we’d have enjoyed a better ride quality for a longer time. Whoever its next owner is will be quite happy with the upgrade.  

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For More on Our Long-Term 2023 Volkswagen Golf GTI 40th Anniversary Edition:

• Forty, Flirty, and Thriving
• Technology Isn't Its Strongest Suit
• The Long Way Home
• Our Golf GTI is Practical and Fun
• 3 Things We’re Looking Forward to About the 2025 Volkswagen Golf GTI
• Our Volkswagen Golf GTI is Delivering Sensational Fuel Economy
• We Drove the Last VW Golf GTI With a Manual Transmission. We Don’t Want It to Go Away.

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