If you're on the hunt for a set of performance tyres without burning a hole in the pocket, one of the best options remains to be the Bridgestone Potenza Adrenalin RE003.

Now three-years old, the RE003 is the successor of the RE002 and sits below the brand's flagship S001 in the Potenza range.

As its Potenza name suggests, the RE003 is a street performance tyre, while RE actually stands for Racing Equipment (bet you didn't know that).

Unlike the S001, which is aimed at higher-performance cars such those by BMW and Mercedes-Benz, the RE003 is tailored for mid-level ones such as the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution or Subaru Impreza WRX, for example.

It is the all-season, all-purpose working-class hero for Singapore's favourite performance machines, if you will. But the beauty of the RE003 is that because of its reasonable price tag, it's a great tyre for any car, performance or not.

So what exactly makes the RE003 good?

For starters, there's how it looks. The RE003 sports a rather aggressive tread pattern; with the asymmetrical tyre's outer side tread looking almost like racing semi-slicks.

Coupled with a sick set of wheels, it's a sure-fire way of improving your car's aesthetics.

But it's not all groove show and no go for the RE003. Its sidewall is firm enough for a good amount of steering response and cornering stability, without being overly jarring and ruining the ride quality.

Made from a new type of silica compound together with a wide centre rib, its improved grip over the RE002 allows the driver to hold onto an intended line in a corner better, too. This is a claim, which I've put to the test and escaped unscathed one too many a time.

That, on top of the greater feedback coming through the steering wheel, gives ample warning to the driver that the tyre is approaching its limits.

And unless you're going all-out like a madman in the rain with a death wish, it'll do just as well in the wet, whether in a straight line or if you're see-sawing from lane to lane.

But it's also more than just the usual performance tyre, this RE003

More importantly, the RE003 does what many performance tyres usually fail to do.

One of the most immediately noticeable differences if you're switching from a less-established brand of performance tyres is the comfort and quietness the RE003 delivers.

Considering that it's catered to performance cars that will be driven hugely on a daily basis, the surprising refinement is something that makes the RE003 so appealing to own.

That said, one must understand that the RE003 is in no way the best performing, the most fuel economical or the quietest tyre in the market. But it takes all those qualities and it does it all together, very well.