Head-to-head Updated

Vredestein Ultrac vs Michelin Pilot Sport 5 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

Pilot Sport 5 is ahead, 82–63

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Ultrac

Summer

Tests 60 · 14 tests Owners 64 · 411 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2024 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test (interior noise)

“New boots! Vredestein Ultrac Pro 225s for the Turbo 3”

Tire BMichelin

Pilot Sport 5

Summer

Tests 83 · 23 tests Owners 82 · 6,367 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 7 in 2024 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test (longitudinal aquaplaning)

“My 8-month experience with Michelin Pilot Sport 5 – honest thoughts after highway + city use Switched to Michelin Pilot Sport 5s about 8 months ago on my Hyundai Creta]and figured I'd share a proper update since I couldn't find many India-based long-term reviews when I was researching. Background: I drive a mix of Delhi–Gurugram highway stretches and stop-go city traffic. Previous tyres were Ceat tyres. Wet grip: This is where they genuinely shine. Monsoon season in NCR was the real test — braking distances felt noticeably shorter than my previous set, and I never had that nervous moment on waterlogged roads near Dhaula Kuan. Dry handling: Confident and predictable. Not much to complain about here. Cornering feel is crisp, especially at highway speeds. Ride comfort: Slightly firmer than my old tyres, which I expected given the performance focus. Not harsh — just different. Long highway runs are still comfortable. Noise: Quieter than I expected for a performance tyre. Road noise on concrete sections of NH-48 is very manageable. Fuel efficiency: Marginal difference — maybe 0.3–0.5 kmpl lower, hard to say definitively. Wear so far: Looking good at 8 months / ~7,000 km. No uneven wear patterns. Would I buy again? Probably yes, especially if wet weather safety matters to you. Price premium over budget options is real, but the wet grip gives peace of mind. Happy to answer any questions. Anyone else running Michelins in Indian conditions? Read more”

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 77

    Dry

    Pilot Sport 5 +11
    88
    Why this score
    SourceUltracPilot Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score)8391
    Reviews found online6785
    Dry Braking (% of best)96%96%
    Dry Handling (% of best)99%99%
  2. 78

    Wet

    Pilot Sport 5 +8
    86
    Why this score
    SourceUltracPilot Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score)8586
    Reviews found online6886
    Longitudinal Aquaplaning (% of best)97%100%
    Transverse Aquaplaning (% of best)100%100%
    Wet Braking (% of best)93%100%
    Wet Braking - Concrete (% of best)88%97%
    Wet Circle (% of best)99%97%
    Wet Handling (% of best)99%99%
  3. 67

    Comfort

    Pilot Sport 5 +7
    74
    Why this score
    SourceUltracPilot Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score)–69
    Reviews found online6581
    Interior Noise (% of best)100%95%
  4. 68

    Noise

    Ultrac +17
    51
    Why this score
    SourceUltracPilot Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score)6841
    Exterior Noise (% of best)100%71%
  5. 28

    Treadwear

    Pilot Sport 5 +54
    82
    Why this score
    SourceUltracPilot Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score)1087
    Reviews found online5675
  6. 66

    Handling

    Pilot Sport 5 +17
    83
    Why this score
    SourceUltracPilot Sport 5
    Reviews found online6683
Scores at a glance
Vredestein Ultrac vs Michelin Pilot Sport 5: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryVredestein UltracMichelin Pilot Sport 5
Relative Score 63 82
Dry 77 88
Wet 78 86
Comfort 67 74
Noise 68 51
Treadwear 28 82
Handling 66 83

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

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Recomputed
Headline score

Ultrac

Pilot Sport 5

The professional test results behind the scores

Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.

DisciplineCategoryUltracPilot Sport 5ΔBoth?
Interior Noise Comfort 100% #1/8 · 2024 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test 95% #3/8 · 2024 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test +4.6 Same test
Curved Aquaplaning Curved 100% #1/10 · 2025 Autobild SUV Off-Road Summer Tyre Test 87% #6/7 · 2026 Sport Auto Summer Tyre Test +13.0 Different tests
Dry Braking Dry 96% #8/10 · 2024 Motorhome Summer Tyre Test 96% #6/8 · 2025 Die Reifentester UHP Summer Tyre Test −0.5 Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 99% #3/9 · 2024 AZ Summer Tyre Test 99% #7/10 · 2025 AZ Summer Tyre Test +0.8 Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 87% #3/6 · 2024 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ Summer Tire Test R17 81% #2/3 · Michelin Pilot Sport VS EV Specific Performance Tyres +5.7 Different tests
Fuel Consumption Fuel 97% #7/16 · 2024 ADAC Summer Tyre Test 95% #8/18 · 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test +2.0 Different tests
Exterior Noise Noise 100% #1/6 · 2024 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ Summer Tire Test R17 71% #7/9 · 2023 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ 2023 Summer Tire Test R18 +28.6 Different tests
Abrasion Other 47% #16/16 · 2024 ADAC Summer Tyre Test 78% #2/18 · 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test −31.4 Different tests
Noise Other 100% #3/10 · 2024 Motorhome Summer Tyre Test 97% #5/7 · 2026 AutoView Sport Tyre Test +2.8 Different tests
Price Other 78% #3/10 · 2022 AZ SUV Tyre Test 56% #13/13 · 2023 AutoBild Sports Car Summer Tyre Test +21.8 Different tests
Value Other 35% #16/16 · 2024 ADAC Summer Tyre Test 70% #10/20 · 2023 AutoBild UHP Summer Tyre Test −35.0 Different tests
Wear Other 53% #19/21 · 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test 88% #2/20 · 2023 AutoBild UHP Summer Tyre Test −35.0 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 33% #3/55 · 2024 Summer Tyre Market Overview 17% #6/48 · 2023 Summer Tyre Market Overview +16.7 Different tests
Straight Aqua Straight 98% #5/10 · 2025 Autobild SUV Off-Road Summer Tyre Test 93% #9/10 · 2023 AZ UHP Summer Tyre Test +5.6 Different tests
Subj. Dry Handling Subj 80% #9/14 · 2025 Summer and All Season Combined Tyre Test 96% #3/7 · 2026 AutoView Sport Tyre Test −16.0 Different tests
Subj. Noise Subj 80% #8/14 · 2025 Summer and All Season Combined Tyre Test 80% #5/8 · 2025 Die Reifentester UHP Summer Tyre Test 0.0 Different tests
Subj. Wet Handling Subj 80% #7/12 · 2025 UTAC / Aftonbladet Summer & All-Season Tire Test R17 60% #7/8 · 2025 Die Reifentester UHP Summer Tyre Test +20.0 Different tests
Total Cost of Ownership Total 0% #20/21 · 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test 0% #5/10 · 2025 AZ Summer Tyre Test 0.0 Different tests
Longitudinal Aquaplaning Wet 97% #4/7 · 2024 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test 100% #1/7 · 2024 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test −2.7 Same test
Transverse Aquaplaning Wet 100% #1/6 · 2024 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ Summer Tire Test R17 100% #1/9 · 2023 ACE/ARBÖ/GTÜ 2023 Summer Tire Test R18 0.0 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 93% #8/10 · 2024 Motorhome Summer Tyre Test 100% #1/7 · 2026 AutoView Sport Tyre Test −7.2 Different tests
Wet Braking - Concrete Wet 88% #3/16 · 2024 ADAC Summer Tyre Test 97% #3/18 · 2025 ADAC Summer Tyre Test −8.7 Different tests
Wet Circle Wet 99% #3/8 · 2024 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test 97% #5/7 · 2026 Sport Auto Summer Tyre Test +2.1 Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 99% #4/10 · 2025 Autobild SUV Off-Road Summer Tyre Test 99% #4/8 · 2024 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test +0.4 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Ultrac

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and confidence in wet weather conditions
  • High level of ride comfort and ability to absorb road bumps
  • Low road noise and quiet operation

Cons

  • Rapid tread wear reported by several drivers
  • Softer sidewalls leading to less initial steering feedback or stability
  • Occasional complaints of tramlining or tracking narrow road repairs
All owner themes in the Ultrac review

Tire B Pilot Sport 5

Pros

  • Outstanding wet and dry traction with high resistance to aquaplaning
  • Superior tread life and longevity compared to competitors and previous generations
  • Noticeable improvements in ride comfort and a quieter cabin over rough road surfaces

Cons

  • Softer sidewalls can lead to initial steering vagueness or understeer during hard cornering
  • Higher price point compared to some tier-one competitors
  • Performance and grip degrade significantly under intense track heat or heavy circuit use
All owner themes in the Pilot Sport 5 review

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Vredestein Ultrac

Positive

Community members generally view the Vredestein Ultrac and Ultrac Pro as a compelling, budget-friendly alternative to premium high-performance summer tires like the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S. Users frequently highlight significant cost savings alongside comparable dry and wet performance, comfort, and noise levels, though a few note trade-offs in extreme cornering stiffness.

r/CarTalkUK ·22 upvotes ·2025-05-27

“Are budget tyres closing the gap to premium? I changed a set of tyres on my daily pd130 winter bash about and managed to get a set of vredestein ultrac for £80 a tyre fitted which I thought was a pretty good price. The tyre fitting service was saying to me that the gap between budgets and premium is much smaller in the last 10 years and that taxis tend to opt for budget tyres all the time and have no issues. Any thoughts on this? I’ve always gone for medium to higher end tyres. Leer más”

r/ZL1 ·2 upvotes ·2013-12-15

“I just had a set of Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta put on. Initial thoughts... I got them in 275/40/20 for the fronts and 315/35/20 for the rears. They fit the wheels perfectly. I immediately noticed a much softer ride. Sport Mode now feels like Tour Mode, maybe even softer. I DD my ZL1 so cold weather performance is very important. Temps were near 40°F and they stayed quite grippy. This is a huge improvement over the stock Goodyear's. Initial turn in response is good. I had the opportunity to push them on an off ramp and they felt a little mushy when pushed and didn't seem to want to exceed .75g I had a set of these on a previous car (2004 ZO6) and expect great wet weather performance. I will update this post once I get some more miles on them. Read more”

r/ZL1 ·2 upvotes ·2013-12-19

“The Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta are probably the best sport tyres ever made. Ive sold tyres for a living since I was 16, I've tried and tested hundreds of different tyres so i can give my customers the best advice, so I class myself as somewhat of an expert. The Sessantas are brilliant. I had them on an X5 for 8,000 miles, they couldn't have performed all round any better. EDIT: Oh and they wear so evenly it's unbelievable!”

Top themes
#Price and Value Comparison#Comparison to Michelin PS4S#Wet and Dry Grip#Ride Comfort and Noise#Tread Wear and Longevity#Handling and Steering Feel

Based on 17 community posts

Tire B

Michelin Pilot Sport 5

Positive

The Michelin Pilot Sport 5 is widely praised as an exceptional daily-driver tire, offering impressive wet grip, low road noise, and remarkable longevity compared to predecessors and rivals. While some enthusiast drivers find the sidewalls a bit soft or note less extreme track performance compared to dedicated track or 4S tires, community consensus highlights it as a top-tier, well-balanced choice for spirited street driving and commuting.

r/i20n ·17 upvotes ·2025-07-21

“Tyres: Ps5’s initial impression Tyres seem to be a common question across a few forums so I thought ide share. So after 12 months (27,000kms) with my i20n, I was (over) due to replace my tyres. While I loved the p-zeros, I wasn’t keen on the short life, so went with the pilot sport 5. My impressions as follows: Initial impression: a lot less road noise than the p-zero City drive: no noticeable difference (apart from the reduced noise) Highway drive: handling is not noticeably changed, but the reduced noise is really appreciated here! Twisty’s: the difference here is notable, ps5’s don’t provide quite the same aggressive limitless grip feel as the p-zeros. Still holds the line perfectly but noted a bit of slip on the inside front wheel under heavy throttle. I do approx 100km on back roads commuting to and from work every day, so I’ll update this thread if I find anything worth reporting Read more”

r/CarsAustralia ·8 upvotes ·2025-09-10

“In my experience they are quite long wearing tires and well worth the cost. I used to get around 40k out of most tyres. My first set of ps4’s lasted 55k and now the ps5’s are trending to beat it. I'm a pretty spirited driver around the roundabouts of Canberra too, though I only have a hatch so experiences may vary. As to performance I've driven them on my i30 n-line and other people’s i30N, BRZ, tesla 3, and stinger and the tyres have more grip than I have guts to push them on public roads. In both wet and dry they are very confidence inspiring and a hell of a lot of fun.”

r/DubaiPetrolHeads ·3 upvotes ·2025-07-15

“Had both on my ST. The 4S is more performance oriented but it wore out much quicker in approximately 35k kms. PS5 is more comfortable and the wear is slower however it does get noisy towards its end of life. After the 2 sets of Michelins, I tried the Falken FK520 for half the cost of the Michelins but found it to more comfortable for daily driving as it is comparatively softer.”

Top themes
#Wet grip and safety#Road noise and comfort#Tread life and durability#Daily driving vs track performance#Comparison with PS4 and PS4S#Value and pricing

Based on 134 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Vredestein Ultrac B · Michelin Pilot Sport 5
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover

Which one should you actually buy?

Vredestein Ultrac

Michelin Pilot Sport 5

Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 5 — better treadwear, handling and dry. Pick the Vredestein Ultrac if noise matters most to you.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Pilot Sport 5 scores 82 vs 28 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Vredestein Ultrac scores 68 vs 51 on noise.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Pilot Sport 5 scores 83 vs 66 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Pilot Sport 5 scores 88 vs 77 on dry.

Tire A · Vredestein Ultrac
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport 5

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How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.

82

Leads

Pilot Sport 5

Amazon