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Pirelli Powergy vs Vredestein Ultrac — Compared (September 2026)
Our Relative Score blends 60% objective test data with 40% owner-review signal — so any two tires can be compared even if they were never tested on the same day.
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6 categories, side by side
Each bar is the Relative Score for that category. Expand a tile to see the test results and owner ratings behind it.
Dry
Why this score
| Source | Powergy | Ultrac |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 71 | 88 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 83 | 84 |
| Dry Braking (% of best) | 94% | 94% |
Wet
Why this score
| Source | Powergy | Ultrac |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 78 | 87 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 76 | 80 |
| Wet Braking (% of best) | 96% | 97% |
| Wet Circle (% of best) | 98% | 98% |
| Wet Handling (% of best) | 90% | 99% |
Comfort
Why this score
| Source | Powergy | Ultrac |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 84 | 89 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 72 | 80 |
Noise
Why this score
| Source | Powergy | Ultrac |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 72 | 78 |
Treadwear
Why this score
| Source | Powergy | Ultrac |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 63 | 64 |
Handling
Why this score
| Source | Powergy | Ultrac |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 75 | 77 |
| DriverReviews owners | 82 | 80 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Pirelli Powergy | Vredestein Ultrac |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 73 | 78 |
| Dry | 76 | 87 |
| Wet | 77 | 84 |
| Comfort | 79 | 85 |
| Noise | 72 | 78 |
| Treadwear | 63 | 64 |
| Handling | 75 | 77 |
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.
Tire A
Tire B
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.
| Discipline | Category | Tire A | Tire B | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curved Aquaplaning | Curved | 81% #8/10 · 2026 autozurnal Eco Summer Tyre Test | 95% #3/21 · 2022 Auto Bild Summer Tyre Test | -13.8 | Different tests |
| Dry Braking | Dry | 94% #4/10 · 2026 autozurnal Eco Summer Tyre Test | 94% #6/10 · 2025 Autobild SUV Off-Road Summer Tyre Test | 0 | Different tests |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 81% #5/10 · 2026 autozurnal Eco Summer Tyre Test | 96% #4/9 · 2024 AZ Summer Tyre Test | -15.6 | Different tests |
| Noise | Other | 98% #1/10 · 2026 autozurnal Eco Summer Tyre Test | 99% #10/13 · Tyre Reviews Best Summer Touring Tyres | -1 | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 20% #5/10 · 2026 autozurnal Eco Summer Tyre Test | 33% #3/7 · The Best Touring Tyres for 2025 Tested | -13.3 | Different tests |
| Straight Aqua | Straight | 92% #4/10 · 2026 autozurnal Eco Summer Tyre Test | 98% #5/10 · 2025 Autobild SUV Off-Road Summer Tyre Test | -6.4 | Different tests |
| Subj. Comfort | Subj | 93% #3/10 · 2026 autozurnal Eco Summer Tyre Test | 95% #2/7 · The Best Touring Tyres for 2025 Tested | -2.1 | Different tests |
| Subj. Dry Handling | Subj | 93% #3/10 · 2026 autozurnal Eco Summer Tyre Test | 80% #9/14 · 2025 Summer and All Season Combined Tyre Test | +12.8 | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 96% #5/10 · 2026 autozurnal Eco Summer Tyre Test | 97% #3/20 · 2024 AutoBild Summer Tyre Test | -1.3 | Different tests |
| Wet Circle | Wet | 98% #3/10 · 2026 autozurnal Eco Summer Tyre Test | 98% #3/9 · 2024 AZ Summer Tyre Test | -0.1 | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 90% #2/10 · 2026 autozurnal Eco Summer Tyre Test | 99% #2/8 · 2024 AMS Summer SUV Tyre Test | -8.5 | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
The Pirelli Powergy is a polarizing tire that excels in dry grip and ride comfort but faces significant criticism regarding its longevity and inconsistent noise levels. While many users praise its performance as a cost-effective daily driver, others report rapid tread wear and disappointing fuel economy, leading to a mixed overall reception.
Pros
- Strong dry pavement grip and responsive handling
- High levels of ride comfort and impact absorption
- Competitive pricing compared to premium tier alternatives
- Generally quiet operation for many users
Cons
- Rapid tread wear and shallow initial tread depth
- Inconsistent reports on road noise, with some users citing extreme volume
- Noticeable negative impact on fuel economy for some vehicles
- Lack of steering feedback and 'soft' sidewall feel
Observations
- Users with high-torque or performance-oriented vehicles (e.g., M240i, 2.0TFSI Q3) reported issues with traction and wheelspin under load.
- Drivers of heavier vehicles or those with specific rim sizes (e.g., 235/19) noted a decline in fuel efficiency compared to previous sets.
- The tire is frequently cited as a significant comfort upgrade over factory-fitted run-flat tires.
The Vredestein Ultrac is widely regarded as a comfortable, high-performance touring tire that excels in wet weather conditions and provides a refined, quiet ride. While many users praise its daily driving capabilities and steering feedback, the tire experiences a significant divide in user experience regarding tread longevity, with reports ranging from exceptional durability to premature, rapid wear.
Pros
- Outstanding ride comfort and noise reduction
- Strong wet weather performance and hydroplaning resistance
- Predictable and consistent handling for daily driving
- Improved steering feel compared to many entry-level or older performance tires
Cons
- Highly inconsistent tread life, with some users reporting premature wear
- Lack of sharp, high-performance steering feedback for aggressive driving
- Reports of soft sidewalls leading to a lack of stability under heavy cornering
- Occasional reports of increased road noise or 'hollow' sounds
Observations
- Users with smaller, daily-driven vehicles (e.g., C-Max, Audi A1) report high satisfaction with comfort and longevity.
- Drivers of performance-oriented vehicles or those expecting track-day precision often find the sidewalls too soft and the steering feedback lacking compared to dedicated performance tires.
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Pirelli Powergy
Community opinion on the Pirelli Powergy line is mixed, with users noting it serves as Pirelli's budget or eco-oriented offering compared to higher-end models like the Cinturato. While some find them to be a decent, affordable upgrade over older worn tires, others report concerns regarding ride comfort, noise, and potential mixing issues with other tire models.
“Are Pirelli Powergy Winter the right winter tires for the GR? Hey, my parents bought a GR Yaris last week and it’s a great car but I looked at its winter tires and those are Pirelli Powergy Winter. I’m not an expert on tires but as far as I know the P-Zero Winter would be the right choice for a GR. My father didn’t bought them because he thought it was the right tires rather a tire salesman talked him into it. I talked him into Pirelli as those were the factory tires for his Volvo 850R and would be a better choice then his current Conti Premium 5 but somehow my father misunderstood me to that point that Pirelli’s are the greatest tires ever. So he asked the salesmen for the best Pirelli Tires and told the car it’s for but the salesman sold him those Powergy tires and said that not all Pirelli’s are in stock. As my father isn’t an enthusiast but loves likes to drive performance cars he didn’t knew better and now it’s too late. In my eyes a good salesman (not in the way of profit for the company rather costumer experience) would have told him that the P-Zeros winter are out of stock but can be ordered or would show him tires from different companies. Another option is the salesman though he meant the GR Sport Yaris for which P-Zero winters are too much as not many persons in their sixties drive a real GR. So my question are the Powergy enough for the GR or should he get P-Zeros next Winter (in a few weeks we will put on summer tires)”
“Ripples in side wall Just been washing the car and found what I can only describe as ripples in the side wall of my front-right tyre. Had these fitted in June, only just noticed the ripples. The other tyres are perfect. I’ve probably done around 2,000 miles on them. Should I be concerned, and do they look like a manufacturing defect, or as a result of damage? (I’ve not hit any serious potholes that I’m aware of). These tyres are Pirelli Powergy, fitted to a Volvo XC60. Date code is 3325. Any help gratefully received. Read more”
“Pirelli cinturato P7 and Pirelli Powergy Hi all 👋🏼 So I had 4 Pirelli Cinturato P7’s on my Ford Focus ST. I got a flat tire (front left) while I was on vacation so I decided to get 2 new tires at the front. I asked the guy at the tire shop to get the same tires (so the Pirelli Cinturato’s). He got me Pirelli Powergy’s instead… He didn’t really speak English and there was not time as I was driving home the next day. So I just accepted it. Now my question is what’s the main difference between these tires? And does it matter I got 2 different tires now? (2 powergy’s at the front and 2 Cinturato’s at the back) Thanks!🙏🏼”
Based on 15 community posts
Vredestein Ultrac
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.
“New boots! Vredestein Ultrac Pro 225s for the Turbo 3”
“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”
“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”
“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!”
Based on 17 community posts
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Pirelli Powergy | B · Vredestein Ultrac |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer Premium Touring tires | Summer High Performance tires |
| Vehicle type | — | Passenger Car / Crossover |
Which one should you actually buy?
Pirelli
Vredestein
Winner: Vredestein Ultrac — better dry, wet and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Vredestein Ultrac scores 87 vs 76 on dry.
Vredestein Ultrac scores 84 vs 77 on wet.
Vredestein Ultrac scores 85 vs 79 on comfort.
Vredestein Ultrac scores 78 vs 72 on noise.
How do we compare tires?
Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements) normalized against the best tire in each test and weighted toward recent tests. 40% comes from thousands of owner reviews collected from retailers and review sites. When a tire has only one of the two, we use what exists and say so.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.