Falken Azenis FK520 vs Vredestein Ultrac
In this article we will be looking at independent tire test data, and real world driver reviews of the Falken Azenis FK520 and the Vredestein Ultrac to find out which tire is best for your own driving.
There are a few basic differences between the two tires. The Falken Azenis FK520 is an Max-Performance Summer tire designed to be fitted to Passenger-Cars, and the Vredestein Ultrac is an High-Performance Summer tire designed to be fitted to Passenger-Cars
Test Results
Independent comparison tire tests are the best source of data to get tire information from, and the good news is there have been two tests which compare both tires directly!
| Tire | Test Wins | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Vredestein Ultrac | one | |
| one draws in one tests | ||
While it might look like the Vredestein Ultrac is better than the Falken Azenis FK520 purely based on the higher number of test wins, tires are very complicated objects which means where one tire is better than the other can be more important in real world use.
Let's look at how the two tires compare across multiple tire test categories.
Dry Braking
Looking at data from two tire tests, the Falken Azenis FK520 was better during two dry braking tests. On average the Falken Azenis FK520 stopped the vehicle in 3.93% less distance than the Vredestein Ultrac.
Best In Dry Braking: Falken Azenis FK520
See how the Dry Braking winner was calculated >>
Dry Handling [Km/H]
Looking at data from two tire tests, the Falken Azenis FK520 was better during two dry handling [km/h] tests. On average the Falken Azenis FK520 was 1.24% faster around a lap than the Vredestein Ultrac.
Best In Dry Handling [Km/H]: Falken Azenis FK520
See how the Dry Handling winner was calculated >>
Wet Braking
Looking at data from two tire tests, the Falken Azenis FK520 was better during one wet braking tests. On average the Falken Azenis FK520 stopped the vehicle in 1.26% less distance than the Vredestein Ultrac.
Best In Wet Braking: Falken Azenis FK520
See how the Wet Braking winner was calculated >>
Wet Handling [Km/H]
Looking at data from two tire tests, the Vredestein Ultrac was better during one wet handling [km/h] tests. On average the Vredestein Ultrac was 0.37% faster around a wet lap than the Falken Azenis FK520.
Best In Wet Handling [Km/H]: Vredestein Ultrac
See how the Wet Handling winner was calculated >>
Wet Circle
Looking at data from one tire tests, the Falken Azenis FK520 was better during one wet circle tests. On average the Falken Azenis FK520 was 0.2% faster around a wet circle than the Vredestein Ultrac.
Best In Wet Circle: Falken Azenis FK520
See how the Wet Circle winner was calculated >>
Straight Aqua
Looking at data from two tire tests, the Vredestein Ultrac was better during one straight aqua tests. On average the Vredestein Ultrac floated at a 1.83% higher speed than the Falken Azenis FK520.
Best In Straight Aqua: Vredestein Ultrac
See how the Straight Aqua winner was calculated >>
Curved Aquaplaning
Looking at data from two tire tests, the Vredestein Ultrac was better during two curved aquaplaning tests. On average the Vredestein Ultrac slipped out at a 6.01% higher speed than the Falken Azenis FK520.
Best In Curved Aquaplaning: Vredestein Ultrac
See how the Curved Aquaplaning winner was calculated >>
Gravel Handling [Km/H]
Looking at data from one tire tests, the Falken Azenis FK520 was better during one gravel handling [km/h] tests. On average the Falken Azenis FK520 was 0.66% faster around a lap than the Vredestein Ultrac.
Best In Gravel Handling [Km/H]: Falken Azenis FK520
See how the Gravel Handling winner was calculated >>
Gravel Traction
Looking at data from one tire tests, the Vredestein Ultrac was better during one gravel traction tests. On average the Vredestein Ultrac had 0.94% better traction on gravel than the Falken Azenis FK520.
Best In Gravel Traction: Vredestein Ultrac
See how the Gravel Traction winner was calculated >>
Sand Traction
Looking at data from one tire tests, the Vredestein Ultrac was better during one sand traction tests. On average the Vredestein Ultrac had 2.24% better traction in sand than the Falken Azenis FK520.
Best In Sand Traction: Vredestein Ultrac
See how the Sand Traction winner was calculated >>
Grass Traction
Looking at data from one tire tests, the Vredestein Ultrac was better during one grass traction tests. On average the Vredestein Ultrac was 1.71% faster accelerating on grass than the Falken Azenis FK520.
Best In Grass Traction: Vredestein Ultrac
See how the Grass Traction winner was calculated >>
Noise
Looking at data from two tire tests, the Vredestein Ultrac was better during two noise tests. On average the Vredestein Ultrac measured 1.34% quieter than the Falken Azenis FK520.
Best In Noise: Vredestein Ultrac
See how the Noise winner was calculated >>
Rolling Resistance
Looking at data from two tire tests, the Vredestein Ultrac was better during one rolling resistance tests. On average the Vredestein Ultrac had a 0.68% lower rolling resistance than the Falken Azenis FK520.
Best In Rolling Resistance: Vredestein Ultrac
See how the Rolling Resistance winner was calculated >>
Real World Driver Reviews
Falken Azenis FK520 Driver Reviews
Drivers report the Falken Azenis FK520 delivers excellent dry grip, very strong wet braking/traction, and predictable, progressive handling, while remaining comfortable and relatively quiet. Value for money is a standout, with several users comparing its performance favorably to premium brands, and wear generally viewed as good for a UHP tire. A minority note that steering precision/feedback isn't as sharp as top-tier UUHP options, and it's not the best choice for track days or prolonged hard driving due to some heat fade. Overall sentiment is strongly positive given the performance-to-price ratio.
Based on 38 reviews with an average rating of 83%
Vredestein Ultrac Driver Reviews
Most drivers rate the Vredestein Ultrac highly, praising its confident wet grip (including aquaplaning resistance), solid dry performance, and comfortable, quiet ride. Handling is described as predictable and safe, with several noting good value versus premium rivals. A minority report faster-than-expected tread wear, and a few mention noise or steering feel, but these are less common. Overall sentiment skews positive given the high number of strong reviews.
Based on 23 reviews with an average rating of 77%
Conclusion
In conclusion the Falken Azenis FK520 performed better in dry braking, dry handling [km/h], wet braking, wet circle and gravel handling [km/h], while the Vredestein Ultrac performed better in wet handling [km/h], straight aqua, curved aquaplaning, gravel traction, sand traction, grass traction, noise and rolling resistance.
Interestingly, both tires performed equally well in dry handling, wet handling and gravel handling, showing that they are closely matched in these areas.
Which tire is best for you depends a lot on your driving style and situation, plus what you want from the tire. Comparing all the data in the tire reviews database, on balance Vredestein Ultrac seems to be the best tire overall.
However, it's important to note that both tires have their strengths.
Remember, the best tire for you might depend on which of these factors are most important for your specific driving needs and conditions.
Overall Winner: Vredestein Ultrac
Based on the tire test data and user reviews we have in our database, the Vredestein Ultrac has demonstrated better overall performance in this comparison. However, as you can see from the spider diagram above, each tire has its own strengths which should be considered in your final tire buying choice.Similar Comparisons
Looking for more tire comparisons? Here are other direct comparisons involving these tires:
Falken Azenis FK520 Top Comparisons
No other comparisons available for this tire.
Vredestein Ultrac Top Comparisons
No other comparisons available for this tire.
Footnote
This page has been developed using tire industry testing best practices. This means we are only comparing tests which have had both tires in the same test.
Why is this important? Tire testing is heavily affected by things like surface grip levels and surface temperature, which means you can only compare values from the same day. During a tire test external condition changes are calculated into the overall results, but it is not possible to calculate this between tire tests performed on different days or at different locations.
As a result you will see other tests on Tire Reviews which feature both the %s and %s, but as they weren't conducted on the same day, the results are not comparable.
Lots of other websites do this sort of tire comparison, Tire Reviews doesn't.