Nexen N Blue HD vs Vredestein Sportrac 5
In the 4 independent tests that ran both tires, the Vredestein Sportrac 5 finished ahead 4 times and the N Blue HD not once.
Performance profile
Their shared tests recorded too few of the same measurements to chart, so the chart shows what owners rate each tire on every question.
Where owners rate each higher
N Blue HD
Not ahead in any category
Sportrac 5
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
Owners rate the N Blue HD 66% from 14 reviews and the Sportrac 5 84% from 101. Each spoke is one question owners answer out of 10; reviews are vetted by hand before publication.
Head to head in 4 tests, 2012 to 2014
Each row is one published test in which both tires ran on the same car, in the same size, on the same day. The line is the whole field, winner on the left.
| Test | N Blue HD | Field | Sportrac 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 ADAC 195/65 R15 Summer Tire Test | P14 of 17 | P7 of 17 | |
| 2013 54 Tire Braking Test | P18 of 54 | P9 of 54 | |
| 2013 European Summer Touring Tire Test | P14 of 19 | P5 of 19 | |
| 2012 Auto Express Summer Tire Test | P3 of 8 | P2 of 8 |
N Blue HD vs Sportrac 5: your questions
Is the Nexen N Blue HD or the Vredestein Sportrac 5 the better tire?
In the 4 independent tests that ran both tires, the Vredestein Sportrac 5 finished ahead 4 times and the N Blue HD not once. On the Tire Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the N Blue HD scores 7.1 and the Sportrac 5 8.1 out of 10.
Which is quieter and more comfortable?
Owners rate comfort 6/10 for the N Blue HD and 8.4/10 for the Sportrac 5.
What do owners say?
Owners rate the N Blue HD 66% from 14 reviews and the Sportrac 5 84% from 101. 31% of N Blue HD owners would buy it again, against 83% for the Sportrac 5.
Are they available in the same sizes?
The N Blue HD is made in 5 sizes (15 to 18 inch) and the Sportrac 5 in 35 (14 to 17 inch). 3 sizes are available in both. On the EU label the N Blue HD is graded B for wet grip and C for rolling resistance in most sizes; the Sportrac 5 B and C.
Which is the newer tire?
The Sportrac 5 is the newer design: it reached the market in 2013, the N Blue HD in 2011. The Sportrac 5 replaced the Vredestein Sportrac 3.
More comparisons with these tires
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Your review is the part of this page no test can supply: how the tire wore, how it aged, what it was like in the rain in year three. It takes about five minutes.
Where this data comes from
Finishing positions and measurements are transcribed from each published test. A test only counts here when both tires ran in it, so every figure was recorded on the same car, size and day as the one it is compared to.
About the TR Score
The Tire Reviews Score rates each tire out of 10 from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold, so two tires can be compared even before a test has run them together.
Who does the testing
Every test published as a Tire Reviews test is run by Jonathan Benson, who has been testing tires independently since 2007.