Vredestein Wintrac Xtreme

The Vredestein Wintrac Xtreme is a Ultra High Performance Winter tire designed to be fitted to Passenger Cars.

This tire has been replaced by the Vredestein Wintrac xtreme S.

Dry Grip 83%
Wet Grip 86%
Road Feedback 82%
Handling 77%
Wear 87%
Comfort 86%
Buy again 90%
Snow Grip 50%
Ice Grip 50%

Tire review data from 64 tire reviews averaging 77% over 730,144 miles driven.

The Wintrac Xtreme is ranked 36th of 43 Winter Ultra High Performance tires.

Latest Tire Test Results

2014 50 Winter Tire Braking Overview - 31st of 48 tires

View Full Test >>

2014 Tire Tests

  • 31st: 2014 50 Winter Tire Braking Overview (225/50 R17)
  • Size Fuel Wet Noise Weight
    0/0 R0 0         10.58kgs

    Sorry, we don't currently have any questions and answers for the Vredestein Wintrac Xtreme. Why not submit a question to our tire experts using the form below!

    Ask a question

    We will never publish or share your email address

    capatha

    To verify you're human please type the word you see above in the box below.


    Top 3 Vredestein Wintrac Xtreme Reviews

    Given 88% while driving a MG ZT 260 (235/40 R18) on mostly town for 10,000 spirited miles
    First winter tires I'd ever used. Very good in the snow on my MG ZT V8.Very good in the wet too.
    However all four tires have now split on the inside walls - they are dated 2010.
    Helpful 87 - tire reviewed on May 8, 2015
    Given 63% while driving a Jaguar XFR (225/40 R19) on mostly motorways for 40 average miles
    I was advised to get these tires by my local tire dealer as a cheaper alternative, and by and large they are good tires in the snow, BUT, they are very poor in the wet.

    The original car that they were fitted to was the Jaguar 5.0 v8 with 385 BHP and they were ok, but when I put them on my Jaguar XFR with 510 BHP the wet grip went from OK to dangerous. Losing traction at 70 MPH on a motorway in the rain whilst going uphill and round a slight bend was not fun.

    I suspect that they are OK on lower powered cars, but can't recommend them on higher powered cars.

    UPDATE:- I have now spent a winter on some new tires which are an order of magnitude better than these tires in the wet and slightly better in the snow.
    Helpful 43 - tire reviewed on April 5, 2018
    Nissan (215/65 R16 H) on mostly country roads for 4,700 spirited miles
    I have been using Wintrac Xtreme since 2012. I drive from Ireland via Stena ferry to Cherbourg then to Megeve and return 5 weeks later. The the tires are superb in all weathers and on snow and ice are supreme. Instilling great confidence without being foolish! I used to change them after winter ( 2 sets of wheels/ winter/ summer. But now I leave them on all year round. 100,% in all weathers. I drive a Nissan X trail tekna. Anyone who buys these tires will not be disappointed!
    Helpful 25 - tire reviewed on November 13, 2020
    Have you driven on the Vredestein Wintrac Xtreme tire?

    Have YOU got experience with the Vredestein Wintrac Xtreme? Help millions of other tire buyers

    Review your Vredestein Wintrac Xtreme >

    Latest Vredestein Wintrac Xtreme Reviews

    Given 41% while driving a Fiat 500X (215/50 R17 H) on mostly motorways for 20,000 spirited miles
    Awful Tire when coming from Michelin Alpin 5 and Conti TS860.
    The Vredestein don't come anywhere near.
    It's a Dutch brand, so driving when them in the Dutch wintery conditions, you would say they're made for it. They are not.
    If you're looking to buy these tires, just spend maybe €10 more per tire and buy Michelin or Conti. Or buy Uniroyal or Hankooks if you want to save money.
    The Vredestein are useless, especially in wet conditions.
    Helpful 28 - tire reviewed on September 1, 2019
    Given 85% while driving a Volkswagen Tiguan (235/55 R17) on mostly country roads for 5,000 spirited miles
    Bought these last year, & to be honest they are one of the best winter tires I've used.
    All round good grip & feedback levels. Progressive when they start to let go in the wet.
    Brilliant when used in snow combined with 4x4 traction. They just bite & go!
    Used on a Tiguan & made a few trips up the hills in Scotland to go ski-ing & never failed to get through.
    Swapping to these from Pirelli Scorpion's for the rest of the year, there is little noticeable difference in road noise or comfort.
    The only winter tire I have used in the past better than these were Continental Winter Contact's, but they do cost a fair bit more.
    All in all, I highly recommend these tires for the cold seasons!
    Helpful 32 - tire reviewed on October 29, 2018
    What to know the BEST All Season Tires for 2024? Click to find out!
    Given 86% while driving a Ford Galaxy (225/45 R17) on a combination of roads for 23,000 average miles
    I have tried 3 brands of winter tire and the Vredstein has been head and shoulders above the others. Having travelled through the alps in winteron fresh and packed snow, I have never been stuck with these. Ford Galaxy 2wheel drive.
    Helpful 25 - tire reviewed on December 12, 2017
    Given 83% while driving a Vauxhall Insignia ST SRI CDTI ecoFLEX 160 (245/45 R18 V) on a combination of roads for 18,000 average miles
    So drive on these everyday all year round on the front, motorway, A and B roads, now getting to the wear bar at 18000 miles.
    They break traction at roundabouts if there is grit of salt on the road when you pull out, That's about the only real issue I have found.
    Drove through some atrocious rain storms on the A1 last year and never felt the car move around at all, and I do not hang about.

    Ok they are getting noisier as we get towards the end of their life, but on an icy January morning or with a little snow on the ground I know I am getting to work !
    There seems to be more grip from these than the summer Continentals on the works car.
    Would I have another set, yes as I cannot find any all seasons tires to fit the bill.
    Helpful 24 - tire reviewed on October 8, 2017
    Given 69% while driving a Jaguar XFR (255/40 R19) on mostly motorways for 40,685 average miles
    I fitted these tires, initially to my V8 XF Jaguar and then onto my V8 XFR Jaguar.

    The grip in the snow is excellent, which is what you need with a powerful rear wheel drive car, but the wet weather handling was always suspect. But when I put these tires onto the XFR the wet weather handling issues became dangerous. even using winter mode on the car and barely touching the accelerator I would get wheel spin on all uphill starts, and I live in the hills in the North of England so that is inevitable. But the breaking point for me was when the rear wheels broke traction, in the rain, going uphill on the M1 at 70 MPH when I crossed the white line changing lanes. That got my attention and so I have removed these tires even though they have over 4mm of tread left.

    Having said that the wear rate if phenononal, I said 4mm of tread left and they have done 40,685 miles. They may simply be too hard to grip in the wet.
    Helpful 30 - tire reviewed on December 10, 2016
    Given 89% while driving a Volkswagen TOUAREG V6 TDI (275/45 R20) on a combination of roads for 26,000 average miles
    In March 2014 we purchased our first VW Touareg 3.0 V6 Diesel, we previously had a Mercedes ML and had some issues with the tires. We wanted a four season tire for our 275/45 R20 wheels but couldn't seem to find any for such large wheels.

    We went onto the web to try and find an appropriate tire, but just ended up more confused! I spoke to my local tire fitting expert Jeff Fowkes Wheels Ltd in Ibstock Leicestershire and he suggested that I take a look at the Vredestein Wintrac Extreme.

    I immediately expressed surprise as spring had sprung and summer was coming, I was told that they could be left on all year round and they would still perform well. I was a little sceptical but went ahead with the purchase and we have now enjoyed just over 26,000 on the same set of tires, they are not particularly noisy and we haven't had any issues with performance at all.

    Apparently the front tires have around another 3,000 miles or so left in them (6mm left on the rears and 5mm on the fronts) before we need to think about replacing them, we were advised to run them at around 40 psi rather than the 35 psi we were running them at to give a bit more support to the side walls, the front passenger side one has worn the outside edge away (apparently this is a Touareg thing) and we were advised to have the tracking checked and corrected which we did. It was also suggested that we should have rotated the tires (front to rear) each twelve months to equalise the wear, which we didn't do, but will in future.

    the Wintrac Extreme has now been replaced by the Wintrac S Extreme and we will be fitting another pair of these on the front in around three months time and will continue to run these "winter" tires all year round. For those who are fortunate enough to have the space to store winter and summer wheels, the Vredestein Ultrac Vorti is an excellent summer tire, good value and also lasts for a good few miles!

    I hope that this helps people who are having the same dilemma as we did!

    Michael
    Helpful 23 - tire reviewed on May 30, 2016
    Given 91% while driving a Audi Q3 (215/65 R16) on mostly country roads for 2,000 spirited miles
    superb in snow and ice circa -2degs-4degs C . in the lake district . gives total confidence and tractability . no problems with grip even on steep down gradiuents . Will buy again the same or equivalent when necessary . Equally impressive on normal dry/ wet roads above o degs too. Went for new small wheels ; 16 inch with 215 , 65 ,16inch H speed on on audi Q3 quattro . Exellent ride quality .mike m.
    Helpful 20 - tire reviewed on February 4, 2016
    Given 84% while driving a Volkswagen mk7 Golf GTD (225/45 R17) on a combination of roads for 12,000 average miles
    These are the second set of Vredestein winter tires after I had a set of snowtrac 3s a couple of years ago. I've only had a couple of weeks worth of driving in the snow with them but they are an excellent tire for those conditions. Car behaves well, pulls well and stops well. I've never once gotten stuck even in relatively deep snow. In normal road conditions they behave almost as well as the Bridgestones I use in summer, not quite as good in fast flowing corners but you'd have to go some to get them to break traction. For someone who is looking for a set of winter tires that are good in the snow and good in average road conditions I would recommend these tires. Wear is pretty decent I've used them for over 12k miles and wear is barely 2mm across all four tires.
    Helpful 21 - tire reviewed on September 17, 2015
    Given 77% while driving a Land Rover Freelander 2 (235/55 R19) on mostly country roads for 3,000 average miles
    I fitted these to my Freelander 2 Just before winter and grip in cold/icy/snowy conditions is exceptional. I have kept them in on in the summer and you would never know they are winter tires. Not done enough miles yet, but they look like they aren't wearing overly fast either! However Fuel economy has taken a hit. They are a good 10% down over Continental cross contact UHP's. It might not sound like much, but on a run I used to get 43mpg and now get 38mpg and it adds up. That said, come the winter they are exceptional.
    Helpful 20 - tire reviewed on September 11, 2015
    Given 91% while driving a Toyota RAV4 (225/45 R17) on a combination of roads for 10,000 average miles
    great tires. had 4 of those for the last 4 winters on my RAV4 SUV and they are in excellent shape. highly recommended.
    Helpful 18 - tire reviewed on March 7, 2015
    Given 91% while driving a BMW Z4 (225/45 R17) on a combination of roads for 6,000 spirited miles
    A very quiet winter tire, even if runflat. On my BMW Z4 they are predictable, on dry road very grippy, quick and precise. Excellent on wet too. They grip very good and provide always an excellent traction and have no slip. On snow they give the best and they go on where other cars have to mount chaines. This is the second winter, and they will stay a third too. Very good wear. An excellent winter tire, godd on dry and wet roads too. I recomend and love this tires. Absolutely good price for this performance.
    Helpful 20 - tire reviewed on February 21, 2015
    Given 91% while driving a Land Rover Range Rover Evoque (225/45 R20 V) on mostly country roads for 2,000 spirited miles
    Great winter tire does more than you expect and quiet too
    Helpful 19 - tire reviewed on February 7, 2015