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Head-to-head Updated

Firestone WinterForce vs Vredestein Quatrac — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 0 + 18 road tests and 66 + 1,593 owner reviews. How we score

Quatrac is ahead, 80–63

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Firestone WinterForce
Tire AFirestone

WinterForce

Winter Touring tires

± 8

Tests – · none yet Owners 61 · 66 reviews

Vredestein Quatrac
Tire BVredestein

Quatrac

All Season

± 4

Tests 81 · 18 tests Owners 78 · 1,593 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 30 in 2025 All Season 30 Tyre Braking Test (wet braking)

“Vredestein Quatrac and Hankook Kinergy 4S2 are good tyres. I prefer the vredestein quite comfortable tyres and quieter than the Hankook. But you can't go wrong with either of them.”

Category by category

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

  1. 55

    Dry

    Quatrac +26
    81
    Why this score
    SourceWinterForceQuatrac
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 18 tests≈ 60 (est.)83
    Reviews found online4978

    WinterForce: 60% × 60 (est.) + 40% × 48.6 = 55

    Quatrac: 60% × 82.9 + 40% × 77.6 = 81

    No road tests of dry for WinterForce. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 68

    Wet

    Quatrac +23
    91
    Why this score
    SourceWinterForceQuatrac
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 18 tests≈ 68 (est.)95
    Reviews found online6785

    WinterForce: 60% × 68.5 (est.) + 40% × 66.6 = 68

    Quatrac: 60% × 94.6 + 40% × 85.2 = 91

    No road tests of wet for WinterForce. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 73

    Snow

    Quatrac +1
    74
    Why this score
    SourceWinterForceQuatrac
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 13 tests≈ 72 (est.)74
    Reviews found online7573

    WinterForce: 60% × 71.8 (est.) + 40% × 74.5 = 73

    Quatrac: 60% × 74.3 + 40% × 72.9 = 74

    No road tests of snow for WinterForce. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 62

    Comfort

    Quatrac +12
    74
    Why this score
    SourceWinterForceQuatrac
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests≈ 67 (est.)74
    Reviews found online5974

    WinterForce: 40% × 66.7 (est.) + 60% × 58.8 = 62

    Quatrac: 40% × 74.5 + 60% × 73.8 = 74

    No road tests of comfort for WinterForce. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 61

    Noise

    Quatrac +13
    74
    Why this score
    SourceWinterForceQuatrac
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 13 tests≈ 66 (est.)78
    Reviews found online53≈ 66 (est.)

    WinterForce: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 52.9 = 61

    Quatrac: 60% × 78.3 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 74

    No road tests of noise for WinterForce. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

    No owner ratings of noise for Quatrac. The owner half is the owners’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  6. 62

    Treadwear

    Quatrac +13
    75
    Why this score
    SourceWinterForceQuatrac
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 7 tests≈ 64 (est.)73
    Reviews found online6077

    WinterForce: 60% × 64.1 (est.) + 40% × 59.8 = 62

    Quatrac: 60% × 73.2 + 40% × 77 = 75

    No road tests of treadwear for WinterForce. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 60

    Handling (owners)

    Quatrac +16
    76
    Why this score
    SourceWinterForceQuatrac
    Reviews found online6076
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    73
    Why this score
    SourceWinterForceQuatrac
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 13 tests–73
Scores at a glance
CategoryFirestone WinterForceVredestein Quatrac
Relative Score 63 80
Dry 55 81
Wet 68 91
Snow 73 74
Comfort 62 74
Noise 61 74
Treadwear 62 75
Handling (owners) 60 76
Efficiency – 73

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

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip starts at “Important”. Treadwear starts at “Neutral” here: road tests measured it for at most one of the two tires, so it rests on owner reviews. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

WinterForce

± 4

Quatrac

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A WinterForce

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and traction in deep snow, slush, and heavy winter weather
  • Great value and affordable price point compared to other winter tires
  • Studdable design for enhanced ice and packed snow performance

Cons

  • Noticeable tire noise and whirring on dry roads due to the aggressive tread block design
  • Softer rubber compound leads to faster tread wear if used year-round or in warmer weather
  • Softer sidewalls can cause some drifting or vague handling feel on dry pavement
All owner themes in the WinterForce review

Tire B Quatrac

Pros

  • Exceptional wet-weather traction and hydroplaning resistance
  • Reliable year-round performance, including impressive grip in light to moderate snow and slush
  • Quiet and comfortable ride quality on most road surfaces

Cons

  • Increased road noise or humming that can develop or worsen as the tires age
  • Faster-than-expected treadwear for some users, leading to shorter overall lifespan
  • Softer sidewalls that can feel slightly mushy during aggressive cornering or contribute to a wandering sensation at high speeds
All owner themes in the Quatrac review

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Firestone WinterForce

We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.

Tire B

Vredestein Quatrac

Positive

Community sentiment toward the Vredestein Quatrac is overwhelmingly positive, with drivers viewing it as one of the best mid-range all-weather tires available. Users frequently praise its reliable traction in wet and snowy conditions, along with its quiet and comfortable ride compared to rivals. While some owners note that stopping distances on ice or deep snow do not match dedicated winter tires and tread wear can vary, most consider it an exceptional value over premium brands like Michelin.

r/MiataNC ·2 upvotes ·2026-10-22

“I just put on a set of Vredestein Quatrac 205/50 R16 from Tire Rack. I am in central Iowa and plan on driving with them all winter.”
gr86.org ·2025-10-10

“Well the wheels are worth roughly $400-500 by themselves in "drive home and remove" condition. Could be a little higher or lower depending on the weather and the tides. Those particular tires look like about $232 each if it's 215/40/18 so half that for all 4 roughly is $500. I sold my 18" premium set off the new car for $1100 but wheels and tires were separated. Would have been $1200 but the doofus who separated the wheels and tires scratched them a little bit so I lowered it some. $372 is much too low on Ebay but $1200 is a good start point in here. They are slightly used but I still wouldn't settle for less than $800 and instead just sit on them until that happens. Don't let people tell you their worthless:”
r/tires ·2 upvotes ·2026-10-06

“How much life left? Vredestein Quatrac all-season tire with over 30.000miles Hi, I have been driving on these Vredestein Quatrac all-season for over 2 years and accumulated over 30.000miles/50.000kms. I read that these tires typically lasts until these milage, however, looking at the tires there seems to be still quite a bit of life left. I measered and got around of 5mm of tread left at the lowest point. Is this normal for an all-season tire to last this long? And how much life do you think these tires have left? Thanks!”
Top themes
#mid-range tire value#snow and winter performance#wet weather traction#quiet and comfortable ride#tread life longevity#all-weather capability

Based on 34 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Firestone WinterForce B · Vredestein Quatrac
CategoryWinter Touring tiresAll Season
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—39
Rim diameters—15″ – 18″
Tread depth12/32″—
UTQG—180 A B
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure44 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Firestone WinterForce

Vredestein Quatrac

Winner: Vredestein Quatrac — better dry, wet and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Vredestein Quatrac scores 81 vs 55 on dry.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Vredestein Quatrac scores 91 vs 68 on wet.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Vredestein Quatrac scores 76 vs 60 on handling.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Vredestein Quatrac scores 74 vs 61 on noise.

Tire A · Firestone WinterForce
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Tire B · Vredestein Quatrac
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WinterForce or Quatrac?

Which is better in the wet, WinterForce or Quatrac?

Vredestein Quatrac, 91 vs 68 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, WinterForce or Quatrac?

Vredestein Quatrac, 81 vs 55 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, WinterForce or Quatrac?

Neither, by our numbers: 73 vs 74 on the snow score, within 3 points.

Which is quieter, WinterForce or Quatrac?

Vredestein Quatrac, 74 vs 61 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, WinterForce or Quatrac?

Vredestein Quatrac, 74 vs 62 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, WinterForce or Quatrac?

Vredestein Quatrac, 75 vs 62 on our treadwear score.

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.

Handling is the exception: road tests measure it inside the dry and wet scores, so its own row comes from owner ratings only and starts as less important.

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