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General Altimax Arctic vs Vredestein Quatrac 5 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 0 + 6 road tests and 32 + 662 owner reviews. How we score

Quatrac 5 is ahead, 71–59

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Vredestein Quatrac 5
Tire BVredestein

Quatrac 5

All Season

Tests 73 · 6 tests Owners 70 · 662 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 9 in 2018 AMS All Season Tyre Test (dry handling)

“A guy on YouTube vlogged his experience with the quatrac 5 in his mirage. It's a good all weather tire for the occasional blast of snow but is by no means a substitute for actual snow tires.”

Category by category

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

  1. 57

    Dry

    Quatrac 5 +14
    71
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticQuatrac 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 6 tests≈ 61 (est.)72
    Reviews found online5168

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 60.8 (est.) + 40% × 50.5 = 57

    Quatrac 5: 60% × 72 + 40% × 68.4 = 71

    No road tests of dry for Altimax Arctic. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

  2. 62

    Wet

    Quatrac 5 +12
    74
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticQuatrac 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 6 tests≈ 64 (est.)75
    Reviews found online6073

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 64.2 (est.) + 40% × 59.8 = 62

    Quatrac 5: 60% × 75.1 + 40% × 72.9 = 74

    No road tests of wet for Altimax Arctic. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

  3. 59

    Snow

    Quatrac 5 +10
    69
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticQuatrac 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 5 tests≈ 64 (est.)70
    Reviews found online5267

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 63.8 (est.) + 40% × 51.6 = 59

    Quatrac 5: 60% × 70.4 + 40% × 67.3 = 69

    No road tests of snow for Altimax Arctic. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.33).

  4. 60

    Comfort

    Quatrac 5 +10
    70
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticQuatrac 5
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online5171

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 66 (est.) + 40% × 50.8 = 60

    Quatrac 5: 60% × 69.5 (est.) + 40% × 71 = 70

    No road tests of comfort for Altimax Arctic or Quatrac 5. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 62

    Noise

    Quatrac 5 +9
    71
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticQuatrac 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 4 tests≈ 67 (est.)73
    Reviews found online54≈ 67 (est.)

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 54.1 = 62

    Quatrac 5: 60% × 72.9 + 40% × 67.3 (est.) = 71

    No road tests of noise for Altimax Arctic. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

    No owner ratings of noise for Quatrac 5. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  6. 57

    Treadwear

    Quatrac 5 +14
    71
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticQuatrac 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests≈ 61 (est.)73
    Reviews found online5069

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 60.8 (est.) + 40% × 50.1 = 57

    Quatrac 5: 60% × 72.9 + 40% × 68.5 = 71

    No road tests of treadwear for Altimax Arctic. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

  7. 49

    Handling (owners)

    Quatrac 5 +22
    71
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticQuatrac 5
    Reviews found online4971
Scores at a glance
CategoryGeneral Altimax ArcticVredestein Quatrac 5
Relative Score 59 71
Dry 57 71
Wet 62 74
Snow 59 69
Comfort 60 70
Noise 62 71
Treadwear 57 71
Handling (owners) 49 71

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.

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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

Altimax Arctic

Quatrac 5

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Altimax Arctic

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and traction in deep snow, slush, and ice
  • High value and affordable price point compared to premium competitors
  • Reliable wet and dry handling during cold weather months

Cons

  • Handling and responsiveness drop off compared to dedicated summer or all-season tires
  • Some users report accelerated wear once the tire reaches 50% tread life
  • Minor tendencies toward understeer during hard cornering
All owner themes in the Altimax Arctic review

Tire B Quatrac 5

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and traction in wet conditions and winter weather (snow and ice)
  • Low road noise and high ride comfort
  • Good year-round versatility eliminating the need for seasonal tire swaps

Cons

  • Faster or uneven tread wear reported by some users, particularly on the outer edges
  • Softer sidewalls can induce a 'squishy' feel or slight loss of steering feedback
  • Less aggressive dry-pavement handling compared to dedicated summer tires
All owner themes in the Quatrac 5 review

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

General Altimax Arctic

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

Tire B

Vredestein Quatrac 5

Positive

Community sentiment toward the Vredestein Quatrac 5 is largely positive, with owners highlighting strong value, quiet comfort, and capable year-round traction. While recognized as a solid 3PMSF-rated all-weather tire, several users note that it cannot match dedicated winter tires in heavy snow and that tread wear can be rapid due to soft rubber compounds.

hellcat.org ·2018-11-22

“They're on my Hellcat now and it's an amazing tire. Surprisingly good traction in the dry. Hope you can get em as well!”
forum.miata.net

“They "look" like a full blown winter tire (ala Blizzak or XIce). But of course the rubber plays into it. We have Vredestein Quatrac 5 on our Sienna AWD van. These were sold as a true 4 season tire and we have driven them in 4 seasons. I didn't want to change tires on that vehicle, although for a Miata is would be a must. While they handle fine for the van, I don't drive the van like the Miata.”
civicx.com ·1 upvote ·2020-11-11

“I think Vredestein was more popular in Europe but Tire Rack has been expanding their presence in the US. Some of their tires are kinda unique bridging capabilities of different tire categories. There's another model they have called the Quatrac 5 which is an all-season sportier touring tire that has the severe snow duty rating like winter tires, but can be driven year round unlike winter tires. So they were on my radar because of that. (I'm "that car guy" who most of my friends and family consult when buying car stuff like tires so I find myself researching too many categories of tires. ?) This Hypertrac AS is a newer model and more focused on performance, but it seems to be a UHPAS option with more comfort than similar tires. If you're experiencing that lack of performance from the OE Goodyears you should look at those Falken FK510s. They're a summer tire but the sidewalls are pretty soft. They're supposed to be comfier than usual for a summer tire. You'll get more grip than the stock tires. They might not be much quieter or smoother riding but probably won't be any worse.”
Top themes
#Snow and winter traction#Tread wear and longevity#Affordable price and value#Wet and dry handling#Road noise and comfort#All-weather 3PMSF performance

Based on 93 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · General Altimax Arctic B · Vredestein Quatrac 5
CategoryWinter Touring tiresAll Season
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available163
Rim diameters17″13″ – 20″

Which one should you actually buy?

General Altimax Arctic

Vredestein Quatrac 5

Winner: Vredestein Quatrac 5 — better handling, dry and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Vredestein Quatrac 5 scores 71 vs 49 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Vredestein Quatrac 5 scores 71 vs 57 on dry.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Vredestein Quatrac 5 scores 71 vs 57 on treadwear.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Vredestein Quatrac 5 scores 74 vs 62 on wet.

Tire A · General Altimax Arctic
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Tire B · Vredestein Quatrac 5
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Altimax Arctic or Quatrac 5?

Which is better in the wet, Altimax Arctic or Quatrac 5?

Vredestein Quatrac 5, 74 vs 62 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Altimax Arctic or Quatrac 5?

Vredestein Quatrac 5, 71 vs 57 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Altimax Arctic or Quatrac 5?

Vredestein Quatrac 5, 69 vs 59 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Altimax Arctic or Quatrac 5?

Vredestein Quatrac 5, 71 vs 62 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Altimax Arctic or Quatrac 5?

Vredestein Quatrac 5, 70 vs 60 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Altimax Arctic or Quatrac 5?

Vredestein Quatrac 5, 71 vs 57 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