Tests 66 · 5 tests Owners 76 · 5 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test (straight aquaplaning)
Vredestein Wintrac 4 Extreme looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.
Head-to-head
Updated
Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 vs Vredestein Wintrac 4 Extreme — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 5 + 0 road tests and 5 + 44 owner reviews. How we score
Wintrac 4 Extreme leads, 73–71 Narrow edge
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Tests – · none yet Owners 74 · 44 reviews
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
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59
Dry
Wintrac 4 Extreme +1372Why this score
Source Winter i*pike RS2 Wintrac 4 Extreme Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / – tests 49 ≈ 71 (est.) Reviews found online 74 75 Winter i*pike RS2: 60% × 49.4 + 40% × 73.8 = 59
Wintrac 4 Extreme: 60% × 70.7 (est.) + 40% × 75 = 72
No road tests of dry for Wintrac 4 Extreme. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).
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74
Wet
Wintrac 4 Extreme +478Why this score
Source Winter i*pike RS2 Wintrac 4 Extreme Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / – tests 71 ≈ 76 (est.) Reviews found online 78 80 Winter i*pike RS2: 60% × 70.9 + 40% × 78.2 = 74
Wintrac 4 Extreme: 60% × 75.7 (est.) + 40% × 80.4 = 78
No road tests of wet for Wintrac 4 Extreme. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).
-
76
Snow
Winter i*pike RS2 +670Why this score
Source Winter i*pike RS2 Wintrac 4 Extreme Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / – tests 76 ≈ 70 (est.) Reviews found online 77 70 Winter i*pike RS2: 60% × 75.7 + 40% × 77.1 = 76
Wintrac 4 Extreme: 60% × 70 (est.) + 40% × 70.1 = 70
No road tests of snow for Wintrac 4 Extreme. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.33).
-
78
Comfort
Winter i*pike RS2 +573Why this score
Source Winter i*pike RS2 Wintrac 4 Extreme Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 81 ≈ 71 (est.) Reviews found online 75 77 Winter i*pike RS2: 60% × 80.6 + 40% × 75.2 = 78
Wintrac 4 Extreme: 60% × 70.5 (est.) + 40% × 77 = 73
No road tests of comfort for Wintrac 4 Extreme. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
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60
Noise
No comparison–Why this score
Source Winter i*pike RS2 Wintrac 4 Extreme Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / – tests 55 – Reviews found online ≈ 67 (est.) – Winter i*pike RS2: 60% × 54.8 + 40% × 67.3 (est.) = 60
No owner ratings of noise for Winter i*pike RS2. 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.
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71
Treadwear
Winter i*pike RS2 +269Why this score
Source Winter i*pike RS2 Wintrac 4 Extreme Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 68 (est.) ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 75 71 Winter i*pike RS2: 60% × 68.4 (est.) + 40% × 74.7 = 71
Wintrac 4 Extreme: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 71.1 = 69
No road tests of treadwear for Winter i*pike RS2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).
No road tests of treadwear for Wintrac 4 Extreme. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).
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79
Handling (owners)
Winter i*pike RS2 +475Why this score
Source Winter i*pike RS2 Wintrac 4 Extreme Reviews found online 79 75
Scores at a glance
| Category | Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 | Vredestein Wintrac 4 Extreme |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 71 | 73 |
| Dry | 59 | 72 |
| Wet | 74 | 78 |
| Snow | 76 | 70 |
| Comfort | 78 | 73 |
| Noise | 60 | – |
| Treadwear | 71 | 69 |
| Handling (owners) | 79 | 75 |
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
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
71
/ 100
Winter i*pike RS2
73
/ 100
Wintrac 4 Extreme
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
The professional test results behind the scores
Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.
| Discipline | Category | Winter i*pike RS2 | Wintrac 4 Extreme | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #6/8 2023 Studded Tyre Test | #7/8 2011 Auto Bild 4x4 Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Winter i*pike RS2
Pros
- Exceptional traction and braking on snow and ice
- Strong side grip and predictable cornering limits
- High durability with secure stud retention over multiple years
Cons
- Poor steering feedback on dry tarmac
- Noticeable understeer in dry road conditions
Tire B Wintrac 4 Extreme
Pros
- Exceptional traction and stability in deep snow and on ice
- Strong performance in cold, wet, and greasy road conditions
- Impressive tread longevity and durability
Cons
- Reduced handling precision and 'squidgy' feel in temperatures above 13°C
- Initial stiffness or harsh ride quality during the break-in period
- Increased tread wear if used consistently in warm summer weather
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 | B · Vredestein Wintrac 4 Extreme |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | SUV and 4x4 |
Which one should you actually buy?
71
/ 100
Hankook Winter i*pike RS2
73
/ 100
Vredestein Wintrac 4 Extreme
Narrow edge: Vredestein Wintrac 4 Extreme — better dry and wet. Pick the Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 if snow and comfort matter most to you.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Vredestein Wintrac 4 Extreme scores 72 vs 59 on dry.
Pick tire A
You drive through snowy winters
Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 scores 76 vs 70 on snow.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 scores 78 vs 73 on comfort.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Vredestein Wintrac 4 Extreme scores 78 vs 74 on wet.
Tire A · Hankook Winter i*pike RS2
Tire B · Vredestein Wintrac 4 Extreme
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Winter i*pike RS2 or Wintrac 4 Extreme?
Which is better in the wet, Winter i*pike RS2 or Wintrac 4 Extreme?
Vredestein Wintrac 4 Extreme, 78 vs 74 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Winter i*pike RS2 or Wintrac 4 Extreme?
Vredestein Wintrac 4 Extreme, 72 vs 59 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, Winter i*pike RS2 or Wintrac 4 Extreme?
Hankook Winter i*pike RS2, 76 vs 70 on our snow score.
Which is more comfortable, Winter i*pike RS2 or Wintrac 4 Extreme?
Hankook Winter i*pike RS2, 78 vs 73 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Winter i*pike RS2 or Wintrac 4 Extreme?
Neither, by our numbers: 71 vs 69 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.
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