tirewheelguide
Head-to-head Updated

Vredestein Ultrac vs Michelin Pilot Sport 5 — 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 14 + 23 road tests and 419 + 6,510 owner reviews. How we score

Pilot Sport 5 is ahead, 86–61

Check price on Amazon · Pilot Sport 5 or Ultrac on Amazon
Add your size for an exact match
/R

Both Amazon links then search this exact size.

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Vredestein Ultrac
Tire AVredestein

Ultrac

Summer

± 6

Tests 63 · 14 tests Owners 59 · 419 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2024 AutoBild Summer Tyre Test (wet handling)

“Are budget tyres closing the gap to premium? I changed a set of tyres on my daily pd130 winter bash about and managed to get a set of vredestein ultrac for £80 a tyre fitted which I thought was a pretty good price. The tyre fitting service was saying to me that the gap between budgets and premium is much smaller in the last 10 years and that taxis tend to opt for budget tyres all the time and have no issues. Any thoughts on this? I’ve always gone for medium to higher end tyres. Leer más”

Michelin Pilot Sport 5
Tire BMichelin

Pilot Sport 5

Summer

± 4

Tests 86 · 23 tests Owners 87 · 6,510 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2026 Autobild Summer Tyre Test (dry handling (tester's mark))

“Put some 235/45 R17 ps5’s on my 9-5 They fill up the arches quite nice!”

Category by category

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

  1. 75

    Dry

    Pilot Sport 5 +17
    92
    Why this score
    SourceUltracPilot Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 13 / 23 tests8493
    Reviews found online6090
    Dry Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–195%98%
    Dry Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–198%99%

    Ultrac: 60% × 84.3 + 40% × 60.3 = 75

    Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 93.2 + 40% × 90.2 = 92

  2. 82

    Wet

    Pilot Sport 5 +12
    94
    Why this score
    SourceUltracPilot Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 13 / 23 tests9294
    Reviews found online6693
    Straight Aquaplaning (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–197%100%
    Wet Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0100%97%
    Wet Circle (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–099%99%
    Wet Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–099%99%

    Ultrac: 60% × 92 + 40% × 66.4 = 82

    Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 93.7 + 40% × 93.3 = 94

  3. 63

    Comfort

    Pilot Sport 5 +15
    78
    Why this score
    SourceUltracPilot Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 9 tests≈ 67 (est.)71
    Reviews found online6083

    Ultrac: 40% × 67 (est.) + 60% × 60.3 = 63

    Pilot Sport 5: 40% × 70.9 + 60% × 83.4 = 78

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

  4. 67

    Noise

    Ultrac +20
    47
    Why this score
    SourceUltracPilot Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 11 / 15 tests6733
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Interior Noise (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0100%95%

    Ultrac: 60% × 66.9 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 67

    Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 33.3 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 47

    No owner ratings of noise for Ultrac or Pilot Sport 5. 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.

  5. 25

    Treadwear

    Pilot Sport 5 +61
    86
    Why this score
    SourceUltracPilot Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 6 tests1092
    Reviews found online4878

    Ultrac: 60% × 10 + 40% × 48.3 = 25

    Pilot Sport 5: 60% × 92 + 40% × 77.9 = 86

  6. 60

    Handling (owners)

    Pilot Sport 5 +29
    89
    Why this score
    SourceUltracPilot Sport 5
    Reviews found online6089
  7. 72

    Efficiency

    Ultrac +9
    63
    Why this score
    SourceUltracPilot Sport 5
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 11 / 17 tests7263
    Rolling Resistance (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–099%90%
Scores at a glance
CategoryVredestein UltracMichelin Pilot Sport 5
Relative Score 61 86
Dry 75 92
Wet 82 94
Comfort 63 78
Noise 67 47
Treadwear 25 86
Handling (owners) 60 89
Efficiency 72 63

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

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
± 6

Ultrac

± 4

Pilot Sport 5

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.

In the overall rankings of 1 tests that ran both, Vredestein Ultrac finished ahead 1 times and Michelin Pilot Sport 5 0 times.

DisciplineCategoryUltracPilot Sport 5ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 95% 98% −2.6 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17
Dry Handling Dry 98% 99% −0.4 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 97% 100% −2.7 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17
Wet Braking Wet 100% 97% +2.7 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17
Wet Circle Wet 99% 99% 0.0 0–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17
Wet Handling Wet 99% 99% +0.1 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17
Interior Noise Noise 100% 95% +4.6 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 99% 90% +9.2 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #1/8 #4/8 – 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2024 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test · 225/45 R17

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Ultrac

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and confidence in wet weather conditions
  • High level of ride comfort and ability to absorb road bumps
  • Low road noise and quiet operation

Cons

  • Rapid tread wear reported by several drivers
  • Softer sidewalls leading to less initial steering feedback or stability
  • Occasional complaints of tramlining or tracking narrow road repairs
All owner themes in the Ultrac review

Tire B Pilot Sport 5

Pros

  • Outstanding wet and dry traction with high resistance to aquaplaning
  • Superior tread life and longevity compared to competitors and previous generations
  • Noticeable improvements in ride comfort and a quieter cabin over rough road surfaces

Cons

  • Softer sidewalls can lead to initial steering vagueness or understeer during hard cornering
  • Higher price point compared to some tier-one competitors
  • Performance and grip degrade significantly under intense track heat or heavy circuit use
All owner themes in the Pilot Sport 5 review

What real owners are saying

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

Tire A

Vredestein Ultrac

Positive

Community members generally view the Vredestein Ultrac favorably, recommending it as offering the best of both worlds at a good price point. While drivers appreciate its appearance and value on daily vehicles, prospective buyers express inquiries regarding noise levels and potential fast tread wear.

Top themes
#good price point#best of both worlds#tread wear concerns#tire recommendation#wide tire appearance#budget versus premium

Based on 8 community posts

Tire B

Michelin Pilot Sport 5

Positive

Community sentiment towards the Michelin Pilot Sport 5 is largely positive, with drivers frequently praising its outstanding wet grip, daily driving comfort, and impressive tread life. While widely recommended as a dependable, premium all-round performance tire, some enthusiasts criticize it for having a slightly numb steering feel, softer sidewalls, and poor heat resistance during track use compared to more aggressive alternatives.

r/i20n ·17 upvotes ·2025-07-21

“Tyres: Ps5’s initial impression Tyres seem to be a common question across a few forums so I thought ide share. So after 12 months (27,000kms) with my i20n, I was (over) due to replace my tyres. While I loved the p-zeros, I wasn’t keen on the short life, so went with the pilot sport 5. My impressions as follows: Initial impression: a lot less road noise than the p-zero City drive: no noticeable difference (apart from the reduced noise) Highway drive: handling is not noticeably changed, but the reduced noise is really appreciated here! Twisty’s: the difference here is notable, ps5’s don’t provide quite the same aggressive limitless grip feel as the p-zeros. Still holds the line perfectly but noted a bit of slip on the inside front wheel under heavy throttle. I do approx 100km on back roads commuting to and from work every day, so I’ll update this thread if I find anything worth reporting Read more”
r/ft86 ·2 upvotes ·2026-07-21

“PS5 is a very good allround, comfortable but grippy tire. PS4S has a stiffer sidewall and is way sportier but harsher. There is to date no successor for the PS4S. I switched from PS4S to PS5 on my mustang and its a way better fit for a daily tire. I would remommend to get PS5 for the rear aswell.”
r/Miata ·2 upvotes ·2026-05-13

“Anyone else greatly disappointed with their Michelin Pilot sport 5? My 10th anniversary recently got a set of 16 inch ND wheels (due to better tires being available on 16s) and a set of brand new PS5s. It’s on the original bilstein suspension with H&R sway bars and poly bushings all around. After having driven the PS5s for around 4k km i have to say i really don’t like them most of the time. Pros: They’re numb, which is amazing for highway driving. You really can’t feel anything from the tires and they’re super quiet. Cons: They’re numb. I literally can’t feel what they’re doing, they just don’t give any useable feedback from the road and the main thing i do is spirited driving. They also overheat extremely fast? I take five to six quicker turns and on the next turn in the entire car is just sliding around doing whatever the fuck it wants all while there still being no feedback whatsoever.. I’m frustrated af because i thought i’d treat myself to a good nice quality set of tires for once and thats the result.. I have driven on Kumho PS71s for i think a thousand km’s last year and they were waaay grippier and gave very good feedback. The car just isn’t as fun to drive now and it sucks hard. Rant over, thanks for listening. Tldr: Tyre bad :(”
Top themes
#wet grip performance#tread life longevity#daily driving comfort#track heat delamination#premium pricing comparisons#road noise levels#steering feel feedback

Based on 173 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Vredestein Ultrac B · Michelin Pilot Sport 5
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available6566
Rim diameters15″ – 21″16″ – 22″
UTQG280 AA A320 - 340 A - B A
Sizes in common1818

Which one should you actually buy?

Vredestein Ultrac

Michelin Pilot Sport 5

Winner: Michelin Pilot Sport 5 — better treadwear, handling and dry. Pick the Vredestein Ultrac if noise and efficiency matter most to you.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Pilot Sport 5 scores 86 vs 25 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin Pilot Sport 5 scores 89 vs 60 on handling.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Vredestein Ultrac scores 67 vs 47 on noise.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin Pilot Sport 5 scores 92 vs 75 on dry.

Tire A · Vredestein Ultrac
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Sport 5
Check price on Amazon

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Ultrac or Pilot Sport 5?

Which is better in the wet, Ultrac or Pilot Sport 5?

Michelin Pilot Sport 5, 94 vs 82 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Ultrac or Pilot Sport 5?

Michelin Pilot Sport 5, 92 vs 75 on our dry score.

Which is quieter, Ultrac or Pilot Sport 5?

Vredestein Ultrac, 67 vs 47 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Ultrac or Pilot Sport 5?

Michelin Pilot Sport 5, 78 vs 63 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Ultrac or Pilot Sport 5?

Michelin Pilot Sport 5, 86 vs 25 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, Ultrac or Pilot Sport 5?

Vredestein Ultrac, 72 vs 63 on our efficiency 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