Comparison: Vredestein ULTRAC vs. Hankook Ventus Prime 4 vs. Maxxis Premitra HP5

In this piece, we compare the Vredestein ULTRAC tyre and the Hankook Ventus Prime 4 tyre, which is a successor of the Hankook Ventus Prime3 K125. Both tyres are from renowned manufacturers, Vredestein and Hankook, known for their quality products.

The Vredestein ULTRAC, a summer tyre–made in Hungary and used as first equipment for BMW 2-series Active Tourer–has performed well in various tests. Its notable strengths are aquaplaning resistance and dry/wet handling. There is, however, some room for improvement in terms of rolling resistance and predicted mileage. Some test summaries highlighted its "excellent wet handling, the best aquaplaning resistance, and good dry braking" but criticized its "high rolling resistance and high external noise". Our rating for this tyre is 26%.

The Hankook Ventus Prime 4, also a summer tyre but a touring subtype, scored an impressive rating of 81%. Its strong points are: wet and dry handling, wet braking and remarkable dry braking. On the downside, the Ventus Prime 4 exhibits low aquaplaning resistance and high external noise. One summary appreciated the tyre for its "short wet braking distances, very good dry handling, short dry braking" while noting the "low aquaplaning resistance, high external noise" as areas of improvement.

When comparing head-to-head results from various tyre tests like Aftonbladet, Autobild, Autozeitung, Tyre Reviews, and ADAC, the Hankook Ventus Prime 4 generally outperformed the Vredestein ULTRAC in terms of test positions. For instance, in the Autobild test of 51 tyres, the Ventus Prime 4 was ranked 2nd while the ULTRAC settled for the 4th position.

In conclusion, the Hankook Ventus Prime 4 emerges as the stronger performer overall in comparison to its Vredestein counterpart. If you're targeting high performance in handling and braking, Hankook's Ventus Prime 4 could be your tyre of choice. However, the Vredestein ULTRAC also holds its ground fairly well, particularly with its superior aquaplaning resistance.