My new OEM-size tires: Vredestein Quatrac 5

[Top_Fuel]

I found this mention of the Quatrac 5 on moderntiredealer.com...

Long tread life is dead to some consumers

Date: June 26, 2014

Sometimes tread wear is the most important feature of a tire to a consumer. Sometimes it is not.

Take the new Vredestein Quatrac 5, for example. It is an all-season tire without a tread wear warranty.

Does that make it unsellable in the United States and Canada? Of course not. That doesn't mean dealers selling all-season tires with tread wear warranties won't bring it up as a comparison point.

It makes perfect sense why the Quatrac 5 doesn't have a tread wear warranty. To find out why, read the latest blog from Modern Tire Dealer Editor Bob Ulrich, "Why the importance of a tread wear warranty is relative."

How important do you think tread wear is in North America? Not counting dedicated winter tires, do you sell tires without one? How often does the consumer ask about a tread wear warranty? Read the blog, then let us know what you think by leaving a comment!

And to read more about the new Quatrac 5, check out Ulrich's report from Scotland:

"Vredestein covers 4 seasons with Quatrac 5"


Source: Modern Tire Dealer

Apparently this tire didn't have a treadwear warranty when it was first introduced in the US. But that doesn't seem to be the case now as the Tire Rack lists a 45,000 mile treadlife...

[Mark]

Actually it's North America only. The 'complete warranty policy' starts with That 'warranty' page is not available if you choose another country than USA or Canada in the dropdown box at the bottom of the page.

From some of the things I have read, Americans may focus on tread-wear warranty more than other countries. Thus, Vredestein may have felt compelled to do this for the U.S. market. Tread-warranty isn't the sole reason to buy a tire, especially if you have special needs like dealing with snow & ice. Likewise, a deep tread depth isn't going to guarantee a tire handles snow/ice better, nor does it indicate a long lasting tire.

A tire vendor (tires-easy.com) gives this description –

"The Vredestein Quatrac 5 tire is an all-season passenger car tire with an edgy design and new tire technologies for long tread-life, safety, grip and a smooth ride.

The Vredestein Quatrac 5 tire offers low rolling resistance, short braking distances on wet roads and an exceptionally quiet ride. The 3D grip claws in the tread deliver higher levels of grip when cornering and accelerating on snow and ice. You get greater stability and improved handling on dry surfaces from the innovative tread design thanks to the asymmetric outer longitudinal grooves. This tire is very wear resistant and offers a long tread life from the full silica compound."

Personally, I have never used an asymmetrical tire. Unlike a directional tire, I like the fact that most asymmetrical tires can still be rotated to both sides of the car. The lack of 165/65-14 tire choices in the U.S is the main reason we are discussing this tire. I appreciate tirerack.com stocking this 165/65-14 tire. If someone wants to stick with factory-sized tires, the Quatrac 5 may be a nice mid-priced all-season tire to consider.

[wellswebdesign]

can you report on the tread depth of the set you have?

I just checked, and they're at 10/32". I haven't even put 500 miles on them, so that should be pretty accurate for new.

Also, got gas today so I've got a mileage update. 43.3mpg for the tank. Almost exclusively in-town driving, maybe 30-40 miles of that tank was highway, and not much A/C. My commute is 3 miles (1.6 miles at 25mph, 1.4 miles at 45mph) The last 2 days (not work), I've ended with gauge-average 50 and 51mpg. I'm pleased.

[Eggman]

I just checked, and they're at 10/32". I haven't even put 500 miles on them, so that should be pretty accurate for new.

Also, got gas today so I've got a mileage update. 43.3mpg for the tank. Almost exclusively in-town driving, maybe 30-40 miles of that tank was highway, and not much A/C. My commute is 3 miles (1.6 miles at 25mph, 1.4 miles at 45mph) The last 2 days (not work), I've ended with gauge-average 50 and 51mpg. I'm pleased.

Thanks so much for measuring and reporting your tread depth. This will help all who want to stay with the stock size tires. I've added this to the tire comparison chart in post #8. The Vredestein stands out as a good choice in several categories. It's also good to know that handling seems improved in your estimation.

Regarding fuel economy, would you say you have improved, maintained, or lost any? I know it is only one tank but your fuel economy numbers are slightly below your running average according to your forum Fuel Log. New tires are more likely to hurt fuel economy.

[Mark]

There are some forum members that prefer to stay with factory stock size 165/65r14 tires. If you live/drive in a 4-season climate, the Vredestein Quatrac 5 tire may be one of the better 165/65r14 all-weather tire choices. For a long time tirerack.com has been carrying this tire, & their prices for it remained quite stable. I was a bit concerned when this 165/65r14 tire disappeared off their site. Thus, I inquired about it.

This was my inquiry to tirerack.com -

Year: 2017

Make: Mitsubishi

Model: Mirage ES

Question: For a long time, you have carried 165/65r14 Vredestein Quatrac 5 tires. They are no longer listed. Is this a permanent thing, or we will see them listed again in the future?

Since 165/65r14 is not a real common size in the States, Mirage owners are interested in this all-weather tire. This particular tire has been a popular topic item on mirageforum.com for quite some time.

Any input on its future for tirerack.com would be appreciate.

Thanks!

Mark

This was tirerack.com response back -

Thanks for your inquiry.

These tires will be back in the fall, but we are completely out of stock of them so that is why they are not showing up. We do have them on order are are expecting to have them back in stock this fall.

If you have any other questions or want to place an order, please feel free to contact me. If you are placing an order online, please be sure to reference my name on the order form in the box directly under the credit card number, so that I can watch over the order and expedite the process.

Best regards,


- Waylon

Waylon Prelock | Sales Specialist

I was glad to see this response. I hope this tire continues to be available in the future. I hope to try it out some time in the future. I've been experimenting with different tires, & this one is surely on my list.

[Wallythacker]

Maximum Inflation Pressure 51 PSI

I like that figure as well, but in the other thread I started there's already contradiction over higher PSI yielding any real benefit.

Yet some trailer tires I've been comparing require 90 !! PSI to carry their rated load. That insane pressure only nets you ~125 lb. extra capacity over a same sized tire inflated to say, 55 PSI. You'd think such a huge jump in pressure would like double your weight rating but all I can see is how hard your trailer is going to slam into the ground after driving over a bump at 70 MPH. Imagine the nastier potholes you know of now drag your fully loaded trailer over it at normal speed wait for the bone jarring slam and crunch you know is coming.

Earlier today I read Load Rating C specs a max. pressure of, surprise! 51 PSI. I wish I could find that article, it was a great read and explained really well the whole PLY rating, Load Ranges, Pressures. My takeaway from it was that higher pressures, into the 90's are making up for design limitations. There's no way in heck I would ever use a tire with 90 PSI requirement. No way. The thought of it terrifies me. In fact, if the only tire for my trailer required 90 PSI I would stop towing a trailer.

[Mark]

I like that figure as well, but in the other thread I started there's already contradiction over higher PSI yielding any real benefit.

Yet some trailer tires I've been comparing require 90 !! PSI to carry their rated load. That insane pressure only nets you ~125 lb. extra capacity over a same sized tire inflated to say, 55 PSI. You'd think such a huge jump in pressure would like double your weight rating but all I can see is how hard your trailer is going to slam into the ground after driving over a bump at 70 MPH. Imagine the nastier potholes you know of now drag your fully loaded trailer over it at normal speed wait for the bone jarring slam and crunch you know is coming.

Earlier today I read Load Rating C specs a max. pressure of, surprise! 51 PSI. I wish I could find that article, it was a great read and explained really well the whole PLY rating, Load Ranges, Pressures. My takeaway from it was that higher pressures, into the 90's are making up for design limitations. There's no way in heck I would ever use a tire with 90 PSI requirement. No way. The thought of it terrifies me. In fact, if the only tire for my trailer required 90 PSI I would stop towing a trailer.

Different tires have different maximum psi ratings. All of my Mirage tires (pairs) are 165/65r14, but they don't all have the same maximum psi rating.

Dunlop Enasave 01 A/S = 44 psi (still have a worn out pair on factory steel rims)
Kumho Solus TA31 = 44 psi
Nokian Nordman 7 = 47 psi
Nexen N'Priz AH5 = 51 psi
Vredestein Quatrac = 51 psi (on order & will replace the Enasave tires above next winter)

I am guilty of ignoring the recommended psi for my vehicles. I prefer inflating above the recommended amount, but stay a bit under the maximum tire ratings at the same time. It's just personal preference for me. I would most likely go 40, 42, & 46 psi for my Mirage tires listed above. None of this is due to my concern about load capacity, however.

I haul heavy loads with my small 4' x 8' steel trailer at times. I will buy a yard of gravel quite often & haul it home with my trailer. A yard of gravel could be anywhere from 2,400-2,900 pounds (well over a ton). My compact 4WD diesel tractor with a mower or rototiller on the back is a load, too. I know that I am beyond the capacity of my trailer, but I have dealt with that by buying/using trailer tires with more plies.

If you're tugging a trailer with a Mirage, you shouldn't have any trailer tire concerns (because it shouldn't be loaded with much weight to begin with).

Most of our hay wagons & chopper box/forage wagons on the farm had worn out airplane tires on them. That was a common practice many years ago. I don't remember how many plies they had, but they handled huge loads with ease. They could look bald, & they still had a lot of life in them for wagon use.

[nickels]

Why the huge fuss over buying a tire that's under half an inch wider if it gives you 10x the options to choose from?

[Eggman]

Why the huge fuss over buying a tire that's under half an inch wider if it gives you 10x the options to choose from?

It's been a point of discussion here for a while now. Some folks want to keep their Mirage stock, and the options are limited. That, and switching to a wider tire often comes with increased fuel consumption, something some folks don't want.

[Mark]

Why the huge fuss over buying a tire that's under half an inch wider if it gives you 10x the options to choose from?

You can't just say a 175/65-14 tire is just under a half inch wider than a 165/65-14. It's not that simple with tire sizes. The width is not even the main issue here. A 175/65-14 tire has a diameter of 23". The factory tire is 22.4". Once again the difference isn't much, but those numbers do impact speedometer/odometer readings. Many just live with it.

It's just a very odd tire choice for the U.S. It has nothing to do with it being a 14" tire vs. a 15" tire either. Even the two tire sizes they use on the Mirage don't match perfectly. They could have picked two that did match perfectly like a 175/65-14 & a 185/55-15 (both have 23" outside diameters).