Vredestein Tires

Dutch Tires With a Designer Touch

Vredestein is a Dutch tire brand with more than a century of history, and since 2009 it has been owned by Apollo Tyres. It's known in Europe for strong all-season and winter tires — which makes sense for a brand built for wet, cold, changeable weather — and for its unusual habit of working with the Italian design house Giugiaro on the look of its tread patterns and sidewalls.

Quatrac: Built for Changeable Weather

The tire most Ontario drivers ask about is the Quatrac. In Europe, an "all-season" tire is what Canadians would call an all-weather tire — designed to handle real winter conditions as well as summer heat — and the Quatrac family is built that way, which is why we list Vredestein among our all-weather options. Many Quatrac sizes carry the three-peak mountain snowflake symbol, and we'll confirm that for your exact size before you buy.

Beyond Quatrac, the Wintrac family covers dedicated winter tires, the Ultrac family covers summer and performance driving, and the Pinza family covers SUVs and light trucks.

Vredestein is a great fit for drivers who like the idea of one set of tires all year but want something a little different from the usual names — and its European-style focus on wet and slushy roads suits a Southern Ontario winter, where conditions can swing from rain to snow and back within a day.

All-Weather vs. a Dedicated Winter Set

An all-weather tire like the Quatrac is a compromise in the best sense: it avoids twice-yearly changeovers and handles real winter conditions, but a dedicated winter tire like Vredestein's Wintrac will still have the edge on ice and deep snow, and a summer tire will have the edge on hot, dry pavement. If you drive mostly in town and want simplicity, all-weather is often the right call. If you face long highway drives in heavy snow, a two-set setup may serve you better.