My new OEM-size tires: Vredestein Quatrac 5

[Mark]

I think you're confused about what I said Mark.

If you drive your mirage into discount and ask for a non stock size, they will say no. Like others have said, you would have to bring in all your wheels and tires without your car. What a complete PITA. I'm okay with the stock size though.

We may be on a different wavelength with this discussion, but that's ok. I am not talking about non-stock size tires at all. The main reason we are discussing the Vredestein Quatrac 5 is because it comes in a 165/65-14 stock size.

This isn't a tire where you have to ask someone to put on a non-stock size tire. This is WHY we are discussing this tire. I've been owning/driving different vehicles for over 35 years, & I have never had a tire that wasn't stock size on any of them.

Thus, I wouldn't be buying my tires from Discount Tires, because the last time I checked they only carried one stock sized tire (Bridgestone Potenza). My money & business would be going elsewhere. Thus, I was sharing how to buy a tire like the Vredestein Quatrac 5. Tire rack carries this tire & has installers all over the place. My local mechanic would put them on whether the rims are on my car or not. In all honesty, he's probably not going to have any alternative tires to sell me anyways.

This is a thread about the Vredestein Quatrac 5. Although I haven't tried them yet, I am of the opinion that they may be the best all-weather/season 165/65-14 option. I am not saying this is the best all-season/weather tire, but in this size it may be?

I am using 165/65-14 Nokian Nordman 7 on the front of my Mirage this winter. Dunlop WinterMaxx snow tires are another 165/65-14 option, & I wish I had a pair to compare with. I can usually tell how good a tire is in the snow quite fast.

As soon as I leave my driveway, I am instantly climbing a small hill. It took me three tries to make it to the top of this small hill today. I had to literally back down the hill and take another run at it twice. After the third try with more speed & momentum built up, I made it to the top without spinning out. I had been plowing my driveway out prior to this, & I watched the lady who delivers my mail in a Nissan Cube fly up the same hill with no issue a half-hour before me. I live on a dead end road. Thus, I saw her travel both down and back up the same hill with her Cube.

I am not saying this hill isn't a challenge for everyone. I've had neighbors not make it up with 4WD pickups. I've pulled my dad/mom's Chevy Impala up to the top of it with my ATV with chains years ago. 10 minutes later the sand truck came through. Last winter I watched the county snow plow back down the hill two different times, because he couldn't keep his front wheels and heavy front end(with plow) on the road. Thus, he had to backed down while dropping sand, and this was a large dump truck with tire chains on the rear.

Since I have to climb a much larger/steeper hill to get home, I turned around today & parked the Mirage. My Subaru Forester (manual) with Cooper Weather-Master S/T2 climbed the same hill in 1st gear with no spinning/slippage at all. I don't expect a Mirage to compete with a Subaru, but I drove a Ford Festiva for 14 years on the same roads. I don't ever remember having to back up and try again. I don't remember it ever not climbing a hill period, & that car never had snow tires. What it did have was very skinny/small 145SR12 tires. That car was unstoppable in snow! I don't mind stock size tires, and I am not interested in ever putting a wider tire on the Mirage. If anything, I wish I had a narrower snow tire for it.

I have an interest in the Vredestein Quatrac 5, because traction is important to me in the winter. In my case, I don't have to rely solely on my Mirage. The Vredestein Quatrac 5 is accumulating some good reviews @ tirerack.com, & it is a tire I may try some day.