Falken Ziex ZE320 & Vredestein Ultrac Pro are affordable 18'' summer tires.
Price is €420 per set of four without fitting.
Falken stops 3.7 meters shorter. Like a Hyundai i10 length.
Wet handling leader is Falken, ranked No.1 in the test.
Vredestein is second to last in wet handling.
Ziex ZE320 delivers 7% longer mileage. It also has lower rolling noise.
A clear winner for everyday drivers and professionals
When two affordable 18 inch summer tires cost about the same, the question is simple. Which one gives you more real world confidence and lower running costs. In this comparison the Falken Ziex ZE320 and the Vredestein Ultrac Pro come in the same budget neighborhood at roughly four hundred twenty euros for a set of four without fitting. On the test track and on the road the Falken pulls ahead in the metrics that matter most for daily driving.
Shorter stopping distances that make a difference
In controlled measurements the Falken Ziex ZE320 stopped at thirty three meters on dry asphalt from one hundred to zero kilometers per hour and at twenty nine point five meters on wet asphalt from eighty to zero.The Vredestein Ultrac Pro needed thirty five meters in the dry and thirty one point two meters in the wet. That is a three point seven meter advantage for the Falken which is about the length of a city car similar to a Hyundai i10. In busy streets with sudden showers crosswalks and unpredictable pedestrians that extra margin is worth a lot.
Confident grip especially on wet surfaces
Handling was measured as average lap speed on a standardized circuit. The Falken Ziex ZE320 led both on dry and wet surfaces and it actually topped the wet session among twenty evaluated tires with seventy three point nine kilometers per hour, while the Vredestein Ultrac Pro was near the bottom with seventy one point three kilometers per hour.On dry tarmac the gap was smaller yet consistent with one hundred nineteen point four for Falken against one hundred seventeen point four for Vredestein. If wet handling and wet braking are your priorities the verdict is clear.
Lower noise and longer tread life reduce total cost
Beyond outright grip the Falken proved easier to live with. External pass by tire noise was measured at sixty seven decibels for Falken Ziex ZE320 versus seventy two decibels for Vredestein Ultrac Pro which is a noticeable difference in everyday use.Projected tread life also favored Falken with an estimated plus seven percent distance to replacement. In numbers the Falken reached about thirty five thousand five hundred twenty kilometers while the Vredestein clocked thirty two thousand nine hundred thirty kilometers under the same conditions and with the same reference vehicle a BMW 1 Series.
Fewer changes mean less downtime less hassle and a lower total cost of ownership especially for high mileage users and fleet managers.
Modern construction and EU label information
Both models are recent releases which means you get up to date carcass design and compounds. Each tire carries a Wet Grip A on the EU tire label which matches the recommendations of AutoΤρίτη Test Center. The labels also show a Fuel Efficiency C for the Falken Ziex ZE320 and a Fuel Efficiency D for the Vredestein Ultrac Pro which aligns with the observed efficiency and noise advantage of the Falken.Final verdict for value seekers
If you want clear value for money tires the Falken Ziex ZE320 delivers stronger wet braking, more stable wet handling, noticeably quieter operation and longer tread life at essentially the same purchase price as the Vredestein Ultrac Pro.The Vredestein remains a capable mid range summer tire but in this direct head to head the Falken builds a measurable and practical lead that you will notice in daily use.
