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Goodyear UltraGrip 8 vs Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

Too close to call: UltraGrip 8 and UltraGrip 9+ are level at 76.

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Tire AGoodyear

UltraGrip 8

Winter

Tests – · none yet Owners 79 · 59 reviews

Best test result: #2 of 8 in 2012 Auto Express Winter Tyre Test (overall ranking)

Tire BGoodyear

UltraGrip 9+

Winter

Tests 74 · 5 tests Owners 78 · 6 reviews

Best test result: #3 of 16 in 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test (overall ranking)

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 76

    Dry

    UltraGrip 8 +6
    70
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 8UltraGrip 9+
    Professional tests (TWG score)–64
    Reviews found online8080
  2. 79

    Wet

    UltraGrip 9+ +3
    82
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 8UltraGrip 9+
    Professional tests (TWG score)–83
    Reviews found online8381
  3. 73

    Snow

    UltraGrip 9+ +6
    79
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 8UltraGrip 9+
    Professional tests (TWG score)–84
    Reviews found online7572
  4. 74

    Comfort

    UltraGrip 9+ +6
    80
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 8UltraGrip 9+
    Professional tests (TWG score)–83
    Reviews found online7876
  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    64
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 8UltraGrip 9+
    Professional tests (TWG score)–63
  6. 71

    Treadwear

    UltraGrip 9+ +4
    75
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 8UltraGrip 9+
    Professional tests (TWG score)–71
    Reviews found online7580
  7. 80

    Handling

    UltraGrip 8 +5
    75
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 8UltraGrip 9+
    Reviews found online8075
Scores at a glance
CategoryGoodyear UltraGrip 8Goodyear UltraGrip 9+
Relative Score 76 76
Dry 76 70
Wet 79 82
Snow 73 79
Comfort 74 80
Noise – 64
Treadwear 71 75
Handling 80 75

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Important
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Important
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Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost

Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.

Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

UltraGrip 8

UltraGrip 9+

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

The professional test results behind the scores

Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.

DisciplineCategoryUltraGrip 8UltraGrip 9+ΔBoth?
Overall Ranking Overall 50% #2/8 · 2012 Auto Express Winter Tyre Test 33% #3/16 · 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test +16.7 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A UltraGrip 8

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and traction in wet, slushy, and snowy conditions
  • High level of ride comfort and refinement
  • Low road noise compared to many winter tire competitors

Cons

  • Reports of excessive road noise for some specific vehicle applications
  • Tread wear can be faster than average under heavy usage or high-speed driving
  • Occasional reports of 'snappy' handling characteristics when pushed to the absolute limit
All owner themes in the UltraGrip 8 review

Tire B UltraGrip 9+

Pros

  • Excellent wet and cold weather grip
  • High levels of ride comfort and low noise
  • Strong value proposition compared to premium competitors

Cons

  • Performance on deep snow and ice may lag slightly behind specialized winter-focused brands like Nokian
  • Limited feedback on long-term tread wear due to low mileage in current reviews
  • Increased noise levels specifically on concrete road surfaces
All owner themes in the UltraGrip 9+ review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Goodyear UltraGrip 8 B · Goodyear UltraGrip 9+
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover

Which one should you actually buy?

Goodyear UltraGrip 8

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+

Too close to call: Goodyear UltraGrip 8 and Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ are within 2 points overall. Goodyear UltraGrip 8 is stronger on dry and handling. Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ is stronger on snow, comfort and treadwear.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Goodyear UltraGrip 8 scores 76 vs 70 on dry.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ scores 79 vs 73 on snow.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ scores 80 vs 74 on comfort.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Goodyear UltraGrip 8 scores 80 vs 75 on handling.

Tire A · Goodyear UltraGrip 8
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Goodyear UltraGrip 9+
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How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.

76

Too close to call

UltraGrip 8

Amazon