74
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
70/100
1 owner review
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated September 2026
Firestone WinterForce vs Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic — Compared (September 2026)
Our Relative Score blends 60% objective test data with 40% owner-review signal — so any two tires can be compared even if they were never tested on the same day.
VS
67
/ 100
Objective (60%)
72/100
2 professional tests
User signal (40%)
65/100
4 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Firestone WinterForce — better treadwear, comfort and dry. Pick the Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic if handling matters most to you.
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Category breakdown
6 categories, side by side
Each bar is the Relative Score for that category. Expand a tile to see the test results and owner ratings behind it.
Dry
Score (0–100)
WinterForce leads by 6
Why this score
| Source | WinterForce | UltraGrip Ice Arctic |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 67 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 70 | 60 |
Wet
Score (0–100)
UltraGrip Ice Arctic leads by 2
Why this score
| Source | WinterForce | UltraGrip Ice Arctic |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 93 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 80 | 65 |
Snow
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | WinterForce | UltraGrip Ice Arctic |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 79 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | – | 90 |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
WinterForce leads by 17
Why this score
| Source | WinterForce | UltraGrip Ice Arctic |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 70 | 53 |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
WinterForce leads by 20
Why this score
| Source | WinterForce | UltraGrip Ice Arctic |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 80 | 60 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
UltraGrip Ice Arctic leads by 8
Why this score
| Source | WinterForce | UltraGrip Ice Arctic |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 60 | 68 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Firestone WinterForce | Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 74 | 67 |
| Dry | 70 | 64 |
| Wet | 80 | 82 |
| Snow | – | 83 |
| Comfort | 70 | 53 |
| Treadwear | 80 | 60 |
| Handling | 60 | 68 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
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Recomputed
Headline score
74
/ 100
Tire A
67
/ 100
Tire B
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
From owners
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.
The Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic is highly regarded for its exceptional initial performance on packed snow and ice, particularly in extreme winter conditions. However, users consistently report a significant decline in reliability and safety after the second season, primarily due to premature stud loss and a sharp degradation in grip despite having substantial tread depth remaining.
Pros
- Excellent traction and handling on packed snow
- Strong performance on ice during the first two seasons
- Reliable winter grip in extreme arctic conditions
Cons
- Significant stud loss after two seasons of use
- Abrupt and dangerous decline in grip performance by the third year
- Poor longevity relative to competitors despite remaining tread depth
Observations
- Users noted that the tire's performance longevity is notably inferior when compared directly to competitors like the Continental IceContact 2.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Firestone WinterForce | B · Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter Touring tires | Winter Premium Touring tires |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
74
/ 100
Firestone
67
/ 100
Goodyear
Winner: Firestone WinterForce — better treadwear, comfort and dry. Pick the Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic if handling matters most to you.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Firestone WinterForce scores 80 vs 60 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Firestone WinterForce scores 70 vs 53 on comfort.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic scores 68 vs 60 on handling.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Firestone WinterForce scores 70 vs 64 on dry.
Tire A · Firestone WinterForce
Tire B · Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic
More comparisons
Also compared with
Firestone WinterForce also compared with
Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic also compared with
How do we compare tires?
Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements) normalized against the best tire in each test and weighted toward recent tests. 40% comes from thousands of owner reviews collected from retailers and review sites. When a tire has only one of the two, we use what exists and say so.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.