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Winter tire Winter Premium Touring tires Updated September 2026

Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic review

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.

Relative score
69/100
tests + owners
Owner reviews
65/100
4 reviews
Road tests
72/100
2 published tests
Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic
Scores

Two scoring systems, side by side

Owner scores come from reviews on retailer and review sites; road-test scores come from instrumented tests. Where they disagree, it is usually a discipline owners rarely push to the limit.

By owner reviews

65%
Would buy again 45%
Dry
Overall dry
60%
Corner stability
65%
Dry traction
45%
Steering response
50%
Wet
Overall wet
65%
Wet traction
50%
Snow & ice
Overall snow & ice
90%
Ice
85%
Comfort
Overall comfort
53%
Treadwear
Overall treadwear
60%
Handling
Overall handling
68%

By road tests

71.7%
Dry
67.2%
Wet
92.9%
Snow
78.5%
By discipline (% of best in test)
Dry Braking
75%
Subj. Dry Handling
87.5%
Wet Braking
87.5%
Wet Handling
87.5%
Straight Aquaplaning
87.5%
Snow Braking
62.5%
Snow Handling
25%
Snow Traction
62.5%
Ice Braking
50%
Ice Handling
25%
Ice Traction
37.5%
From owners

What owners like and dislike

Themes extracted from 4 owner reviews across retailers and review sites.

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

Worth knowing

  • Users noted that the tire's performance longevity is notably inferior when compared directly to competitors like the Continental IceContact 2.
Test results

2 published test appearances

Placement within each field. Open a test for the discipline-by-discipline result.

2019 Studded Winter tire Test · 225/50 R17

6th of 8
Best: Wet Braking · 2nd Weakest: Snow Handling · 7th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking2nd of 8
Wet Handling2nd of 8
Dry Braking3rd of 8
Snow Braking5th of 8
Snow Traction4th of 8
Snow Handling7th of 8
Ice Braking5th of 8
Ice Handling7th of 8
Straight Aqua2nd of 8
Subj. Dry Handling2nd of 8
Ice Traction6th of 8

2018 Vi Studded Winter tire Test · 205/55 R16

3rd of 8
Best: Wet Braking · 1st Weakest: Snow Traction · 7th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking1st of 8
Dry Braking4th of 8
Snow Braking6th of 8
Snow Traction7th of 8
Snow Handling4th of 8
Ice Braking4th of 8
Ice Handling5th of 8
Rolling Resistance7th of 8
Ice Traction6th of 8
Head-to-head

Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic compared

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