Tests 73 · 2 tests Owners 68 · 2 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2017 Autocenter Studded Winter Tyre Test (snow braking)
Continental IceContact 2 looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.
Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.
Head-to-head
Updated
Continental IceContact 2 vs Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 2 + 3 road tests and 2 + 4 owner reviews. How we score
IceContact 2 is ahead, 70–64
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Tests 74 · 3 tests Owners 55 · 4 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test (wet braking)
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
69
Dry
IceContact 2 +663Why this score
Source IceContact 2 UltraGrip Ice Arctic Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 3 tests 71 73 Reviews found online 66 49 Dry Braking (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 1–1 99% 99% IceContact 2: 60% × 71.5 + 40% × 65.8 = 69
UltraGrip Ice Arctic: 60% × 72.7 + 40% × 49.1 = 63
-
71
Wet
IceContact 2 +368Why this score
Source IceContact 2 UltraGrip Ice Arctic Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 3 tests 70 75 Reviews found online 72 58 Wet Braking (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 0–2 92% 94% IceContact 2: 60% × 70.4 + 40% × 71.6 = 71
UltraGrip Ice Arctic: 60% × 74.5 + 40% × 57.5 = 68
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76
Snow
IceContact 2 +472Why this score
Source IceContact 2 UltraGrip Ice Arctic Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 3 tests 78 74 Reviews found online 73 68 Ice Braking (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 1–1 96% 93% Ice Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 99% 90% Ice Traction (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 100% 78% Snow Braking (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 2–0 99% 98% Snow Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 100% 97% Snow Traction (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 95% 95% IceContact 2: 60% × 77.9 + 40% × 72.7 = 76
UltraGrip Ice Arctic: 60% × 74.4 + 40% × 67.8 = 72
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64
Comfort
IceContact 2 +1054Why this score
Source IceContact 2 UltraGrip Ice Arctic Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 67 (est.) ≈ 64 (est.) Reviews found online 62 46 IceContact 2: 40% × 67.3 (est.) + 60% × 61.9 = 64
UltraGrip Ice Arctic: 40% × 64.2 (est.) + 60% × 46.4 = 54
No road tests of comfort for IceContact 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
No road tests of comfort for UltraGrip Ice Arctic. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
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65
Treadwear
IceContact 2 +956Why this score
Source IceContact 2 UltraGrip Ice Arctic Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 66 (est.) ≈ 60 (est.) Reviews found online 65 50 IceContact 2: 60% × 65.8 (est.) + 40% × 64.5 = 65
UltraGrip Ice Arctic: 60% × 60.4 (est.) + 40% × 49.5 = 56
No road tests of treadwear for IceContact 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
No road tests of treadwear for UltraGrip Ice Arctic. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
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69
Handling (owners)
IceContact 2 +1455Why this score
Source IceContact 2 UltraGrip Ice Arctic Reviews found online 69 55 -
63
Efficiency
UltraGrip Ice Arctic +568Why this score
Source IceContact 2 UltraGrip Ice Arctic Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests 63 68 Rolling Resistance (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 90% 94%
Scores at a glance
| Category | Continental IceContact 2 | Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 70 | 64 |
| Dry | 69 | 63 |
| Wet | 71 | 68 |
| Snow | 76 | 72 |
| Comfort | 64 | 54 |
| Treadwear | 65 | 56 |
| Handling (owners) | 69 | 55 |
| Efficiency | 63 | 68 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Weight the categories that matter to you
Wet grip starts at “Important”. Treadwear starts at “Neutral” here: road tests measured it for at most one of the two tires, so it rests on owner reviews. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
70
/ 100
IceContact 2
64
/ 100
UltraGrip Ice Arctic
The professional test results behind the scores
Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.
In the overall rankings of 3 tests that ran both, Continental IceContact 2 finished ahead 2 times and Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic 1 times.
| Discipline | Category | IceContact 2 | UltraGrip Ice Arctic | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 99% | 99% | 0.0 | 1–1 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16 |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 92% | 94% | −2.6 | 0–2 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16 |
| Ice Braking | Snow | 96% | 93% | +2.7 | 1–1 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16 |
| Ice Handling | Snow | 99% | 90% | +8.1 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16 |
| Ice Traction | Snow | 100% | 78% | +21.7 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16 |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 99% | 98% | +0.2 | 2–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16 |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 100% | 97% | +2.7 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16 |
| Snow Traction | Snow | 95% | 95% | +0.7 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16 |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 90% | 94% | −4.0 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16 |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #5/5 | #4/5 | – | 2–1 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2021 Test World Winter Studded Tire Test R17 · 225/55R17 |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A IceContact 2
Pros
- Excellent traction on snow and ice-covered surfaces
- Surprisingly comfortable and quiet ride for a studded tire
- Reliable handling and stability in severe winter conditions
Cons
- Increased road noise when driving on dry or clean pavement
- Noticeable degradation in ice grip performance after two seasons of use
- Requires precise tire pressure maintenance to ensure optimal wet-weather handling
Tire B UltraGrip Ice Arctic
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
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Continental IceContact 2 | B · Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
Which one should you actually buy?
70
/ 100
Continental IceContact 2
64
/ 100
Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic
Winner: Continental IceContact 2 — better handling, comfort and treadwear. Pick the Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic if efficiency matters most to you.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Continental IceContact 2 scores 69 vs 55 on handling.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Continental IceContact 2 scores 64 vs 54 on comfort.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Continental IceContact 2 scores 65 vs 56 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Continental IceContact 2 scores 69 vs 63 on dry.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet braking
Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic won 2 of 2 shared wet braking tests.
Tire A · Continental IceContact 2
Tire B · Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic
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IceContact 2 or UltraGrip Ice Arctic?
Which is better in the wet, IceContact 2 or UltraGrip Ice Arctic?
Continental IceContact 2, 71 vs 68 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, IceContact 2 or UltraGrip Ice Arctic?
Continental IceContact 2, 69 vs 63 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, IceContact 2 or UltraGrip Ice Arctic?
Continental IceContact 2, 76 vs 72 on our snow score.
Which is more comfortable, IceContact 2 or UltraGrip Ice Arctic?
Continental IceContact 2, 64 vs 54 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, IceContact 2 or UltraGrip Ice Arctic?
Continental IceContact 2, 65 vs 56 on our treadwear score.
Which rolls more easily, IceContact 2 or UltraGrip Ice Arctic?
Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic, 68 vs 63 on our efficiency score.
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.
Handling is the exception: road tests measure it inside the dry and wet scores, so its own row comes from owner ratings only and starts as less important.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score. Full methodology