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Head-to-head Updated

Continental IceContact 3 vs Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic — Compared

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

IceContact 3 is ahead, 71–60

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Tire AContinental

IceContact 3

Winter

Tests 79 · 13 tests Owners 66 · 3 reviews

Best test result: #3 of 20 in 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test (ice braking)

Tire BGoodyear

UltraGrip Ice Arctic

Winter

Tests 74 · 3 tests Owners 51 · 4 reviews

Best test result: #3 of 16 in 2019 Teknikens Värld Large Winter Tire Test R17 (overall ranking)

Category by category

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

  1. 72

    Dry

    IceContact 3 +12
    60
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3UltraGrip Ice Arctic
    Professional tests (TWG score)7473
    Reviews found online6942
    Dry Braking (% of best)70%98%
  2. 71

    Wet

    IceContact 3 +6
    65
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3UltraGrip Ice Arctic
    Professional tests (TWG score)7374
    Reviews found online6752
    Wet Braking (% of best)89%88%
    Wet Handling (% of best)98%99%
  3. 80

    Snow

    IceContact 3 +9
    71
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3UltraGrip Ice Arctic
    Professional tests (TWG score)8574
    Reviews found online7267
    Snow Braking (% of best)100%93%
    Snow Handling (% of best)99%97%
    Snow Traction (% of best)95%95%
  4. 83

    Comfort

    IceContact 3 +28
    55
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3UltraGrip Ice Arctic
    Professional tests (TWG score)98–
    Reviews found online6042
  5. 69

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3UltraGrip Ice Arctic
    Professional tests (TWG score)70–
  6. 59

    Treadwear

    IceContact 3 +5
    54
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3UltraGrip Ice Arctic
    Reviews found online5445
  7. 69

    Handling

    IceContact 3 +20
    49
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3UltraGrip Ice Arctic
    Reviews found online6949
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental IceContact 3Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic
Relative Score 71 60
Dry 72 60
Wet 71 65
Snow 80 71
Comfort 83 55
Noise 69 –
Treadwear 59 54
Handling 69 49

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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Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.

Important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

IceContact 3

UltraGrip Ice Arctic

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.

DisciplineCategoryIceContact 3UltraGrip Ice ArcticΔBoth?
Dry Braking Dry 70% #12/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 98% #4/10 · 2017 Autocenter Studded Winter Tyre Test −28.4 Different tests
Rolling Resistance Efficiency 94% #5/8 · 2023 Studded Tyre Test 94% #7/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test −0.3 Different tests
Ice Braking Ice 97% #3/20 · 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test 91% #4/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test +6.3 Different tests
Ice Handling Ice 97% #4/8 · The BEST Studded Tyres for 2025 91% #7/8 · 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test +6.0 Different tests
Ice Traction Ice 74% #14/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test 82% #6/8 · 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test −7.9 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 6% #16/17 · The Best Studded / Friction Winter Tyres for 2024 88% #3/16 · 2019 Teknikens Värld Large Winter Tire Test R17 −82.0 Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 100% #2/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 93% #5/8 · 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test +7.0 Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 99% #6/20 · 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test 97% #4/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test +1.7 Different tests
Snow Traction Snow 95% #4/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 95% #7/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test +0.2 Different tests
Straight Aqua Straight 92% #5/8 · 2024 Studded Tyre Test 98% #2/8 · 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test −5.6 Different tests
Subj. Dry Handling Subj 100% #2/8 · 2023 Studded Tyre Test 80% #2/8 · 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test +20.0 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 89% #3/20 · 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test 88% #4/10 · 2017 Autocenter Studded Winter Tyre Test +0.5 Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 98% #2/8 · 2020 Studded Winter Tyre Test 99% #2/8 · 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test −0.6 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A IceContact 3

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and braking performance on packed snow and ice
  • Predictable handling in severe winter conditions
  • Strong performance on lake ice tracks

Cons

  • Premature stud wear or loss reported after moderate mileage
  • Potential for reduced stability in deeper snow (4-5 cm) depending on tire width
  • Unpredictable handling characteristics when paired with certain electronic stability control systems
All owner themes in the IceContact 3 review

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
All owner themes in the UltraGrip Ice Arctic review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental IceContact 3 B · Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental IceContact 3

Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic

Winner: Continental IceContact 3 — better comfort, handling and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Continental IceContact 3 scores 83 vs 55 on comfort.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Continental IceContact 3 scores 69 vs 49 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Continental IceContact 3 scores 72 vs 60 on dry.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Continental IceContact 3 scores 80 vs 71 on snow.

Tire A · Continental IceContact 3
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Tire B · Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic
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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.

71

Leads

IceContact 3

Amazon