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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 3 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 13 + 3 road tests and 3 + 4 owner reviews. How we score

IceContact 3 is ahead, 72–64

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Continental IceContact 3
Tire AContinental

IceContact 3

Winter

± 5

Tests 79 · 13 tests Owners 65 · 3 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 19 in 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 (ice handling)

Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic
Tire BGoodyear

UltraGrip Ice Arctic

Winter

± 6

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.

  1. 73

    Dry

    IceContact 3 +10
    63
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3UltraGrip Ice Arctic
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 11 / 3 tests7673
    Reviews found online6749
    Dry Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–096%93%
    Dry Handling (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–140%80%

    IceContact 3: 60% × 76 + 40% × 67.4 = 73

    UltraGrip Ice Arctic: 60% × 72.7 + 40% × 49.1 = 63

  2. 73

    Wet

    IceContact 3 +5
    68
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3UltraGrip Ice Arctic
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 12 / 3 tests7475
    Reviews found online7058
    Straight Aquaplaning (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–197%98%
    Wet Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0100%97%
    Wet Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–198%99%

    IceContact 3: 60% × 74.5 + 40% × 69.6 = 73

    UltraGrip Ice Arctic: 60% × 74.5 + 40% × 57.5 = 68

  3. 79

    Snow

    IceContact 3 +7
    72
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3UltraGrip Ice Arctic
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 12 / 3 tests8474
    Reviews found online7168
    Ice Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0100%80%
    Ice Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–098%91%
    Ice Traction (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0100%82%
    Snow Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–099%93%
    Snow Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0100%94%
    Snow Traction (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0100%96%

    IceContact 3: 60% × 83.9 + 40% × 70.5 = 79

    UltraGrip Ice Arctic: 60% × 74.4 + 40% × 67.8 = 72

  4. 75

    Comfort

    IceContact 3 +21
    54
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3UltraGrip Ice Arctic
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests94≈ 64 (est.)
    Reviews found online6146

    IceContact 3: 40% × 94.4 + 60% × 61.4 = 75

    UltraGrip Ice Arctic: 40% × 64.2 (est.) + 60% × 46.4 = 54

    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).

  5. 70

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3UltraGrip Ice Arctic
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 11 / – tests72–
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)–

    IceContact 3: 60% × 71.8 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 70

    No owner ratings of noise for IceContact 3. The owner half is the owners’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  6. 57

    Treadwear

    IceContact 3 +1
    56
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3UltraGrip Ice Arctic
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 61 (est.)≈ 60 (est.)
    Reviews found online5150

    IceContact 3: 60% × 61.1 (est.) + 40% × 51.2 = 57

    UltraGrip Ice Arctic: 60% × 60.4 (est.) + 40% × 49.5 = 56

    No road tests of treadwear for IceContact 3. 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).

  7. 67

    Handling (owners)

    IceContact 3 +12
    55
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3UltraGrip Ice Arctic
    Reviews found online6755
  8. 67

    Efficiency

    UltraGrip Ice Arctic +1
    68
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3UltraGrip Ice Arctic
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / 1 tests6768
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental IceContact 3Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic
Relative Score 72 64
Dry 73 63
Wet 73 68
Snow 79 72
Comfort 75 54
Noise 70 –
Treadwear 57 56
Handling (owners) 67 55
Efficiency 67 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
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
± 5

IceContact 3

± 6

UltraGrip Ice Arctic

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

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 3 finished ahead 2 times and Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic 1 times.

DisciplineCategoryIceContact 3UltraGrip Ice ArcticΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 96% 93% +2.7 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test · 225/50 R17
Dry Handling (tester's mark) Dry 40% 80% −40.0 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test · 225/50 R17
Straight Aquaplaning Wet 97% 98% −1.0 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test · 225/50 R17
Wet Braking Wet 100% 97% +3.4 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test · 225/50 R17
Wet Handling Wet 98% 99% −1.2 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test · 225/50 R17
Ice Braking Snow 100% 80% +20.2 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test · 225/50 R17
Ice Handling Snow 98% 91% +6.9 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test · 225/50 R17
Ice Traction Snow 100% 82% +17.7 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test · 225/50 R17
Snow Braking Snow 99% 93% +6.0 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test · 225/50 R17
Snow Handling Snow 100% 94% +6.1 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test · 225/50 R17
Snow Traction Snow 100% 96% +3.4 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test · 225/50 R17
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #8/8 #5/8 – 2–1 in 3 shared tests Newest: 2020 Moottori Winter Studded Tire Test R17 · 225/50R17

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. Where the Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic is ahead, it is by less than 3 points.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Continental IceContact 3 scores 75 vs 54 on comfort.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Continental IceContact 3 scores 67 vs 55 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Continental IceContact 3 scores 73 vs 63 on dry.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Continental IceContact 3 scores 79 vs 72 on snow.

Tire A · Continental IceContact 3
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Tire B · Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic
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IceContact 3 or UltraGrip Ice Arctic?

Which is better in the wet, IceContact 3 or UltraGrip Ice Arctic?

Continental IceContact 3, 73 vs 68 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, IceContact 3 or UltraGrip Ice Arctic?

Continental IceContact 3, 73 vs 63 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, IceContact 3 or UltraGrip Ice Arctic?

Continental IceContact 3, 79 vs 72 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, IceContact 3 or UltraGrip Ice Arctic?

Continental IceContact 3, 75 vs 54 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, IceContact 3 or UltraGrip Ice Arctic?

Neither, by our numbers: 57 vs 56 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.

Which rolls more easily, IceContact 3 or UltraGrip Ice Arctic?

Neither, by our numbers: 67 vs 68 on the efficiency score, within 3 points.

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