Tests 88 · 2 tests Owners 84 · 10 reviews
Best test result: #3 of 51 in 2025 Winter Tyre Braking Test - 52 Sets! (wet braking)
Head-to-head
Updated
Dunlop Winter Response 2 vs Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 3 — 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 + 36 road tests and 10 + 17 owner reviews. How we score
Ultra Grip Performance 3 leads, 85–82 Narrow edge
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Tests 89 · 36 tests Owners 81 · 17 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 51 in 2025 Winter Tyre Braking Test - 52 Sets! (wet braking)
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
77
Dry
Ultra Grip Performance 3 +481Why this score
Source Winter Response 2 Ultra Grip Performance 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 29 tests ≈ 74 (est.) 82 Reviews found online 83 80 Winter Response 2: 60% × 74 (est.) + 40% × 82.6 = 77
Ultra Grip Performance 3: 60% × 81.5 + 40% × 79.5 = 81
No road tests of dry for Winter Response 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
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91
Wet
Ultra Grip Performance 3 +192Why this score
Source Winter Response 2 Ultra Grip Performance 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 36 tests 93 97 Reviews found online 89 84 Wet Braking (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 0–2 98% 100% Winter Response 2: 60% × 93 + 40% × 88.6 = 91
Ultra Grip Performance 3: 60% × 97.3 + 40% × 84.2 = 92
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84
Snow
Winter Response 2 +282Why this score
Source Winter Response 2 Ultra Grip Performance 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 35 tests 84 84 Reviews found online 84 79 Snow Braking (% of best) · 2 shared tests · wins 2–0 99% 95% Winter Response 2: 60% × 83.9 + 40% × 84.2 = 84
Ultra Grip Performance 3: 60% × 84.3 + 40% × 79.1 = 82
-
80
Comfort
Ultra Grip Performance 3 +787Why this score
Source Winter Response 2 Ultra Grip Performance 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 10 tests ≈ 72 (est.) 100 Reviews found online 85 79 Winter Response 2: 40% × 72.1 (est.) + 60% × 85 = 80
Ultra Grip Performance 3: 40% × 100 + 60% × 79.1 = 87
No road tests of comfort for Winter Response 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.21).
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–
Noise
No comparison77Why this score
Source Winter Response 2 Ultra Grip Performance 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 25 tests – 84 Reviews found online – ≈ 66 (est.) Ultra Grip Performance 3: 60% × 84.2 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 77
No owner ratings of noise for Ultra Grip Performance 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.
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75
Treadwear
Ultra Grip Performance 3 +1186Why this score
Source Winter Response 2 Ultra Grip Performance 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 11 tests ≈ 72 (est.) 90 Reviews found online 81 81 Winter Response 2: 60% × 71.6 (est.) + 40% × 80.8 = 75
Ultra Grip Performance 3: 60% × 89.6 + 40% × 80.7 = 86
No road tests of treadwear for Winter Response 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
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83
Handling (owners)
Winter Response 2 +380Why this score
Source Winter Response 2 Ultra Grip Performance 3 Reviews found online 83 80 -
–
Efficiency
No comparison71Why this score
Source Winter Response 2 Ultra Grip Performance 3 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 28 tests – 71
Scores at a glance
| Category | Dunlop Winter Response 2 | Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 82 | 85 |
| Dry | 77 | 81 |
| Wet | 91 | 92 |
| Snow | 84 | 82 |
| Comfort | 80 | 87 |
| Noise | – | 77 |
| Treadwear | 75 | 86 |
| Handling (owners) | 83 | 80 |
| Efficiency | – | 71 |
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
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Recomputed
Headline score
82
/ 100
Winter Response 2
85
/ 100
Ultra Grip Performance 3
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 2 tests that ran both, Dunlop Winter Response 2 finished ahead 2 times and Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 3 0 times.
| Discipline | Category | Winter Response 2 | Ultra Grip Performance 3 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | Wet | 98% | 100% | −2.1 | 0–2 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2025 Winter Tyre Braking Test - 52 Sets! · 225/40 R18 |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 99% | 95% | +3.4 | 2–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2025 Winter Tyre Braking Test - 52 Sets! · 225/40 R18 |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #1/51 | #3/51 | – | 2–0 in 2 shared tests Newest: 2025 Winter Tyre Braking Test - 52 Sets! · 225/40 R18 |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Winter Response 2
Pros
- Outstanding grip and confidence in snow and ice
- Excellent wet weather performance and braking
- High level of cabin comfort and low noise levels
Cons
- Faster tread wear reported by some users
- Slightly noticeable tire roll in fast corners above 50 mph
Tire B Ultra Grip Performance 3
Pros
- Strong, predictable grip in snow and slush. Reviewers reported confident traction in Austrian and Ukrainian winter conditions, and one RWD owner drove on uncleared snowy hill roads.
- Excellent comfort and low noise. Several reviewers described the ride as floating, silent or quiet, and one rated it more comfortable than a Fulda Kristall Control HP2 and quieter and more comfortable than a Continental.
- Confident wet and dry performance. Reviewers cited strong wet braking and handling, good dry grip and braking, good aquaplaning resistance, and stable high-speed or Autobahn behavior.
Cons
- Limited traction on icy uphill roads. One reviewer noted it can give up a bit there, though they said this is about 1% of their driving.
- Softer feel and less steering feedback in mild temperatures. One reviewer at 16°C noted this and found lateral grip not suited to fast driving.
- Premium pricing. One reviewer noted it is not cheap.
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Dunlop Winter Response 2 | B · Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 15 | 172 |
| Rim diameters | 14″ – 16″ | 14″ – 22″ |
| Tread depth | — | 11/32″ |
| Sidewall | — | Black Side Wall - Raised Black Lettering |
| Max pressure | — | 50 - 51 psi |
| Sizes in common | 7 | 7 |
Which one should you actually buy?
82
/ 100
Dunlop Winter Response 2
85
/ 100
Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 3
Narrow edge: Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 3 — better treadwear, comfort and dry. Where the Dunlop Winter Response 2 is ahead, it is by less than 3 points.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 3 scores 86 vs 75 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 3 scores 87 vs 80 on comfort.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 3 scores 81 vs 77 on dry.
Pick tire A
Your priority is snow braking
Dunlop Winter Response 2 won 2 of 2 shared snow braking tests.
Tire A · Dunlop Winter Response 2
Tire B · Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 3
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Winter Response 2 or Ultra Grip Performance 3?
Which is better in the wet, Winter Response 2 or Ultra Grip Performance 3?
Neither, by our numbers: 91 vs 92 on the wet score, within 3 points.
Which grips better on dry roads, Winter Response 2 or Ultra Grip Performance 3?
Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 3, 81 vs 77 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, Winter Response 2 or Ultra Grip Performance 3?
Neither, by our numbers: 84 vs 82 on the snow score, within 3 points.
Which is more comfortable, Winter Response 2 or Ultra Grip Performance 3?
Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 3, 87 vs 80 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Winter Response 2 or Ultra Grip Performance 3?
Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 3, 86 vs 75 on our treadwear 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