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Head-to-head Updated

Dunlop Winter Sport 5 vs Goodyear Ultra Grip 8 Performance — 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 25 + 0 road tests and 47 + 14 owner reviews. How we score

Winter Sport 5 is ahead, 78–66

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Dunlop Winter Sport 5
Tire ADunlop

Winter Sport 5

Winter

± 4

Tests 75 · 25 tests Owners 78 · 47 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2024 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test (snow traction)

Category by category

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

  1. 69

    Dry

    Winter Sport 5 +3
    66
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sport 5Ultra Grip 8 Performance
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 19 / – tests66≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online7464

    Winter Sport 5: 60% × 65.8 + 40% × 73.8 = 69

    Ultra Grip 8 Performance: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 64.2 = 66

    No road tests of dry for Ultra Grip 8 Performance. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 84

    Wet

    Winter Sport 5 +13
    71
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sport 5Ultra Grip 8 Performance
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 25 / – tests86≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online8271

    Winter Sport 5: 60% × 86.2 + 40% × 81.6 = 84

    Ultra Grip 8 Performance: 60% × 71 (est.) + 40% × 71.3 = 71

    No road tests of wet for Ultra Grip 8 Performance. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 83

    Snow

    Winter Sport 5 +21
    62
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sport 5Ultra Grip 8 Performance
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 25 / – tests87≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online7856

    Winter Sport 5: 60% × 86.7 + 40% × 77.9 = 83

    Ultra Grip 8 Performance: 60% × 65.7 (est.) + 40% × 55.5 = 62

    No road tests of snow for Ultra Grip 8 Performance. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 75

    Comfort

    Winter Sport 5 +9
    66
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sport 5Ultra Grip 8 Performance
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests74≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online7664

    Winter Sport 5: 40% × 74.4 + 60% × 75.9 = 75

    Ultra Grip 8 Performance: 40% × 67.8 (est.) + 60% × 64.1 = 66

    No road tests of comfort for Ultra Grip 8 Performance. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 33

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sport 5Ultra Grip 8 Performance
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 17 / – tests10–
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)–

    Winter Sport 5: 60% × 10.1 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 33

    No owner ratings of noise for Winter Sport 5. 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. 79

    Treadwear

    Winter Sport 5 +11
    68
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sport 5Ultra Grip 8 Performance
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 13 / – tests78≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online8068

    Winter Sport 5: 60% × 78.2 + 40% × 79.6 = 79

    Ultra Grip 8 Performance: 60% × 67.2 (est.) + 40% × 68.4 = 68

    No road tests of treadwear for Ultra Grip 8 Performance. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 76

    Handling (owners)

    Winter Sport 5 +12
    64
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sport 5Ultra Grip 8 Performance
    Reviews found online7664
  8. 79

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sport 5Ultra Grip 8 Performance
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 18 / – tests79–
Scores at a glance
CategoryDunlop Winter Sport 5Goodyear Ultra Grip 8 Performance
Relative Score 78 66
Dry 69 66
Wet 84 71
Snow 83 62
Comfort 75 66
Noise 33 –
Treadwear 79 68
Handling (owners) 76 64
Efficiency 79 –

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
± 4

Winter Sport 5

± 8

Ultra Grip 8 Performance

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.

DisciplineCategoryWinter Sport 5Ultra Grip 8 PerformanceΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #5/10 2025 Autobild Winter Tire Test R18 #2/48 2014 50 Winter Tyre Braking Overview – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Winter Sport 5

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and braking performance in snow, slush, and heavy winter conditions
  • Strong wet weather handling and reliable water clearance to prevent hydroplaning
  • Impressive tread wear and long-term durability across multiple seasons

Cons

  • Soft sidewalls can lead to a mushy or floating steering response and unstable cornering when temperatures rise above 5-10°C
  • Reduced dry handling precision and longer braking distances in warmer ambient conditions
  • Inadequate or missing effective rim protection despite manufacturer claims
All owner themes in the Winter Sport 5 review

Tire B Ultra Grip 8 Performance

Pros

  • Exceptional wet weather performance and aquaplaning resistance
  • Low road noise levels compared to competitors
  • Strong dry road stability and handling

Cons

  • Inconsistent snow and ice traction reported by some users
  • Potential for grip degradation as the tire ages
  • Reports of increased fuel consumption
All owner themes in the Ultra Grip 8 Performance review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Dunlop Winter Sport 5 B · Goodyear Ultra Grip 8 Performance
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available4614
Rim diameters15″ – 21″16″ – 18″
Tread depth—10 - 11/32″
Sidewall—Raised Black Lettering
Max pressure—50 - 51 psi
Sizes in common1010

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop Winter Sport 5

Goodyear Ultra Grip 8 Performance

Winner: Dunlop Winter Sport 5 — better snow, wet and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score. Goodyear Ultra Grip 8 Performance rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 14 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Dunlop Winter Sport 5 scores 83 vs 62 on snow.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Dunlop Winter Sport 5 scores 84 vs 71 on wet.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Dunlop Winter Sport 5 scores 76 vs 64 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Dunlop Winter Sport 5 scores 79 vs 68 on treadwear.

Tire A · Dunlop Winter Sport 5
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Tire B · Goodyear Ultra Grip 8 Performance
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Winter Sport 5 or Ultra Grip 8 Performance?

Which is better in the wet, Winter Sport 5 or Ultra Grip 8 Performance?

Dunlop Winter Sport 5, 84 vs 71 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Winter Sport 5 or Ultra Grip 8 Performance?

Dunlop Winter Sport 5, 69 vs 66 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Winter Sport 5 or Ultra Grip 8 Performance?

Dunlop Winter Sport 5, 83 vs 62 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, Winter Sport 5 or Ultra Grip 8 Performance?

Dunlop Winter Sport 5, 75 vs 66 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Winter Sport 5 or Ultra Grip 8 Performance?

Dunlop Winter Sport 5, 79 vs 68 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