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Head-to-head Updated

Dunlop Winter Sport 5 vs Goodyear UltraGrip 8 — 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 + 59 owner reviews. How we score

Too close to call: Winter Sport 5 78, UltraGrip 8 79.

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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

    UltraGrip 8 +9
    78
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sport 5UltraGrip 8
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 19 / – tests66≈ 74 (est.)
    Reviews found online7483

    Winter Sport 5: 60% × 65.7 + 40% × 73.7 = 69

    UltraGrip 8: 60% × 74.1 (est.) + 40% × 82.9 = 78

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

  2. 84

    Wet

    UltraGrip 8 +1
    85
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sport 5UltraGrip 8
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 25 / – tests86≈ 81 (est.)
    Reviews found online8290

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

    UltraGrip 8: 60% × 81.2 (est.) + 40% × 89.9 = 85

    No road tests of wet for UltraGrip 8. 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 +8
    75
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sport 5UltraGrip 8
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 25 / – tests87≈ 73 (est.)
    Reviews found online7878

    Winter Sport 5: 60% × 86.8 + 40% × 77.8 = 83

    UltraGrip 8: 60% × 72.8 (est.) + 40% × 77.8 = 75

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

  4. 75

    Comfort

    UltraGrip 8 +3
    78
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sport 5UltraGrip 8
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests74≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online7682

    Winter Sport 5: 40% × 74.4 + 60% × 76 = 75

    UltraGrip 8: 40% × 71.3 (est.) + 60% × 81.9 = 78

    No road tests of comfort for UltraGrip 8. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 33

    Noise

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

    Winter Sport 5: 60% × 10.3 + 40% × 66.4 (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 +4
    75
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sport 5UltraGrip 8
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 13 / – tests78≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online8081

    Winter Sport 5: 60% × 78.2 + 40% × 79.5 = 79

    UltraGrip 8: 60% × 71.8 (est.) + 40% × 81 = 75

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

  7. 76

    Handling (owners)

    UltraGrip 8 +7
    83
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sport 5UltraGrip 8
    Reviews found online7683
  8. 79

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceWinter Sport 5UltraGrip 8
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 18 / – tests79–
Scores at a glance
CategoryDunlop Winter Sport 5Goodyear UltraGrip 8
Relative Score 78 79
Dry 69 78
Wet 84 85
Snow 83 75
Comfort 75 78
Noise 33 –
Treadwear 79 75
Handling (owners) 76 83
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

UltraGrip 8

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 5UltraGrip 8ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #5/10 2025 Autobild Winter Tire Test R18 #6/9 2013 ACE Winter Tyre Test – 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 UltraGrip 8

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and traction in wet, slushy, and snowy conditions
  • High level of ride comfort and refinement
  • Low road noise compared to many winter tire competitors

Cons

  • Reports of excessive road noise for some specific vehicle applications
  • Tread wear can be faster than average under heavy usage or high-speed driving
  • Occasional reports of 'snappy' handling characteristics when pushed to the absolute limit
All owner themes in the UltraGrip 8 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Dunlop Winter Sport 5 B · Goodyear UltraGrip 8
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available4614
Rim diameters15″ – 21″13″ – 16″
Sizes in common44

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop Winter Sport 5

Goodyear UltraGrip 8

Too close to call: Dunlop Winter Sport 5 and Goodyear UltraGrip 8 are within 2 points overall. Dunlop Winter Sport 5 is stronger on snow and treadwear. Goodyear UltraGrip 8 is stronger on dry, handling and comfort.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Goodyear UltraGrip 8 scores 78 vs 69 on dry.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Dunlop Winter Sport 5 scores 83 vs 75 on snow.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Goodyear UltraGrip 8 scores 83 vs 76 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Dunlop Winter Sport 5 scores 79 vs 75 on treadwear.

Tire A · Dunlop Winter Sport 5
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Tire B · Goodyear UltraGrip 8
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Winter Sport 5 or UltraGrip 8?

Which is better in the wet, Winter Sport 5 or UltraGrip 8?

Neither, by our numbers: 84 vs 85 on the wet score, within 3 points.

Which grips better on dry roads, Winter Sport 5 or UltraGrip 8?

Goodyear UltraGrip 8, 78 vs 69 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Winter Sport 5 or UltraGrip 8?

Dunlop Winter Sport 5, 83 vs 75 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, Winter Sport 5 or UltraGrip 8?

Goodyear UltraGrip 8, 78 vs 75 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Winter Sport 5 or UltraGrip 8?

Dunlop Winter Sport 5, 79 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