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General Altimax Arctic vs Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 0 + 5 road tests and 32 + 6 owner reviews. How we score

UltraGrip 9+ is ahead, 76–59

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Goodyear UltraGrip 9+
Tire BGoodyear

UltraGrip 9+

Winter

Tests 75 · 5 tests Owners 77 · 6 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 16 in 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test (ice braking)

Category by category

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

  1. 57

    Dry

    UltraGrip 9+ +10
    67
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticUltraGrip 9+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 4 tests≈ 61 (est.)60
    Reviews found online5179

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 60.8 (est.) + 40% × 50.5 = 57

    UltraGrip 9+: 60% × 60.1 + 40% × 78.5 = 67

    No road tests of dry for Altimax Arctic. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

  2. 62

    Wet

    UltraGrip 9+ +22
    84
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticUltraGrip 9+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 5 tests≈ 64 (est.)85
    Reviews found online6081

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 64.2 (est.) + 40% × 59.8 = 62

    UltraGrip 9+: 60% × 85.4 + 40% × 81.1 = 84

    No road tests of wet for Altimax Arctic. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

  3. 59

    Snow

    UltraGrip 9+ +20
    79
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticUltraGrip 9+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 5 tests≈ 64 (est.)84
    Reviews found online5272

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 63.8 (est.) + 40% × 51.6 = 59

    UltraGrip 9+: 60% × 84 + 40% × 71.7 = 79

    No road tests of snow for Altimax Arctic. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.33).

  4. 60

    Comfort

    UltraGrip 9+ +16
    76
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticUltraGrip 9+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 66 (est.)77
    Reviews found online5176

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 66 (est.) + 40% × 50.8 = 60

    UltraGrip 9+: 60% × 76.7 + 40% × 75.6 = 76

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

  5. 62

    Noise

    UltraGrip 9+ +7
    69
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticUltraGrip 9+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests≈ 67 (est.)71
    Reviews found online54≈ 67 (est.)

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 54.1 = 62

    UltraGrip 9+: 60% × 70.7 + 40% × 67.3 (est.) = 69

    No road tests of noise for Altimax Arctic. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

    No owner ratings of noise for UltraGrip 9+. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  6. 57

    Treadwear

    UltraGrip 9+ +17
    74
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticUltraGrip 9+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests≈ 61 (est.)71
    Reviews found online5079

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 60.8 (est.) + 40% × 50.1 = 57

    UltraGrip 9+: 60% × 71.1 + 40% × 79.1 = 74

    No road tests of treadwear for Altimax Arctic. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

  7. 49

    Handling (owners)

    UltraGrip 9+ +25
    74
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticUltraGrip 9+
    Reviews found online4974
Scores at a glance
CategoryGeneral Altimax ArcticGoodyear UltraGrip 9+
Relative Score 59 76
Dry 57 67
Wet 62 84
Snow 59 79
Comfort 60 76
Noise 62 69
Treadwear 57 74
Handling (owners) 49 74

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.

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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

Altimax Arctic

UltraGrip 9+

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Altimax Arctic

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and traction in deep snow, slush, and ice
  • High value and affordable price point compared to premium competitors
  • Reliable wet and dry handling during cold weather months

Cons

  • Handling and responsiveness drop off compared to dedicated summer or all-season tires
  • Some users report accelerated wear once the tire reaches 50% tread life
  • Minor tendencies toward understeer during hard cornering
All owner themes in the Altimax Arctic review

Tire B UltraGrip 9+

Pros

  • Excellent wet and cold weather grip
  • High levels of ride comfort and low noise
  • Strong value proposition compared to premium competitors

Cons

  • Performance on deep snow and ice may lag slightly behind specialized winter-focused brands like Nokian
  • Limited feedback on long-term tread wear due to low mileage in current reviews
  • Increased noise levels specifically on concrete road surfaces
All owner themes in the UltraGrip 9+ review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · General Altimax Arctic B · Goodyear UltraGrip 9+
CategoryWinter Touring tiresWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available119
Rim diameters17″14″ – 16″

Which one should you actually buy?

General Altimax Arctic

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+

Winner: Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ — better handling, wet and snow. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ scores 74 vs 49 on handling.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ scores 84 vs 62 on wet.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ scores 79 vs 59 on snow.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ scores 74 vs 57 on treadwear.

Tire A · General Altimax Arctic
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Tire B · Goodyear UltraGrip 9+
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Altimax Arctic or UltraGrip 9+?

Which is better in the wet, Altimax Arctic or UltraGrip 9+?

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+, 84 vs 62 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Altimax Arctic or UltraGrip 9+?

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+, 67 vs 57 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Altimax Arctic or UltraGrip 9+?

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+, 79 vs 59 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Altimax Arctic or UltraGrip 9+?

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+, 69 vs 62 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Altimax Arctic or UltraGrip 9+?

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+, 76 vs 60 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Altimax Arctic or UltraGrip 9+?

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+, 74 vs 57 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