Tests 69 · 5 tests Owners 73 · 3 reviews
Best test result: #4 of 20 in 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test (snow traction)
Head-to-head
Updated
General Altimax Winter 3 vs Goodyear UltraGrip 9 — 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 5 + 3 road tests and 3 + 40 owner reviews. How we score
UltraGrip 9 is ahead, 76–71
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Tests 74 · 3 tests Owners 79 · 40 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test (snow braking)
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
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64
Dry
UltraGrip 9 +872Why this score
Source Altimax Winter 3 UltraGrip 9 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 3 tests 59 70 Reviews found online 72 75 Altimax Winter 3: 60% × 58.7 + 40% × 71.5 = 64
UltraGrip 9: 60% × 70.4 + 40% × 74.6 = 72
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71
Wet
UltraGrip 9 +1384Why this score
Source Altimax Winter 3 UltraGrip 9 Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / 3 tests 69 83 Reviews found online 74 86 Altimax Winter 3: 60% × 69.4 + 40% × 74.4 = 71
UltraGrip 9: 60% × 83 + 40% × 85.7 = 84
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78
Snow
Altimax Winter 3 +375Why this score
Source Altimax Winter 3 UltraGrip 9 Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 3 tests 78 73 Reviews found online 77 79 Altimax Winter 3: 60% × 77.7 + 40% × 77.3 = 78
UltraGrip 9: 60% × 73.3 + 40% × 78.7 = 75
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69
Comfort
UltraGrip 9 +978Why this score
Source Altimax Winter 3 UltraGrip 9 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 69 (est.) ≈ 71 (est.) Reviews found online 69 82 Altimax Winter 3: 40% × 68.6 (est.) + 60% × 68.6 = 69
UltraGrip 9: 40% × 71.3 (est.) + 60% × 81.7 = 78
No road tests of comfort for Altimax Winter 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
No road tests of comfort for UltraGrip 9. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
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72
Noise
Altimax Winter 3 +765Why this score
Source Altimax Winter 3 UltraGrip 9 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 2 tests 76 64 Reviews found online ≈ 66 (est.) ≈ 66 (est.) Altimax Winter 3: 60% × 75.7 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 72
UltraGrip 9: 60% × 63.7 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 65
No owner ratings of noise for Altimax Winter 3 or UltraGrip 9. 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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70
Treadwear
UltraGrip 9 +575Why this score
Source Altimax Winter 3 UltraGrip 9 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests 69 73 Reviews found online 71 78 Altimax Winter 3: 60% × 68.9 + 40% × 70.6 = 70
UltraGrip 9: 60% × 72.6 + 40% × 77.5 = 75
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72
Handling (owners)
UltraGrip 9 +981Why this score
Source Altimax Winter 3 UltraGrip 9 Reviews found online 72 81 -
65
Efficiency
UltraGrip 9 +1075Why this score
Source Altimax Winter 3 UltraGrip 9 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 3 tests 65 75
Scores at a glance
| Category | General Altimax Winter 3 | Goodyear UltraGrip 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 71 | 76 |
| Dry | 64 | 72 |
| Wet | 71 | 84 |
| Snow | 78 | 75 |
| Comfort | 69 | 78 |
| Noise | 72 | 65 |
| Treadwear | 70 | 75 |
| Handling (owners) | 72 | 81 |
| Efficiency | 65 | 75 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Weight the categories that matter to you
Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
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Recomputed
Headline score
71
/ 100
Altimax Winter 3
76
/ 100
UltraGrip 9
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.
| Discipline | Category | Altimax Winter 3 | UltraGrip 9 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 92% #17/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | 95% #14/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 97% #17/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | 99% #8/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Straight Aquaplaning | Wet | 90% #20/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | 94% #7/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 86% #36/56 · 2022 Winter Tyre Market Overview | 97% #6/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 94% #18/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | 99% #7/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 95% #14/35 · 2021 Winter Tyre Market Overview | 100% #1/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 97% #16/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | 100% #1/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Snow Traction | Snow | 97% #4/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | 100% #1/8 · 2017 AC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 | – | Different tests |
| Noise | Noise | 99% #5/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | 96% #14/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wear | Treadwear | 82% #15/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | 67% #4/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 82% #14/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | 91% #2/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Total Cost of Ownership | Cost | #11/20 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | #2/20 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Value | Cost | 93% #3/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | 71% #11/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #35/56 2022 Winter Tyre Market Overview | #2/8 2020 Wybór Kierowców Winter Tire Test R16 | – | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Altimax Winter 3
Pros
- Strong performance in snow and slush conditions
- Effective resistance to aquaplaning
- Competitive price-to-quality ratio
Cons
- Increased road noise at highway speeds
- Soft sidewalls resulting in vague handling and road feedback
- Mediocre emergency wet braking performance
Tire B UltraGrip 9
Pros
- Exceptional snow and ice traction
- High level of ride comfort and low road noise
- Excellent wet and dry weather performance in cold temperatures
Cons
- Reduced performance on dry, warm asphalt (above 12°C)
- Soft sidewalls can lead to a less sporty or 'wallowy' handling feel
- Reports of premature tread wear or chunking in specific heavy-use cases
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · General Altimax Winter 3 | B · Goodyear UltraGrip 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 38 | 1 |
| Rim diameters | 13″ – 19″ | 15″ |
Which one should you actually buy?
71
/ 100
General Altimax Winter 3
76
/ 100
Goodyear UltraGrip 9
Winner: Goodyear UltraGrip 9 — better wet, efficiency and comfort. Pick the General Altimax Winter 3 if noise and snow matter most to you.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Goodyear UltraGrip 9 scores 84 vs 71 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want lower fuel or energy use
Goodyear UltraGrip 9 scores 75 vs 65 on efficiency.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Goodyear UltraGrip 9 scores 78 vs 69 on comfort.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Goodyear UltraGrip 9 scores 81 vs 72 on handling.
Tire A · General Altimax Winter 3
Tire B · Goodyear UltraGrip 9
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Altimax Winter 3 or UltraGrip 9?
Which is better in the wet, Altimax Winter 3 or UltraGrip 9?
Goodyear UltraGrip 9, 84 vs 71 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Altimax Winter 3 or UltraGrip 9?
Goodyear UltraGrip 9, 72 vs 64 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, Altimax Winter 3 or UltraGrip 9?
General Altimax Winter 3, 78 vs 75 on our snow score.
Which is quieter, Altimax Winter 3 or UltraGrip 9?
General Altimax Winter 3, 72 vs 65 on our noise score.
Which is more comfortable, Altimax Winter 3 or UltraGrip 9?
Goodyear UltraGrip 9, 78 vs 69 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Altimax Winter 3 or UltraGrip 9?
Goodyear UltraGrip 9, 75 vs 70 on our treadwear score.
Which rolls more easily, Altimax Winter 3 or UltraGrip 9?
Goodyear UltraGrip 9, 75 vs 65 on our efficiency 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