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Head-to-head Updated

Goodyear Ultra Grip 8 Performance 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 0 + 36 road tests and 14 + 17 owner reviews. How we score

Ultra Grip Performance 3 is ahead, 85–66

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Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 3
Tire BGoodyear

Ultra Grip Performance 3

Winter

± 4

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.

  1. 66

    Dry

    Ultra Grip Performance 3 +15
    81
    Why this score
    SourceUltra Grip 8 PerformanceUltra Grip Performance 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 29 tests≈ 66 (est.)82
    Reviews found online6480

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

    Ultra Grip Performance 3: 60% × 81.5 + 40% × 79.5 = 81

    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 0.42).

  2. 71

    Wet

    Ultra Grip Performance 3 +21
    92
    Why this score
    SourceUltra Grip 8 PerformanceUltra Grip Performance 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 36 tests≈ 71 (est.)97
    Reviews found online7184

    Ultra Grip 8 Performance: 60% × 71.1 (est.) + 40% × 71.4 = 71

    Ultra Grip Performance 3: 60% × 97.3 + 40% × 84.2 = 92

    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. 62

    Snow

    Ultra Grip Performance 3 +20
    82
    Why this score
    SourceUltra Grip 8 PerformanceUltra Grip Performance 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 35 tests≈ 66 (est.)84
    Reviews found online5579

    Ultra Grip 8 Performance: 60% × 65.7 (est.) + 40% × 55.3 = 62

    Ultra Grip Performance 3: 60% × 84.3 + 40% × 79.1 = 82

    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. 66

    Comfort

    Ultra Grip Performance 3 +21
    87
    Why this score
    SourceUltra Grip 8 PerformanceUltra Grip Performance 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 10 tests≈ 68 (est.)100
    Reviews found online6479

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

    Ultra Grip Performance 3: 40% × 100 + 60% × 79.1 = 87

    No road tests of comfort for Ultra Grip 8 Performance. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.21).

  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    77
    Why this score
    SourceUltra Grip 8 PerformanceUltra 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.

  6. 68

    Treadwear

    Ultra Grip Performance 3 +18
    86
    Why this score
    SourceUltra Grip 8 PerformanceUltra Grip Performance 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 11 tests≈ 67 (est.)90
    Reviews found online6881

    Ultra Grip 8 Performance: 60% × 67.2 (est.) + 40% × 68.3 = 68

    Ultra Grip Performance 3: 60% × 89.6 + 40% × 80.7 = 86

    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. 64

    Handling (owners)

    Ultra Grip Performance 3 +16
    80
    Why this score
    SourceUltra Grip 8 PerformanceUltra Grip Performance 3
    Reviews found online6480
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    71
    Why this score
    SourceUltra Grip 8 PerformanceUltra Grip Performance 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 28 tests–71
Scores at a glance
CategoryGoodyear Ultra Grip 8 PerformanceGoodyear Ultra Grip Performance 3
Relative Score 66 85
Dry 66 81
Wet 71 92
Snow 62 82
Comfort 66 87
Noise – 77
Treadwear 68 86
Handling (owners) 64 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
± 8

Ultra Grip 8 Performance

± 4

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.

DisciplineCategoryUltra Grip 8 PerformanceUltra Grip Performance 3ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #2/48 2014 50 Winter Tyre Braking Overview #2/14 2026 Auto Bild 205/55 R16 Winter Tyre Test – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A 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

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.
All owner themes in the Ultra Grip Performance 3 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Goodyear Ultra Grip 8 Performance B · Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 3
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available14172
Rim diameters16″ – 18″14″ – 22″
Tread depth10 - 11/32″11/32″
SidewallRaised Black LetteringBlack Side Wall - Raised Black Lettering
Max pressure50 - 51 psi50 - 51 psi
Sizes in common1212

Which one should you actually buy?

Goodyear Ultra Grip 8 Performance

Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 3

Winner: Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 3 — better wet, comfort and snow. 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 B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 3 scores 92 vs 71 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 3 scores 87 vs 66 on comfort.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 3 scores 82 vs 62 on snow.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 3 scores 86 vs 68 on treadwear.

Tire A · Goodyear Ultra Grip 8 Performance
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Tire B · Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 3
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Ultra Grip 8 Performance or Ultra Grip Performance 3?

Which is better in the wet, Ultra Grip 8 Performance or Ultra Grip Performance 3?

Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 3, 92 vs 71 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Ultra Grip 8 Performance or Ultra Grip Performance 3?

Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 3, 81 vs 66 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Ultra Grip 8 Performance or Ultra Grip Performance 3?

Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 3, 82 vs 62 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, Ultra Grip 8 Performance or Ultra Grip Performance 3?

Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 3, 87 vs 66 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Ultra Grip 8 Performance or Ultra Grip Performance 3?

Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 3, 86 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