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Head-to-head Updated

Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 3 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 36 + 0 road tests and 17 + 14 owner reviews. How we score

Ultra Grip Performance 3 is ahead, 85–66

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Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 3
Tire AGoodyear

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. 81

    Dry

    Ultra Grip Performance 3 +15
    66
    Why this score
    SourceUltra Grip Performance 3Ultra Grip 8 Performance
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 29 / – tests82≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online8064

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

    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 0.42).

  2. 92

    Wet

    Ultra Grip Performance 3 +21
    71
    Why this score
    SourceUltra Grip Performance 3Ultra Grip 8 Performance
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 36 / – tests97≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online8471

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

    Ultra Grip 8 Performance: 60% × 71.1 (est.) + 40% × 71.4 = 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. 82

    Snow

    Ultra Grip Performance 3 +20
    62
    Why this score
    SourceUltra Grip Performance 3Ultra Grip 8 Performance
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 35 / – tests84≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online7955

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

    Ultra Grip 8 Performance: 60% × 65.7 (est.) + 40% × 55.3 = 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. 87

    Comfort

    Ultra Grip Performance 3 +21
    66
    Why this score
    SourceUltra Grip Performance 3Ultra Grip 8 Performance
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 10 / – tests100≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online7964

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

    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 estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.21).

  5. 77

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceUltra Grip Performance 3Ultra Grip 8 Performance
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 25 / – tests84–
    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. 86

    Treadwear

    Ultra Grip Performance 3 +18
    68
    Why this score
    SourceUltra Grip Performance 3Ultra Grip 8 Performance
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 11 / – tests90≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online8168

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

    Ultra Grip 8 Performance: 60% × 67.2 (est.) + 40% × 68.3 = 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. 80

    Handling (owners)

    Ultra Grip Performance 3 +16
    64
    Why this score
    SourceUltra Grip Performance 3Ultra Grip 8 Performance
    Reviews found online8064
  8. 71

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceUltra Grip Performance 3Ultra Grip 8 Performance
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 28 / – tests71–
Scores at a glance
CategoryGoodyear Ultra Grip Performance 3Goodyear Ultra Grip 8 Performance
Relative Score 85 66
Dry 81 66
Wet 92 71
Snow 82 62
Comfort 87 66
Noise 77 –
Treadwear 86 68
Handling (owners) 80 64
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
± 4

Ultra Grip Performance 3

± 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.

DisciplineCategoryUltra Grip Performance 3Ultra Grip 8 PerformanceΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #2/14 2026 Auto Bild 205/55 R16 Winter Tyre Test #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 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

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 · Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 3 B · Goodyear Ultra Grip 8 Performance
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available17214
Rim diameters14″ – 22″16″ – 18″
Tread depth11/32″10 - 11/32″
SidewallBlack Side Wall - Raised Black LetteringRaised Black Lettering
Max pressure50 - 51 psi50 - 51 psi
Sizes in common1212

Which one should you actually buy?

Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 3

Goodyear Ultra Grip 8 Performance

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 A Your priority is wet-weather safety

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

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

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

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

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

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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