tirewheelguide
Head-to-head Updated

Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1 vs Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 — 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 4 + 7 road tests and 32 + 51 owner reviews. How we score

Too close to call: Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1 and Winter i*cept RS2 are level at 76.

Check price on Amazon · Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1 Check price on Amazon · Winter i*cept RS2
Add your size for an exact match
/R

Both Amazon links then search this exact size.

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1
Tire AGoodyear

Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1

Winter

± 8

Tests 72 · 4 tests Owners 81 · 32 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2017 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test (wet braking)

Hankook Winter i*cept RS2
Tire BHankook

Winter i*cept RS2

Winter

± 5

Tests 78 · 7 tests Owners 74 · 51 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test (wet handling)

Category by category

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

  1. 74

    Dry

    Level
    74
    Why this score
    SourceUltra Grip Performance Gen-1Winter i*cept RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / 5 tests6975
    Reviews found online8072

    Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1: 60% × 69.5 + 40% × 80.4 = 74

    Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 75.2 + 40% × 72 = 74

  2. 83

    Wet

    Winter i*cept RS2 +2
    85
    Why this score
    SourceUltra Grip Performance Gen-1Winter i*cept RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / 7 tests8289
    Reviews found online8678

    Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1: 60% × 81.9 + 40% × 85.7 = 83

    Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 89.4 + 40% × 78.4 = 85

  3. 77

    Snow

    Level
    77
    Why this score
    SourceUltra Grip Performance Gen-1Winter i*cept RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / 7 tests7681
    Reviews found online7772

    Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1: 60% × 76.1 + 40% × 77.4 = 77

    Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 80.6 + 40% × 71.6 = 77

  4. 77

    Comfort

    Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1 +7
    70
    Why this score
    SourceUltra Grip Performance Gen-1Winter i*cept RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 71 (est.)74
    Reviews found online8067

    Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1: 40% × 71 (est.) + 60% × 80.3 = 77

    Winter i*cept RS2: 40% × 74.4 + 60% × 66.6 = 70

    No road tests of comfort for Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 67

    Noise

    Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1 +7
    60
    Why this score
    SourceUltra Grip Performance Gen-1Winter i*cept RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 4 tests6856
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)

    Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1: 60% × 67.7 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 67

    Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 56.2 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 60

    No owner ratings of noise for Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1 or Winter i*cept RS2. 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. 71

    Treadwear

    Winter i*cept RS2 +4
    75
    Why this score
    SourceUltra Grip Performance Gen-1Winter i*cept RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 3 tests6375
    Reviews found online8275

    Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1: 60% × 63.4 + 40% × 81.6 = 71

    Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 74.6 + 40% × 74.9 = 75

  7. 83

    Handling (owners)

    Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1 +10
    73
    Why this score
    SourceUltra Grip Performance Gen-1Winter i*cept RS2
    Reviews found online8373
  8. 72

    Efficiency

    Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1 +30
    42
    Why this score
    SourceUltra Grip Performance Gen-1Winter i*cept RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 5 tests7242
Scores at a glance
CategoryGoodyear Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1Hankook Winter i*cept RS2
Relative Score 76 76
Dry 74 74
Wet 83 85
Snow 77 77
Comfort 77 70
Noise 67 60
Treadwear 71 75
Handling (owners) 83 73
Efficiency 72 42

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.

Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1

± 5

Winter i*cept RS2

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.

In the overall rankings of 5 tests that ran both, Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1 finished ahead 3 times and Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 2 times.

DisciplineCategoryUltra Grip Performance Gen-1Winter i*cept RS2ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #4/9 #3/9 – 3–2 in 5 shared tests Newest: 2018 Auto Express Winter Tyre Test · 205/55 R16

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1

Pros

  • Exceptional wet weather and slush performance
  • Strong traction and braking capabilities in snow
  • High durability and long tread life

Cons

  • Increased road noise reported by some users at higher speeds
  • Vague steering feedback and sidewall flex during spirited dry-road driving
  • Occasional loss of grip in dry conditions or when temperatures exceed 7°C
All owner themes in the Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1 review

Tire B Winter i*cept RS2

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and handling on wet and dry roads
  • Impressive resistance to aquaplaning in heavy rain or standing water
  • Strong value for money with a competitive price point

Cons

  • Higher than average road noise, especially at highway speeds
  • Firm, stiff sidewalls leading to a less comfortable or harsh ride
  • Subpar performance and unpredictable grip on ice and black ice
All owner themes in the Winter i*cept RS2 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1 B · Hankook Winter i*cept RS2
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available1737
Rim diameters16″ – 20″13″ – 17″
Tread depth9 - 11/32″—
SidewallRaised Black Lettering—
Max pressure50 psi—
Sizes in common22

Which one should you actually buy?

Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1

Hankook Winter i*cept RS2

Too close to call: Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1 and Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 are within 2 points overall. Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1 is stronger on efficiency, handling and comfort. Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 is stronger on treadwear.

Pick tire A You want lower fuel or energy use

Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1 scores 72 vs 42 on efficiency.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1 scores 83 vs 73 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1 scores 77 vs 70 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1 scores 67 vs 60 on noise.

Tire A · Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Hankook Winter i*cept RS2
Check price on Amazon

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1 or Winter i*cept RS2?

Which is better in the wet, Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1 or Winter i*cept RS2?

Neither, by our numbers: 83 vs 85 on the wet score, within 3 points.

Which grips better on dry roads, Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1 or Winter i*cept RS2?

Neither, by our numbers: 74 vs 74 on the dry score, within 3 points.

Which is better in snow, Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1 or Winter i*cept RS2?

Neither, by our numbers: 77 vs 77 on the snow score, within 3 points.

Which is quieter, Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1 or Winter i*cept RS2?

Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1, 67 vs 60 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1 or Winter i*cept RS2?

Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1, 77 vs 70 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1 or Winter i*cept RS2?

Hankook Winter i*cept RS2, 75 vs 71 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1 or Winter i*cept RS2?

Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance Gen-1, 72 vs 42 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