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Head-to-head Updated

Goodyear UltraGrip 8 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 0 + 5 road tests and 59 + 6 owner reviews. How we score

UltraGrip 8 leads, 79–77 Narrow edge

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Goodyear UltraGrip 9+
Tire BGoodyear

UltraGrip 9+

Winter

± 6

Tests 75 · 5 tests Owners 79 · 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. 78

    Dry

    UltraGrip 8 +11
    67
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 8UltraGrip 9+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 4 tests≈ 74 (est.)60
    Reviews found online8379

    UltraGrip 8: 60% × 74.1 (est.) + 40% × 82.9 = 78

    UltraGrip 9+: 60% × 59.8 + 40% × 78.8 = 67

    No road tests of dry for UltraGrip 8. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 85

    Wet

    Level
    85
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 8UltraGrip 9+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 5 tests≈ 81 (est.)86
    Reviews found online9083

    UltraGrip 8: 60% × 81.2 (est.) + 40% × 89.9 = 85

    UltraGrip 9+: 60% × 86.3 + 40% × 83.1 = 85

    No road tests of wet for UltraGrip 8. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 75

    Snow

    UltraGrip 9+ +5
    80
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 8UltraGrip 9+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 5 tests≈ 73 (est.)85
    Reviews found online7874

    UltraGrip 8: 60% × 72.8 (est.) + 40% × 77.8 = 75

    UltraGrip 9+: 60% × 84.7 + 40% × 73.7 = 80

    No road tests of snow for UltraGrip 8. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 78

    Comfort

    UltraGrip 8 +3
    75
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 8UltraGrip 9+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 71 (est.)76
    Reviews found online8274

    UltraGrip 8: 40% × 71.3 (est.) + 60% × 81.9 = 78

    UltraGrip 9+: 40% × 75.7 + 60% × 74.1 = 75

    No road tests of comfort for UltraGrip 8. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    69
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 8UltraGrip 9+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests–71
    Reviews found online–≈ 66 (est.)

    UltraGrip 9+: 60% × 70.5 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 69

    No owner ratings of noise for 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.

  6. 75

    Treadwear

    UltraGrip 9+ +1
    76
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 8UltraGrip 9+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 2 tests≈ 72 (est.)72
    Reviews found online8182

    UltraGrip 8: 60% × 71.8 (est.) + 40% × 81 = 75

    UltraGrip 9+: 60% × 71.5 + 40% × 81.6 = 76

    No road tests of treadwear for UltraGrip 8. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 83

    Handling (owners)

    UltraGrip 8 +9
    74
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 8UltraGrip 9+
    Reviews found online8374
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    78
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 8UltraGrip 9+
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 4 tests–78
Scores at a glance
CategoryGoodyear UltraGrip 8Goodyear UltraGrip 9+
Relative Score 79 77
Dry 78 67
Wet 85 85
Snow 75 80
Comfort 78 75
Noise – 69
Treadwear 75 76
Handling (owners) 83 74
Efficiency – 78

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

UltraGrip 8

± 6

UltraGrip 9+

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.

DisciplineCategoryUltraGrip 8UltraGrip 9+ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #6/9 2013 ACE Winter Tyre Test #3/16 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A UltraGrip 8

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and traction in wet, slushy, and snowy conditions
  • High level of ride comfort and refinement
  • Low road noise compared to many winter tire competitors

Cons

  • Reports of excessive road noise for some specific vehicle applications
  • Tread wear can be faster than average under heavy usage or high-speed driving
  • Occasional reports of 'snappy' handling characteristics when pushed to the absolute limit
All owner themes in the UltraGrip 8 review

Tire B UltraGrip 9+

Pros

  • Strong cold-weather and wet grip, with one owner describing wet grip at 0–10°C as feeling as sure-footed as in the dry
  • Capable snow and ice performance in the conditions reported, including hill climbs past stranded vehicles and handling of icy rural roads
  • Comfortable and quiet on the road, with some noise noted only on concrete surfaces; one reviewer found it quieter than a Nokian WRD4

Cons

  • Long-term durability is largely unproven, as reviewers had covered only about 1,000 to 8,000 km and several said it was too early to judge wear
  • Snow and ice performance was not tested extensively, since mild winters or limited exposure meant some owners could not comment on severe conditions
  • Snow traction was reported as not matching a Nokian WRD4 in one second-hand comparison
All owner themes in the UltraGrip 9+ review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Goodyear UltraGrip 8 B · Goodyear UltraGrip 9+
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available1419
Rim diameters13″ – 16″14″ – 16″
Sizes in common1010

Which one should you actually buy?

Goodyear UltraGrip 8

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+

Narrow edge: Goodyear UltraGrip 8 — better dry, handling and comfort. Pick the Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ if snow matters most to you.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Goodyear UltraGrip 8 scores 78 vs 67 on dry.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Goodyear UltraGrip 8 scores 83 vs 74 on handling.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ scores 80 vs 75 on snow.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Goodyear UltraGrip 8 scores 78 vs 75 on comfort.

Tire A · Goodyear UltraGrip 8
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Tire B · Goodyear UltraGrip 9+
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UltraGrip 8 or UltraGrip 9+?

Which is better in the wet, UltraGrip 8 or UltraGrip 9+?

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

Which grips better on dry roads, UltraGrip 8 or UltraGrip 9+?

Goodyear UltraGrip 8, 78 vs 67 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, UltraGrip 8 or UltraGrip 9+?

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+, 80 vs 75 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, UltraGrip 8 or UltraGrip 9+?

Goodyear UltraGrip 8, 78 vs 75 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, UltraGrip 8 or UltraGrip 9+?

Neither, by our numbers: 75 vs 76 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.

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