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Head-to-head Updated

Goodyear UltraGrip 8 vs Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

Too close to call: UltraGrip 8 and Winter i*cept RS2 are level at 75.

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Tire AGoodyear

UltraGrip 8

Winter

Tests – · none yet Owners 78 · 59 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 14 in 2011 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test (overall ranking)

Tire BHankook

Winter i*cept RS2

Winter

Tests 78 · 7 tests Owners 71 · 50 reviews

Best test result: #10 of 51 in 2015 Winter Tyre Market Overview (overall ranking)

Category by category

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

  1. 74

    Dry

    UltraGrip 8 +1
    73
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 8Winter i*cept RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score)–75
    Reviews found online7870
  2. 80

    Wet

    Winter i*cept RS2 +3
    83
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 8Winter i*cept RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score)–88
    Reviews found online8476
  3. 73

    Snow

    Winter i*cept RS2 +2
    75
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 8Winter i*cept RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score)–80
    Reviews found online7568
  4. 74

    Comfort

    UltraGrip 8 +2
    72
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 8Winter i*cept RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score)–75
    Reviews found online7867
  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    61
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 8Winter i*cept RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score)–57
  6. 71

    Treadwear

    Winter i*cept RS2 +2
    73
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 8Winter i*cept RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score)–74
    Reviews found online7471
  7. 79

    Handling

    UltraGrip 8 +8
    71
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 8Winter i*cept RS2
    Reviews found online7971
Scores at a glance
CategoryGoodyear UltraGrip 8Hankook Winter i*cept RS2
Relative Score 75 75
Dry 74 73
Wet 80 83
Snow 73 75
Comfort 74 72
Noise – 61
Treadwear 71 73
Handling 79 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 and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Important
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Important
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Less important
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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.

Important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

UltraGrip 8

Winter i*cept RS2

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

The professional test results behind the scores

Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.

DisciplineCategoryUltraGrip 8Winter i*cept RS2ΔBoth?
Overall Ranking Overall 100% #1/14 · 2011 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test 10% #10/51 · 2015 Winter Tyre Market Overview +90.0 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 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 UltraGrip 8 B · Hankook Winter i*cept RS2
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available1437
Rim diameters13″ – 16″13″ – 17″

Which one should you actually buy?

Goodyear UltraGrip 8

Hankook Winter i*cept RS2

Too close to call: Goodyear UltraGrip 8 and Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 are within 2 points overall. Goodyear UltraGrip 8 is stronger on handling. Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 is stronger on wet.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Goodyear UltraGrip 8 scores 79 vs 71 on handling.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 scores 83 vs 80 on wet.

Tire A · Goodyear UltraGrip 8
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Tire B · Hankook Winter i*cept RS2
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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.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.

75

Too close to call

UltraGrip 8

Amazon