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Goodyear UltraGrip 8 vs Pirelli SNOWCONTROL Serie II — 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 + 0 road tests and 59 + 7 owner reviews. How we score

UltraGrip 8 is ahead, 79–71

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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 +10
    68
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 8SNOWCONTROL Serie II
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 74 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online8369

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

    SNOWCONTROL Serie II: 60% × 68.2 (est.) + 40% × 68.5 = 68

    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).

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

  2. 85

    Wet

    UltraGrip 8 +12
    73
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 8SNOWCONTROL Serie II
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 81 (est.)≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online9074

    UltraGrip 8: 60% × 81.2 (est.) + 40% × 89.8 = 85

    SNOWCONTROL Serie II: 60% × 72.4 (est.) + 40% × 73.8 = 73

    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).

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

  3. 75

    Snow

    UltraGrip 8 +2
    73
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 8SNOWCONTROL Serie II
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 73 (est.)≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online7874

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

    SNOWCONTROL Serie II: 60% × 71.7 (est.) + 40% × 74.2 = 73

    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).

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

  4. 78

    Comfort

    UltraGrip 8 +13
    65
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 8SNOWCONTROL Serie II
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online8264

    UltraGrip 8: 40% × 71.3 (est.) + 60% × 81.8 = 78

    SNOWCONTROL Serie II: 40% × 67.7 (est.) + 60% × 64 = 65

    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).

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

  5. 75

    Treadwear

    UltraGrip 8 +6
    69
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 8SNOWCONTROL Serie II
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 72 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online8171

    UltraGrip 8: 60% × 71.7 (est.) + 40% × 81 = 75

    SNOWCONTROL Serie II: 60% × 68.1 (est.) + 40% × 71 = 69

    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).

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

  6. 83

    Handling (owners)

    UltraGrip 8 +11
    72
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 8SNOWCONTROL Serie II
    Reviews found online8372
Scores at a glance
CategoryGoodyear UltraGrip 8Pirelli SNOWCONTROL Serie II
Relative Score 79 71
Dry 78 68
Wet 85 73
Snow 75 73
Comfort 78 65
Treadwear 75 69
Handling (owners) 83 72

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
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

UltraGrip 8

± 8

SNOWCONTROL Serie II

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 8SNOWCONTROL Serie IIΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #6/9 2013 ACE Winter Tyre Test #3/10 2011 EVO Winter 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 SNOWCONTROL Serie II

Pros

  • Fantastic grip and control in deep snow, ice, and wet conditions
  • Exceptional longevity and slow, even tread wear over multiple seasons
  • Short and predictable braking distances on slippery surfaces

Cons

  • Noticeable road noise during regular driving
  • Some users feel they are relatively expensive for what they offer
All owner themes in the SNOWCONTROL Serie II review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Goodyear UltraGrip 8 B · Pirelli SNOWCONTROL Serie II
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available14—
Rim diameters13″ – 16″—

Which one should you actually buy?

Goodyear UltraGrip 8

Pirelli SNOWCONTROL Serie II

Winner: Goodyear UltraGrip 8 — better comfort, wet and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score. Pirelli SNOWCONTROL Serie II rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 7 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Goodyear UltraGrip 8 scores 78 vs 65 on comfort.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Goodyear UltraGrip 8 scores 85 vs 73 on wet.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Goodyear UltraGrip 8 scores 83 vs 72 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Goodyear UltraGrip 8 scores 78 vs 68 on dry.

Tire A · Goodyear UltraGrip 8
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Tire B · Pirelli SNOWCONTROL Serie II
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UltraGrip 8 or SNOWCONTROL Serie II?

Which is better in the wet, UltraGrip 8 or SNOWCONTROL Serie II?

Goodyear UltraGrip 8, 85 vs 73 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, UltraGrip 8 or SNOWCONTROL Serie II?

Goodyear UltraGrip 8, 78 vs 68 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, UltraGrip 8 or SNOWCONTROL Serie II?

Neither, by our numbers: 75 vs 73 on the snow score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, UltraGrip 8 or SNOWCONTROL Serie II?

Goodyear UltraGrip 8, 78 vs 65 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, UltraGrip 8 or SNOWCONTROL Serie II?

Goodyear UltraGrip 8, 75 vs 69 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