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Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ vs Yokohama BluEarth-4S AW21 — 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 5 + 5 road tests and 6 + 983 owner reviews. How we score

UltraGrip 9+ is ahead, 76–60

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Goodyear UltraGrip 9+
Tire AGoodyear

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)

Yokohama BluEarth-4S AW21
Tire BYokohama

BluEarth-4S AW21

All Season

± 8

Tests 58 · 5 tests Owners 63 · 983 reviews

Best test result: #3 of 16 in 2024 ADAC All Season Tyre Test (snow braking)

Category by category

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

  1. 67

    Dry

    UltraGrip 9+ +8
    59
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 9+BluEarth-4S AW21
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / 5 tests6055
    Reviews found online7966

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

    BluEarth-4S AW21: 60% × 54.5 + 40% × 65.5 = 59

  2. 85

    Wet

    UltraGrip 9+ +14
    71
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 9+BluEarth-4S AW21
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / 5 tests8671
    Reviews found online8371

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

    BluEarth-4S AW21: 60% × 71.1 + 40% × 70.8 = 71

  3. 80

    Snow

    UltraGrip 9+ +13
    67
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 9+BluEarth-4S AW21
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / 2 tests8566
    Reviews found online7468

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

    BluEarth-4S AW21: 60% × 66.5 + 40% × 67.7 = 67

  4. 75

    Comfort

    UltraGrip 9+ +12
    63
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 9+BluEarth-4S AW21
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests76≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online7461

    UltraGrip 9+: 40% × 75.7 + 60% × 74 = 75

    BluEarth-4S AW21: 40% × 67 (est.) + 60% × 60.5 = 63

    No road tests of comfort for BluEarth-4S AW21. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 69

    Noise

    UltraGrip 9+ +17
    52
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 9+BluEarth-4S AW21
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 2 tests7143
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)

    UltraGrip 9+: 60% × 70.5 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 69

    BluEarth-4S AW21: 60% × 43.2 + 40% × 66.3 (est.) = 52

    No owner ratings of noise for UltraGrip 9+ or BluEarth-4S AW21. 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. 76

    Treadwear

    UltraGrip 9+ +27
    49
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 9+BluEarth-4S AW21
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 2 / 1 tests7248
    Reviews found online8251

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

    BluEarth-4S AW21: 60% × 47.6 + 40% × 51.1 = 49

  7. 74

    Handling (owners)

    UltraGrip 9+ +13
    61
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 9+BluEarth-4S AW21
    Reviews found online7461
  8. 78

    Efficiency

    UltraGrip 9+ +36
    42
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip 9+BluEarth-4S AW21
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 4 / 2 tests7842
Scores at a glance
CategoryGoodyear UltraGrip 9+Yokohama BluEarth-4S AW21
Relative Score 76 60
Dry 67 59
Wet 85 71
Snow 80 67
Comfort 75 63
Noise 69 52
Treadwear 76 49
Handling (owners) 74 61
Efficiency 78 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.

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Recomputed
Headline score
± 6

UltraGrip 9+

± 8

BluEarth-4S AW21

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 1 tests that ran both, Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ finished ahead 1 times and Yokohama BluEarth-4S AW21 0 times.

DisciplineCategoryUltraGrip 9+BluEarth-4S AW21ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #2/14 #10/14 – 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2020 Autoklub CR Winter / All-Season Tire Test R16 · 205/55R16

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A 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

Tire B BluEarth-4S AW21

Pros

  • Excellent grip and stability on wet and flooded roads
  • Strong traction and confidence-inspiring performance in snow and ice
  • Good value for money compared to premium competitors

Cons

  • Higher road noise levels ('howling' or noticeable hum) compared to some other brands
  • Softer cornering feel and reduced precision during hot summer months
  • Minor negative impact on fuel economy for some drivers
All owner themes in the BluEarth-4S AW21 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ B · Yokohama BluEarth-4S AW21
CategoryWinterAll Season
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available19104
Rim diameters14″ – 16″14″ – 22″
Sizes in common1212

Which one should you actually buy?

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+

Yokohama BluEarth-4S AW21

Winner: Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ — better efficiency, treadwear and noise. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire A You want lower fuel or energy use

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ scores 78 vs 42 on efficiency.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ scores 76 vs 49 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ scores 69 vs 52 on noise.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ scores 85 vs 71 on wet.

Tire A · Goodyear UltraGrip 9+
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Tire B · Yokohama BluEarth-4S AW21
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UltraGrip 9+ or BluEarth-4S AW21?

Which is better in the wet, UltraGrip 9+ or BluEarth-4S AW21?

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+, 85 vs 71 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, UltraGrip 9+ or BluEarth-4S AW21?

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+, 67 vs 59 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, UltraGrip 9+ or BluEarth-4S AW21?

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+, 80 vs 67 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, UltraGrip 9+ or BluEarth-4S AW21?

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+, 69 vs 52 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, UltraGrip 9+ or BluEarth-4S AW21?

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+, 75 vs 63 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, UltraGrip 9+ or BluEarth-4S AW21?

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+, 76 vs 49 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, UltraGrip 9+ or BluEarth-4S AW21?

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+, 78 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