Tests 74 · 3 tests Owners 76 · 39 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2017 AC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 (snow braking)
Head-to-head
Updated
Goodyear UltraGrip 9 vs Continental WinterContact TS 870 P — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
WinterContact TS 870 P leads, 79–75 Narrow edge
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Tests 81 · 27 tests Owners 78 · 31 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 10 in 2024 AS SUV 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.
-
71
Dry
WinterContact TS 870 P +980Why this score
Source UltraGrip 9 WinterContact TS 870 P Professional tests (TWG score) 70 82 Reviews found online 72 77 Dry Braking (% of best) 95% 96% Dry Handling (% of best) 99% 98% -
82
Wet
WinterContact TS 870 P +688Why this score
Source UltraGrip 9 WinterContact TS 870 P Professional tests (TWG score) 82 91 Reviews found online 81 84 Wet Braking (% of best) 97% 95% Wet Handling (% of best) 99% 100% -
75
Snow
WinterContact TS 870 P +277Why this score
Source UltraGrip 9 WinterContact TS 870 P Professional tests (TWG score) 73 78 Reviews found online 77 76 Snow Braking (% of best) 100% 94% Snow Handling (% of best) 95% 97% Snow Traction (% of best) 100% 98% -
74
Comfort
WinterContact TS 870 P +882Why this score
Source UltraGrip 9 WinterContact TS 870 P Professional tests (TWG score) – 84 Reviews found online 79 80 -
65
Noise
WinterContact TS 870 P +974Why this score
Source UltraGrip 9 WinterContact TS 870 P Professional tests (TWG score) 65 79 -
72
Treadwear
Level72Why this score
Source UltraGrip 9 WinterContact TS 870 P Professional tests (TWG score) 72 70 Reviews found online 72 75 -
77
Handling
WinterContact TS 870 P +380Why this score
Source UltraGrip 9 WinterContact TS 870 P Reviews found online 77 80
Scores at a glance
| Category | Goodyear UltraGrip 9 | Continental WinterContact TS 870 P |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 75 | 79 |
| Dry | 71 | 80 |
| Wet | 82 | 88 |
| Snow | 75 | 77 |
| Comfort | 74 | 82 |
| Noise | 65 | 74 |
| Treadwear | 72 | 72 |
| Handling | 77 | 80 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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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
75
/ 100
UltraGrip 9
79
/ 100
WinterContact TS 870 P
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.
| Discipline | Category | UltraGrip 9 | WinterContact TS 870 P | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 95% #3/8 · 2017 AC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 | 96% #6/7 · 2024 Al Volante Crossover Winter Tire Test R18 | −0.5 | Different tests |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 99% #8/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 98% #4/10 · 2024 All Season and Winter Tyre Test | +0.3 | Different tests |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 91% #6/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test | 94% #2/20 · 2023 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | −3.1 | Different tests |
| Ice Braking | Ice | 90% #3/8 · 2017 AC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 | 92% #7/16 · 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test | −1.3 | Different tests |
| Noise | Other | 96% #14/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 99% #4/11 · 2025 Autobild SUV Winter Tyre Test | −3.2 | Different tests |
| Price | Other | 61% #10/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test | 78% #8/9 · 2023 Sport Auto Winter Tyre Test | −17.0 | Different tests |
| Value | Other | 71% #11/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 47% #20/20 · 2022 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | +24.1 | Different tests |
| Wear | Other | 67% #4/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 74% #11/16 · 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test | −7.0 | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 33% #3/19 · 2015 ADAC Winter Tyre Test - 205/55 R16 | 8% #13/51 · 2025 Winter Tyre Braking Test - 52 Sets! | +25.6 | Different tests |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 100% #1/8 · 2017 AC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 | 94% #20/31 · 2025 ADAC Winter Tyre Test | +6.1 | Different tests |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 95% #8/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test | 97% #6/10 · 2022 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test | −2.1 | Different tests |
| Snow Traction | Snow | 100% #1/8 · 2017 AC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 | 98% #2/9 · 2022 Sports Car UHP Winter Tyre Test | +2.0 | Different tests |
| Straight Aqua | Straight | 100% #1/8 · 2017 AC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 | 94% #8/16 · 2024 ADAC 17 inch Winter Tyre Test | +5.8 | Different tests |
| Total Cost of Ownership | Total | 0% #2/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 0% #14/20 · 2022 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 0.0 | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 97% #6/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 95% #4/20 · 2022 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | +1.8 | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 99% #2/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test | 100% #1/10 · 2024 AS SUV Winter Tyre Test | −1.0 | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A UltraGrip 9
Pros
- Exceptional snow and ice traction
- High level of ride comfort and low road noise
- Excellent wet and dry weather performance in cold temperatures
Cons
- Reduced performance on dry, warm asphalt (above 12°C)
- Soft sidewalls can lead to a less sporty or 'wallowy' handling feel
- Reports of premature tread wear or chunking in specific heavy-use cases
Tire B WinterContact TS 870 P
Pros
- Exceptionally low noise levels and high ride comfort
- Outstanding wet weather and slush performance, cutting through heavy rain effortlessly
- Balanced dry and cold-weather handling with impressive cornering stability
Cons
- Higher price point compared to some competitors
- Steering response and initial stiffness are slightly softer and less sporty than dedicated summer tires or some rivals
- Snow and ice traction can feel less exceptional or borderline inadequate for a small subset of users
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Goodyear UltraGrip 9 | B · Continental WinterContact TS 870 P |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 1 | 121 |
| Rim diameters | 15″ | 16″ – 23″ |
Which one should you actually buy?
75
/ 100
Goodyear UltraGrip 9
79
/ 100
Continental WinterContact TS 870 P
Winner: Continental WinterContact TS 870 P — better dry, noise and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Continental WinterContact TS 870 P scores 80 vs 71 on dry.
Pick tire B
You want a quieter cabin
Continental WinterContact TS 870 P scores 74 vs 65 on noise.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Continental WinterContact TS 870 P scores 82 vs 74 on comfort.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Continental WinterContact TS 870 P scores 88 vs 82 on wet.
Tire A · Goodyear UltraGrip 9
Tire B · Continental WinterContact TS 870 P
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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.