Tests 74 · 3 tests Owners 76 · 39 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test (snow handling)
Head-to-head
Updated
Goodyear UltraGrip 9 vs Hankook Winter i cept evo3 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
UltraGrip 9 leads, 75–74 Narrow edge
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Tests 75 · 16 tests Owners 74 · 22 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 11 in 2023 Sports Cars Winter Tyre Test (straight aqua)
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
71
Dry
Winter i cept evo3 +475Why this score
Source UltraGrip 9 Winter i cept evo3 Professional tests (TWG score) 70 75 Reviews found online 72 73 Dry Braking (% of best) 95% 94% Dry Handling (% of best) 99% 98% -
82
Wet
Winter i cept evo3 +486Why this score
Source UltraGrip 9 Winter i cept evo3 Professional tests (TWG score) 82 91 Reviews found online 81 78 Wet Braking (% of best) 98% 99% Wet Handling (% of best) 99% 96% -
75
Snow
Winter i cept evo3 +378Why this score
Source UltraGrip 9 Winter i cept evo3 Professional tests (TWG score) 73 80 Reviews found online 77 75 Snow Braking (% of best) 93% 97% Snow Handling (% of best) 100% 94% Snow Traction (% of best) 100% 95% -
74
Comfort
UltraGrip 9 +668Why this score
Source UltraGrip 9 Winter i cept evo3 Professional tests (TWG score) – 70 Reviews found online 79 64 -
65
Noise
UltraGrip 9 +3233Why this score
Source UltraGrip 9 Winter i cept evo3 Professional tests (TWG score) 65 10 -
72
Treadwear
Winter i cept evo3 +274Why this score
Source UltraGrip 9 Winter i cept evo3 Professional tests (TWG score) 72 75 Reviews found online 72 73 -
77
Handling
UltraGrip 9 +572Why this score
Source UltraGrip 9 Winter i cept evo3 Reviews found online 77 72
Scores at a glance
| Category | Goodyear UltraGrip 9 | Hankook Winter i cept evo3 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 75 | 74 |
| Dry | 71 | 75 |
| Wet | 82 | 86 |
| Snow | 75 | 78 |
| Comfort | 74 | 68 |
| Noise | 65 | 33 |
| Treadwear | 72 | 74 |
| Handling | 77 | 72 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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Recomputed
Headline score
75
/ 100
UltraGrip 9
74
/ 100
Winter i cept evo3
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 | Winter i cept evo3 | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 95% #14/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 94% #9/13 · 2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter Tyre Test | +0.3 | Different tests |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 99% #7/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test | 98% #9/20 · 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test | +0.7 | Different tests |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 97% #3/8 · 2017 AC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 | 98% #2/10 · 2024 Auto Bild Sportscars Winter Tyre Test | −1.6 | Different tests |
| Ice Braking | Ice | 90% #3/8 · 2017 AC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 | 87% #21/31 · 2025 ADAC Winter Tyre Test | +3.0 | Different tests |
| Noise | Other | 99% #5/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test | 94% #18/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | +5.1 | Different tests |
| Price | Other | 61% #10/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test | 63% #4/10 · 2022 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test | −1.7 | Different tests |
| Value | Other | 71% #11/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 79% #4/20 · 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test | −8.6 | Different tests |
| Wear | Other | 67% #4/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 98% #3/20 · 2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test | −30.9 | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 17% #6/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 17% #6/10 · 2024 Auto Bild Sportscars Winter Tyre Test | 0.0 | Different tests |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 93% #7/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test | 97% #5/9 · 2023 Sport Auto Winter Tyre Test | −4.0 | Different tests |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 100% #1/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 94% #7/11 · 2023 Sports Cars Winter Tyre Test | +6.2 | Different tests |
| Snow Traction | Snow | 100% #1/8 · 2017 AC Winter Tyre Test - 185/65 R15 | 95% #4/12 · 2024 Auto Bild SUV Winter Tyre Test | +4.7 | Different tests |
| Straight Aqua | Straight | 94% #7/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 100% #1/11 · 2023 Sports Cars Winter Tyre Test | −5.7 | Different tests |
| Total Cost of Ownership | Total | 0% #2/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 0% #18/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test | 0.0 | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 98% #2/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test | 99% #2/13 · 2021 Auto Bild Sports Car Winter Tyre Test | −0.6 | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 99% #7/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | 96% #6/10 · 2024 Auto Bild Sportscars Winter Tyre Test | +2.4 | 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 Winter i cept evo3
Pros
- Exceptional wet grip and outstanding aquaplaning resistance
- Outstanding snow and ice traction providing high confidence in winter storms
- Great value for money compared to Tier-1 brands like Michelin or Goodyear
Cons
- Slightly increased noise levels or humming compared to summer tires
- Mixed feedback on ride comfort, with some finding them stiffer
- Longer braking distances reported by a few users in specific conditions
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Goodyear UltraGrip 9 | B · Hankook Winter i cept evo3 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 1 | 86 |
| Rim diameters | 15″ | 17″ – 22″ |
Which one should you actually buy?
75
/ 100
Goodyear UltraGrip 9
74
/ 100
Hankook Winter i cept evo3
Too close to call: Goodyear UltraGrip 9 and Hankook Winter i cept evo3 are within 2 points overall. Goodyear UltraGrip 9 is stronger on noise, comfort and handling. Hankook Winter i cept evo3 is stronger on dry, wet and snow.
Pick tire A
You want a quieter cabin
Goodyear UltraGrip 9 scores 65 vs 33 on noise.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Goodyear UltraGrip 9 scores 74 vs 68 on comfort.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Goodyear UltraGrip 9 scores 77 vs 72 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Hankook Winter i cept evo3 scores 75 vs 71 on dry.
Tire A · Goodyear UltraGrip 9
Tire B · Hankook Winter i cept evo3
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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.