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Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 2 vs Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 3 — 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 6 + 9 road tests and 9 + 4 owner reviews. How we score

UltraGrip Ice 2 leads, 77–74 Narrow edge

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Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 2
Tire AGoodyear

UltraGrip Ice 2

Winter

± 5

Tests 77 · 6 tests Owners 77 · 9 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 17 in 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 (exterior noise)

Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 3
Tire BGoodyear

UltraGrip Ice 3

Winter

± 5

Tests 81 · 9 tests Owners 68 · 4 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter Tyre Test (snow handling (tester's mark))

Category by category

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

  1. 76

    Dry

    UltraGrip Ice 3 +1
    77
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip Ice 2UltraGrip Ice 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 6 tests7782
    Reviews found online7568

    UltraGrip Ice 2: 60% × 77.1 + 40% × 74.9 = 76

    UltraGrip Ice 3: 60% × 82.4 + 40% × 68.4 = 77

  2. 82

    Wet

    UltraGrip Ice 2 +6
    76
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip Ice 2UltraGrip Ice 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 8 tests8379
    Reviews found online8173

    UltraGrip Ice 2: 60% × 82.8 + 40% × 81.1 = 82

    UltraGrip Ice 3: 60% × 78.7 + 40% × 73 = 76

  3. 72

    Snow

    UltraGrip Ice 3 +2
    74
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip Ice 2UltraGrip Ice 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 6 / 7 tests7178
    Reviews found online7268

    UltraGrip Ice 2: 60% × 71.1 + 40% × 72.3 = 72

    UltraGrip Ice 3: 60% × 78.4 + 40% × 67.6 = 74

  4. 74

    Comfort

    UltraGrip Ice 3 +3
    77
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip Ice 2UltraGrip Ice 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 2 tests7086
    Reviews found online7672

    UltraGrip Ice 2: 40% × 70 + 60% × 76.3 = 74

    UltraGrip Ice 3: 40% × 86.1 + 60% × 71.5 = 77

  5. 80

    Noise

    UltraGrip Ice 2 +4
    76
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip Ice 2UltraGrip Ice 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 5 / 4 tests8983
    Reviews found online≈ 66 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)

    UltraGrip Ice 2: 60% × 88.8 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 80

    UltraGrip Ice 3: 60% × 82.9 + 40% × 66.4 (est.) = 76

    No owner ratings of noise for UltraGrip Ice 2 or UltraGrip Ice 3. 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 Ice 2 +12
    64
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip Ice 2UltraGrip Ice 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 72 (est.)≈ 65 (est.)
    Reviews found online8262

    UltraGrip Ice 2: 60% × 72.1 (est.) + 40% × 82 = 76

    UltraGrip Ice 3: 60% × 64.8 (est.) + 40% × 61.7 = 64

    No road tests of treadwear for UltraGrip Ice 2. 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 UltraGrip Ice 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 77

    Handling (owners)

    UltraGrip Ice 2 +10
    67
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip Ice 2UltraGrip Ice 3
    Reviews found online7767
  8. 72

    Efficiency

    UltraGrip Ice 3 +14
    86
    Why this score
    SourceUltraGrip Ice 2UltraGrip Ice 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 5 tests7286
Scores at a glance
CategoryGoodyear UltraGrip Ice 2Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 3
Relative Score 77 74
Dry 76 77
Wet 82 76
Snow 72 74
Comfort 74 77
Noise 80 76
Treadwear 76 64
Handling (owners) 77 67
Efficiency 72 86

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
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Important
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Less important
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Less important
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Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
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Not important
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Recomputed
Headline score
± 5

UltraGrip Ice 2

± 5

UltraGrip Ice 3

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 Ice 2 finished ahead 0 times and Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 3 1 times.

DisciplineCategoryUltraGrip Ice 2UltraGrip Ice 3ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #17/17 #6/17 – 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: The Best Studded / Friction Winter Tyres for 2024 · 225/50 R17

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A UltraGrip Ice 2

Pros

  • Excellent traction and reliability in deep snow conditions
  • High level of ride comfort and low cabin noise
  • Impressive tread life and durability over multiple seasons

Cons

  • Limited grip on polished ice compared to studded tires
  • Lack of steering feedback and informative handling
  • Potential for aquaplaning in heavy slush or deep water
All owner themes in the UltraGrip Ice 2 review

Tire B UltraGrip Ice 3

Pros

  • Exceptional ride comfort and low road noise
  • Predictable and reliable handling on snow
  • Strong performance on wet surfaces

Cons

  • Rapid tread wear and premature loss of tread depth
  • Inferior ice grip compared to top-tier specialized competitors like the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5
  • Concerns regarding long-term durability and safety after multiple seasons
All owner themes in the UltraGrip Ice 3 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 2 B · Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 3
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available3992
Rim diameters13″ – 19″15″ – 22″
Sizes in common2222

Which one should you actually buy?

Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 2

Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 3

Narrow edge: Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 2 — better treadwear, handling and wet. Pick the Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 3 if efficiency and comfort matter most to you.

Pick tire B You want lower fuel or energy use

Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 3 scores 86 vs 72 on efficiency.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 2 scores 76 vs 64 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 2 scores 77 vs 67 on handling.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 2 scores 82 vs 76 on wet.

Tire A · Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 2
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Tire B · Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 3
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UltraGrip Ice 2 or UltraGrip Ice 3?

Which is better in the wet, UltraGrip Ice 2 or UltraGrip Ice 3?

Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 2, 82 vs 76 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, UltraGrip Ice 2 or UltraGrip Ice 3?

Neither, by our numbers: 76 vs 77 on the dry score, within 3 points.

Which is better in snow, UltraGrip Ice 2 or UltraGrip Ice 3?

Neither, by our numbers: 72 vs 74 on the snow score, within 3 points.

Which is quieter, UltraGrip Ice 2 or UltraGrip Ice 3?

Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 2, 80 vs 76 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, UltraGrip Ice 2 or UltraGrip Ice 3?

Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 3, 77 vs 74 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, UltraGrip Ice 2 or UltraGrip Ice 3?

Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 2, 76 vs 64 on our treadwear score.

Which rolls more easily, UltraGrip Ice 2 or UltraGrip Ice 3?

Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 3, 86 vs 72 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