Tests 74 · 3 tests Owners 56 · 4 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test (wet braking)
Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.
Head-to-head
Updated
Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic vs Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 — 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 3 + 0 road tests and 4 + 35 owner reviews. How we score
Blizzak DM-V2 is ahead, 73–64
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Tests – · none yet Owners 73 · 35 reviews
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
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64
Dry
Blizzak DM-V2 +468Why this score
Source UltraGrip Ice Arctic Blizzak DM-V2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests 73 ≈ 68 (est.) Reviews found online 50 69 UltraGrip Ice Arctic: 60% × 72.7 + 40% × 49.8 = 64
Blizzak DM-V2: 60% × 68.3 (est.) + 40% × 68.5 = 68
No road tests of dry for Blizzak DM-V2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
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68
Wet
Blizzak DM-V2 +876Why this score
Source UltraGrip Ice Arctic Blizzak DM-V2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests 75 ≈ 75 (est.) Reviews found online 58 78 UltraGrip Ice Arctic: 60% × 74.6 + 40% × 57.8 = 68
Blizzak DM-V2: 60% × 74.7 (est.) + 40% × 77.8 = 76
No road tests of wet for Blizzak DM-V2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
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72
Snow
Blizzak DM-V2 +880Why this score
Source UltraGrip Ice Arctic Blizzak DM-V2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests 74 ≈ 76 (est.) Reviews found online 68 86 UltraGrip Ice Arctic: 60% × 74.5 + 40% × 68.3 = 72
Blizzak DM-V2: 60% × 76.4 (est.) + 40% × 85.8 = 80
No road tests of snow for Blizzak DM-V2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).
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54
Comfort
Blizzak DM-V2 +1670Why this score
Source UltraGrip Ice Arctic Blizzak DM-V2 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 65 (est.) ≈ 69 (est.) Reviews found online 47 70 UltraGrip Ice Arctic: 40% × 65.1 (est.) + 60% × 47.1 = 54
Blizzak DM-V2: 40% × 69.3 (est.) + 60% × 70.1 = 70
No road tests of comfort for UltraGrip Ice Arctic or Blizzak DM-V2. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
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–
Noise
No comparison68Why this score
Source UltraGrip Ice Arctic Blizzak DM-V2 Professional tests (TWG score) – ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online – 70 Blizzak DM-V2: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 69.8 = 68
No road tests of noise for Blizzak DM-V2. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
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56
Treadwear
Blizzak DM-V2 +662Why this score
Source UltraGrip Ice Arctic Blizzak DM-V2 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 60 (est.) ≈ 64 (est.) Reviews found online 49 59 UltraGrip Ice Arctic: 60% × 60.2 (est.) + 40% × 49.2 = 56
Blizzak DM-V2: 60% × 63.6 (est.) + 40% × 58.9 = 62
No road tests of treadwear for UltraGrip Ice Arctic. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).
No road tests of treadwear for Blizzak DM-V2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).
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55
Handling (owners)
Blizzak DM-V2 +2176Why this score
Source UltraGrip Ice Arctic Blizzak DM-V2 Reviews found online 55 76 -
68
Efficiency
No comparison–Why this score
Source UltraGrip Ice Arctic Blizzak DM-V2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 68 –
Scores at a glance
| Category | Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic | Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 64 | 73 |
| Dry | 64 | 68 |
| Wet | 68 | 76 |
| Snow | 72 | 80 |
| Comfort | 54 | 70 |
| Noise | – | 68 |
| Treadwear | 56 | 62 |
| Handling (owners) | 55 | 76 |
| Efficiency | 68 | – |
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
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Recomputed
Headline score
64
/ 100
UltraGrip Ice Arctic
73
/ 100
Blizzak DM-V2
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
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.
| Discipline | Category | UltraGrip Ice Arctic | Blizzak DM-V2 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #4/5 2021 Test World Winter Studded Tire Test R17 | #5/8 2022 Consumer Reports Winter/Snow Truck/SUV Tires | – | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A UltraGrip Ice Arctic
Pros
- Excellent traction and handling on packed snow
- Strong performance on ice during the first two seasons
- Reliable winter grip in extreme arctic conditions
Cons
- Significant stud loss after two seasons of use
- Abrupt and dangerous decline in grip performance by the third year
- Poor longevity relative to competitors despite remaining tread depth
Tire B Blizzak DM-V2
Pros
- Exceptional grip and braking performance on snow and ice
- High level of driver confidence in severe winter weather
- Surprisingly quiet and comfortable ride quality
Cons
- Faster tread wear compared to all-season tires
- Performance degrades if left on the vehicle during warmer spring/summer months
- Potential for reduced wet-weather grip as the tire wears down
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic | B · Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | — | 73 |
| Rim diameters | — | 15″ – 22″ |
| Tread depth | — | 13/32″ |
| Sidewall | — | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | — | 44 psi |
Which one should you actually buy?
64
/ 100
Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic
73
/ 100
Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2
Winner: Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 — better handling, comfort and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 scores 76 vs 55 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 scores 70 vs 54 on comfort.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 scores 76 vs 68 on wet.
Pick tire B
You drive through snowy winters
Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 scores 80 vs 72 on snow.
Tire A · Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic
Tire B · Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2
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UltraGrip Ice Arctic or Blizzak DM-V2?
Which is better in the wet, UltraGrip Ice Arctic or Blizzak DM-V2?
Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2, 76 vs 68 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, UltraGrip Ice Arctic or Blizzak DM-V2?
Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2, 68 vs 64 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, UltraGrip Ice Arctic or Blizzak DM-V2?
Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2, 80 vs 72 on our snow score.
Which is more comfortable, UltraGrip Ice Arctic or Blizzak DM-V2?
Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2, 70 vs 54 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, UltraGrip Ice Arctic or Blizzak DM-V2?
Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2, 62 vs 56 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