Tests 74 · 3 tests Owners 51 · 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 Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 3 + 7 road tests and 4 + 50 owner reviews. How we score
Winter i*cept RS2 is ahead, 76–62
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Tests 78 · 7 tests Owners 71 · 50 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2021 Auto Bild 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.
-
60
Dry
Winter i*cept RS2 +1373Why this score
Source UltraGrip Ice Arctic Winter i*cept RS2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 5 tests 73 75 Reviews found online 42 70 UltraGrip Ice Arctic: 60% × 72.6 + 40% × 42.2 = 60
Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 75 + 40% × 69.9 = 73
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65
Wet
Winter i*cept RS2 +1883Why this score
Source UltraGrip Ice Arctic Winter i*cept RS2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 7 tests 74 88 Reviews found online 52 75 UltraGrip Ice Arctic: 60% × 74.3 + 40% × 52.1 = 65
Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 88.4 + 40% × 75.3 = 83
-
72
Snow
Winter i*cept RS2 +375Why this score
Source UltraGrip Ice Arctic Winter i*cept RS2 Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 7 tests 74 80 Reviews found online 68 68 UltraGrip Ice Arctic: 60% × 74.3 + 40% × 67.9 = 72
Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 80.1 + 40% × 68.1 = 75
-
55
Comfort
Winter i*cept RS2 +1772Why this score
Source UltraGrip Ice Arctic Winter i*cept RS2 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 64 (est.) 75 Reviews found online 41 67 UltraGrip Ice Arctic: 60% × 64.3 (est.) + 40% × 41.2 = 55
Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 75.1 + 40% × 66.6 = 72
No road tests of comfort for UltraGrip Ice Arctic. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
-
–
Noise
No comparison61Why this score
Source UltraGrip Ice Arctic Winter i*cept RS2 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 4 tests – 56 Reviews found online – ≈ 67 (est.) Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 56.4 + 40% × 67.3 (est.) = 61
No owner ratings of noise for Winter i*cept RS2. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.
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54
Treadwear
Winter i*cept RS2 +1973Why this score
Source UltraGrip Ice Arctic Winter i*cept RS2 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 3 tests ≈ 59 (est.) 74 Reviews found online 45 71 UltraGrip Ice Arctic: 60% × 59.3 (est.) + 40% × 45.1 = 54
Winter i*cept RS2: 60% × 73.5 + 40% × 71.1 = 73
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 0.31).
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49
Handling (owners)
Winter i*cept RS2 +2271Why this score
Source UltraGrip Ice Arctic Winter i*cept RS2 Reviews found online 49 71
Scores at a glance
| Category | Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic | Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 62 | 76 |
| Dry | 60 | 73 |
| Wet | 65 | 83 |
| Snow | 72 | 75 |
| Comfort | 55 | 72 |
| Noise | – | 61 |
| Treadwear | 54 | 73 |
| Handling (owners) | 49 | 71 |
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
Recomputed
Headline score
62
/ 100
UltraGrip Ice Arctic
76
/ 100
Winter i*cept RS2
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 | Winter i*cept RS2 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 93% #3/8 · 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test | 98% #3/20 · 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Dry Handling (tester's mark) | Dry | 80% #2/8 · 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test | 80% #3/14 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Straight Aquaplaning | Wet | 98% #2/8 · 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test | 100% #1/20 · 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 97% #2/8 · 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test | 96% #2/49 · 2021 Winter Tyre Market Overview | – | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 99% #2/8 · 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test | 100% #1/20 · 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 93% #5/8 · 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test | 97% #7/35 · 2021 Winter Tyre Market Overview | – | Different tests |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 94% #7/8 · 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test | 100% #1/20 · 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Snow Traction | Snow | 96% #4/8 · 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test | 97% #8/20 · 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 94% #7/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test | 77% #18/20 · 2021 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test | – | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #4/5 2021 Test World Winter Studded Tire Test R17 | #3/49 2021 Winter Tyre Market Overview | – | 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 Winter i*cept RS2
Pros
- Exceptional grip and handling on wet and dry roads
- Impressive resistance to aquaplaning in heavy rain or standing water
- Strong value for money with a competitive price point
Cons
- Higher than average road noise, especially at highway speeds
- Firm, stiff sidewalls leading to a less comfortable or harsh ride
- Subpar performance and unpredictable grip on ice and black ice
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic | B · Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | — | 37 |
| Rim diameters | — | 13″ – 17″ |
Which one should you actually buy?
62
/ 100
Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic
76
/ 100
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2
Winner: Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 — better handling, treadwear and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 scores 71 vs 49 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 scores 73 vs 54 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 scores 83 vs 65 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 scores 72 vs 55 on comfort.
Tire A · Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic
Tire B · Hankook Winter i*cept RS2
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UltraGrip Ice Arctic or Winter i*cept RS2?
Which is better in the wet, UltraGrip Ice Arctic or Winter i*cept RS2?
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2, 83 vs 65 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, UltraGrip Ice Arctic or Winter i*cept RS2?
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2, 73 vs 60 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, UltraGrip Ice Arctic or Winter i*cept RS2?
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2, 75 vs 72 on our snow score.
Which is more comfortable, UltraGrip Ice Arctic or Winter i*cept RS2?
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2, 72 vs 55 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, UltraGrip Ice Arctic or Winter i*cept RS2?
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2, 73 vs 54 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