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 Michelin X-Ice North 4 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 3 + 13 road tests and 4 + 11 owner reviews. How we score
X-Ice North 4 is ahead, 70–62
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Tests 74 · 13 tests Owners 66 · 11 reviews
Best test result: #1 of 20 in 2020 Nordic and Studded Winter Tyre Test (ice traction)
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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60
Dry
X-Ice North 4 +1171Why this score
Source UltraGrip Ice Arctic X-Ice North 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 10 tests 73 81 Reviews found online 42 56 Dry Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 93% 92% Dry Handling (tester's mark) (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 80% 100% UltraGrip Ice Arctic: 60% × 72.6 + 40% × 42.2 = 60
X-Ice North 4: 60% × 80.5 + 40% × 55.6 = 71
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65
Wet
UltraGrip Ice Arctic +461Why this score
Source UltraGrip Ice Arctic X-Ice North 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 12 tests 74 59 Reviews found online 52 63 Straight Aquaplaning (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 98% 93% Wet Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 97% 93% Wet Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 1–0 99% 97% UltraGrip Ice Arctic: 60% × 74.3 + 40% × 52.1 = 65
X-Ice North 4: 60% × 58.6 + 40% × 63.4 = 61
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72
Snow
X-Ice North 4 +1082Why this score
Source UltraGrip Ice Arctic X-Ice North 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 11 tests 74 86 Reviews found online 68 75 Ice Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 80% 92% Ice Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 91% 97% Ice Traction (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 82% 92% Snow Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 93% 93% Snow Handling (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 94% 97% Snow Traction (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 96% 97% UltraGrip Ice Arctic: 60% × 74.3 + 40% × 67.9 = 72
X-Ice North 4: 60% × 86.4 + 40% × 74.8 = 82
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55
Comfort
X-Ice North 4 +1772Why this score
Source UltraGrip Ice Arctic X-Ice North 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 4 tests ≈ 64 (est.) 76 Reviews found online 41 67 UltraGrip Ice Arctic: 60% × 64.3 (est.) + 40% × 41.2 = 55
X-Ice North 4: 60% × 76.1 + 40% × 66.8 = 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.
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–
Noise
No comparison60Why this score
Source UltraGrip Ice Arctic X-Ice North 4 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 10 tests – 55 Reviews found online – ≈ 67 (est.) X-Ice North 4: 60% × 55.4 + 40% × 67.3 (est.) = 60
No owner ratings of noise for X-Ice North 4. 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
X-Ice North 4 +1468Why this score
Source UltraGrip Ice Arctic X-Ice North 4 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 59 (est.) ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 45 69 UltraGrip Ice Arctic: 60% × 59.3 (est.) + 40% × 45.1 = 54
X-Ice North 4: 60% × 66.7 (est.) + 40% × 69 = 68
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).
No road tests of treadwear for X-Ice North 4. 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)
X-Ice North 4 +1463Why this score
Source UltraGrip Ice Arctic X-Ice North 4 Reviews found online 49 63
Scores at a glance
| Category | Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic | Michelin X-Ice North 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 62 | 70 |
| Dry | 60 | 71 |
| Wet | 65 | 61 |
| Snow | 72 | 82 |
| Comfort | 55 | 72 |
| Noise | – | 60 |
| Treadwear | 54 | 68 |
| Handling (owners) | 49 | 63 |
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
70
/ 100
X-Ice North 4
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.
In the overall rankings of 4 tests that ran both, Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic finished ahead 1 times and Michelin X-Ice North 4 3 times.
| Discipline | Category | UltraGrip Ice Arctic | X-Ice North 4 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 93% | 92% | +1.0 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test · 225/50 R17 |
| Dry Handling (tester's mark) | Dry | 80% | 100% | −20.0 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test · 225/50 R17 |
| Straight Aquaplaning | Wet | 98% | 93% | +4.5 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test · 225/50 R17 |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 97% | 93% | +3.7 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test · 225/50 R17 |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 99% | 97% | +1.8 | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test · 225/50 R17 |
| Ice Braking | Snow | 80% | 92% | −12.2 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test · 225/50 R17 |
| Ice Handling | Snow | 91% | 97% | −6.4 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test · 225/50 R17 |
| Ice Traction | Snow | 82% | 92% | −9.5 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test · 225/50 R17 |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 93% | 93% | −0.5 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test · 225/50 R17 |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 94% | 97% | −2.9 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test · 225/50 R17 |
| Snow Traction | Snow | 96% | 97% | −0.7 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test · 225/50 R17 |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 94% #7/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test | 96% #6/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 | – | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #4/5 | #1/5 | – | 1–3 in 4 shared tests Newest: 2021 Test World Winter Studded Tire Test R17 · 225/55R17 |
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 X-Ice North 4
Pros
- Outstanding grip and traction on ice and snow
- Significantly lower road noise compared to competing studded tires
- Comfortable ride quality
Cons
- Premature stud loss reported by some users over multiple seasons
- Slightly slippery feel on rain and dry concrete
- Light studs can struggle to penetrate loose snow sitting on top of hard ice
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic | B · Michelin X-Ice North 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
Which one should you actually buy?
62
/ 100
Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic
70
/ 100
Michelin X-Ice North 4
Winner: Michelin X-Ice North 4 — better comfort, treadwear and handling. Pick the Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic if wet matters most to you.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin X-Ice North 4 scores 72 vs 55 on comfort.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Michelin X-Ice North 4 scores 68 vs 54 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin X-Ice North 4 scores 63 vs 49 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin X-Ice North 4 scores 71 vs 60 on dry.
Tire A · Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic
Tire B · Michelin X-Ice North 4
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UltraGrip Ice Arctic or X-Ice North 4?
Which is better in the wet, UltraGrip Ice Arctic or X-Ice North 4?
Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic, 65 vs 61 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, UltraGrip Ice Arctic or X-Ice North 4?
Michelin X-Ice North 4, 71 vs 60 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, UltraGrip Ice Arctic or X-Ice North 4?
Michelin X-Ice North 4, 82 vs 72 on our snow score.
Which is more comfortable, UltraGrip Ice Arctic or X-Ice North 4?
Michelin X-Ice North 4, 72 vs 55 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, UltraGrip Ice Arctic or X-Ice North 4?
Michelin X-Ice North 4, 68 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