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 Xi3 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 3 + 0 road tests and 4 + 14 owner reviews. How we score
X-Ice Xi3 is ahead, 68–62
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Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
60
Dry
X-Ice Xi3 +767Why this score
Source UltraGrip Ice Arctic X-Ice Xi3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests 73 ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 42 66 UltraGrip Ice Arctic: 60% × 72.6 + 40% × 42.2 = 60
X-Ice Xi3: 60% × 67.2 (est.) + 40% × 66.4 = 67
No road tests of dry for X-Ice Xi3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).
-
65
Wet
X-Ice Xi3 +570Why this score
Source UltraGrip Ice Arctic X-Ice Xi3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests 74 ≈ 70 (est.) Reviews found online 52 70 UltraGrip Ice Arctic: 60% × 74.3 + 40% × 52.1 = 65
X-Ice Xi3: 60% × 70 (est.) + 40% × 70.2 = 70
No road tests of wet for X-Ice Xi3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).
-
72
Snow
UltraGrip Ice Arctic +270Why this score
Source UltraGrip Ice Arctic X-Ice Xi3 Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests 74 ≈ 70 (est.) Reviews found online 68 70 UltraGrip Ice Arctic: 60% × 74.3 + 40% × 67.9 = 72
X-Ice Xi3: 60% × 69.8 (est.) + 40% × 69.5 = 70
No road tests of snow for X-Ice Xi3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.33).
-
55
Comfort
X-Ice Xi3 +1469Why this score
Source UltraGrip Ice Arctic X-Ice Xi3 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 64 (est.) ≈ 69 (est.) Reviews found online 41 69 UltraGrip Ice Arctic: 60% × 64.3 (est.) + 40% × 41.2 = 55
X-Ice Xi3: 60% × 69 (est.) + 40% × 68.6 = 69
No road tests of comfort for UltraGrip Ice Arctic or X-Ice Xi3. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
-
–
Noise
No comparison68Why this score
Source UltraGrip Ice Arctic X-Ice Xi3 Professional tests (TWG score) – ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online – 69 X-Ice Xi3: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 69.2 = 68
No road tests of noise for X-Ice Xi3. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
-
54
Treadwear
X-Ice Xi3 +1367Why this score
Source UltraGrip Ice Arctic X-Ice Xi3 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 59 (est.) ≈ 66 (est.) Reviews found online 45 68 UltraGrip Ice Arctic: 60% × 59.3 (est.) + 40% × 45.1 = 54
X-Ice Xi3: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 68.1 = 67
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 Xi3. 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 Xi3 +1463Why this score
Source UltraGrip Ice Arctic X-Ice Xi3 Reviews found online 49 63
Scores at a glance
| Category | Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic | Michelin X-Ice Xi3 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 62 | 68 |
| Dry | 60 | 67 |
| Wet | 65 | 70 |
| Snow | 72 | 70 |
| Comfort | 55 | 69 |
| Noise | – | 68 |
| Treadwear | 54 | 67 |
| 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
68
/ 100
X-Ice Xi3
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 1 tests that ran both, Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic finished ahead 1 times and Michelin X-Ice Xi3 0 times.
| Discipline | Category | UltraGrip Ice Arctic | X-Ice Xi3 | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #3/16 | #11/16 | – | 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2019 Teknikens Värld Large Winter Tire Test R17 · 225/50R17 |
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 Xi3
Pros
- Exceptionally quiet and comfortable ride quality
- Long-lasting treadwear and durability over multiple seasons
- Good stability and grip on dry pavement and cold winter roads
Cons
- Squirmy feel and delayed, sluggish steering response on dry and wet roads
- Lacks cornering grip and confidence during sharp turns
- Performs poorly in heavy mountain snow, wet ice, and milder above-freezing temperatures
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic | B · Michelin X-Ice Xi3 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | — | 37 |
| Rim diameters | — | 14″ – 20″ |
Which one should you actually buy?
62
/ 100
Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic
68
/ 100
Michelin X-Ice Xi3
Winner: Michelin X-Ice Xi3 — better comfort, handling and treadwear. Where the Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic is ahead, it is by less than 3 points. Michelin X-Ice Xi3 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 14 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin X-Ice Xi3 scores 69 vs 55 on comfort.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Michelin X-Ice Xi3 scores 63 vs 49 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Michelin X-Ice Xi3 scores 67 vs 54 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin X-Ice Xi3 scores 67 vs 60 on dry.
Tire A · Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic
Tire B · Michelin X-Ice Xi3
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UltraGrip Ice Arctic or X-Ice Xi3?
Which is better in the wet, UltraGrip Ice Arctic or X-Ice Xi3?
Michelin X-Ice Xi3, 70 vs 65 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, UltraGrip Ice Arctic or X-Ice Xi3?
Michelin X-Ice Xi3, 67 vs 60 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, UltraGrip Ice Arctic or X-Ice Xi3?
Neither, by our numbers: 72 vs 70 on the snow score, within 3 points.
Which is more comfortable, UltraGrip Ice Arctic or X-Ice Xi3?
Michelin X-Ice Xi3, 69 vs 55 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, UltraGrip Ice Arctic or X-Ice Xi3?
Michelin X-Ice Xi3, 67 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