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 Nitto Motivo — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 3 + 1 road tests and 4 + 52 owner reviews. How we score
UltraGrip Ice Arctic leads, 61–58 Narrow edge
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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.
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60
Dry
UltraGrip Ice Arctic +555Why this score
Source UltraGrip Ice Arctic Motivo Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests 73 ≈ 60 (est.) Reviews found online 42 48 UltraGrip Ice Arctic: 60% × 72.6 + 40% × 42.2 = 60
Motivo: 60% × 59.7 (est.) + 40% × 47.8 = 55
No road tests of dry for Motivo. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).
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65
Wet
UltraGrip Ice Arctic +956Why this score
Source UltraGrip Ice Arctic Motivo Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests 74 ≈ 60 (est.) Reviews found online 52 52 UltraGrip Ice Arctic: 60% × 74.3 + 40% × 52.1 = 65
Motivo: 60% × 59.6 (est.) + 40% × 51.5 = 56
No road tests of wet for Motivo. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).
-
72
Snow
UltraGrip Ice Arctic +1854Why this score
Source UltraGrip Ice Arctic Motivo Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests 74 ≈ 61 (est.) Reviews found online 68 43 UltraGrip Ice Arctic: 60% × 74.3 + 40% × 67.9 = 72
Motivo: 60% × 61 (est.) + 40% × 43.1 = 54
No road tests of snow for Motivo. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.33).
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55
Comfort
Motivo +762Why this score
Source UltraGrip Ice Arctic Motivo Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 64 (est.) ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 41 55 UltraGrip Ice Arctic: 60% × 64.3 (est.) + 40% × 41.2 = 55
Motivo: 60% × 66.7 (est.) + 40% × 55.1 = 62
No road tests of comfort for UltraGrip Ice Arctic or Motivo. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
-
–
Noise
No comparison62Why this score
Source UltraGrip Ice Arctic Motivo Professional tests (TWG score) – ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online – 53 Motivo: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 53.3 = 62
No road tests of noise for Motivo. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
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54
Treadwear
Motivo +1670Why this score
Source UltraGrip Ice Arctic Motivo Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 59 (est.) 74 Reviews found online 45 66 UltraGrip Ice Arctic: 60% × 59.3 (est.) + 40% × 45.1 = 54
Motivo: 60% × 73.8 + 40% × 65.5 = 70
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)
Motivo +554Why this score
Source UltraGrip Ice Arctic Motivo Reviews found online 49 54
Scores at a glance
| Category | Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic | Nitto Motivo |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 61 | 58 |
| Dry | 60 | 55 |
| Wet | 65 | 56 |
| Snow | 72 | 54 |
| Comfort | 55 | 62 |
| Noise | – | 62 |
| Treadwear | 54 | 70 |
| Handling (owners) | 49 | 54 |
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
Neutral
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
61
/ 100
UltraGrip Ice Arctic
58
/ 100
Motivo
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 | Motivo | 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 | #12/19 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance All-Season 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 Motivo
Pros
- Exceptional ride comfort and exceptionally low road noise
- Strong dry traction and responsive handling in corners
- Great overall value and competitive pricing compared to premium brands
Cons
- Subpar traction and grip in wet and snowy conditions for some drivers
- Faster-than-expected tread wear reported by a subset of users
- Potential balancing issues or out-of-round manufacturing complaints
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic | B · Nitto Motivo |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | All-Season Touring tires |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Tread depth | — | 10.3/32″ |
| UTQG | — | 560 A A |
| Treadwear warranty | — | 60,000 mi |
| Sidewall | — | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | — | 50 psi |
Which one should you actually buy?
61
/ 100
Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic
58
/ 100
Nitto Motivo
Narrow edge: Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic — better snow, wet and dry. Pick the Nitto Motivo if treadwear and comfort matter most to you.
Pick tire A
You drive through snowy winters
Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic scores 72 vs 54 on snow.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Nitto Motivo scores 70 vs 54 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic scores 65 vs 56 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Nitto Motivo scores 62 vs 55 on comfort.
Tire A · Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic
Tire B · Nitto Motivo
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UltraGrip Ice Arctic or Motivo?
Which is better in the wet, UltraGrip Ice Arctic or Motivo?
Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic, 65 vs 56 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, UltraGrip Ice Arctic or Motivo?
Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic, 60 vs 55 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, UltraGrip Ice Arctic or Motivo?
Goodyear UltraGrip Ice Arctic, 72 vs 54 on our snow score.
Which is more comfortable, UltraGrip Ice Arctic or Motivo?
Nitto Motivo, 62 vs 55 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, UltraGrip Ice Arctic or Motivo?
Nitto Motivo, 70 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