Winter tire handling Updated October 2026

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ review

± 6

Relative score 60% tests + 40% owners

Better than 89% of the winter tires we score.

Owners 79 · 6 reviews analysed Road tests 75 · 5 tests

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Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ has a Relative Score of 76 out of 100 among winter tires. In 11 road tests with an overall ranking it finished first 0 times and in the top three 7 times. Testers rate it best for wet (87) and weakest for dry (60). 6 owner reviews rate it 79 out of 100. 95% would buy it again.

Projected tread life in 2 wear tests: about 40,000 km (25,000 miles) on average, newest 2023.

  • Strength: Wet 87 — 2nd of 16 (2023 ADAC 16 Inch tire Test), 3rd of 14 (2020 Auto Zeitung Winter tire Test)
Goodyear UltraGrip 9+

Two scoring systems, side by side

Owner scores come from reviews found online; road-test scores come from instrumented tests. Where they disagree, it is usually a discipline owners rarely push to the limit.

How scores work
Relative score
0–100. Blends road tests (60%) and owner reviews (40%) category by category, the same way on every TireWheelGuide page. With only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from it, so the score stays closer to average. It needs at least one road test or five owner reviews.
Road tests
0–100 per score, from published tests, newer tests counting more. Each result is compared with every other tire in the same test, so a win against a strong field counts for more. The average tested tire gets 70, the best 100; with only one or two tests a tire stays nearer 70. The discipline rows show % of the best tire in that test.
Owner reviews
0–100 from the owner reviews we found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates and scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70. With only a few reviews a tire stays near the average.

Full methodology

By owner reviews

79/100

From 6 owner reviews analysed, scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70.

Would buy again 95%
Dry
Overall dry
79
Wet
Overall wet
83
Snow & ice
Overall snow & ice
74
Comfort
Overall comfort
75
Treadwear
Overall treadwear
81
Handling
Overall handling
74

Own these tires? Write a review →

By road tests

75/100

Scaled across every tested tire: the average gets 70, the best 100.

Dry
60
Wet
87
Snow
85
Comfort
77
Noise
71
Treadwear
71
Efficiency
78
By discipline (% of best in test)
Dry Braking
51%
Dry Handling
67%
Subj. Dry Handling
76%
Wet Braking
79%
Subj. Wet Handling
71%
Wet Handling
87%
Straight Aquaplaning
86%
Curved Aquaplaning
87%
Side G-Force on Wet surface
87%
Snow Braking
82%
Snow Handling
100%
Subj. Snow Handling
93%
Snow Traction
100%
Ice Braking
73%
Ice Handling
73%
Inside Noise level
87%
Outside Noise
87%
Subjective Comfort
100%
Rolling Resistance
90%
Price
36%
Wear
80%

What owners like and dislike

Themes extracted from 6 owner reviews found online.

The Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ is highly regarded as a versatile and comfortable winter tire that excels in wet, cold, and slushy conditions. Users frequently highlight its competitive pricing compared to premium rivals while maintaining comparable performance in dry and wet handling, making it a reliable choice for varied winter climates.

Pros

  • Excellent wet and cold weather grip
  • High levels of ride comfort and low noise
  • Strong value proposition compared to premium competitors
  • Improved traction and handling over previous-generation winter tires

Cons

  • Performance on deep snow and ice may lag slightly behind specialized winter-focused brands like Nokian
  • Limited feedback on long-term tread wear due to low mileage in current reviews
  • Increased noise levels specifically on concrete road surfaces

Worth knowing

  • Users with smaller, lighter vehicles like the Nissan Micra and Audi A2 report significant improvements in handling and confidence.
  • Drivers of compact crossovers like the Seat Arona noted exceptional performance in challenging conditions, including muddy field run-offs and steep, snow-covered hills.

11 published test appearances (5 in the score)

Placement within each field. Open a test for the discipline-by-discipline result.

2023 ADAC 16 Inch tire Test · 205/60 R16

3rd of 16
Best: Ice Braking · 1st Weakest: Dry Braking · 13th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking4th of 16
Dry Braking13th of 16
Snow Braking2nd of 16
Snow Traction7th of 16
Ice Braking1st of 16
Straight Aquaplaning2nd of 16
Curved Aquaplaning4th of 16
Noise5th of 16
Wear6th of 16
Fuel Consumption3rd of 16
Abrasion11th of 16
Wet Braking (concrete)9th of 16

Source: ADAC

2022 ADAC Winter tire Test - 185/65 R15 · 185/65 R15

2nd of 15

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

Source: ADAC

2021 Auto Bild Winter tire Test · 205/55 R16

7th of 20
Best: Snow Braking · 2nd Weakest: Dry Handling · 18th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking10th of 20
Wet Handling7th of 20
Dry Braking11th of 20
Dry Handling18th of 20
Snow Braking2nd of 20
Snow Traction5th of 20
Snow Handling12th of 20
Rolling Resistance9th of 20
Straight Aquaplaning4th of 20
Noise10th of 20
Value10th of 20
Price15th of 20
Wear7th of 20
Total Cost of Ownership7th of 20

Source: Auto Bild

2021 AMS Winter tire Test · 195/55 R16

6th of 10
Best: Rolling Resistance · 2nd Weakest: Dry Braking · 10th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking9th of 10
Wet Handling3rd of 10
Dry Braking10th of 10
Dry Handling9th of 10
Snow Braking7th of 10
Snow Traction3rd of 10
Snow Handling4th of 10
Rolling Resistance2nd of 10
Straight Aquaplaning6th of 10
Noise10th of 10
Price4th of 10

Source: Auto Motor und Sport

2021 ADAC 15 Inch Winter tire Test · 225/50 R17

2nd of 16

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

Source: ADAC

2021 Winter tire Market Overview · 205/55 R16

6th of 49
Best: Snow Braking · 2nd Weakest: Wet Braking · 10th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking10th of 49
Snow Braking2nd of 49

Source: Auto Bild

2021 ADAC Winter Tire Test R15 · 195/65R15

2nd of 16

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

Source: ADAC

2020 Auto Zeitung Winter tire Test · 205/55 R16

3rd of 14
Best: Snow Traction · 1st Weakest: Dry Braking · 10th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking5th of 14
Dry Braking10th of 14
Snow Braking7th of 14
Snow Traction1st of 14
Rolling Resistance3rd of 14
Straight Aquaplaning3rd of 14
Dry Handling (tester's mark)5th of 14
Comfort (tester's mark)2nd of 14
Wet Handling (tester's mark)7th of 14
Snow Handling (tester's mark)3rd of 14

Source: Auto Zeitung

2020 ADAC Winter tire Test - 205/55 R16 · 205/55 R16

8th of 15

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

Source: ADAC

2020 Motor Winter Tire Test R16 · 205/55R16

2nd of 8

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

Source: Motor

2020 Autoklub CR Winter / All-Season Tire Test R16 · 205/55R16

2nd of 14

Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.

Source: Autoklub CR

Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ specs & sizes

Prices vary by size, so each one links out separately.

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Reviews from our readers

Drivers who have these tires on their car, in their own words. We check every review before it goes live.

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Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ compared

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