Goodyear UltraGrip Arctic 2 review
Relative score 60% tests + 40% owners
Better than 66% of the winter tires we score.
Owners 72 · 1 review analysed Road tests 70 · 10 tests
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Goodyear UltraGrip Arctic 2 has a Relative Score of 71 out of 100 among winter tires. In 20 road tests with an overall ranking it finished first 0 times and in the top three 12 times. Testers rate it best for snow (86) and weakest for comfort (41). 1 owner reviews rate it 72 out of 100. 100% would buy it again.
- Strength: Snow 86 — 1st of 8 (2023 Studded tire Test), 1st of 17 (2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16)
- Weak point: Noise 55 — 5th of 6 (2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17), 11th of 14 (2025 Friction and Studded Winter tire Test)
- Weak point: Efficiency 47 — 8th of 8 (2022 Studded Winter tire Test), 8th of 8 (2023 Studded tire Test)
- Weak point: Comfort 41 — 7th of 8 (2023 Studded tire Test), 15th of 18 (2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter tire Test)
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.
By owner reviews
72/100From 1 owner review analysed, scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70.
By road tests
70/100Scaled across every tested tire: the average gets 70, the best 100.
What owners like and dislike
Themes extracted from 1 owner review found online.
The Goodyear UltraGrip Arctic 2 is highly regarded for its exceptional ice traction and acceleration capabilities, making it a strong performer for demanding winter conditions. While it excels in straight-line grip and controlled maneuvers, users note that cornering requires a more measured approach compared to some premium competitors.
Pros
- Outstanding acceleration and braking performance on ice
- Reliable straight-line stability in severe winter conditions
- Well-suited for spirited driving and performance-oriented winter use
Cons
- Lateral grip during cornering is less aggressive than some competitors
- Requires speed adjustment before entering turns to maintain control
- Stud design may offer different handling characteristics compared to triangular-stud alternatives
Worth knowing
- Demonstrated strong performance capabilities when paired with rear-wheel-drive (RWD) vehicle configurations
- Effective for specialized winter use cases, such as ice lake driving
20 published test appearances (10 in the score)
Placement within each field. Open a test for the discipline-by-discipline result.
2027 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 · 215/65R17
2nd of 6
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: NAF Motor
2026 Vi Bilagare Studded tire Test · 215/65 R17
2nd of 8
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Handling | 3rd of 8 | |
| Snow Traction | 4th of 8 | |
| Snow Handling | 3rd of 8 | |
| Ice Handling | 3rd of 8 | |
| Straight Aquaplaning | 4th of 8 | |
| Dry Handling (tester's mark) | 3rd of 8 | |
| Noise | 2nd of 8 | |
| Ice Traction | 6th of 8 | |
| Noise (tester's mark) | 3rd of 8 | |
| Fuel Consumption | 5th of 8 |
Source: Vi Bilägare
2026 Teknikens Värld Studded, Nordic and Central European Winter tire Test · 235/45 R18
13th of 18
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Straight Aquaplaning | 15th of 18 | |
| Comfort (tester's mark) | 15th of 18 | |
| Wet Handling (tester's mark) | 16th of 18 | |
| Road Rating (tester's mark) | 15th of 18 | |
| Fuel Consumption | 16th of 18 | |
| Snow Handling (tester's mark) | 13th of 18 | |
| Dry Lane Change | 16th of 18 | |
| Ice Handling (tester's mark) | 14th of 18 |
Source: Teknikens Värld
2025 Friction and Studded Winter tire Test · 205/55 R16
10th of 14
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 10th of 14 | |
| Wet Handling | 9th of 14 | |
| Dry Braking | 10th of 14 | |
| Snow Braking | 11th of 14 | |
| Snow Traction | 11th of 14 | |
| Ice Braking | 11th of 14 | |
| Dry Handling (tester's mark) | 12th of 14 | |
| Wet Handling (tester's mark) | 8th of 14 | |
| Ice Traction | 12th of 14 | |
| Noise (tester's mark) | 11th of 14 |
Source: Tekniikan Maailma
2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 · 225/45R17
4th of 6
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 3rd of 6 | |
| Wet Circle | 3rd of 6 | |
| Dry Braking | 4th of 6 | |
| Snow Braking | 3rd of 6 | |
| Snow Traction | 3rd of 6 | |
| Ice Braking | 3rd of 6 | |
| Ice Handling | 5th of 6 | |
| Exterior Noise | 5th of 6 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 2nd of 6 | |
| Straight Aquaplaning | 3rd of 6 | |
| Comfort (tester's mark) | 4th of 6 | |
| Ice Traction | 5th of 6 | |
| Snow Dry Circle | 4th of 6 |
Source: NAF Motor
2025 Teknikens Värld Winter Tire Test R17 · 225/50R17
14th of 15
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: Teknikens Värld
2025 UTAC Ivalo Studded Winter Tire Test R16 · 205/55R16
2nd of 10
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: UTAC Ivalo
2024 Studded tire Test · 225/45 R17
4th of 8
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Handling | 3rd of 8 | |
| Snow Traction | 3rd of 8 | |
| Snow Handling | 4th of 8 | |
| Ice Handling | 5th of 8 | |
| Straight Aquaplaning | 3rd of 8 | |
| Dry Handling (tester's mark) | 5th of 8 | |
| Noise | 5th of 8 | |
| Ice Traction | 5th of 8 | |
| Fuel Consumption | 7th of 8 |
Source: Vi Bilägare
The Best Studded / Friction Winter tires for 2024 · 225/50 R17
14th of 17
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
2024 Aftonbladet Winter Tire Test R16 · 205/55R16
5th of 15
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: Aftonbladet
2024 Teknikens Värld Big Winter Tire Test R17 · 225/50R17
3rd of 16
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: Teknikens Värld
2023 Studded tire Test · 225/45 R17
3rd of 8
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Handling | 2nd of 8 | |
| Snow Traction | 1st of 8 | |
| Snow Handling | 3rd of 8 | |
| Ice Handling | 3rd of 8 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 8th of 8 | |
| Straight Aquaplaning | 2nd of 8 | |
| Dry Handling (tester's mark) | 7th of 8 | |
| Comfort (tester's mark) | 7th of 8 | |
| Noise | 4th of 8 | |
| Ice Traction | 3rd of 8 |
Source: Vi Bilägare
2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 · 205/55R16
4th of 17
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 3rd of 17 | |
| Wet Handling | 3rd of 17 | |
| Dry Braking | 12th of 17 | |
| Snow Braking | 2nd of 17 | |
| Snow Traction | 2nd of 17 | |
| Snow Handling | 1st of 17 | |
| Ice Braking | 3rd of 17 | |
| Ice Handling | 3rd of 17 | |
| Exterior Noise | 11th of 17 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 10th of 17 | |
| Dry Handling (tester's mark) | 3rd of 17 | |
| Wet Handling (tester's mark) | 4th of 17 | |
| Ice Traction | 6th of 17 |
Source: UTAC
2022 Studded Winter tire Test · 235/55 R18
3rd of 8
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Handling | 7th of 8 | |
| Dry Braking | 7th of 8 | |
| Snow Traction | 3rd of 8 | |
| Snow Handling | 5th of 8 | |
| Ice Handling | 3rd of 8 | |
| Straight Aquaplaning | 4th of 8 | |
| Dry Handling (tester's mark) | 8th of 8 | |
| Noise | 4th of 8 | |
| Ice Traction | 1st of 8 | |
| Price | 5th of 8 | |
| Fuel Consumption | 8th of 8 |
Source: Vi Bilägare
2022 Moottori Studded Winter Tire Test R18 · 235/45R18
3rd of 7
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: Moottori
2021 Nordic Studded Winter tire Test · 205/55 R16
3rd of 8
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Handling | 1st of 8 | |
| Snow Traction | 4th of 8 | |
| Snow Handling | 4th of 8 | |
| Ice Handling | 3rd of 8 | |
| Noise | 4th of 8 | |
| Ice Traction | 4th of 8 |
2021 Studless and Studded Winter tire Test · 205/55 R16
3rd of 16
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 10th of 16 | |
| Wet Handling | 6th of 16 | |
| Dry Braking | 12th of 16 | |
| Snow Braking | 1st of 16 | |
| Snow Traction | 3rd of 16 | |
| Snow Handling | 3rd of 16 | |
| Ice Braking | 2nd of 16 | |
| Ice Handling | 3rd of 16 | |
| Ice Traction | 6th of 16 | |
| Noise (tester's mark) | 11th of 16 | |
| Price | 11th of 16 |
2021 Test World Large Winter Tire Test R16 · 205/55R16
2nd of 15
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: Test World
2021 Test World Winter Studded Tire Test R17 · 225/55R17
2nd of 5
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: Test World
2021 Moottori Winter Studded Tire Test R16 · 205/55R16
3rd of 8
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: Moottori
Reviews from our readers
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