Winter tire Updated October 2026

Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 2 review

± 5

Relative score 60% tests + 40% owners

Better than 92% of the winter tires we score.

Owners 77 · 9 reviews analysed Road tests 77 · 6 tests

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Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 2 has a Relative Score of 77 out of 100 among winter tires. In 14 road tests with an overall ranking it finished first 2 times and in the top three 7 times. Testers rate it best for noise (89) and weakest for comfort (70). 9 owner reviews rate it 77 out of 100. 79% would buy it again.

  • Strength: Noise 89 — 1st of 17 (2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16), 1st of 8 (2022 ViBilagare Nordic SUV Winter tire Test)
Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 2

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

77/100

From 9 owner reviews analysed, scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70.

Would buy again 79%
Dry
Overall dry
75
Wet
Overall wet
81
Snow & ice
Overall snow & ice
72
Comfort
Overall comfort
76
Treadwear
Overall treadwear
82
Handling
Overall handling
77

Own these tires? Write a review →

By road tests

77/100

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

Dry
77
Wet
83
Snow
71
Comfort
70
Noise
89
Efficiency
73
By discipline (% of best in test)
Dry Braking
33%
Subj. Dry Handling
81%
Wet Braking
76%
Subj. Wet Handling
100%
Wet Handling
95%
Snow Braking
86%
Snow Handling
29%
Subj. Snow Handling
29%
Snow Traction
57%
Ice Braking
62%
Ice Handling
33%
Subj. Ice Handling
67%
Ice Traction
62%
Inside Noise level
67%
Rolling Resistance
91%

What owners like and dislike

Themes extracted from 9 owner reviews found online.

The Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 2 is widely regarded as a highly capable studless Nordic winter tire, praised for its exceptional performance in deep snow and impressive tread longevity. While users consistently highlight its comfort and quiet operation on tarmac, some note a lack of steering feedback and reduced confidence on polished ice compared to studded alternatives.

Pros

  • Excellent traction and reliability in deep snow conditions
  • High level of ride comfort and low cabin noise
  • Impressive tread life and durability over multiple seasons
  • Predictable handling on mixed winter surfaces

Cons

  • Limited grip on polished ice compared to studded tires
  • Lack of steering feedback and informative handling
  • Potential for aquaplaning in heavy slush or deep water
  • Weak sidewall construction reported in some XL variants

Worth knowing

  • Users noted that the tire's soft compound can feel less informative on steering inputs compared to summer tires.
  • The XL (Extra Load) variant may be susceptible to sidewall damage when encountering significant road hazards like potholes.

14 published test appearances (6 in the score)

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

The Best Studded / Friction Winter tires for 2024 · 225/50 R17

17th of 17

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

2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 · 205/55R16

11th of 19
Best: Exterior Noise · 1st Weakest: Ice Handling · 14th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking3rd of 19
Wet Handling3rd of 19
Dry Braking3rd of 19
Snow Braking8th of 19
Snow Traction7th of 19
Snow Handling7th of 19
Ice Braking12th of 19
Ice Handling14th of 19
Exterior Noise1st of 19
Rolling Resistance8th of 19
Dry Handling (tester's mark)3rd of 19
Wet Handling (tester's mark)5th of 19
Ice Traction13th of 19

Source: UTAC

2023 Autoreview Studless Winter Tire Test R16 · 215/60R16

1st of 5
Best: Wet Braking · 1st Weakest: Ice Handling · 2nd
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking1st of 5
Dry Braking1st of 5
Snow Braking1st of 5
Snow Traction1st of 5
Snow Handling1st of 5
Ice Braking1st of 5
Ice Handling2nd of 5
Straight Aquaplaning1st of 5
Comfort (tester's mark)1st of 5
Ice Traction1st of 5
Deep Snow Traction1st of 5

Source: Autoreview

2023 Moottori Studless Winter Tire Test R16 · 205/55R16

5th of 8

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

Source: Moottori

2022 ViBilagare Nordic SUV Winter tire Test · 235/55 R18

2nd of 8
Best: Wet Handling · 1st Weakest: Ice Handling · 5th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Handling1st of 8
Snow Traction4th of 8
Snow Handling4th of 8
Ice Handling5th of 8
Rolling Resistance3rd of 8
Straight Aquaplaning2nd of 8
Dry Handling (tester's mark)1st of 8
Noise1st of 8
Ice Traction5th of 8
Price4th of 8

Source: Vi Bilägare

2021 Studless and Studded Winter tire Test · 205/55 R16

4th of 16
Best: Snow Traction · 2nd Weakest: Dry Braking · 14th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking3rd of 16
Wet Handling7th of 16
Dry Braking14th of 16
Snow Braking8th of 16
Snow Traction2nd of 16
Snow Handling5th of 16
Ice Braking12th of 16
Ice Handling12th of 16
Ice Traction12th of 16
Noise (tester's mark)4th of 16
Price7th of 16

2021 Test World Large Winter Tire Test R16 · 205/55R16

10th of 16

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

Source: Test World

2020 Vi Bilagare Nordic Friction Winter tire Test · 205/60 R16

3rd of 8
Best: Wet Handling · 1st Weakest: Ice Handling · 8th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Handling1st of 8
Snow Handling6th of 8
Ice Handling8th of 8
Rolling Resistance2nd of 8
Straight Aquaplaning1st of 8
Dry Handling (tester's mark)1st of 8
Noise (tester's mark)2nd of 8
Price3rd of 8

Source: Vi Bilägare

2020 Nordic and Studded Winter tire Test · 205/55 R16

11th of 20
Best: Wet Handling · 2nd Weakest: Snow Handling · 16th
DisciplinePlacementField position
Wet Braking6th of 20
Wet Handling2nd of 20
Dry Braking15th of 20
Snow Braking4th of 20
Snow Traction12th of 20
Snow Handling16th of 20
Ice Braking10th of 20
Ice Handling15th of 20
Ice Traction10th of 20
Noise (tester's mark)13th of 20

2020 Motor Winter Studless Tire Test R16 · 205/60R16

3rd of 7

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

Source: Motor

2020 Teknikens Värld Studless Winter Tire Test R17

1st of 6

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

Source: Teknikens Värld

2020 Test World Winter Tire Test R16 · 205/55R16

10th of 19

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

Source: Test World

2020 Za Rulem Studless Winter Tire Test R16 · 205/55R16

3rd of 14

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

Source: Za Rulem

2018 Autofil Studless Winter Tire Test R16 · 205/55R16

2nd of 9

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

Source: Autofil

Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 2 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 Ice 2 compared

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