Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice WRT Review
- Dedicated winter tire designed for superior traction on ice and snow
- Excellent performance on ice, snow, and wet roads
- Decent dry road handling and comfort
- Durable construction with good treadwear characteristics
- Priced as a premium winter tire option
- Competitive performance compared to other top winter tire brands
- Offers a good balance of winter performance, durability, and everyday drivability
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The Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice WRT (Winter Reactive Technology) is a dedicated winter tire designed to provide superior traction and handling on ice, snow, and slush. It’s engineered specifically for drivers who face harsh winter conditions and need a reliable, high-performance tire to navigate through the harshest winter environments.
One of the key features of the Ultra Grip Ice WRT is its advanced tread compound formulated with a high silica content, which remains pliable at low temperatures, allowing the tire to grip the road surface better. Additionally, the directional tread pattern features deep, interlocking grooves and biting edges that effectively expel water, slush, and packed snow, ensuring optimal traction on icy and snow-covered roads.
The tire’s construction incorporates a reinforced casing and a high-density bead bundle, enhancing its overall durability and resistance to damage from potholes and other road hazards commonly encountered during winter driving. Moreover, the Ultra Grip Ice WRT features 3D BIS Technology, which stands for Blading Inserts Studding, providing additional grip on icy surfaces by mimicking the functionality of studded tires without the associated noise and road damage.
Overall, the Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice WRT is a premium winter tire designed to deliver exceptional performance, safety, and confidence when driving in the most challenging winter conditions.
Design and Construction
The Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice WRT tire is designed with a directional tread pattern that features deep, interlocking grooves and sipes. This aggressive tread design enhances traction on ice and packed snow by creating more biting edges that can grip the surface. The tread pattern also includes lateral notches and 3D TredLock Technology Blades, which further improve grip and handling in winter conditions.
The tire’s compound is formulated with a high silica content, which helps maintain flexibility and traction at low temperatures. This specialized winter compound prevents the rubber from hardening and losing grip in freezing conditions. Additionally, the tire features Goodyear’s Tredlock Technology with a proprietary interlocking tread design that provides enhanced grip and stability on slippery surfaces.
The Ultra Grip Ice WRT’s construction includes two steel belts reinforced with a polyamide overlay, providing strength and durability. This construction helps maintain the tire’s shape and prevents excessive wear, even under the demanding conditions of winter driving. The tire’s internal structure is optimized for even pressure distribution, contributing to a smooth and comfortable ride.
Winter Performance
The Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice WRT tires are designed to provide exceptional traction and handling on snow and ice-covered roads. These winter tires feature a specialized tread compound and aggressive tread pattern that enhances grip and bite in freezing temperatures.
The tread compound remains pliable and flexible in cold weather, allowing the tire to conform to the road surface and maintain traction. The deep, interlocking sipes and grooves effectively expel water, slush, and snow from the tread area, preventing buildup and ensuring consistent contact with the road.
In snowy conditions, the Ultra Grip Ice WRT tires demonstrate impressive traction and control. The tread design cuts through snow, providing reliable grip and braking performance. Even on packed snow or icy surfaces, these tires offer superior traction compared to all-season or summer tires, significantly reducing the risk of slipping or losing control.
The directional tread pattern and specialized shoulder blocks enhance handling and cornering stability, allowing drivers to navigate winding roads and tight turns with confidence, even in challenging winter conditions.
Overall, the Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice WRT tires deliver exceptional winter performance, providing drivers with the necessary traction, braking, and handling capabilities to tackle the harshest winter weather with confidence and safety.
Dry and Wet Road Performance
Despite being engineered primarily for winter conditions, the Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice WRT delivers impressive performance on dry and wet roads as well. Its advanced tread compound and directional tread pattern provide reliable traction and handling during dry conditions, ensuring a confident and responsive driving experience.
When it comes to wet road performance, the Ultra Grip Ice WRT shines with its excellent hydroplaning resistance. The tire’s deep grooves and lateral notches effectively evacuate water from the tread area, minimizing the risk of hydroplaning and maintaining a firm grip on the road surface. This feature instills confidence in drivers, allowing them to navigate through heavy rain or standing water with enhanced control and stability.
Furthermore, the Ultra Grip Ice WRT’s tread design incorporates multiple sipes (thin slits) that increase the number of biting edges, improving traction on wet surfaces. These sipes also help prevent aquaplaning by creating additional channels for water evacuation, ensuring consistent road contact and braking performance in wet conditions.
Overall, while primarily designed for winter use, the Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice WRT delivers reliable and predictable performance on dry and wet roads, making it a versatile choice for drivers seeking year-round safety and control.
Durability and Treadwear
The Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice WRT tires are designed to provide exceptional durability and treadwear, even in the harshest winter conditions. With a robust construction and high-quality materials, these tires are built to withstand the challenges of snow, ice, and extreme temperatures.
One of the standout features of the Ultra Grip Ice WRT tires is their impressive treadwear warranty. Goodyear offers a 60,000-mile treadwear warranty on these tires, which is a testament to their long-lasting performance. This warranty ensures that you can enjoy the benefits of these tires for many miles, providing peace of mind and value for your investment.
The tread compound used in the Ultra Grip Ice WRT tires is specially formulated to resist wear and tear, even under the most demanding driving conditions. The unique tread pattern is designed to provide excellent traction and grip while minimizing treadwear, ensuring that the tires maintain their performance over time.
Additionally, the reinforced construction of these tires contributes to their durability. The internal structure is engineered to withstand the stress and strain of winter driving, reducing the risk of premature wear or damage.
Overall, the Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice WRT tires offer exceptional durability and treadwear, making them a reliable choice for drivers who demand consistent performance and longevity from their winter tires.
Noise and Comfort
The Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice WRT tires strike an impressive balance between winter traction and ride comfort. Despite their aggressive tread design optimized for ice and snow, these tires exhibit surprisingly low noise levels on dry pavement. Road noise is well-controlled, resulting in a quiet and comfortable ride, even at higher speeds on the highway.
The tire’s internal construction and advanced tread compound play a significant role in minimizing vibrations and absorbing road imperfections. The polyester casing and twin steel belts provide a smooth and compliant ride, effectively dampening impacts from potholes and uneven surfaces. This translates to a comfortable driving experience, whether you’re commuting to work or embarking on a long road trip.
Additionally, the Ultra Grip Ice WRT tires excel in terms of steering responsiveness and handling stability. The directional tread pattern and optimized tread block design contribute to precise steering inputs and a confident feel behind the wheel. Even during sudden maneuvers or emergency situations, these tires maintain their composure, providing a sense of control and security for the driver.
Overall, the Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice WRT tires deliver an impressive combination of winter traction and ride comfort, making them an excellent choice for those seeking a reliable and enjoyable driving experience in challenging winter conditions.
Fuel Efficiency
The Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice WRT tires are designed with a focus on winter performance, but they also offer decent fuel efficiency for a winter tire. Several features contribute to their fuel-saving capabilities:
- Tread Compound: The specialized tread compound used in these tires is formulated to reduce rolling resistance, which translates into improved fuel economy. Lower rolling resistance means less energy is required to keep the tires moving, resulting in better gas mileage.
- Tread Design: The directional tread pattern on the Ultra Grip Ice WRT tires is optimized for efficient water evacuation and reduced hydroplaning risk. This design also helps minimize unnecessary tire deformation, further reducing rolling resistance and improving fuel efficiency.
- Lightweight Construction: Goodyear has engineered these tires to be relatively lightweight compared to some other winter tire options. Lighter tires require less energy to accelerate and maintain speed, leading to better fuel economy.
While the primary focus of the Ultra Grip Ice WRT is on winter traction and performance, Goodyear has managed to incorporate fuel-saving technologies into their design. This means that drivers can enjoy the benefits of superior winter grip without sacrificing too much in terms of fuel efficiency. However, it’s important to note that any winter tire will generally have higher rolling resistance and lower fuel economy compared to dedicated all-season or summer tires due to the more aggressive tread patterns and specialized rubber compounds required for cold-weather performance.
Vehicle Compatibility
The Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice WRT tires are designed for a wide range of passenger cars, crossovers, and SUVs. They are available in various sizes to fit most popular vehicles on the market. However, it’s essential to check the recommended tire size for your specific vehicle model to ensure a proper fit.
One of the key advantages of the Ultra Grip Ice WRT tires is their versatility. They can be used on front-wheel-drive, rear-wheel-drive, and all-wheel-drive vehicles, making them a suitable choice for various driving configurations.
When it comes to fitment considerations, it’s crucial to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for tire size, load rating, and speed rating. Goodyear offers a comprehensive fitment guide on their website, which allows you to input your vehicle’s make, model, and year to find the appropriate tire size.
It’s worth noting that some vehicles may require specific tire sizes or load ratings due to their weight or performance characteristics. In such cases, it’s advisable to consult with a professional tire technician or refer to your vehicle’s owner’s manual to ensure you select the correct tires for your specific application.
Pricing and Warranty
The Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice WRT tires are positioned as a premium winter tire option, and their pricing reflects this positioning. On average, you can expect to pay between $120 and $200 per tire, depending on the size and your location. While this may seem like a significant investment, it’s important to remember that winter tires are a critical safety feature for driving in harsh winter conditions.
Goodyear backs up the Ultra Grip Ice WRT with a comprehensive warranty package. The tires come with a 6-year or 60,000-mile treadwear warranty, whichever comes first. This warranty covers any premature treadwear, ensuring that you get the most out of your investment. Additionally, Goodyear offers a free replacement during the first 2/32″ of treadwear or 12 months from the date of purchase if the tire becomes unserviceable due to defects in material or workmanship.
It’s worth noting that the warranty coverage may vary slightly depending on your location and the specific retailer you purchase from. It’s always a good idea to review the warranty details carefully before making your purchase to ensure you understand the coverage and any potential exclusions or limitations.
Comparison to Competitors
The Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice WRT stands out among its competitors in the winter tire category with its advanced tread design and impressive performance on ice and snow-covered roads. While other popular options like the Michelin X-Ice Snow and the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 offer excellent traction in winter conditions, the Ultra Grip Ice WRT’s unique tread pattern and specialized rubber compound give it an edge in certain areas.
Compared to the Michelin X-Ice Snow, the Ultra Grip Ice WRT provides better braking performance on icy surfaces, thanks to its dense network of interlocking sipes and biting edges. However, the X-Ice Snow may have a slight advantage in deep snow traction due to its larger tread blocks.
When pitted against the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90, the Ultra Grip Ice WRT demonstrates superior handling and cornering capabilities on ice, attributable to its directional tread design and advanced silica-reinforced compound. The Blizzak WS90 excels in deep snow conditions but may not match the Ultra Grip Ice WRT’s ice traction.
Another notable competitor is the Continental VikingContact 7, which offers impressive performance across various winter conditions. While the VikingContact 7 is a formidable all-around winter tire, the Ultra Grip Ice WRT outshines it in terms of pure ice traction and braking performance on icy surfaces.
It’s worth noting that while the Ultra Grip Ice WRT excels in icy conditions, some competitors may have an advantage in specific areas, such as deep snow traction or mild winter performance. However, for drivers who prioritize ice traction and overall winter performance, the Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice WRT stands out as a top contender in its class.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Excellent ice and snow traction thanks to the specialized tread compound and aggressive directional tread pattern.
- Impressive braking and handling performance on winter roads, providing a confident driving experience.
- Durable construction with reinforced internal structure for long treadwear.
- Designed to enhance fuel efficiency compared to some other winter tire models.
- Available in a wide range of sizes to fit various vehicle types.
Cons:
- Dry and wet road performance may not match dedicated all-season or summer tires.
- Tread life may be shorter compared to some premium winter tire options.
- Road noise can be slightly elevated, especially on rougher surfaces.
- Relatively expensive compared to budget-friendly winter tire options.
- Limited availability and selection for certain vehicle fitments.
Final Verdict
The Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice WRT tires are an excellent choice for drivers seeking reliable winter performance and safety. These tires excel in harsh winter conditions, providing superior traction on ice and snow-covered roads. Their advanced tread design and specialized winter compound ensure confident handling and braking, even in the most challenging winter environments.
While the Ultra Grip Ice WRT tires may not match the dry and wet road performance of some all-season or summer tires, they strike a good balance between winter capability and decent performance on clear roads. The trade-off for their exceptional winter grip is slightly reduced treadwear compared to some all-season options.
Overall, if you live in an area with frequent snowfall and icy conditions, the Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice WRT tires are a wise investment. Their winter performance is top-notch, and they provide peace of mind when navigating treacherous winter roads. While they may not be the most cost-effective option for milder winter climates, for those facing harsh winters, these tires are highly recommended for their ability to keep you safe and in control.