Nokian Nordman 8 vs Goodyear UltraGrip Arctic 2
Ahead in each discipline
The Nokian Nordman 8 and the Goodyear UltraGrip Arctic 2 have met in one independent test so far, and the UltraGrip Arctic 2 finished ahead. The Nordman 8 was stronger in dry and snow, the UltraGrip Arctic 2 in wet, ice and comfort.
Performance profile
10 measurements from the one shared test, each tire shown as its share of the better figure.
Where each is furthest ahead
Nordman 8
UltraGrip Arctic 2
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
In each test the better of the two figures counts as 100% and the other as its share of it, so a 118 ft stop against 112 ft is 95%; each spoke averages the shared tests that recorded it.
Where each scores higher
Nordman 8
Not ahead in any category
UltraGrip Arctic 2
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
Category scores are percentiles among tires of the same season and class: 90 means this tire out-performs 90% of them, measured across every test we hold, not only the ones it appeared in.
Every measurement, side by side
Both tires' figures from the one test that ran them together, on the same car, in the same size, on the same day. The bar grows towards the tire that did better.
| Measurement | Nordman 8 | Gap | UltraGrip Arctic 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Nordman 8 ahead | |||
| Dry Braking ft | 108 | 0.2% | 108 |
| Wet UltraGrip Arctic 2 ahead | |||
| Wet Braking ft | 127 | 7.6% | 118 |
| Wet Handling s | 42.57 | 1.6% | 41.87 |
| Snow Nordman 8 ahead | |||
| Snow Braking ft | 50 | 0.3% | 50 |
| Snow Traction s | 4.8 | 0.6% | 4.83 |
| Snow Handling s | 85.86 | 0.6% | 85.38 |
| Ice UltraGrip Arctic 2 ahead | |||
| Ice Braking ft | 43 | 7.1% | 40 |
| Ice Traction s | 4.78 | 4.4% | 5 |
| Ice Handling s | 67.51 | 5.6% | 63.73 |
| Comfort UltraGrip Arctic 2 ahead | |||
| Noise dB | 70.2 | 0.6 dB | 69.6 |
Braking distances and lap times are better when lower; speeds, wear and grip figures when higher. A test's figures are its own: sizes, cars, surfaces and temperatures differ from one to the next, which is why the averages here are only ever of tests the two tires shared.
Head to head in 1 test in 2021
Each row is one published test in which both tires ran on the same car, in the same size, on the same day. The line is the whole field, winner on the left.
| Test | Nordman 8 | Field | UltraGrip Arctic 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 Nordic Studded Winter Tire Test | P4 of 8 | P3 of 8 |
Nordman 8 vs UltraGrip Arctic 2: your questions
Is the Nokian Nordman 8 or the Goodyear UltraGrip Arctic 2 the better tire?
The Nokian Nordman 8 and the Goodyear UltraGrip Arctic 2 have met in one independent test so far, and the UltraGrip Arctic 2 finished ahead. On the Tire Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the Nordman 8 scores 7.4 and the UltraGrip Arctic 2 9.2 out of 10.
Which is better in the wet, the Nordman 8 or the UltraGrip Arctic 2?
The UltraGrip Arctic 2 led 2 of the 2 wet measurements the shared tests recorded.
Which is better in the dry?
The Nordman 8 led 1 of the 1 dry measurements the shared tests recorded.
Which is better in snow?
The Nordman 8 led 2 of the 3 snow measurements the shared tests recorded.
Which is quieter and more comfortable?
Owners rate comfort 5/10 for the Nordman 8 and 9/10 for the UltraGrip Arctic 2.
What do owners say?
Owners rate the Nordman 8 63% from 1 reviews and the UltraGrip Arctic 2 91% from 1.
Run either of these?
Your review is the part of this page no test can supply: how the tire wore, how it aged, what it was like in the rain in year three. It takes about five minutes.
Where this data comes from
Finishing positions and measurements are transcribed from each published test. A test only counts here when both tires ran in it, so every figure was recorded on the same car, size and day as the one it is compared to.
About the TR Score
The Tire Reviews Score rates each tire out of 10 from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold, so two tires can be compared even before a test has run them together.
Who does the testing
Every test published as a Tire Reviews test is run by Jonathan Benson, who has been testing tires independently since 2007.