Goodyear Eagle Ultra Grip GW3

Tests find that many performance winter tires handle admirably on cold, dry or rainy roads, but their grip on snow and ice is merely adequate. The Goodyear Eagle Ultra Grip GW3 is an exception, experts say. Although you'll get tighter handling on wet and dry winter roads from the top-rated performance winter tire, the Continental ContiWinterContact TS810 (*Est. $80), experts and users say the GW3 grips better on ice and snow. Consumers who have logged miles on their GW3s report that they are also quite durable. However, the GW3 is still geared more toward high performance than a workhorse winter tire such as the Michelin X-Ice Xi2 (*Est. $90), reviewers' top overall pick for severe winters.

Consumer Reports has the only detailed testing we found for the Goodyear Eagle Ultra Grip GW3, but the report is available only to subscribers. Canada's Automobile Protection Association and the Toronto Star both choose the GW3 as a top winter tire, but neither provides specific test results. Consumer reviews at TireRack.com, a retail site, are full of helpful details. 1010Tires.com, another retail site, has more user ratings posted for the GW3 than TireRack.com does, but they do not include full written reviews.