Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance Gen 1 has been highly recommended by most experts as performance version of the Goodyear Ultra Grip 9, but today we are bringing these tyres with out Mazda MX5 to Japan's snow covered Hokkaido Island to put these tyres to test in extreme conditions. The temperature here averages between -15 to -20 degree Celsius (5 to -9 Fahrenheit).
It might seem irrelevant to bring a sports car to tyre testing in winter conditions, but MX5 is an exception with its feather light bodyweight and fine handling which are very sensitive to tyre choice. Furthermore, we are bringing the Mazda MX5 back to its own turf, Kenbuchi Proving Ground, which is Mazda's primary cold weather testing facility to test how the Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance Gen 1 will affect the car's driving nature.
First impression upon get going in the car is these Goodyear tyres are as comfortable and quiet as most summer tyres. Despite being on snow road conditions, the car still felt nimble with these tyres on and eager to make turns on high revs while giving you confidence that you will not spin into the trees. Even while driving on the straights throw sheet ice, the car still feels stable with little to no sign of losing any grip.
The only drawback is these tyres do hesitate a little during initial steering response, but this can be easily fixed by giving the tyres a 2-3 psi more of air. This problem is due to the soft sidewalls of these tyres, but with a little more air, the rubber are stiffen up a little more, giving it more rigid walls, thus improving the car's handling.
Our crew had these Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance Gen 1 tested separately in Kyoto with another Mazda MX5 under both really wet conditions and dry conditions. The feedback was these tyres perform excellently on really wet conditions and no sign of aquaplaning even when running through deep waters. While in the dry conditions these Goodyears still proves to be sufficiently good with a little drawback in the handling aspect as compared to summer tyres.
The overall verdict from our testing of the Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance Gen 1 with the Mazda MX5, these tyres are really good in all weather conditions. It is as comfortable as most summer tyres, which could serve to be a good choice as all season tyres. If you live in winter conditions most of the time and would love to bring your car for a spin occasionally in the snow, these tyres are definitely highly recommended for you.
What do you think about the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance Gen 1? Let us know what you think about this product in the comments below.
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