Goodyear UltraGrip 500 tires: reviews and photos

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42

Winter tires made in the USA have always been the subject of controversy for many motorists. On the one hand, it has a relatively low price, and on the other hand, is it capable of coping with domestic weather conditions without testing in severe winter conditions? This question must have been asked by every motorist. Let's take the example of the Goodyear UltraGrip 500 model to see how practical rubber is for Americans. First, let's get acquainted with the official data offered by the manufacturer and well-known automotive publications, and then turn to the reviews of local drivers who have tested this model on their own cars in real conditions.

Model in brief

As you can already understand from the beginning of the review, we are talking about a model designed for use in the winter season. It was presented quite a long time ago, but it is still in demand and popular, despite its venerable age. This was achieved through the use during the development of the mostinnovative approaches and techniques, as well as the annual refinement of issued copies.

It is intended mainly for installation on ordinary cars, but there are also samples that can be installed on crossovers, SUVs and even some minibuses. This versatility allows you to choose the right Goodyear UltraGrip 500 tire that fits your needs and specifications.

Innovative V-Tred Technology

The American manufacturer was one of the first to propose the use of a specific V-shaped tread pattern to increase the performance and improve the performance of winter tires. The symmetrical directional pattern used in this model has improved performance in several areas at once.

Thus, the wide lamellas formed as a result of a similar arrangement of tread blocks were able to effectively cope with any volume of water, slush, loose snow, mud and other elements, the presence of which is undesirable in the contact patch of the working surface of the Goodyear UltraGrip tire 500 R14 with road surface, whatever it may be. This reduced the chance of aquaplaning to a minimum and increased the rowing performance of the tire in fresh snow.

Large tread blocks located in the central part served as a good help not only to improve directional stability, as is usually the casein their similar position. Reverse lip design improves the braking performance of the Goodyear UltraGrip 500 winter tires, resulting in shorter stopping distances and almost zero chance of skidding under emergency braking.

3D-BIS Blocking Technology

When developing the tread pattern, the designers took care that the edges do not connect under load, losing their effectiveness. The essence of the innovative technology at that time was the location of recesses-bubbles under the tread blocks, designed to counteract the mechanical displacement of each of them. The result is permanently open sipes, which not only improves hydroplaning resistance and makes the drainage system more efficient, but also increases the tire's rowing performance in loose or fresh snow, as well as slush.

In addition, the sides of the blocks themselves are cut unevenly, which makes the cutting edges longer and improves traction on clean asph alt and similar surfaces. They, according to reviews of the Goodyear UltraGrip 500, work out together with the installed spikes when driving on icy conditions, adding confidence to the driver in their car.

Fixation of spikes using the SATS system

The issue of securely fixing metal elements so that they can work at full power, but do not fly out and provide good grip even when driving onclean asph alt. The technology is simple and is used by many manufacturers today, but at the time of the release of the Goodyear UltraGrip 50019565 R15 it was new, and the manufacturer took a risk, not knowing how reliable it would turn out. The result exceeded all expectations, and this can be seen after years.

Its essence is to increase the thickness of the inner part of the spike, which leads to a more secure fit inside the tire. In turn, the landing nest itself is made of two different types of rubber. The bottom layer is more rigid and allows you to adjust the landing depth, and also fixes it so that during operation the spike does not go too deep into the tread block. In turn, the outer part is softer and more elastic and helps to smooth out the compression effect and stress, which increases the security of the fixation and prevents the stud from falling out even with an aggressive driving style.

Rubber compound features

In order for the Goodyear UltraGrip 500 20555 R16 to work in very cold regions, the developers had to achieve universal elasticity that would not be too high in positive temperatures. This became possible thanks to the use of synthetic silica obtained from oil, as well as silicic acid, which binds natural and synthesized rubber components and increases its resistance to abrasive wear. The result is a formula that allows rubber to remain soft even in severe frosts.

Variety of sizes

To make the Goodyear UltraGrip 500 truly affordable for every driver, it is not enough to achieve an acceptable cost. The availability of all common sizes is also important, which will allow you to choose the option in accordance with the requirements of the car manufacturer.

To this end, the company has launched almost 100 varieties of rubber with different characteristics regarding both physical dimensions and dynamic parameters. So, on sale you can find tires with an inner diameter of 13 to 20 inches. For each option, it is possible to choose the required working area width and profile height.

In addition, it is possible to purchase reinforced Goodyear UltraGrip 500 25555 R18 models for heavier modes of transport, including minibuses. And if you are a fan of high-speed driving even in the winter season, then specimens with an increased index of the maximum permissible speed are presented to your attention. However, do not forget about the observance of traffic rules and simple safety requirements.

Positive feedback about the model

It's time to analyze the reviews written by drivers for more than a decade of operation of the model we are considering. You should start with positive things. In their reviews of the Goodyear UltraGrip 500, car owners mention the following benefits:

• High wear resistance. You can meet the driverswho were able to ride on the same rubber for more than 5 seasons, and at the same time it did not lose its main characteristics.
• Durable sidewall. In the conditions of Russian roads, when there are sharp pieces of ice in the track, this aspect is important and can significantly extend the life of a set of tires.
• Low noise level. Despite the presence of spikes, their correct location and the special shape of the landing sockets made it possible to minimize the unpleasant acoustic effect. In the presence of sound insulation, it is absolutely not noticeable and does not have an annoying effect.
• Good rowing performance. Whether loose snow on the road or packed snow, the Goodyear UltraGrip 500 tires handle both problems equally well.
• No hernias. Even with hard use, hernias appear over time only on very old tires due to the degradation of the rubber compound itself. New options are not subject to mechanical damage.
• Confident directional stability. The car does not float on the road even at high speed.
• Effective braking. The special tread pattern of the Goodyear UltraGrip 500 made it possible to achieve a shorter braking distance even on clean asph alt, despite the presence of studs.

As you can see, the model is quite successful, but it is not without some drawbacks. It is worth mentioning them so that later there will be no disappointments.

Negativehand model

Reviews of the Goodyear UltraGrip 500 are increasingly mentioning that it is almost impossible to buy fresh-release rubber. However, the manufacturer has not yet announced the cessation of production of this particular model.

Some say that under the condition of aggressive driving, studs can fall out already in the first season of operation. It is worth noting that other users kept them for three or more seasons, which indicates a fairly high-quality fastening and durability with careful use.

Conclusion

This rubber model is one of the examples of successful developments that have not lost popularity even a decade after the presentation. It became a model for many manufacturers who borrowed ideas that are still considered innovative. After reading the reviews of the Goodyear UltraGrip 500, you can see that it is close to perfection. Therefore, if you are lucky enough to find fresh rubber from this range, you can safely purchase it for use on your car.