Goodyear
Things are happening at Goodyear, a major tire manufacturer with most of its plants in North America, including some in Canada. For one thing, you won't see the name Ultra Grip on the sidewalls of Goodyear winter tires anymore.
It’s been replaced by Winter Command Ultra. This new tire features aggressive or directional grooves depending on the model and application. The Winter Command Ultra is a very affordable mid-range tire.
Important features include a new Cryo-Adaptive tread compound designed to be more flexible during extreme cold and a V-Tred technology tread pattern to disperse water, slush and snow to the maximum. Add to that ActiveGrip technology for handling, acceleration and control on wet or slushy surfaces.
The Goodyear WinterCommand Ultra is available in 23 initial sizes for 15-in to 18-in wheels on sedans and SUVs, with more sizes coming soon for 18-in-to-20-in wheels.
In the area of winter-approved all-seasons, Goodyear has just launched WeatherReady Assurance. Many of the comments made about competitive tires such as the Michelin CrossClimate also apply to this new tire.
It should be noted that Goodyear also has the Dunlop brand for those who want a "sportier" brand. Dunlop's winter tires are Winter Maxx and Winter Sport; to learn more about the latter and especially to make sure that they will be effective on your car, it's best to consult a dealer specializing in the brand.
For consumers with tighter budgets, Goodyear sells the Kelly brand including the Winter Access model, which is also available with studs.