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Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 vs General Altimax Arctic — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 1 + 0 road tests and 104 + 32 owner reviews. How we score

ExtremeContact DWS 06 is ahead, 72–59

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Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 74

    Dry

    ExtremeContact DWS 06 +17
    57
    Why this score
    SourceExtremeContact DWS 06Altimax Arctic
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 72 (est.)≈ 61 (est.)
    Reviews found online7851

    ExtremeContact DWS 06: 60% × 71.9 (est.) + 40% × 78.2 = 74

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 60.8 (est.) + 40% × 50.5 = 57

    No road tests of dry for ExtremeContact DWS 06. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

    No road tests of dry for Altimax Arctic. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

  2. 77

    Wet

    ExtremeContact DWS 06 +15
    62
    Why this score
    SourceExtremeContact DWS 06Altimax Arctic
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 75 (est.)≈ 64 (est.)
    Reviews found online7960

    ExtremeContact DWS 06: 60% × 75.2 (est.) + 40% × 79.4 = 77

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 64.2 (est.) + 40% × 59.8 = 62

    No road tests of wet for ExtremeContact DWS 06. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

    No road tests of wet for Altimax Arctic. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

  3. 67

    Snow

    ExtremeContact DWS 06 +8
    59
    Why this score
    SourceExtremeContact DWS 06Altimax Arctic
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 64 (est.)
    Reviews found online6452

    ExtremeContact DWS 06: 60% × 68.1 (est.) + 40% × 64.4 = 67

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 63.8 (est.) + 40% × 51.6 = 59

    No road tests of snow for ExtremeContact DWS 06. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.33).

    No road tests of snow for Altimax Arctic. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.33).

  4. 69

    Comfort

    ExtremeContact DWS 06 +9
    60
    Why this score
    SourceExtremeContact DWS 06Altimax Arctic
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 69 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online6851

    ExtremeContact DWS 06: 60% × 68.9 (est.) + 40% × 68 = 69

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 66 (est.) + 40% × 50.8 = 60

    No road tests of comfort for ExtremeContact DWS 06 or Altimax Arctic. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 70

    Noise

    ExtremeContact DWS 06 +8
    62
    Why this score
    SourceExtremeContact DWS 06Altimax Arctic
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online7354

    ExtremeContact DWS 06: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 72.9 = 70

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 54.1 = 62

    No road tests of noise for ExtremeContact DWS 06 or Altimax Arctic. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 66

    Treadwear

    ExtremeContact DWS 06 +9
    57
    Why this score
    SourceExtremeContact DWS 06Altimax Arctic
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests70≈ 61 (est.)
    Reviews found online6150

    ExtremeContact DWS 06: 60% × 69.8 + 40% × 60.5 = 66

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 60.8 (est.) + 40% × 50.1 = 57

    No road tests of treadwear for Altimax Arctic. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

  7. 74

    Handling (owners)

    ExtremeContact DWS 06 +25
    49
    Why this score
    SourceExtremeContact DWS 06Altimax Arctic
    Reviews found online7449
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental ExtremeContact DWS 06General Altimax Arctic
Relative Score 72 59
Dry 74 57
Wet 77 62
Snow 67 59
Comfort 69 60
Noise 70 62
Treadwear 66 57
Handling (owners) 74 49

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip starts at “Important”. Treadwear starts at “Neutral” here: road tests measured it for at most one of the two tires, so it rests on owner reviews. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Important
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Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
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Less important
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Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score

ExtremeContact DWS 06

Altimax Arctic

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A ExtremeContact DWS 06

Pros

  • Exceptional wet and dry traction
  • Quiet and comfortable ride quality
  • Strong performance in light snow and cold weather

Cons

  • Softer sidewalls can reduce steering sharpness or cause rollover during heavy track/autocross use
  • Tread wear can be faster than expected with aggressive driving or on lower-profile sizes
  • Occasional reports of increased road noise or vibration as the tire ages
All owner themes in the ExtremeContact DWS 06 review

Tire B Altimax Arctic

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and traction in deep snow, slush, and ice
  • High value and affordable price point compared to premium competitors
  • Reliable wet and dry handling during cold weather months

Cons

  • Handling and responsiveness drop off compared to dedicated summer or all-season tires
  • Some users report accelerated wear once the tire reaches 50% tread life
  • Minor tendencies toward understeer during hard cornering
All owner themes in the Altimax Arctic review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 B · General Altimax Arctic
CategoryAll SeasonWinter Touring tires
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Tread depth10/32″—
UTQG560 A - AA A—
Treadwear warranty50,000 mi—
SidewallBlack Side Wall—
Max pressure51 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06

General Altimax Arctic

Winner: Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 — better handling, dry and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 scores 74 vs 49 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 scores 74 vs 57 on dry.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 scores 77 vs 62 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 scores 69 vs 60 on comfort.

Tire A · Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06
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Tire B · General Altimax Arctic
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ExtremeContact DWS 06 or Altimax Arctic?

Which is better in the wet, ExtremeContact DWS 06 or Altimax Arctic?

Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06, 77 vs 62 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, ExtremeContact DWS 06 or Altimax Arctic?

Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06, 74 vs 57 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, ExtremeContact DWS 06 or Altimax Arctic?

Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06, 67 vs 59 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, ExtremeContact DWS 06 or Altimax Arctic?

Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06, 70 vs 62 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, ExtremeContact DWS 06 or Altimax Arctic?

Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06, 69 vs 60 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, ExtremeContact DWS 06 or Altimax Arctic?

Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06, 66 vs 57 on our treadwear score.

How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.

Handling is the exception: road tests measure it inside the dry and wet scores, so its own row comes from owner ratings only and starts as less important.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score. Full methodology