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Continental IceContact 3 vs General Altimax Arctic 12 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

IceContact 3 leads, 71–67 Narrow edge

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Tire AContinental

IceContact 3

Winter

Tests 79 · 13 tests Owners 66 · 3 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2023 Studded Tyre Test (subj. comfort)

Tire BGeneral

Altimax Arctic 12

Premium Touring Winter tire

Tests 63 · 1 test Owners 70 · 31 reviews

Best test result: #6 of 15 in 2022 Consumer Reports Winter Tires (overall ranking)

Category by category

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

  1. 72

    Dry

    IceContact 3 +21
    51
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3Altimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score)7446
    Reviews found online6958
    Dry Braking (% of best)98%81%
  2. 71

    Wet

    IceContact 3 +2
    69
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3Altimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score)7365
    Reviews found online6775
    Wet Braking (% of best)80%76%
    Wet Circle (% of best)100%88%
  3. 80

    Snow

    IceContact 3 +4
    76
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3Altimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score)8574
    Reviews found online7279
    Snow Braking (% of best)90%75%
    Snow Handling (% of best)99%90%
  4. 83

    Comfort

    IceContact 3 +15
    68
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3Altimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score)9868
    Reviews found online6067
  5. 69

    Noise

    Level
    69
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3Altimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score)7072
    Reviews found online–65
  6. 59

    Treadwear

    Altimax Arctic 12 +11
    70
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3Altimax Arctic 12
    Reviews found online5472
  7. 69

    Handling

    Level
    69
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3Altimax Arctic 12
    Reviews found online6969
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental IceContact 3General Altimax Arctic 12
Relative Score 71 67
Dry 72 51
Wet 71 69
Snow 80 76
Comfort 83 68
Noise 69 69
Treadwear 59 70
Handling 69 69

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

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

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Recomputed
Headline score

IceContact 3

Altimax Arctic 12

The professional test results behind the scores

Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.

DisciplineCategoryIceContact 3Altimax Arctic 12ΔBoth?
Dry Braking Dry 98% #8/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test 81% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test +16.9 Different tests
Ice Braking Ice 90% #3/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 84% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test +5.7 Different tests
Ice Traction Ice 74% #14/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test 91% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test −16.7 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 33% #3/8 · The BEST Studded Tyres for 2025 67% #6/15 · 2022 Consumer Reports Winter Tires −33.3 Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 90% #2/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 75% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test +15.4 Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 99% #2/8 · 2020 Studded Winter Tyre Test 90% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test +9.8 Different tests
Subj. Comfort Subj 100% #1/8 · 2023 Studded Tyre Test 94% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test +6.3 Different tests
Subj. Noise Subj 60% #13/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test 94% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test −33.8 Different tests
Subj. Snow Handling Subj 90% #6/20 · 2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter Tyre Test 58% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test +31.9 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 80% #3/17 · 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 76% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test +4.0 Different tests
Wet Circle Wet 100% #1/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 88% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test +12.2 Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A IceContact 3

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and braking performance on packed snow and ice
  • Predictable handling in severe winter conditions
  • Strong performance on lake ice tracks

Cons

  • Premature stud wear or loss reported after moderate mileage
  • Potential for reduced stability in deeper snow (4-5 cm) depending on tire width
  • Unpredictable handling characteristics when paired with certain electronic stability control systems
All owner themes in the IceContact 3 review

Tire B Altimax Arctic 12

Pros

  • Outstanding grip and traction in heavy snow, slush, and ice
  • Excellent value and affordable price point compared to premium winter tires
  • Impressive tread life and long-term durability across multiple winter seasons

Cons

  • Noticeable road noise, which can increase as the tires wear
  • Slightly soft, squishy, or vague handling characteristics on dry pavement
  • Higher rolling resistance resulting in a minor decrease in fuel economy
All owner themes in the Altimax Arctic 12 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Continental IceContact 3 B · General Altimax Arctic 12
CategoryWinterPremium Touring Winter tire
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—38
Rim diameters—15″ – 19″
Tread depth—12/32″
Sidewall—Blackwall
Max pressure—51 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental IceContact 3

General Altimax Arctic 12

Winner: Continental IceContact 3 — better dry, comfort and snow. Pick the General Altimax Arctic 12 if treadwear matters most to you.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Continental IceContact 3 scores 72 vs 51 on dry.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Continental IceContact 3 scores 83 vs 68 on comfort.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

General Altimax Arctic 12 scores 70 vs 59 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Continental IceContact 3 scores 80 vs 76 on snow.

Tire A · Continental IceContact 3
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Tire B · General Altimax Arctic 12
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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.

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

71

Narrow edge

IceContact 3

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