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Head-to-head Updated

Continental IceContact 3 vs General Altimax Arctic 12 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 13 + 1 road tests and 3 + 31 owner reviews. How we score

IceContact 3 is ahead, 72–66

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Continental IceContact 3
Tire AContinental

IceContact 3

Winter

± 5

Tests 79 · 13 tests Owners 65 · 3 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 19 in 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 (ice handling)

Category by category

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

  1. 73

    Dry

    IceContact 3 +23
    50
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3Altimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 11 / 1 tests7647
    Reviews found online6855

    IceContact 3: 60% × 76 + 40% × 67.5 = 73

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 47.2 + 40% × 55.2 = 50

  2. 73

    Wet

    IceContact 3 +4
    69
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3Altimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 12 / 1 tests7466
    Reviews found online7075

    IceContact 3: 60% × 74.4 + 40% × 69.6 = 73

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 65.9 + 40% × 74.7 = 69

  3. 79

    Snow

    IceContact 3 +2
    77
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3Altimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 12 / 1 tests8474
    Reviews found online7080

    IceContact 3: 60% × 84 + 40% × 70.3 = 79

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 73.9 + 40% × 80.4 = 77

  4. 76

    Comfort

    IceContact 3 +11
    65
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3Altimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 1 tests9668
    Reviews found online6263

    IceContact 3: 40% × 96.3 + 60% × 61.8 = 76

    Altimax Arctic 12: 40% × 68.3 + 60% × 63.1 = 65

  5. 70

    Noise

    IceContact 3 +1
    69
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3Altimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 11 / 1 tests7272
    Reviews found online≈ 67 (est.)63

    IceContact 3: 60% × 72 + 40% × 66.5 (est.) = 70

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 72.4 + 40% × 63.1 = 69

    No owner ratings of noise for IceContact 3. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  6. 57

    Treadwear

    Altimax Arctic 12 +14
    71
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3Altimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 61 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online5173

    IceContact 3: 60% × 61.2 (est.) + 40% × 51.3 = 57

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 68.9 (est.) + 40% × 73.2 = 71

    No road tests of treadwear for IceContact 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

    No road tests of treadwear for Altimax Arctic 12. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  7. 67

    Handling (owners)

    Level
    67
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3Altimax Arctic 12
    Reviews found online6767
  8. 67

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceIceContact 3Altimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 8 / – tests67–
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental IceContact 3General Altimax Arctic 12
Relative Score 72 66
Dry 73 50
Wet 73 69
Snow 79 77
Comfort 76 65
Noise 70 69
Treadwear 57 71
Handling (owners) 67 67
Efficiency 67 –

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
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.

Recomputed
Headline score
± 5

IceContact 3

± 7

Altimax Arctic 12

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

The professional test results behind the scores

Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.

DisciplineCategoryIceContact 3Altimax Arctic 12ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 97% #3/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 81% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 99% #2/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 76% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test – 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 – Different tests
Ice Braking Snow 70% #6/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 84% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Ice Traction Snow 68% #6/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 91% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 100% #2/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 75% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 100% #2/8 · The BEST Studded Tyres for 2025 90% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Handling (tester's mark) Snow 90% #6/20 · 2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter Tyre Test 58% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Comfort (tester's mark) Comfort 100% #1/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 94% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Noise (tester's mark) Noise 60% #13/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test 94% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #5/10 2025 UTAC Ivalo Studded Winter Tire Test R16 #9/10 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test – 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 wet. 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 73 vs 50 on dry.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

General Altimax Arctic 12 scores 71 vs 57 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Continental IceContact 3 scores 76 vs 65 on comfort.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Continental IceContact 3 scores 73 vs 69 on wet.

Tire A · Continental IceContact 3
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Tire B · General Altimax Arctic 12
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IceContact 3 or Altimax Arctic 12?

Which is better in the wet, IceContact 3 or Altimax Arctic 12?

Continental IceContact 3, 73 vs 69 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, IceContact 3 or Altimax Arctic 12?

Continental IceContact 3, 73 vs 50 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, IceContact 3 or Altimax Arctic 12?

Neither, by our numbers: 79 vs 77 on the snow score, within 3 points.

Which is quieter, IceContact 3 or Altimax Arctic 12?

Neither, by our numbers: 70 vs 69 on the noise score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, IceContact 3 or Altimax Arctic 12?

Continental IceContact 3, 76 vs 65 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, IceContact 3 or Altimax Arctic 12?

General Altimax Arctic 12, 71 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