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Continental PureContact LS vs General Altimax Arctic — 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 0 + 0 road tests and 25 + 32 owner reviews. How we score

PureContact LS is ahead, 69–58

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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. 69

    Dry

    PureContact LS +12
    57
    Why this score
    SourcePureContact LSAltimax Arctic
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 61 (est.)
    Reviews found online6951

    PureContact LS: 60% × 68.3 (est.) + 40% × 68.9 = 69

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 60.8 (est.) + 40% × 50.6 = 57

    No road tests of dry for PureContact LS. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

    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 0.41).

  2. 72

    Wet

    PureContact LS +10
    62
    Why this score
    SourcePureContact LSAltimax Arctic
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 64 (est.)
    Reviews found online7259

    PureContact LS: 60% × 71.5 (est.) + 40% × 72.1 = 72

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 64 (est.) + 40% × 58.5 = 62

    No road tests of wet for PureContact LS. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

    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 0.55).

  3. 67

    Snow

    PureContact LS +7
    60
    Why this score
    SourcePureContact LSAltimax Arctic
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 65 (est.)
    Reviews found online6452

    PureContact LS: 60% × 68.4 (est.) + 40% × 64 = 67

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 64.7 (est.) + 40% × 52.2 = 60

    No road tests of snow for PureContact LS. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

    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 0.32).

  4. 59

    Comfort

    PureContact LS +6
    53
    Why this score
    SourcePureContact LSAltimax Arctic
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 64 (est.)
    Reviews found online5446

    PureContact LS: 40% × 65.7 (est.) + 60% × 53.8 = 59

    Altimax Arctic: 40% × 64.1 (est.) + 60% × 46.2 = 53

    No road tests of comfort for PureContact LS. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

    No road tests of comfort for Altimax Arctic. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 68

    Noise

    PureContact LS +9
    59
    Why this score
    SourcePureContact LSAltimax Arctic
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online7049

    PureContact LS: 60% × 66.3 (est.) + 40% × 70.3 = 68

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 66.3 (est.) + 40% × 48.9 = 59

    No road tests of noise for PureContact LS or Altimax Arctic. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 68

    Treadwear

    PureContact LS +11
    57
    Why this score
    SourcePureContact LSAltimax Arctic
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)≈ 61 (est.)
    Reviews found online6950

    PureContact LS: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 68.8 = 68

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 60.8 (est.) + 40% × 50.4 = 57

    No road tests of treadwear for PureContact LS. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

    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 0.36).

  7. 69

    Handling (owners)

    PureContact LS +22
    47
    Why this score
    SourcePureContact LSAltimax Arctic
    Reviews found online6947
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental PureContact LSGeneral Altimax Arctic
Relative Score 69 58
Dry 69 57
Wet 72 62
Snow 67 60
Comfort 59 53
Noise 68 59
Treadwear 68 57
Handling (owners) 69 47

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
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
± 7

PureContact LS

± 8

Altimax Arctic

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A PureContact LS

Pros

  • Exceptionally quiet and comfortable ride quality
  • Strong wet and dry traction with reliable handling
  • Good balance of everyday comfort and long treadlife

Cons

  • Soft sidewalls can lead to less responsive or wandering handling during aggressive cornering
  • Develops temporary flat spotting when parked, causing morning vibrations
  • Poor winter performance, particularly lacking traction on snow and ice despite being an all-season tire
All owner themes in the PureContact LS 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 PureContact LS B · General Altimax Arctic
CategoryAll SeasonWinter Touring tires
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Tread depth10/32″—
UTQG700 A A—
Treadwear warranty70,000 mi—
SidewallBlack Side Wall—
Max pressure51 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental PureContact LS

General Altimax Arctic

Winner: Continental PureContact LS — better handling, dry and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Continental PureContact LS scores 69 vs 47 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Continental PureContact LS scores 69 vs 57 on dry.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Continental PureContact LS scores 68 vs 57 on treadwear.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Continental PureContact LS scores 72 vs 62 on wet.

Tire A · Continental PureContact LS
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Tire B · General Altimax Arctic
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PureContact LS or Altimax Arctic?

Which is better in the wet, PureContact LS or Altimax Arctic?

Continental PureContact LS, 72 vs 62 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, PureContact LS or Altimax Arctic?

Continental PureContact LS, 69 vs 57 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, PureContact LS or Altimax Arctic?

Continental PureContact LS, 67 vs 60 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, PureContact LS or Altimax Arctic?

Continental PureContact LS, 68 vs 59 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, PureContact LS or Altimax Arctic?

Continental PureContact LS, 59 vs 53 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, PureContact LS or Altimax Arctic?

Continental PureContact LS, 68 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