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Head-to-head Updated

Continental WinterContact TS 790 vs General Altimax Arctic 12 — Compared

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

WinterContact TS 790 is ahead, 73–65

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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. 71

    Dry

    WinterContact TS 790 +19
    52
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 790Altimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score)–48
    Reviews found online7258
  2. 78

    Wet

    WinterContact TS 790 +9
    69
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 790Altimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score)–65
    Reviews found online8075
  3. –

    Snow

    No comparison
    76
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 790Altimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score)–74
    Reviews found online–79
  4. 72

    Comfort

    WinterContact TS 790 +4
    68
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 790Altimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score)–68
    Reviews found online7467
  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    69
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 790Altimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score)–72
    Reviews found online–65
  6. 70

    Treadwear

    Level
    70
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 790Altimax Arctic 12
    Reviews found online7472
  7. 75

    Handling

    WinterContact TS 790 +6
    69
    Why this score
    SourceWinterContact TS 790Altimax Arctic 12
    Reviews found online7569
Scores at a glance
CategoryContinental WinterContact TS 790General Altimax Arctic 12
Relative Score 73 65
Dry 71 52
Wet 78 69
Snow – 76
Comfort 72 68
Noise – 69
Treadwear 70 70
Handling 75 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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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.

Less important
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Less important
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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.

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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

WinterContact TS 790

Altimax Arctic 12

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

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A WinterContact TS 790

Pros

  • Exceptional tread longevity and durability
  • Strong grip and stability in wet conditions
  • High level of ride comfort

Cons

  • Limited performance in heavy or deep snow conditions
  • Not optimized for severe winter climates
All owner themes in the WinterContact TS 790 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 WinterContact TS 790 B · General Altimax Arctic 12
CategoryWinterPremium Touring Winter tire
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available138
Rim diameters15″15″ – 19″
Tread depth—12/32″
Sidewall—Blackwall
Max pressure—51 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Continental WinterContact TS 790

General Altimax Arctic 12

Winner: Continental WinterContact TS 790 — better dry, wet and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Continental WinterContact TS 790 scores 71 vs 52 on dry.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Continental WinterContact TS 790 scores 78 vs 69 on wet.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Continental WinterContact TS 790 scores 75 vs 69 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Continental WinterContact TS 790 scores 72 vs 68 on comfort.

Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 790
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · General Altimax Arctic 12
Check price on Amazon

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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.

73

Leads

WinterContact TS 790

Amazon