tirewheelguide
Head-to-head Updated

Cooper Evolution Winter 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 0 + 1 road tests and 22 + 31 owner reviews. How we score

Evolution Winter is ahead, 74–66

Check price on Amazon · Evolution Winter or Altimax Arctic 12 on Amazon
Add your size for an exact match
/R

Both Amazon links then search this exact size.

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Category by category

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

  1. 71

    Dry

    Evolution Winter +20
    51
    Why this score
    SourceEvolution WinterAltimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 70 (est.)48
    Reviews found online7356

    Evolution Winter: 60% × 70.3 (est.) + 40% × 73.3 = 71

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 47.8 + 40% × 55.6 = 51

    No road tests of dry for Evolution Winter. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 80

    Wet

    Evolution Winter +11
    69
    Why this score
    SourceEvolution WinterAltimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 78 (est.)65
    Reviews found online8375

    Evolution Winter: 60% × 77.5 (est.) + 40% × 83 = 80

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 65.2 + 40% × 75 = 69

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

  3. 78

    Snow

    Evolution Winter +1
    77
    Why this score
    SourceEvolution WinterAltimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 75 (est.)74
    Reviews found online8281

    Evolution Winter: 60% × 74.9 (est.) + 40% × 81.9 = 78

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 74 + 40% × 81.1 = 77

    No road tests of snow for Evolution Winter. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).

  4. 71

    Comfort

    Evolution Winter +6
    65
    Why this score
    SourceEvolution WinterAltimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 70 (est.)68
    Reviews found online7364

    Evolution Winter: 40% × 69.8 (est.) + 60% × 72.6 = 71

    Altimax Arctic 12: 40% × 68.5 + 60% × 63.5 = 65

    No road tests of comfort for Evolution Winter. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 66

    Noise

    Altimax Arctic 12 +3
    69
    Why this score
    SourceEvolution WinterAltimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 67 (est.)73
    Reviews found online6464

    Evolution Winter: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 64.1 = 66

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 72.5 + 40% × 63.5 = 69

    No road tests of noise for Evolution Winter. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 69

    Treadwear

    Altimax Arctic 12 +1
    70
    Why this score
    SourceEvolution WinterAltimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online7273

    Evolution Winter: 60% × 68 (est.) + 40% × 71.5 = 69

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 68.5 (est.) + 40% × 72.9 = 70

    No road tests of treadwear for Evolution Winter. 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. 72

    Handling (owners)

    Evolution Winter +5
    67
    Why this score
    SourceEvolution WinterAltimax Arctic 12
    Reviews found online7267
Scores at a glance
CategoryCooper Evolution WinterGeneral Altimax Arctic 12
Relative Score 74 66
Dry 71 51
Wet 80 69
Snow 78 77
Comfort 71 65
Noise 66 69
Treadwear 69 70
Handling (owners) 72 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
Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

Evolution Winter

± 7

Altimax Arctic 12

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Evolution Winter

Pros

  • Exceptional traction and grip in snow, ice, and deep winter conditions
  • Enhanced driving confidence and safety on slick roads
  • Good value and attractive budget-friendly price point

Cons

  • Some users report noticeable tire noise as a trade-off for aggressive winter performance
  • Limited feedback on deep snow performance from users experiencing milder early-season conditions
All owner themes in the Evolution Winter 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 · Cooper Evolution Winter B · General Altimax Arctic 12
CategoryWinter tirePremium Touring Winter tire
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available2638
Rim diameters15″ – 20″15″ – 19″
Tread depth12/32″12/32″
SidewallBlackwallBlackwall
Max pressure44 psi51 psi
Sizes in common2121

Which one should you actually buy?

Cooper Evolution Winter

General Altimax Arctic 12

Winner: Cooper Evolution Winter — better dry, wet and comfort. Pick the General Altimax Arctic 12 if noise matters most to you.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Cooper Evolution Winter scores 71 vs 51 on dry.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Cooper Evolution Winter scores 80 vs 69 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Cooper Evolution Winter scores 71 vs 65 on comfort.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

General Altimax Arctic 12 scores 69 vs 66 on noise.

Tire A · Cooper Evolution Winter
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · General Altimax Arctic 12
Check price on Amazon

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Evolution Winter or Altimax Arctic 12?

Which is better in the wet, Evolution Winter or Altimax Arctic 12?

Cooper Evolution Winter, 80 vs 69 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Evolution Winter or Altimax Arctic 12?

Cooper Evolution Winter, 71 vs 51 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Evolution Winter or Altimax Arctic 12?

Neither, by our numbers: 78 vs 77 on the snow score, within 3 points.

Which is quieter, Evolution Winter or Altimax Arctic 12?

General Altimax Arctic 12, 69 vs 66 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Evolution Winter or Altimax Arctic 12?

Cooper Evolution Winter, 71 vs 65 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Evolution Winter or Altimax Arctic 12?

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

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