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Head-to-head Updated

Cooper WeatherMaster WSC 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 1 + 1 road tests and 13 + 33 owner reviews. How we score

WeatherMaster WSC is ahead, 72–65

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Cooper WeatherMaster WSC
Tire ACooper

WeatherMaster WSC

Winter

± 8Provisional

Tests 71 · 1 test Owners 74 · 13 reviews

Best test result: #2 of 10 in 2017 Autocenter Studded Winter Tyre Test (wet braking)

Category by category

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

  1. 70

    Dry

    WeatherMaster WSC +21
    49
    Why this score
    SourceWeatherMaster WSCAltimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests6947
    Reviews found online7153

    WeatherMaster WSC: 60% × 69.4 + 40% × 70.9 = 70

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 47.2 + 40% × 52.9 = 49

  2. 78

    Wet

    WeatherMaster WSC +10
    68
    Why this score
    SourceWeatherMaster WSCAltimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests7766
    Reviews found online7872

    WeatherMaster WSC: 60% × 77.2 + 40% × 78.4 = 78

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 65.9 + 40% × 72.3 = 68

  3. 70

    Snow

    Altimax Arctic 12 +6
    76
    Why this score
    SourceWeatherMaster WSCAltimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests6774
    Reviews found online7580

    WeatherMaster WSC: 60% × 67 + 40% × 75.1 = 70

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 74 + 40% × 79.8 = 76

  4. 67

    Comfort

    WeatherMaster WSC +2
    65
    Why this score
    SourceWeatherMaster WSCAltimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 68 (est.)69
    Reviews found online6662

    WeatherMaster WSC: 40% × 68.2 (est.) + 60% × 66.4 = 67

    Altimax Arctic 12: 40% × 68.8 + 60% × 62 = 65

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

  5. –

    Noise

    No comparison
    69
    Why this score
    SourceWeatherMaster WSCAltimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests–72
    Reviews found online–63

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 72.4 + 40% × 62.9 = 69

  6. 71

    Treadwear

    Level
    71
    Why this score
    SourceWeatherMaster WSCAltimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 69 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online7474

    WeatherMaster WSC: 60% × 69.2 (est.) + 40% × 74 = 71

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 69.2 (est.) + 40% × 73.9 = 71

    No road tests of treadwear for WeatherMaster WSC. 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 12. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 71

    Handling (owners)

    WeatherMaster WSC +6
    65
    Why this score
    SourceWeatherMaster WSCAltimax Arctic 12
    Reviews found online7165
Scores at a glance
CategoryCooper WeatherMaster WSCGeneral Altimax Arctic 12
Relative Score 72 65
Dry 70 49
Wet 78 68
Snow 70 76
Comfort 67 65
Noise – 69
Treadwear 71 71
Handling (owners) 71 65

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

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

Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

WeatherMaster WSC

± 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.

DisciplineCategoryWeatherMaster WSCAltimax Arctic 12ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 97% #6/10 · 2017 Autocenter Studded Winter Tyre Test 81% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 96% #2/10 · 2017 Autocenter Studded Winter Tyre Test 76% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Ice Braking Snow 69% #9/10 · 2017 Autocenter Studded Winter Tyre Test 84% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 98% #5/10 · 2017 Autocenter Studded Winter Tyre Test 75% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #11/9 2018 Autofil Studdable 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 WeatherMaster WSC

Pros

  • Exceptional traction and grip in deep snow, packed snow, and slush
  • Strong performance on ice, especially when studded
  • Great value and reasonable price point compared to competing brands

Cons

  • Increased road noise, particularly as temperatures rise
  • Stiffer ride quality that can transmit more road bumps into the cabin
  • Reduced performance, increased squirm, and accelerated wear when driven in warm summer or dry conditions
All owner themes in the WeatherMaster WSC 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 WeatherMaster WSC B · General Altimax Arctic 12
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4Passenger 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?

Cooper WeatherMaster WSC

General Altimax Arctic 12

Winner: Cooper WeatherMaster WSC — better dry, wet and handling. Pick the General Altimax Arctic 12 if snow matters most to you. Cooper WeatherMaster WSC rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 13 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Cooper WeatherMaster WSC scores 70 vs 49 on dry.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Cooper WeatherMaster WSC scores 78 vs 68 on wet.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Cooper WeatherMaster WSC scores 71 vs 65 on handling.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

General Altimax Arctic 12 scores 76 vs 70 on snow.

Tire A · Cooper WeatherMaster WSC
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Tire B · General Altimax Arctic 12
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WeatherMaster WSC or Altimax Arctic 12?

Which is better in the wet, WeatherMaster WSC or Altimax Arctic 12?

Cooper WeatherMaster WSC, 78 vs 68 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, WeatherMaster WSC or Altimax Arctic 12?

Cooper WeatherMaster WSC, 70 vs 49 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, WeatherMaster WSC or Altimax Arctic 12?

General Altimax Arctic 12, 76 vs 70 on our snow score.

Which is more comfortable, WeatherMaster WSC or Altimax Arctic 12?

Neither, by our numbers: 67 vs 65 on the comfort score, within 3 points.

Which lasts longer, WeatherMaster WSC or Altimax Arctic 12?

Neither, by our numbers: 71 vs 71 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