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Dunlop SP Sport 5000 Symmetrical vs General Altimax Arctic — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 0 + 0 road tests and 502 + 32 owner reviews. How we score

Altimax Arctic is ahead, 59–35

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Dunlop SP Sport 5000 Symmetrical
Tire ADunlop

SP Sport 5000 Symmetrical

All-Season tire

Tests – · none yet Owners 17 · 502 reviews

“I also found last night that this tire in my size (195/65R15) is the OEM tire for the 2009 Honda Civic DX-VP (and probably other configurations and model years close to that).”

Category by category

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

  1. 31

    Dry

    Altimax Arctic +26
    57
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport 5000 SymmetricalAltimax Arctic
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 45 (est.)≈ 61 (est.)
    Reviews found online1151

    SP Sport 5000 Symmetrical: 60% × 44.8 (est.) + 40% × 10.7 = 31

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 60.8 (est.) + 40% × 50.5 = 57

    No road tests of dry for SP Sport 5000 Symmetrical. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

    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 0.40).

  2. 34

    Wet

    Altimax Arctic +28
    62
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport 5000 SymmetricalAltimax Arctic
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 42 (est.)≈ 64 (est.)
    Reviews found online2160

    SP Sport 5000 Symmetrical: 60% × 42.2 (est.) + 40% × 20.5 = 34

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 64.2 (est.) + 40% × 59.8 = 62

    No road tests of wet for SP Sport 5000 Symmetrical. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

    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 0.56).

  3. 43

    Snow

    Altimax Arctic +16
    59
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport 5000 SymmetricalAltimax Arctic
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 55 (est.)≈ 64 (est.)
    Reviews found online2652

    SP Sport 5000 Symmetrical: 60% × 55.2 (est.) + 40% × 25.6 = 43

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 63.8 (est.) + 40% × 51.6 = 59

    No road tests of snow for SP Sport 5000 Symmetrical. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.33).

    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 0.33).

  4. 39

    Comfort

    Altimax Arctic +21
    60
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport 5000 SymmetricalAltimax Arctic
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 59 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online1051

    SP Sport 5000 Symmetrical: 60% × 58.9 (est.) + 40% × 10 = 39

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 66 (est.) + 40% × 50.8 = 60

    No road tests of comfort for SP Sport 5000 Symmetrical or Altimax Arctic. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 46

    Noise

    Altimax Arctic +16
    62
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport 5000 SymmetricalAltimax Arctic
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online1554

    SP Sport 5000 Symmetrical: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 14.9 = 46

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 54.1 = 62

    No road tests of noise for SP Sport 5000 Symmetrical or Altimax Arctic. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 37

    Treadwear

    Altimax Arctic +20
    57
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport 5000 SymmetricalAltimax Arctic
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 51 (est.)≈ 61 (est.)
    Reviews found online1750

    SP Sport 5000 Symmetrical: 60% × 50.5 (est.) + 40% × 16.6 = 37

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 60.8 (est.) + 40% × 50.1 = 57

    No road tests of treadwear for SP Sport 5000 Symmetrical. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

    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 0.31).

  7. 16

    Handling (owners)

    Altimax Arctic +33
    49
    Why this score
    SourceSP Sport 5000 SymmetricalAltimax Arctic
    Reviews found online1649
Scores at a glance
CategoryDunlop SP Sport 5000 SymmetricalGeneral Altimax Arctic
Relative Score 35 59
Dry 31 57
Wet 34 62
Snow 43 59
Comfort 39 60
Noise 46 62
Treadwear 37 57
Handling (owners) 16 49

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

SP Sport 5000 Symmetrical

Altimax Arctic

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A SP Sport 5000 Symmetrical

Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.

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

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Dunlop SP Sport 5000 Symmetrical

Mixed

Community members generally consider the Dunlop SP Sport 5000 Symmetrical an acceptable OEM tire with attractive budget pricing when found on sale. While users appreciate its overall performance, ride comfort, and noise levels, concerns are raised regarding rapid treadwear and limited expected mileage.

bobistheoilguy.com ·2010-04-06

“I also found last night that this tire in my size (195/65R15) is the OEM tire for the 2009 Honda Civic DX-VP (and probably other configurations and model years close to that).”
Top themes
#Affordable pricing#OEM fitment#Poor treadwear#Expected tire lifespan#Ride comfort and noise

Based on 5 community posts

Tire B

General Altimax Arctic

We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Dunlop SP Sport 5000 Symmetrical B · General Altimax Arctic
CategoryAll-Season tireWinter Touring tires
Vehicle type—Passenger Car / Crossover

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop SP Sport 5000 Symmetrical

General Altimax Arctic

Winner: General Altimax Arctic — better handling, wet and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

General Altimax Arctic scores 49 vs 16 on handling.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

General Altimax Arctic scores 62 vs 34 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

General Altimax Arctic scores 57 vs 31 on dry.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

General Altimax Arctic scores 60 vs 39 on comfort.

Tire A · Dunlop SP Sport 5000 Symmetrical
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Tire B · General Altimax Arctic
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SP Sport 5000 Symmetrical or Altimax Arctic?

Which is better in the wet, SP Sport 5000 Symmetrical or Altimax Arctic?

General Altimax Arctic, 62 vs 34 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, SP Sport 5000 Symmetrical or Altimax Arctic?

General Altimax Arctic, 57 vs 31 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, SP Sport 5000 Symmetrical or Altimax Arctic?

General Altimax Arctic, 59 vs 43 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, SP Sport 5000 Symmetrical or Altimax Arctic?

General Altimax Arctic, 62 vs 46 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, SP Sport 5000 Symmetrical or Altimax Arctic?

General Altimax Arctic, 60 vs 39 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, SP Sport 5000 Symmetrical or Altimax Arctic?

General Altimax Arctic, 57 vs 37 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