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Head-to-head Updated

Falken EuroWinter HS449 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 42 + 31 owner reviews. How we score

EuroWinter HS449 is ahead, 71–66

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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. 68

    Dry

    EuroWinter HS449 +17
    51
    Why this score
    SourceEuroWinter HS449Altimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 68 (est.)48
    Reviews found online6856

    EuroWinter HS449: 60% × 68.2 (est.) + 40% × 68.3 = 68

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

    No road tests of dry for EuroWinter HS449. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 78

    Wet

    EuroWinter HS449 +9
    69
    Why this score
    SourceEuroWinter HS449Altimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 76 (est.)65
    Reviews found online8175

    EuroWinter HS449: 60% × 76.2 (est.) + 40% × 80.6 = 78

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

    No road tests of wet for EuroWinter HS449. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 71

    Snow

    Altimax Arctic 12 +6
    77
    Why this score
    SourceEuroWinter HS449Altimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 71 (est.)74
    Reviews found online7281

    EuroWinter HS449: 60% × 71.2 (est.) + 40% × 71.8 = 71

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

    No road tests of snow for EuroWinter HS449. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).

  4. 71

    Comfort

    EuroWinter HS449 +6
    65
    Why this score
    SourceEuroWinter HS449Altimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 70 (est.)68
    Reviews found online7164

    EuroWinter HS449: 40% × 69.5 (est.) + 60% × 71.2 = 71

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

    No road tests of comfort for EuroWinter HS449. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 61

    Noise

    Altimax Arctic 12 +8
    69
    Why this score
    SourceEuroWinter HS449Altimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 67 (est.)73
    Reviews found online5264

    EuroWinter HS449: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 52.3 = 61

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

    No road tests of noise for EuroWinter HS449. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 66

    Treadwear

    Altimax Arctic 12 +4
    70
    Why this score
    SourceEuroWinter HS449Altimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online6573

    EuroWinter HS449: 60% × 65.8 (est.) + 40% × 65.3 = 66

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

    No road tests of treadwear for EuroWinter HS449. 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)

    EuroWinter HS449 +5
    67
    Why this score
    SourceEuroWinter HS449Altimax Arctic 12
    Reviews found online7267
Scores at a glance
CategoryFalken EuroWinter HS449General Altimax Arctic 12
Relative Score 71 66
Dry 68 51
Wet 78 69
Snow 71 77
Comfort 71 65
Noise 61 69
Treadwear 66 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
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Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
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Recomputed
Headline score
± 7

EuroWinter HS449

± 7

Altimax Arctic 12

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.

In the overall rankings of 1 tests that ran both, Falken EuroWinter HS449 finished ahead 0 times and General Altimax Arctic 12 1 times.

DisciplineCategoryEuroWinter HS449Altimax Arctic 12ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #9/17 #7/17 – 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2020 Consumer Reports North America Winter Tyre Test · 215/60 R16

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A EuroWinter HS449

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and traction in deep snow, slush, and ice
  • Strong value for money compared to premium brand winter tires
  • Reliable and safe performance on wet and rainy roads with good hydroplaning resistance

Cons

  • Faster tread wear or a softer rubber compound noted by some users
  • Slightly reduced fuel economy or rolling resistance penalty
  • Occasional reports of decreased grip or wheel spin on steep inclines and packed ice for certain 2WD setups
All owner themes in the EuroWinter HS449 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 · Falken EuroWinter HS449 B · General Altimax Arctic 12
CategoryWinterPremium Touring Winter tire
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available638
Rim diameters16″ – 19″15″ – 19″
Tread depth11/32″12/32″
SidewallBlackwallBlackwall
Max pressure44 psi51 psi
Sizes in common33

Which one should you actually buy?

Falken EuroWinter HS449

General Altimax Arctic 12

Winner: Falken EuroWinter HS449 — better dry, wet and comfort. Pick the General Altimax Arctic 12 if noise, snow and treadwear matter most to you.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Falken EuroWinter HS449 scores 68 vs 51 on dry.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Falken EuroWinter HS449 scores 78 vs 69 on wet.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

General Altimax Arctic 12 scores 69 vs 61 on noise.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Falken EuroWinter HS449 scores 71 vs 65 on comfort.

Tire A · Falken EuroWinter HS449
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Tire B · General Altimax Arctic 12
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EuroWinter HS449 or Altimax Arctic 12?

Which is better in the wet, EuroWinter HS449 or Altimax Arctic 12?

Falken EuroWinter HS449, 78 vs 69 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, EuroWinter HS449 or Altimax Arctic 12?

Falken EuroWinter HS449, 68 vs 51 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, EuroWinter HS449 or Altimax Arctic 12?

General Altimax Arctic 12, 77 vs 71 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, EuroWinter HS449 or Altimax Arctic 12?

General Altimax Arctic 12, 69 vs 61 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, EuroWinter HS449 or Altimax Arctic 12?

Falken EuroWinter HS449, 71 vs 65 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, EuroWinter HS449 or Altimax Arctic 12?

General Altimax Arctic 12, 70 vs 66 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