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Head-to-head Updated

Falken Winterpeak F-Ice 1 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 3 + 1 road tests and 43 + 32 owner reviews. How we score

Winterpeak F-Ice 1 is ahead, 71–66

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Falken Winterpeak F-Ice 1
Tire AFalken

Winterpeak F-Ice 1

Winter

± 6

Tests 68 · 3 tests Owners 74 · 43 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 19 in 2023 UTAC Large Winter Tire Test R16 (snow handling)

Category by category

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

  1. 64

    Dry

    Winterpeak F-Ice 1 +14
    50
    Why this score
    SourceWinterpeak F-Ice 1Altimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 1 tests6147
    Reviews found online6754

    Winterpeak F-Ice 1: 60% × 61 + 40% × 67.4 = 64

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 47.1 + 40% × 53.9 = 50

  2. 77

    Wet

    Winterpeak F-Ice 1 +8
    69
    Why this score
    SourceWinterpeak F-Ice 1Altimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 1 tests7766
    Reviews found online7774

    Winterpeak F-Ice 1: 60% × 76.7 + 40% × 76.8 = 77

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 65.9 + 40% × 73.7 = 69

  3. 79

    Snow

    Winterpeak F-Ice 1 +2
    77
    Why this score
    SourceWinterpeak F-Ice 1Altimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 1 tests7974
    Reviews found online8081

    Winterpeak F-Ice 1: 60% × 79 + 40% × 80.1 = 79

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 73.9 + 40% × 80.5 = 77

  4. 63

    Comfort

    Altimax Arctic 12 +2
    65
    Why this score
    SourceWinterpeak F-Ice 1Altimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests4568
    Reviews found online7463

    Winterpeak F-Ice 1: 40% × 45.1 + 60% × 74.4 = 63

    Altimax Arctic 12: 40% × 68.3 + 60% × 63.4 = 65

  5. 53

    Noise

    Altimax Arctic 12 +16
    69
    Why this score
    SourceWinterpeak F-Ice 1Altimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / 1 tests4672
    Reviews found online6363

    Winterpeak F-Ice 1: 60% × 46 + 40% × 62.7 = 53

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 72.4 + 40% × 63.1 = 69

  6. 71

    Treadwear

    Winterpeak F-Ice 1 +1
    70
    Why this score
    SourceWinterpeak F-Ice 1Altimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 69 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online7473

    Winterpeak F-Ice 1: 60% × 69.1 (est.) + 40% × 74 = 71

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 68.7 (est.) + 40% × 72.6 = 70

    No road tests of treadwear for Winterpeak F-Ice 1. 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. 69

    Handling (owners)

    Winterpeak F-Ice 1 +2
    67
    Why this score
    SourceWinterpeak F-Ice 1Altimax Arctic 12
    Reviews found online6967
  8. 48

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceWinterpeak F-Ice 1Altimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 3 / – tests48–
Scores at a glance
CategoryFalken Winterpeak F-Ice 1General Altimax Arctic 12
Relative Score 71 66
Dry 64 50
Wet 77 69
Snow 79 77
Comfort 63 65
Noise 53 69
Treadwear 71 70
Handling (owners) 69 67
Efficiency 48 –

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
Not important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

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

Recomputed
Headline score
± 6

Winterpeak F-Ice 1

± 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.

In the overall rankings of 1 tests that ran both, Falken Winterpeak F-Ice 1 finished ahead 0 times and General Altimax Arctic 12 1 times.

DisciplineCategoryWinterpeak F-Ice 1Altimax Arctic 12ΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #12/15 #6/15 – 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2022 Consumer Reports Winter Tires · 215/60R16

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Winterpeak F-Ice 1

Pros

  • Exceptional snow and ice traction
  • High value-to-price ratio compared to premium competitors
  • Surprisingly quiet and comfortable ride for an aggressive winter tread

Cons

  • Vague steering feel and reduced grip in temperatures above 50°F
  • Potential for accelerated tread wear if driven extensively in warm weather
  • Minor audible road noise reported by some users at highway speeds
All owner themes in the Winterpeak F-Ice 1 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 Winterpeak F-Ice 1 B · General Altimax Arctic 12
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available5038
Rim diameters15″ – 20″15″ – 19″
Tread depth11/32″12/32″
SidewallBlackwallBlackwall
Max pressure50 psi51 psi
Sizes in common3131

Which one should you actually buy?

Falken Winterpeak F-Ice 1

General Altimax Arctic 12

Winner: Falken Winterpeak F-Ice 1 — better dry and wet. Pick the General Altimax Arctic 12 if noise matters most to you.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

General Altimax Arctic 12 scores 69 vs 53 on noise.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Falken Winterpeak F-Ice 1 scores 64 vs 50 on dry.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Falken Winterpeak F-Ice 1 scores 77 vs 69 on wet.

Tire A · Falken Winterpeak F-Ice 1
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Tire B · General Altimax Arctic 12
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Winterpeak F-Ice 1 or Altimax Arctic 12?

Which is better in the wet, Winterpeak F-Ice 1 or Altimax Arctic 12?

Falken Winterpeak F-Ice 1, 77 vs 69 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Winterpeak F-Ice 1 or Altimax Arctic 12?

Falken Winterpeak F-Ice 1, 64 vs 50 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Winterpeak F-Ice 1 or Altimax Arctic 12?

Neither, by our numbers: 79 vs 77 on the snow score, within 3 points.

Which is quieter, Winterpeak F-Ice 1 or Altimax Arctic 12?

General Altimax Arctic 12, 69 vs 53 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Winterpeak F-Ice 1 or Altimax Arctic 12?

Neither, by our numbers: 63 vs 65 on the comfort score, within 3 points.

Which lasts longer, Winterpeak F-Ice 1 or Altimax Arctic 12?

Neither, by our numbers: 71 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