Tests – · none yet Owners 65 · 17 reviews
Head-to-head
Updated
Firestone Winterforce 2 UV vs General Altimax Arctic — 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 + 0 road tests and 17 + 32 owner reviews. How we score
Winterforce 2 UV is ahead, 67–59
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Tests – · none yet Owners 52 · 32 reviews
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
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65
Dry
Winterforce 2 UV +857Why this score
Source Winterforce 2 UV Altimax Arctic Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 66 (est.) ≈ 61 (est.) Reviews found online 64 51 Winterforce 2 UV: 60% × 66.1 (est.) + 40% × 63.5 = 65
Altimax Arctic: 60% × 60.8 (est.) + 40% × 50.6 = 57
No road tests of dry for Winterforce 2 UV. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
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 0.41).
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70
Wet
Winterforce 2 UV +862Why this score
Source Winterforce 2 UV Altimax Arctic Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 70 (est.) ≈ 64 (est.) Reviews found online 70 59 Winterforce 2 UV: 60% × 70.3 (est.) + 40% × 70 = 70
Altimax Arctic: 60% × 64 (est.) + 40% × 58.5 = 62
No road tests of wet for Winterforce 2 UV. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
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 0.55).
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72
Snow
Winterforce 2 UV +1260Why this score
Source Winterforce 2 UV Altimax Arctic Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 71 (est.) ≈ 65 (est.) Reviews found online 73 52 Winterforce 2 UV: 60% × 71.3 (est.) + 40% × 72.9 = 72
Altimax Arctic: 60% × 64.7 (est.) + 40% × 52.2 = 60
No road tests of snow for Winterforce 2 UV. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
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 0.32).
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61
Comfort
Winterforce 2 UV +853Why this score
Source Winterforce 2 UV Altimax Arctic Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 66 (est.) ≈ 64 (est.) Reviews found online 57 46 Winterforce 2 UV: 40% × 66.3 (est.) + 60% × 57 = 61
Altimax Arctic: 40% × 64.1 (est.) + 60% × 46.2 = 53
No road tests of comfort for Winterforce 2 UV. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
No road tests of comfort for Altimax Arctic. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
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61
Noise
Winterforce 2 UV +259Why this score
Source Winterforce 2 UV Altimax Arctic Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 66 (est.) ≈ 66 (est.) Reviews found online 54 49 Winterforce 2 UV: 60% × 66.3 (est.) + 40% × 53.8 = 61
Altimax Arctic: 60% × 66.3 (est.) + 40% × 48.9 = 59
No road tests of noise for Winterforce 2 UV or Altimax Arctic. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
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62
Treadwear
Winterforce 2 UV +557Why this score
Source Winterforce 2 UV Altimax Arctic Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 64 (est.) ≈ 61 (est.) Reviews found online 59 50 Winterforce 2 UV: 60% × 63.7 (est.) + 40% × 58.7 = 62
Altimax Arctic: 60% × 60.8 (est.) + 40% × 50.4 = 57
No road tests of treadwear for Winterforce 2 UV. 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. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
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–
Handling (owners)
No comparison47Why this score
Source Winterforce 2 UV Altimax Arctic Reviews found online – 47
Scores at a glance
| Category | Firestone Winterforce 2 UV | General Altimax Arctic |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 67 | 59 |
| Dry | 65 | 57 |
| Wet | 70 | 62 |
| Snow | 72 | 60 |
| Comfort | 61 | 53 |
| Noise | 61 | 59 |
| Treadwear | 62 | 57 |
| Handling (owners) | – | 47 |
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
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Recomputed
Headline score
67
/ 100
Winterforce 2 UV
59
/ 100
Altimax Arctic
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Winterforce 2 UV
Pros
- Strong snow traction: one 4WD owner reported no slipping in 8 inches of snow, and an Explorer owner said it never needed 4x4 after 47 inches of snow in a week
- Good value for the money: reviewers repeatedly describe it as a great winter tire for the price, and one calls it the best balance of price and longevity
- Good wet-weather performance reported by some, including no hydroplaning on puddles and 'great all around' traction
Cons
- Increased road noise is mentioned by some reviewers, attributed to the aggressive winter tread, though others describe noise as very low
- Reduced wet-weather starting traction: one reviewer reports wheelspin when pulling away from a red light in the rain
- Fast wear if used in warm weather: one reviewer who ran them in summer notes this is not recommended and that they wear quickly
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
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Firestone Winterforce 2 UV | B · General Altimax Arctic |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Winter Touring tires |
| Vehicle type | SUV and 4x4 | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 30 | 1 |
| Rim diameters | 15″ – 18″ | 17″ |
| Tread depth | 12/32″ | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 44 psi | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
67
/ 100
Firestone Winterforce 2 UV
59
/ 100
General Altimax Arctic
Winner: Firestone Winterforce 2 UV — better snow, dry and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score. Firestone Winterforce 2 UV rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 17 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire A
You drive through snowy winters
Firestone Winterforce 2 UV scores 72 vs 60 on snow.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Firestone Winterforce 2 UV scores 65 vs 57 on dry.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Firestone Winterforce 2 UV scores 70 vs 62 on wet.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Firestone Winterforce 2 UV scores 61 vs 53 on comfort.
Tire A · Firestone Winterforce 2 UV
Tire B · General Altimax Arctic
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Winterforce 2 UV or Altimax Arctic?
Which is better in the wet, Winterforce 2 UV or Altimax Arctic?
Firestone Winterforce 2 UV, 70 vs 62 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Winterforce 2 UV or Altimax Arctic?
Firestone Winterforce 2 UV, 65 vs 57 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, Winterforce 2 UV or Altimax Arctic?
Firestone Winterforce 2 UV, 72 vs 60 on our snow score.
Which is quieter, Winterforce 2 UV or Altimax Arctic?
Neither, by our numbers: 61 vs 59 on the noise score, within 3 points.
Which is more comfortable, Winterforce 2 UV or Altimax Arctic?
Firestone Winterforce 2 UV, 61 vs 53 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Winterforce 2 UV or Altimax Arctic?
Firestone Winterforce 2 UV, 62 vs 57 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