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Head-to-head Updated

Firestone WinterForce vs General Altimax Arctic 12 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

Altimax Arctic 12 leads, 67–64 Narrow edge

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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. 54

    Dry

    WinterForce +2
    52
    Why this score
    SourceWinterForceAltimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score)–48
    Reviews found online4658
  2. 68

    Wet

    Altimax Arctic 12 +1
    69
    Why this score
    SourceWinterForceAltimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score)–65
    Reviews found online6775
  3. 72

    Snow

    Altimax Arctic 12 +4
    76
    Why this score
    SourceWinterForceAltimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score)–74
    Reviews found online7479
  4. 64

    Comfort

    Altimax Arctic 12 +4
    68
    Why this score
    SourceWinterForceAltimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score)–68
    Reviews found online5967
  5. 62

    Noise

    Altimax Arctic 12 +7
    69
    Why this score
    SourceWinterForceAltimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score)–72
    Reviews found online5465
  6. 63

    Treadwear

    Altimax Arctic 12 +7
    70
    Why this score
    SourceWinterForceAltimax Arctic 12
    Reviews found online6172
  7. 59

    Handling

    Altimax Arctic 12 +10
    69
    Why this score
    SourceWinterForceAltimax Arctic 12
    Reviews found online5969
Scores at a glance
CategoryFirestone WinterForceGeneral Altimax Arctic 12
Relative Score 64 67
Dry 54 52
Wet 68 69
Snow 72 76
Comfort 64 68
Noise 62 69
Treadwear 63 70
Handling 59 69

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

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Recomputed
Headline score

WinterForce

Altimax Arctic 12

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A WinterForce

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and traction in deep snow, slush, and heavy winter weather
  • Great value and affordable price point compared to other winter tires
  • Studdable design for enhanced ice and packed snow performance

Cons

  • Noticeable tire noise and whirring on dry roads due to the aggressive tread block design
  • Softer rubber compound leads to faster tread wear if used year-round or in warmer weather
  • Softer sidewalls can cause some drifting or vague handling feel on dry pavement
All owner themes in the WinterForce 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 · Firestone WinterForce B · General Altimax Arctic 12
CategoryWinter Touring tiresPremium Touring Winter tire
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—38
Rim diameters—15″ – 19″
Tread depth12/32″12/32″
SidewallBlackwallBlackwall
Max pressure44 psi51 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Firestone WinterForce

General Altimax Arctic 12

Winner: General Altimax Arctic 12 — better handling, noise and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

General Altimax Arctic 12 scores 69 vs 59 on handling.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

General Altimax Arctic 12 scores 69 vs 62 on noise.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

General Altimax Arctic 12 scores 70 vs 63 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

General Altimax Arctic 12 scores 76 vs 72 on snow.

Tire A · Firestone WinterForce
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Tire B · General Altimax Arctic 12
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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.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.

67

Narrow edge

Altimax Arctic 12

Amazon