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Firestone WinterForce 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 66 + 33 owner reviews. How we score

Altimax Arctic 12 leads, 66–64 Narrow edge

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Firestone WinterForce
Tire AFirestone

WinterForce

Winter Touring tires

± 8

Tests – · none yet Owners 61 · 66 reviews

Category by category

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

  1. 55

    Dry

    WinterForce +6
    49
    Why this score
    SourceWinterForceAltimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 60 (est.)47
    Reviews found online4953

    WinterForce: 60% × 60 (est.) + 40% × 48.6 = 55

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 47.2 + 40% × 52.9 = 49

    No road tests of dry for WinterForce. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 68

    Wet

    Level
    68
    Why this score
    SourceWinterForceAltimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 68 (est.)66
    Reviews found online6772

    WinterForce: 60% × 68.5 (est.) + 40% × 66.6 = 68

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 65.9 + 40% × 72.3 = 68

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

  3. 73

    Snow

    Altimax Arctic 12 +3
    76
    Why this score
    SourceWinterForceAltimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 72 (est.)74
    Reviews found online7580

    WinterForce: 60% × 71.8 (est.) + 40% × 74.5 = 73

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 74 + 40% × 79.8 = 76

    No road tests of snow for WinterForce. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 62

    Comfort

    Altimax Arctic 12 +3
    65
    Why this score
    SourceWinterForceAltimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 67 (est.)69
    Reviews found online5962

    WinterForce: 40% × 66.7 (est.) + 60% × 58.8 = 62

    Altimax Arctic 12: 40% × 68.8 + 60% × 62 = 65

    No road tests of comfort for WinterForce. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 61

    Noise

    Altimax Arctic 12 +8
    69
    Why this score
    SourceWinterForceAltimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 66 (est.)72
    Reviews found online5363

    WinterForce: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 52.9 = 61

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 72.4 + 40% × 62.9 = 69

    No road tests of noise for WinterForce. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 62

    Treadwear

    Altimax Arctic 12 +9
    71
    Why this score
    SourceWinterForceAltimax Arctic 12
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 64 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online6074

    WinterForce: 60% × 64.1 (est.) + 40% × 59.8 = 62

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 69.2 (est.) + 40% × 73.9 = 71

    No road tests of treadwear for WinterForce. 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 12. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 60

    Handling (owners)

    Altimax Arctic 12 +5
    65
    Why this score
    SourceWinterForceAltimax Arctic 12
    Reviews found online6065
Scores at a glance
CategoryFirestone WinterForceGeneral Altimax Arctic 12
Relative Score 64 66
Dry 55 49
Wet 68 68
Snow 73 76
Comfort 62 65
Noise 61 69
Treadwear 62 71
Handling (owners) 60 65

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
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Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
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Neutral
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Less important
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Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

WinterForce

± 7

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 tiresWinter
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

Narrow edge: General Altimax Arctic 12 — better treadwear, noise and snow. Pick the Firestone WinterForce if dry matters most to you.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

General Altimax Arctic 12 scores 71 vs 62 on treadwear.

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 grip on dry roads

Firestone WinterForce scores 55 vs 49 on dry.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

General Altimax Arctic 12 scores 76 vs 73 on snow.

Tire A · Firestone WinterForce
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Tire B · General Altimax Arctic 12
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WinterForce or Altimax Arctic 12?

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

Neither, by our numbers: 68 vs 68 on the wet score, within 3 points.

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

Firestone WinterForce, 55 vs 49 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, WinterForce or Altimax Arctic 12?

General Altimax Arctic 12, 76 vs 73 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, WinterForce or Altimax Arctic 12?

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

Which is more comfortable, WinterForce or Altimax Arctic 12?

General Altimax Arctic 12, 65 vs 62 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, WinterForce or Altimax Arctic 12?

General Altimax Arctic 12, 71 vs 62 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