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Head-to-head Updated

General Altimax Arctic 12 vs Continental IceContact 3 — 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 1 + 13 road tests and 31 + 3 owner reviews. How we score

IceContact 3 is ahead, 72–66

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Continental IceContact 3
Tire BContinental

IceContact 3

Winter

± 5

Tests 79 · 13 tests Owners 65 · 3 reviews

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

Category by category

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

  1. 50

    Dry

    IceContact 3 +23
    73
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Arctic 12IceContact 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 11 tests4776
    Reviews found online5568

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 47.2 + 40% × 55.2 = 50

    IceContact 3: 60% × 76 + 40% × 67.5 = 73

  2. 69

    Wet

    IceContact 3 +4
    73
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Arctic 12IceContact 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 12 tests6674
    Reviews found online7570

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 65.9 + 40% × 74.7 = 69

    IceContact 3: 60% × 74.4 + 40% × 69.6 = 73

  3. 77

    Snow

    IceContact 3 +2
    79
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Arctic 12IceContact 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 12 tests7484
    Reviews found online8070

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 73.9 + 40% × 80.4 = 77

    IceContact 3: 60% × 84 + 40% × 70.3 = 79

  4. 65

    Comfort

    IceContact 3 +11
    76
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Arctic 12IceContact 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 3 tests6896
    Reviews found online6362

    Altimax Arctic 12: 40% × 68.3 + 60% × 63.1 = 65

    IceContact 3: 40% × 96.3 + 60% × 61.8 = 76

  5. 69

    Noise

    IceContact 3 +1
    70
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Arctic 12IceContact 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 11 tests7272
    Reviews found online63≈ 67 (est.)

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

    IceContact 3: 60% × 72 + 40% × 66.5 (est.) = 70

    No owner ratings of noise for IceContact 3. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  6. 71

    Treadwear

    Altimax Arctic 12 +14
    57
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Arctic 12IceContact 3
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 69 (est.)≈ 61 (est.)
    Reviews found online7351

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 68.9 (est.) + 40% × 73.2 = 71

    IceContact 3: 60% × 61.2 (est.) + 40% × 51.3 = 57

    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).

    No road tests of treadwear for IceContact 3. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  7. 67

    Handling (owners)

    Level
    67
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Arctic 12IceContact 3
    Reviews found online6767
  8. –

    Efficiency

    No comparison
    67
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Arctic 12IceContact 3
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 8 tests–67
Scores at a glance
CategoryGeneral Altimax Arctic 12Continental IceContact 3
Relative Score 66 72
Dry 50 73
Wet 69 73
Snow 77 79
Comfort 65 76
Noise 69 70
Treadwear 71 57
Handling (owners) 67 67
Efficiency – 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
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
± 7

Altimax Arctic 12

± 5

IceContact 3

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.

DisciplineCategoryAltimax Arctic 12IceContact 3ΔHead-to-head
Dry Braking Dry 81% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 97% #3/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 76% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 99% #2/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Wet Circle Wet 88% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 100% #1/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Ice Braking Snow 84% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 70% #6/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Ice Traction Snow 91% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 68% #6/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 75% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 100% #2/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 90% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 100% #2/8 · The BEST Studded Tyres for 2025 – Different tests
Snow Handling (tester's mark) Snow 58% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 90% #6/20 · 2025 Studded, Friction and European Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Comfort (tester's mark) Comfort 94% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 100% #1/6 · 2025 NAF Motor Studded Winter Tire Test R17 – Different tests
Noise (tester's mark) Noise 94% #7/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 60% #13/14 · 2025 Friction and Studded Winter Tyre Test – Different tests
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #9/10 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test #5/10 2025 UTAC Ivalo Studded Winter Tire Test R16 – Different tests

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A 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

Tire B IceContact 3

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and braking performance on packed snow and ice
  • Predictable handling in severe winter conditions
  • Strong performance on lake ice tracks

Cons

  • Premature stud wear or loss reported after moderate mileage
  • Potential for reduced stability in deeper snow (4-5 cm) depending on tire width
  • Unpredictable handling characteristics when paired with certain electronic stability control systems
All owner themes in the IceContact 3 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · General Altimax Arctic 12 B · Continental IceContact 3
CategoryPremium Touring Winter tireWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available38—
Rim diameters15″ – 19″—
Tread depth12/32″—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure51 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

General Altimax Arctic 12

Continental IceContact 3

Winner: Continental IceContact 3 — better dry, comfort and wet. Pick the General Altimax Arctic 12 if treadwear matters most to you.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Continental IceContact 3 scores 73 vs 50 on dry.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

General Altimax Arctic 12 scores 71 vs 57 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Continental IceContact 3 scores 76 vs 65 on comfort.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Continental IceContact 3 scores 73 vs 69 on wet.

Tire A · General Altimax Arctic 12
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Tire B · Continental IceContact 3
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Altimax Arctic 12 or IceContact 3?

Which is better in the wet, Altimax Arctic 12 or IceContact 3?

Continental IceContact 3, 73 vs 69 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Altimax Arctic 12 or IceContact 3?

Continental IceContact 3, 73 vs 50 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Altimax Arctic 12 or IceContact 3?

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

Which is quieter, Altimax Arctic 12 or IceContact 3?

Neither, by our numbers: 69 vs 70 on the noise score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, Altimax Arctic 12 or IceContact 3?

Continental IceContact 3, 76 vs 65 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Altimax Arctic 12 or IceContact 3?

General Altimax Arctic 12, 71 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