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Head-to-head Updated

General Altimax Arctic 12 vs Continental WinterContact TS 790 — 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 + 0 road tests and 33 + 5 owner reviews. How we score

WinterContact TS 790 is ahead, 74–62

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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. 49

    Dry

    WinterContact TS 790 +22
    71
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Arctic 12WinterContact TS 790
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests47≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online5373

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

    WinterContact TS 790: 60% × 69.9 (est.) + 40% × 72.6 = 71

    No road tests of dry for WinterContact TS 790. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 68

    Wet

    WinterContact TS 790 +10
    78
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Arctic 12WinterContact TS 790
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests66≈ 76 (est.)
    Reviews found online7281

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 65.9 + 40% × 72.2 = 68

    WinterContact TS 790: 60% × 76.4 (est.) + 40% × 81.1 = 78

    No road tests of wet for WinterContact TS 790. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 76

    Snow

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Arctic 12WinterContact TS 790
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests74–
    Reviews found online80–

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 74 + 40% × 79.9 = 76

  4. 65

    Comfort

    WinterContact TS 790 +7
    72
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Arctic 12WinterContact TS 790
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests69≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online6273

    Altimax Arctic 12: 40% × 68.8 + 60% × 61.9 = 65

    WinterContact TS 790: 40% × 69.5 (est.) + 60% × 72.9 = 72

    No road tests of comfort for WinterContact TS 790. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 68

    Noise

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Arctic 12WinterContact TS 790
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests72–
    Reviews found online63–

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 72.3 + 40% × 62.7 = 68

  6. 71

    Treadwear

    WinterContact TS 790 +1
    72
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Arctic 12WinterContact TS 790
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 69 (est.)≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online7476

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 69.1 (est.) + 40% × 73.8 = 71

    WinterContact TS 790: 60% × 69.8 (est.) + 40% × 75.8 = 72

    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).

    No road tests of treadwear for WinterContact TS 790. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 65

    Handling (owners)

    WinterContact TS 790 +12
    77
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Arctic 12WinterContact TS 790
    Reviews found online6577
Scores at a glance
CategoryGeneral Altimax Arctic 12Continental WinterContact TS 790
Relative Score 62 74
Dry 49 71
Wet 68 78
Snow 76 –
Comfort 65 72
Noise 68 –
Treadwear 71 72
Handling (owners) 65 77

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

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

Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost

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

Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

Altimax Arctic 12

± 8

WinterContact TS 790

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 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 WinterContact TS 790

Pros

  • Exceptional tread longevity and durability
  • Strong grip and stability in wet conditions
  • High level of ride comfort

Cons

  • Limited performance in heavy or deep snow conditions
  • Not optimized for severe winter climates
All owner themes in the WinterContact TS 790 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · General Altimax Arctic 12 B · Continental WinterContact TS 790
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available381
Rim diameters15″ – 19″15″
Tread depth12/32″—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure51 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

General Altimax Arctic 12

Continental WinterContact TS 790

Winner: Continental WinterContact TS 790 — better dry, handling and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score. Continental WinterContact TS 790 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 5 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Continental WinterContact TS 790 scores 71 vs 49 on dry.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Continental WinterContact TS 790 scores 77 vs 65 on handling.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Continental WinterContact TS 790 scores 78 vs 68 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Continental WinterContact TS 790 scores 72 vs 65 on comfort.

Tire A · General Altimax Arctic 12
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Tire B · Continental WinterContact TS 790
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Altimax Arctic 12 or WinterContact TS 790?

Which is better in the wet, Altimax Arctic 12 or WinterContact TS 790?

Continental WinterContact TS 790, 78 vs 68 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Altimax Arctic 12 or WinterContact TS 790?

Continental WinterContact TS 790, 71 vs 49 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, Altimax Arctic 12 or WinterContact TS 790?

Continental WinterContact TS 790, 72 vs 65 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Altimax Arctic 12 or WinterContact TS 790?

Neither, by our numbers: 71 vs 72 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