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General Altimax Arctic 12 vs Cooper Evolution Winter — 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 31 + 22 owner reviews. How we score

Evolution Winter is ahead, 74–66

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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. 51

    Dry

    Evolution Winter +20
    71
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Arctic 12Evolution Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests48≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online5673

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 47.8 + 40% × 55.6 = 51

    Evolution Winter: 60% × 70.3 (est.) + 40% × 73.3 = 71

    No road tests of dry for Evolution Winter. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 69

    Wet

    Evolution Winter +11
    80
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Arctic 12Evolution Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests65≈ 78 (est.)
    Reviews found online7583

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 65.2 + 40% × 75 = 69

    Evolution Winter: 60% × 77.5 (est.) + 40% × 83 = 80

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

  3. 77

    Snow

    Evolution Winter +1
    78
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Arctic 12Evolution Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests74≈ 75 (est.)
    Reviews found online8182

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 74 + 40% × 81.1 = 77

    Evolution Winter: 60% × 74.9 (est.) + 40% × 81.9 = 78

    No road tests of snow for Evolution Winter. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).

  4. 65

    Comfort

    Evolution Winter +6
    71
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Arctic 12Evolution Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests68≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online6473

    Altimax Arctic 12: 40% × 68.5 + 60% × 63.5 = 65

    Evolution Winter: 40% × 69.8 (est.) + 60% × 72.6 = 71

    No road tests of comfort for Evolution Winter. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 69

    Noise

    Altimax Arctic 12 +3
    66
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Arctic 12Evolution Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests73≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online6464

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 72.5 + 40% × 63.5 = 69

    Evolution Winter: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 64.1 = 66

    No road tests of noise for Evolution Winter. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 70

    Treadwear

    Altimax Arctic 12 +1
    69
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Arctic 12Evolution Winter
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online7372

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 68.5 (est.) + 40% × 72.9 = 70

    Evolution Winter: 60% × 68 (est.) + 40% × 71.5 = 69

    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 Evolution Winter. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  7. 67

    Handling (owners)

    Evolution Winter +5
    72
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Arctic 12Evolution Winter
    Reviews found online6772
Scores at a glance
CategoryGeneral Altimax Arctic 12Cooper Evolution Winter
Relative Score 66 74
Dry 51 71
Wet 69 80
Snow 77 78
Comfort 65 71
Noise 69 66
Treadwear 70 69
Handling (owners) 67 72

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
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Important
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Less important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score
± 7

Altimax Arctic 12

± 8

Evolution Winter

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 Evolution Winter

Pros

  • Exceptional traction and grip in snow, ice, and deep winter conditions
  • Enhanced driving confidence and safety on slick roads
  • Good value and attractive budget-friendly price point

Cons

  • Some users report noticeable tire noise as a trade-off for aggressive winter performance
  • Limited feedback on deep snow performance from users experiencing milder early-season conditions
All owner themes in the Evolution Winter review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · General Altimax Arctic 12 B · Cooper Evolution Winter
CategoryPremium Touring Winter tireWinter tire
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available3826
Rim diameters15″ – 19″15″ – 20″
Tread depth12/32″12/32″
SidewallBlackwallBlackwall
Max pressure51 psi44 psi
Sizes in common2121

Which one should you actually buy?

General Altimax Arctic 12

Cooper Evolution Winter

Winner: Cooper Evolution Winter — better dry, wet and comfort. Pick the General Altimax Arctic 12 if noise matters most to you.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Cooper Evolution Winter scores 71 vs 51 on dry.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Cooper Evolution Winter scores 80 vs 69 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Cooper Evolution Winter scores 71 vs 65 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

General Altimax Arctic 12 scores 69 vs 66 on noise.

Tire A · General Altimax Arctic 12
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Tire B · Cooper Evolution Winter
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Altimax Arctic 12 or Evolution Winter?

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

Cooper Evolution Winter, 80 vs 69 on our wet score.

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

Cooper Evolution Winter, 71 vs 51 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Altimax Arctic 12 or Evolution Winter?

Neither, by our numbers: 77 vs 78 on the snow score, within 3 points.

Which is quieter, Altimax Arctic 12 or Evolution Winter?

General Altimax Arctic 12, 69 vs 66 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Altimax Arctic 12 or Evolution Winter?

Cooper Evolution Winter, 71 vs 65 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Altimax Arctic 12 or Evolution Winter?

Neither, by our numbers: 70 vs 69 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