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Head-to-head Updated

General Altimax Arctic 12 vs Firestone Winterforce 2 UV — 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 34 + 17 owner reviews. How we score

Winterforce 2 UV 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. 48

    Dry

    Winterforce 2 UV +17
    65
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Arctic 12Winterforce 2 UV
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests47≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online4964

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 47.2 + 40% × 48.6 = 48

    Winterforce 2 UV: 60% × 66.2 (est.) + 40% × 63.7 = 65

    No road tests of dry for Winterforce 2 UV. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 67

    Wet

    Winterforce 2 UV +3
    70
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Arctic 12Winterforce 2 UV
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests66≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online6970

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 65.9 + 40% × 69 = 67

    Winterforce 2 UV: 60% × 70.4 (est.) + 40% × 70.1 = 70

    No road tests of wet for Winterforce 2 UV. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 75

    Snow

    Altimax Arctic 12 +3
    72
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Arctic 12Winterforce 2 UV
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests74≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online7673

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 74 + 40% × 76 = 75

    Winterforce 2 UV: 60% × 71.3 (est.) + 40% × 73 = 72

    No road tests of snow for Winterforce 2 UV. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).

  4. 61

    Comfort

    Level
    61
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Arctic 12Winterforce 2 UV
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests69≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online5757

    Altimax Arctic 12: 40% × 68.7 + 60% × 56.5 = 61

    Winterforce 2 UV: 40% × 66.4 (est.) + 60% × 57.1 = 61

    No road tests of comfort for Winterforce 2 UV. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  5. 68

    Noise

    Altimax Arctic 12 +7
    61
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Arctic 12Winterforce 2 UV
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests72≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online6154

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 72.3 + 40% × 61.2 = 68

    Winterforce 2 UV: 60% × 66.3 (est.) + 40% × 53.9 = 61

    No road tests of noise for Winterforce 2 UV. The test half is the tested tires’ average (66): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 69

    Treadwear

    Altimax Arctic 12 +7
    62
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Arctic 12Winterforce 2 UV
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 64 (est.)
    Reviews found online7059

    Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 67.7 (est.) + 40% × 69.8 = 69

    Winterforce 2 UV: 60% × 63.7 (est.) + 40% × 58.7 = 62

    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 Winterforce 2 UV. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 62

    Handling (owners)

    No comparison
    –
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Arctic 12Winterforce 2 UV
    Reviews found online62–
Scores at a glance
CategoryGeneral Altimax Arctic 12Firestone Winterforce 2 UV
Relative Score 64 67
Dry 48 65
Wet 67 70
Snow 75 72
Comfort 61 61
Noise 68 61
Treadwear 69 62
Handling (owners) 62 –

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

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

Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

Altimax Arctic 12

± 8

Winterforce 2 UV

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 12Winterforce 2 UVΔHead-to-head
Also published by the testers (not in the score)
Overall Ranking Overall #9/10 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test #8/8 2022 Consumer Reports Winter/Snow Truck/SUV Tires – 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 Winterforce 2 UV

Pros

  • Strong snow traction: one 4WD owner reported no slipping in 8 inches of snow, and an Explorer owner said it never needed 4x4 after 47 inches of snow in a week
  • Good value for the money: reviewers repeatedly describe it as a great winter tire for the price, and one calls it the best balance of price and longevity
  • Good wet-weather performance reported by some, including no hydroplaning on puddles and 'great all around' traction

Cons

  • Increased road noise is mentioned by some reviewers, attributed to the aggressive winter tread, though others describe noise as very low
  • Reduced wet-weather starting traction: one reviewer reports wheelspin when pulling away from a red light in the rain
  • Fast wear if used in warm weather: one reviewer who ran them in summer notes this is not recommended and that they wear quickly
All owner themes in the Winterforce 2 UV review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · General Altimax Arctic 12 B · Firestone Winterforce 2 UV
CategoryWinterWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverSUV and 4x4
Sizes available3830
Rim diameters15″ – 19″15″ – 18″
Tread depth12/32″12/32″
SidewallBlackwallBlackwall
Max pressure51 psi44 psi
Sizes in common88

Which one should you actually buy?

General Altimax Arctic 12

Firestone Winterforce 2 UV

Narrow edge: Firestone Winterforce 2 UV — better dry and wet. Pick the General Altimax Arctic 12 if noise, treadwear and snow matter most to you. Firestone Winterforce 2 UV rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 17 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Firestone Winterforce 2 UV scores 65 vs 48 on dry.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

General Altimax Arctic 12 scores 68 vs 61 on noise.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

General Altimax Arctic 12 scores 69 vs 62 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

General Altimax Arctic 12 scores 75 vs 72 on snow.

Tire A · General Altimax Arctic 12
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Tire B · Firestone Winterforce 2 UV
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Altimax Arctic 12 or Winterforce 2 UV?

Which is better in the wet, Altimax Arctic 12 or Winterforce 2 UV?

Firestone Winterforce 2 UV, 70 vs 67 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Altimax Arctic 12 or Winterforce 2 UV?

Firestone Winterforce 2 UV, 65 vs 48 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Altimax Arctic 12 or Winterforce 2 UV?

General Altimax Arctic 12, 75 vs 72 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Altimax Arctic 12 or Winterforce 2 UV?

General Altimax Arctic 12, 68 vs 61 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Altimax Arctic 12 or Winterforce 2 UV?

Neither, by our numbers: 61 vs 61 on the comfort score, within 3 points.

Which lasts longer, Altimax Arctic 12 or Winterforce 2 UV?

General Altimax Arctic 12, 69 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