Tests 64 · 1 test Owners 70 · 31 reviews
Hankook Icebear W440 looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.
Head-to-head
Updated
General Altimax Arctic 12 vs Hankook Icebear W440 — 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 + 5 owner reviews. How we score
Icebear W440 is ahead, 72–63
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Tests – · none yet Owners 73 · 5 reviews
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
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51
Dry
Icebear W440 +1970Why this score
Source Altimax Arctic 12 Icebear W440 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 48 ≈ 70 (est.) Reviews found online 56 72 Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 47.8 + 40% × 55.6 = 51
Icebear W440: 60% × 69.6 (est.) + 40% × 71.7 = 70
No road tests of dry for Icebear W440. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
-
69
Wet
Icebear W440 +776Why this score
Source Altimax Arctic 12 Icebear W440 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 65 ≈ 74 (est.) Reviews found online 75 78 Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 65.2 + 40% × 74.9 = 69
Icebear W440: 60% × 74.5 (est.) + 40% × 77.5 = 76
No road tests of wet for Icebear W440. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
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77
Snow
No comparison–Why this score
Source Altimax Arctic 12 Icebear W440 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 74 – Reviews found online 81 – Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 74 + 40% × 81.1 = 77
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65
Comfort
Icebear W440 +772Why this score
Source Altimax Arctic 12 Icebear W440 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 68 ≈ 70 (est.) Reviews found online 63 73 Altimax Arctic 12: 40% × 68.5 + 60% × 63.4 = 65
Icebear W440: 40% × 69.9 (est.) + 60% × 73.1 = 72
No road tests of comfort for Icebear W440. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
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69
Noise
No comparison–Why this score
Source Altimax Arctic 12 Icebear W440 Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 73 – Reviews found online 63 – Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 72.5 + 40% × 63.4 = 69
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70
Treadwear
Altimax Arctic 12 +268Why this score
Source Altimax Arctic 12 Icebear W440 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 68 (est.) ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 73 70 Altimax Arctic 12: 60% × 68.5 (est.) + 40% × 72.8 = 70
Icebear W440: 60% × 67.5 (est.) + 40% × 70 = 68
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 Icebear W440. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).
-
67
Handling (owners)
Icebear W440 +572Why this score
Source Altimax Arctic 12 Icebear W440 Reviews found online 67 72
Scores at a glance
| Category | General Altimax Arctic 12 | Hankook Icebear W440 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 63 | 72 |
| Dry | 51 | 70 |
| Wet | 69 | 76 |
| Snow | 77 | – |
| Comfort | 65 | 72 |
| Noise | 69 | – |
| Treadwear | 70 | 68 |
| 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
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
63
/ 100
Altimax Arctic 12
72
/ 100
Icebear W440
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
Tire B Icebear W440
Pros
- Excellent traction and confidence on snow and ice
- High value-for-money proposition compared to premium brands
- Noticeable performance improvement for rear-wheel-drive vehicles
Cons
- Noticeable 'slippery' sensation during the initial 100-mile break-in period
- Performance is strictly categorized as a budget-friendly option rather than a top-tier premium performer
- Mixed feedback on overall refinement compared to more expensive alternatives
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · General Altimax Arctic 12 | B · Hankook Icebear W440 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Premium Touring Winter tire | Winter |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Sizes available | 38 | — |
| Rim diameters | 15″ – 19″ | — |
| Tread depth | 12/32″ | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 51 psi | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
63
/ 100
General Altimax Arctic 12
72
/ 100
Hankook Icebear W440
Winner: Hankook Icebear W440 — better dry, wet and comfort. Where the General Altimax Arctic 12 is ahead, it is by less than 3 points. Hankook Icebear W440 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
Hankook Icebear W440 scores 70 vs 51 on dry.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Hankook Icebear W440 scores 76 vs 69 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Hankook Icebear W440 scores 72 vs 65 on comfort.
Tire A · General Altimax Arctic 12
Tire B · Hankook Icebear W440
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Altimax Arctic 12 or Icebear W440?
Which is better in the wet, Altimax Arctic 12 or Icebear W440?
Hankook Icebear W440, 76 vs 69 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Altimax Arctic 12 or Icebear W440?
Hankook Icebear W440, 70 vs 51 on our dry score.
Which is more comfortable, Altimax Arctic 12 or Icebear W440?
Hankook Icebear W440, 72 vs 65 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Altimax Arctic 12 or Icebear W440?
Neither, by our numbers: 70 vs 68 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