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Head-to-head Updated

General Altimax Arctic 12 vs Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

Winter i*cept RS2 is ahead, 74–67

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Tire AGeneral

Altimax Arctic 12

Premium Touring Winter tire

Tests 64 · 1 test Owners 70 · 31 reviews

Best test result: #6 of 15 in 2022 Consumer Reports Winter Tires (overall ranking)

Tire BHankook

Winter i*cept RS2

Winter

Tests 78 · 7 tests Owners 71 · 50 reviews

Best test result: #5 of 20 in 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test (snow handling)

Category by category

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

  1. 52

    Dry

    Winter i*cept RS2 +21
    73
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Arctic 12Winter i*cept RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score)4875
    Reviews found online5870
    Dry Braking (% of best)81%96%
  2. 69

    Wet

    Winter i*cept RS2 +14
    83
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Arctic 12Winter i*cept RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score)6588
    Reviews found online7576
    Wet Braking (% of best)76%91%
  3. 76

    Snow

    Altimax Arctic 12 +1
    75
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Arctic 12Winter i*cept RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score)7480
    Reviews found online7968
    Snow Braking (% of best)75%96%
    Snow Handling (% of best)90%99%
  4. 68

    Comfort

    Winter i*cept RS2 +4
    72
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Arctic 12Winter i*cept RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score)6875
    Reviews found online6767
  5. 69

    Noise

    Altimax Arctic 12 +8
    61
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Arctic 12Winter i*cept RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score)7257
    Reviews found online65–
  6. 70

    Treadwear

    Winter i*cept RS2 +3
    73
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Arctic 12Winter i*cept RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score)–74
    Reviews found online7271
  7. 69

    Handling

    Winter i*cept RS2 +2
    71
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax Arctic 12Winter i*cept RS2
    Reviews found online6971
Scores at a glance
CategoryGeneral Altimax Arctic 12Hankook Winter i*cept RS2
Relative Score 67 74
Dry 52 73
Wet 69 83
Snow 76 75
Comfort 68 72
Noise 69 61
Treadwear 70 73
Handling 69 71

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

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Recomputed
Headline score

Altimax Arctic 12

Winter i*cept RS2

The professional test results behind the scores

Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.

DisciplineCategoryAltimax Arctic 12Winter i*cept RS2ΔBoth?
Dry Braking Dry 81% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 96% #12/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test −14.7 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 67% #6/15 · 2022 Consumer Reports Winter Tires 25% #4/14 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test +41.7 Different tests
Snow Braking Snow 75% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 96% #17/30 · 2019 Winter Tyre Test Market Overview −21.8 Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 90% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 99% #5/20 · 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tyre Test −9.3 Different tests
Subj. Comfort Subj 94% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 90% #4/14 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test +3.8 Different tests
Subj. Snow Handling Subj 58% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 60% #7/14 · 2020 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test −1.9 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 76% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test 91% #10/20 · 2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch Tyre Test −15.3 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 Winter i*cept RS2

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and handling on wet and dry roads
  • Impressive resistance to aquaplaning in heavy rain or standing water
  • Strong value for money with a competitive price point

Cons

  • Higher than average road noise, especially at highway speeds
  • Firm, stiff sidewalls leading to a less comfortable or harsh ride
  • Subpar performance and unpredictable grip on ice and black ice
All owner themes in the Winter i*cept RS2 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · General Altimax Arctic 12 B · Hankook Winter i*cept RS2
CategoryPremium Touring Winter tireWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available3837
Rim diameters15″ – 19″13″ – 17″
Tread depth12/32″—
SidewallBlackwall—
Max pressure51 psi—

Which one should you actually buy?

General Altimax Arctic 12

Hankook Winter i*cept RS2

Winner: Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 — 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

Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 scores 73 vs 52 on dry.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 scores 83 vs 69 on wet.

Pick tire A You want a quieter cabin

General Altimax Arctic 12 scores 69 vs 61 on noise.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 scores 72 vs 68 on comfort.

Tire A · General Altimax Arctic 12
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Tire B · Hankook Winter i*cept RS2
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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.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.

74

Leads

Winter i*cept RS2

Amazon