Tests 64 · 1 test Owners 70 · 31 reviews
Best test result: #6 of 15 in 2022 Consumer Reports Winter Tires (overall ranking)
Head-to-head
Updated
General Altimax Arctic 12 vs Nexen Winguard winSpike WH62 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
Winguard winSpike WH62 leads, 71–67 Narrow edge
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Tests 66 · 1 test Owners 76 · 1 review
Best test result: #3 of 8 in 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test (dry braking)
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
52
Dry
Winguard winSpike WH62 +2072Why this score
Source Altimax Arctic 12 Winguard winSpike WH62 Professional tests (TWG score) 48 71 Reviews found online 58 73 Dry Braking (% of best) 81% 99% -
69
Wet
Winguard winSpike WH62 +574Why this score
Source Altimax Arctic 12 Winguard winSpike WH62 Professional tests (TWG score) 65 69 Reviews found online 75 81 Wet Braking (% of best) 76% 95% -
76
Snow
Altimax Arctic 12 +1462Why this score
Source Altimax Arctic 12 Winguard winSpike WH62 Professional tests (TWG score) 74 59 Reviews found online 79 – Snow Braking (% of best) 75% 96% Snow Handling (% of best) 90% 93% -
68
Comfort
Winguard winSpike WH62 +169Why this score
Source Altimax Arctic 12 Winguard winSpike WH62 Professional tests (TWG score) 68 – Reviews found online 67 68 -
69
Noise
No comparison–Why this score
Source Altimax Arctic 12 Winguard winSpike WH62 Professional tests (TWG score) 72 – Reviews found online 65 – -
70
Treadwear
Winguard winSpike WH62 +272Why this score
Source Altimax Arctic 12 Winguard winSpike WH62 Reviews found online 72 76 -
69
Handling
Winguard winSpike WH62 +978Why this score
Source Altimax Arctic 12 Winguard winSpike WH62 Reviews found online 69 78
Scores at a glance
| Category | General Altimax Arctic 12 | Nexen Winguard winSpike WH62 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 67 | 71 |
| Dry | 52 | 72 |
| Wet | 69 | 74 |
| Snow | 76 | 62 |
| Comfort | 68 | 69 |
| Noise | 69 | – |
| Treadwear | 70 | 72 |
| Handling | 69 | 78 |
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.
Important
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Important
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Less important
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Less important
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Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score
67
/ 100
Altimax Arctic 12
71
/ 100
Winguard winSpike WH62
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
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.
| Discipline | Category | Altimax Arctic 12 | Winguard winSpike WH62 | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 81% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | 99% #3/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test | −18.1 | Different tests |
| Ice Braking | Ice | 84% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | 60% #8/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test | +24.5 | Different tests |
| Ice Traction | Ice | 91% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | 57% #8/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test | +34.2 | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 67% #6/15 · 2022 Consumer Reports Winter Tires | 14% #7/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test | +52.4 | Different tests |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 75% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | 96% #8/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test | −21.4 | Different tests |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 90% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | 93% #8/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test | −3.2 | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 76% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | 95% #6/8 · 2018 Vi Studded Winter Tyre Test | −18.5 | 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
Tire B Winguard winSpike WH62
Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · General Altimax Arctic 12 | B · Nexen Winguard winSpike WH62 |
|---|---|---|
| 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?
67
/ 100
General Altimax Arctic 12
71
/ 100
Nexen Winguard winSpike WH62
Winner: Nexen Winguard winSpike WH62 — better dry, handling and wet. Pick the General Altimax Arctic 12 if snow matters most to you.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Nexen Winguard winSpike WH62 scores 72 vs 52 on dry.
Pick tire A
You drive through snowy winters
General Altimax Arctic 12 scores 76 vs 62 on snow.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Nexen Winguard winSpike WH62 scores 78 vs 69 on handling.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Nexen Winguard winSpike WH62 scores 74 vs 69 on wet.
Tire A · General Altimax Arctic 12
Tire B · Nexen Winguard winSpike WH62
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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.