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 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.
Altimax Arctic 12 leads, 67–65 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.
-
52
Dry
WinGuard +759Why this score
Source Altimax Arctic 12 WinGuard Professional tests (TWG score) 48 – Reviews found online 58 54 -
69
Wet
Altimax Arctic 12 +564Why this score
Source Altimax Arctic 12 WinGuard Professional tests (TWG score) 65 – Reviews found online 75 62 -
76
Snow
Altimax Arctic 12 +175Why this score
Source Altimax Arctic 12 WinGuard Professional tests (TWG score) 74 – Reviews found online 79 78 -
68
Comfort
Altimax Arctic 12 +365Why this score
Source Altimax Arctic 12 WinGuard Professional tests (TWG score) 68 – Reviews found online 67 61 -
69
Noise
No comparison–Why this score
Source Altimax Arctic 12 WinGuard Professional tests (TWG score) 72 – Reviews found online 65 – -
70
Treadwear
Altimax Arctic 12 +565Why this score
Source Altimax Arctic 12 WinGuard Reviews found online 72 65 -
69
Handling
Altimax Arctic 12 +1257Why this score
Source Altimax Arctic 12 WinGuard Reviews found online 69 57
Scores at a glance
| Category | General Altimax Arctic 12 | Nexen WinGuard |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 67 | 65 |
| Dry | 52 | 59 |
| Wet | 69 | 64 |
| Snow | 76 | 75 |
| Comfort | 68 | 65 |
| Noise | 69 | – |
| Treadwear | 70 | 65 |
| Handling | 69 | 57 |
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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Important
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Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Less important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neither tire has a score here yet, so this weight changes nothing.
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Recomputed
Headline score
67
/ 100
Altimax Arctic 12
65
/ 100
WinGuard
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 | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 67% #6/15 · 2022 Consumer Reports Winter Tires | 3% #34/42 · 2012 Auto Bild 42 Winter Tyre Braking Test | +63.7 | 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
Pros
- Strong traction and handling in snow-covered conditions
- Noticeable improvement in grip over summer tires in cold weather
- Confidence-inspiring braking performance on mountain passes
Cons
- Mediocre performance on ice
- Poor dry-weather handling when temperatures exceed 10°C
- Occasional difficulty with uphill starts in deep snow
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · General Altimax Arctic 12 | B · Nexen WinGuard |
|---|---|---|
| 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
65
/ 100
Nexen WinGuard
Winner: General Altimax Arctic 12 — better handling, wet and treadwear. Pick the Nexen WinGuard if dry matters most to you.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
General Altimax Arctic 12 scores 69 vs 57 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Nexen WinGuard scores 59 vs 52 on dry.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
General Altimax Arctic 12 scores 69 vs 64 on wet.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
General Altimax Arctic 12 scores 70 vs 65 on treadwear.
Tire A · General Altimax Arctic 12
Tire B · Nexen WinGuard
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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.