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General Altimax Arctic vs Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 — 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 0 + 1 road tests and 32 + 21 owner reviews. How we score

Blizzak WS90 is ahead, 68–58

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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. 57

    Dry

    Blizzak WS90 +16
    73
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticBlizzak WS90
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 61 (est.)85
    Reviews found online5154

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 60.8 (est.) + 40% × 50.6 = 57

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 84.9 + 40% × 54.1 = 73

    No road tests of dry for Altimax Arctic. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 62

    Wet

    Blizzak WS90 +5
    67
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticBlizzak WS90
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 64 (est.)66
    Reviews found online5969

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 64 (est.) + 40% × 58.5 = 62

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 65.6 + 40% × 68.5 = 67

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

  3. 60

    Snow

    Blizzak WS90 +13
    73
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticBlizzak WS90
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 65 (est.)69
    Reviews found online5279

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 64.7 (est.) + 40% × 52.2 = 60

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 68.9 + 40% × 78.6 = 73

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

  4. 53

    Comfort

    Blizzak WS90 +8
    61
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticBlizzak WS90
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 64 (est.)69
    Reviews found online4655

    Altimax Arctic: 40% × 64.1 (est.) + 60% × 46.2 = 53

    Blizzak WS90: 40% × 68.8 + 60% × 55.1 = 61

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

  5. 59

    Noise

    Blizzak WS90 +4
    63
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticBlizzak WS90
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 66 (est.)70
    Reviews found online4951

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 66.3 (est.) + 40% × 48.9 = 59

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 70.4 + 40% × 50.9 = 63

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

  6. 57

    Treadwear

    Blizzak WS90 +4
    61
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticBlizzak WS90
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 61 (est.)≈ 63 (est.)
    Reviews found online5058

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 60.8 (est.) + 40% × 50.4 = 57

    Blizzak WS90: 60% × 63.4 (est.) + 40% × 57.8 = 61

    No road tests of treadwear for Altimax Arctic. 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 Blizzak WS90. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  7. 47

    Handling (owners)

    Blizzak WS90 +15
    62
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticBlizzak WS90
    Reviews found online4762
Scores at a glance
CategoryGeneral Altimax ArcticBridgestone Blizzak WS90
Relative Score 58 68
Dry 57 73
Wet 62 67
Snow 60 73
Comfort 53 61
Noise 59 63
Treadwear 57 61
Handling (owners) 47 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.

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Important
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Less important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

Altimax Arctic

± 7

Blizzak WS90

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Altimax Arctic

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and traction in deep snow, slush, and ice
  • High value and affordable price point compared to premium competitors
  • Reliable wet and dry handling during cold weather months

Cons

  • Handling and responsiveness drop off compared to dedicated summer or all-season tires
  • Some users report accelerated wear once the tire reaches 50% tread life
  • Minor tendencies toward understeer during hard cornering
All owner themes in the Altimax Arctic review

Tire B Blizzak WS90

Pros

  • Outstanding grip and acceleration on ice and hard-packed snow
  • Excellent braking performance in hazardous winter conditions
  • Strong capability in slush and deep snow

Cons

  • Increased road noise during highway driving
  • Less responsive or 'softer' handling feel on dry pavement
  • Potential for minor rubbing depending on vehicle fitment
All owner themes in the Blizzak WS90 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · General Altimax Arctic B · Bridgestone Blizzak WS90
CategoryWinter Touring tiresWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available145
Rim diameters17″15″ – 19″
Tread depth—11/32″
Sidewall—Blackwall
Max pressure—44 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

General Altimax Arctic

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90

Winner: Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 — better dry, handling and snow. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 scores 73 vs 57 on dry.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 scores 62 vs 47 on handling.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 scores 73 vs 60 on snow.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 scores 61 vs 53 on comfort.

Tire A · General Altimax Arctic
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Tire B · Bridgestone Blizzak WS90
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Altimax Arctic or Blizzak WS90?

Which is better in the wet, Altimax Arctic or Blizzak WS90?

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90, 67 vs 62 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Altimax Arctic or Blizzak WS90?

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90, 73 vs 57 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, Altimax Arctic or Blizzak WS90?

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90, 73 vs 60 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Altimax Arctic or Blizzak WS90?

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90, 63 vs 59 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, Altimax Arctic or Blizzak WS90?

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90, 61 vs 53 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Altimax Arctic or Blizzak WS90?

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90, 61 vs 57 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