tirewheelguide
Head-to-head Updated

General Altimax Arctic vs Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews. Based on 0 + 5 road tests and 32 + 5 owner reviews. How we score

Winter i*pike RS2 is ahead, 70–59

Check price on Amazon · Winter i*pike RS2 or Altimax Arctic on Amazon
Add your size for an exact match
/R

Both Amazon links then search this exact size.

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Hankook Winter i*pike RS2
Tire BHankook

Winter i*pike RS2

Winter

Tests 66 · 5 tests Owners 76 · 5 reviews

Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2019 Studded Winter Tyre Test (straight aquaplaning)

Category by category

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

  1. 57

    Dry

    Winter i*pike RS2 +2
    59
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticWinter i*pike RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 5 tests≈ 61 (est.)49
    Reviews found online5174

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 60.8 (est.) + 40% × 50.5 = 57

    Winter i*pike RS2: 60% × 49.4 + 40% × 73.8 = 59

    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 0.40).

  2. 62

    Wet

    Winter i*pike RS2 +12
    74
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticWinter i*pike RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 5 tests≈ 64 (est.)71
    Reviews found online6078

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 64.2 (est.) + 40% × 59.8 = 62

    Winter i*pike RS2: 60% × 70.9 + 40% × 78.2 = 74

    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 0.56).

  3. 59

    Snow

    Winter i*pike RS2 +17
    76
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticWinter i*pike RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 5 tests≈ 64 (est.)76
    Reviews found online5277

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 63.8 (est.) + 40% × 51.6 = 59

    Winter i*pike RS2: 60% × 75.7 + 40% × 77.1 = 76

    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 0.33).

  4. 60

    Comfort

    Winter i*pike RS2 +18
    78
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticWinter i*pike RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 66 (est.)81
    Reviews found online5175

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 66 (est.) + 40% × 50.8 = 60

    Winter i*pike RS2: 60% × 80.6 + 40% × 75.2 = 78

    No road tests of comfort for Altimax Arctic. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 62

    Noise

    Altimax Arctic +2
    60
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticWinter i*pike RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 4 tests≈ 67 (est.)55
    Reviews found online54≈ 67 (est.)

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 67.3 (est.) + 40% × 54.1 = 62

    Winter i*pike RS2: 60% × 54.8 + 40% × 67.3 (est.) = 60

    No road tests of noise for Altimax Arctic. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

    No owner ratings of noise for Winter i*pike RS2. The owner half is the owners’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests, so the tests say nothing about how owners would rate it.

  6. 57

    Treadwear

    Winter i*pike RS2 +14
    71
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticWinter i*pike RS2
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 61 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online5075

    Altimax Arctic: 60% × 60.8 (est.) + 40% × 50.1 = 57

    Winter i*pike RS2: 60% × 68.4 (est.) + 40% × 74.7 = 71

    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 0.31).

    No road tests of treadwear for Winter i*pike RS2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

  7. 49

    Handling (owners)

    Winter i*pike RS2 +30
    79
    Why this score
    SourceAltimax ArcticWinter i*pike RS2
    Reviews found online4979
Scores at a glance
CategoryGeneral Altimax ArcticHankook Winter i*pike RS2
Relative Score 59 70
Dry 57 59
Wet 62 74
Snow 59 76
Comfort 60 78
Noise 62 60
Treadwear 57 71
Handling (owners) 49 79

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
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score

Altimax Arctic

Winter i*pike RS2

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 Winter i*pike RS2

Pros

  • Exceptional traction and braking on snow and ice
  • Strong side grip and predictable cornering limits
  • High durability with secure stud retention over multiple years

Cons

  • Poor steering feedback on dry tarmac
  • Noticeable understeer in dry road conditions
All owner themes in the Winter i*pike RS2 review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · General Altimax Arctic B · Hankook Winter i*pike RS2
CategoryWinter Touring tiresWinter
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover

Which one should you actually buy?

General Altimax Arctic

Hankook Winter i*pike RS2

Winner: Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 — better handling, comfort and snow. Where the General Altimax Arctic is ahead, it is by less than 3 points.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 scores 79 vs 49 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 scores 78 vs 60 on comfort.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 scores 76 vs 59 on snow.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Hankook Winter i*pike RS2 scores 71 vs 57 on treadwear.

Tire A · General Altimax Arctic
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Hankook Winter i*pike RS2
Check price on Amazon

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Altimax Arctic or Winter i*pike RS2?

Which is better in the wet, Altimax Arctic or Winter i*pike RS2?

Hankook Winter i*pike RS2, 74 vs 62 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Altimax Arctic or Winter i*pike RS2?

Neither, by our numbers: 57 vs 59 on the dry score, within 3 points.

Which is better in snow, Altimax Arctic or Winter i*pike RS2?

Hankook Winter i*pike RS2, 76 vs 59 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, Altimax Arctic or Winter i*pike RS2?

Neither, by our numbers: 62 vs 60 on the noise score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, Altimax Arctic or Winter i*pike RS2?

Hankook Winter i*pike RS2, 78 vs 60 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Altimax Arctic or Winter i*pike RS2?

Hankook Winter i*pike RS2, 71 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