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Head-to-head Updated September 2026

Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 RFT vs General Altimax Arctic 12 — Compared (September 2026)

Our Relative Score blends 60% objective test data with 40% owner-review signal — so any two tires can be compared even if they were never tested on the same day.

VS
Tire B General

General Altimax Arctic 12

Premium Touring Winter tire

General Altimax Arctic 12 tread pattern
Objective (60%)
60/100
1 professional test
User signal (40%)
87/100
56 owner reviews
Dry
45
Wet
61
Snow
74
Comfort
86
Noise
83
Treadwear
86
Handling
80

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VerdictWinner: Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 RFT — better dry, wet and snow. Pick the General Altimax Arctic 12 if handling matters most to you.
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Category breakdown

7 categories, side by side

Each bar is the Relative Score for that category. Expand a tile to see the test results and owner ratings behind it.

Dry

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Blizzak LM-25 RFT leads by 40
A — Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 RFT
85
B — General Altimax Arctic 12
45
Why this score
SourceBlizzak LM-25 RFTAltimax Arctic 12
Professional tests (TWG score) – 17
Tire Rack owners 87 86
Tyre Reviews owners 84 70
SimpleTire owners – 87

Wet

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Blizzak LM-25 RFT leads by 28
A — Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 RFT
89
B — General Altimax Arctic 12
61
Why this score
SourceBlizzak LM-25 RFTAltimax Arctic 12
Professional tests (TWG score) – 43
Tire Rack owners 88 88
Tyre Reviews owners 89 85
SimpleTire owners – 91

Snow

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Blizzak LM-25 RFT leads by 25
A — Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 RFT
99
B — General Altimax Arctic 12
74
Why this score
SourceBlizzak LM-25 RFTAltimax Arctic 12
Professional tests (TWG score) – 59
Tire Rack owners 80 91
Tyre Reviews owners 100 95
SimpleTire owners – 96

Comfort

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Altimax Arctic 12 leads by 2
A — Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 RFT
84
B — General Altimax Arctic 12
86
Why this score
SourceBlizzak LM-25 RFTAltimax Arctic 12
Professional tests (TWG score) – 86
Tire Rack owners 71 82
Tyre Reviews owners 84 70
SimpleTire owners – 91

Noise

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100)
A — Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 RFT
–
B — General Altimax Arctic 12
83
Why this score
SourceBlizzak LM-25 RFTAltimax Arctic 12
SimpleTire owners – 85

Treadwear

Weight: Important
Score (0–100)
A — Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 RFT
86
B — General Altimax Arctic 12
86
Why this score
SourceBlizzak LM-25 RFTAltimax Arctic 12
Tire Rack owners 75 87
Tyre Reviews owners 87 100
SimpleTire owners – 90

Handling

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Altimax Arctic 12 leads by 9
A — Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 RFT
71
B — General Altimax Arctic 12
80
Why this score
SourceBlizzak LM-25 RFTAltimax Arctic 12
Tyre Reviews owners 71 65

Scores at a glance

Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 RFT vs General Altimax Arctic 12: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryBridgestone Blizzak LM-25 RFTGeneral Altimax Arctic 12
Relative Score 86 72
Dry 85 45
Wet 89 61
Snow 99 74
Comfort 84 86
Noise – 83
Treadwear 86 86
Handling 71 80

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

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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

Tire A

Tire B

Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.

From owners

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 RFT

The Bridgestone Blizzak LM25 RFT is highly regarded for its exceptional winter performance, particularly in transforming the drivability of rear-wheel-drive vehicles in snow and ice. While users praise its confidence-inspiring grip and comfort, they note that its performance diminishes significantly in warmer, dry conditions, where braking distances increase and handling becomes less precise.

Pros

  • Outstanding traction and control on snow and ice
  • Significant improvement in winter mobility for rear-wheel-drive vehicles
  • Comfortable and quiet ride quality compared to standard summer run-flats
  • Effective slush dispersal

Cons

  • Reduced braking performance and handling in temperatures above 20°C
  • Longer braking distances on dry pavement compared to summer tires
  • Performance limitations when used outside of cold-weather conditions

Observations

  • Owners of rear-wheel-drive BMW models (3 Series, Z4) report a transformative improvement in winter capability.
  • Downsizing to 16-inch wheels from larger summer setups is noted as a successful strategy for maximizing winter grip.
Tire B General Altimax Arctic 12

The General Altimax Arctic 12 is widely regarded as a high-value, top-tier winter tire that excels in deep snow, slush, and icy conditions. While users note some expected trade-offs in dry pavement handling and increased road noise, the consensus highlights its exceptional longevity and performance-to-price ratio compared to premium competitors.

Pros

  • Outstanding traction and confidence in deep snow, slush, and ice
  • Exceptional tread life and durability for a winter-specific tire
  • High value-for-money proposition compared to premium brands like Nokian or Bridgestone
  • Reliable performance across a diverse range of vehicles, from small sedans to heavy trucks

Cons

  • Noticeable increase in road noise, particularly as the tire wears
  • Softer sidewalls leading to 'squishy' or less precise handling on dry pavement
  • Slightly higher rolling resistance resulting in a minor decrease in fuel economy
  • Reduced grip on dry and wet pavement compared to dedicated all-season or summer tires

Observations

  • Drivers of RWD vehicles, such as the BMW Z4, reported high satisfaction with the tire's ability to maintain control in harsh winter conditions.
  • Users with light-weight vehicles (e.g., Chevy HHR) and heavy-duty trucks (e.g., Ram, F-150) both report consistent, reliable traction in deep snow.
  • The XL-rated versions provide a robust, beefy sidewall that some users appreciate for sport-tuned suspensions.
Specifications

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 RFT B · General Altimax Arctic 12
Category—Premium Touring Winter tire
Vehicle type—Passenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—38
Rim diameters—15″ – 19″
Tread depth—12/32″
Sidewall—Blackwall
Max pressure—51 psi
Final verdict

Which one should you actually buy?

Bridgestone

General

Winner: Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 RFT — better dry, wet and snow. Pick the General Altimax Arctic 12 if handling matters most to you.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 RFT scores 85 vs 45 on dry.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 RFT scores 89 vs 61 on wet.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 RFT scores 99 vs 74 on snow.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

General Altimax Arctic 12 scores 80 vs 71 on handling.

Tire A · Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 RFT
Tire B · General Altimax Arctic 12

How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements) normalized against the best tire in each test and weighted toward recent tests. 40% comes from thousands of owner reviews collected from retailers and review sites. When a tire has only one of the two, we use what exists and say so.

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