88
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
85/100
5 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated September 2026
Continental WinterContact TS 790 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
72
/ 100
Objective (60%)
60/100
1 professional test
User signal (40%)
87/100
56 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Continental WinterContact TS 790 — better dry, wet and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Read full
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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
Score (0–100)
WinterContact TS 790 leads by 37
Why this score
| Source | WinterContact TS 790 | Altimax Arctic 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 17 |
| Tire Rack owners | – | 86 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 82 | 70 |
| SimpleTire owners | – | 87 |
Wet
Score (0–100)
WinterContact TS 790 leads by 31
Why this score
| Source | WinterContact TS 790 | Altimax Arctic 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 43 |
| Tire Rack owners | – | 88 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 92 | 85 |
| SimpleTire owners | – | 91 |
Snow
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | WinterContact TS 790 | Altimax Arctic 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 59 |
| Tire Rack owners | – | 91 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | – | 95 |
| SimpleTire owners | – | 96 |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | WinterContact TS 790 | Altimax Arctic 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 86 |
| Tire Rack owners | – | 82 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 86 | 70 |
| SimpleTire owners | – | 91 |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | WinterContact TS 790 | Altimax Arctic 12 |
|---|---|---|
| SimpleTire owners | – | 85 |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
WinterContact TS 790 leads by 4
Why this score
| Source | WinterContact TS 790 | Altimax Arctic 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | – | 87 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 90 | 100 |
| SimpleTire owners | – | 90 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
WinterContact TS 790 leads by 8
Why this score
| Source | WinterContact TS 790 | Altimax Arctic 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 88 | 65 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Continental WinterContact TS 790 | General Altimax Arctic 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 88 | 72 |
| Dry | 82 | 45 |
| Wet | 92 | 61 |
| Snow | – | 74 |
| Comfort | 86 | 86 |
| Noise | – | 83 |
| Treadwear | 90 | 86 |
| Handling | 88 | 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
88
/ 100
Tire A
72
/ 100
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.
The Continental WinterContact TS 790 is regarded as a reliable and durable winter tire, particularly well-suited for regions with mild winter conditions. Users consistently praise its longevity and wet-weather performance, though its capability in deep snow is viewed as adequate rather than class-leading.
Pros
- Exceptional tread longevity and durability
- Strong grip and stability in wet conditions
- High level of ride comfort
- Consistent performance in mild, slushy, or light snow environments
Cons
- Limited performance in heavy or deep snow conditions
- Not optimized for severe winter climates
Observations
- Demonstrates excellent versatility and reliability on compact city vehicles like the Skoda Citigo
- Maintains high tread depth even after significant mileage (40,000km)
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 · Continental WinterContact TS 790 | B · General Altimax Arctic 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter High Performance tires | Premium Touring Winter tire |
| 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 |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
88
/ 100
Continental
72
/ 100
General
Winner: Continental WinterContact TS 790 — better dry, wet and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Continental WinterContact TS 790 scores 82 vs 45 on dry.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Continental WinterContact TS 790 scores 92 vs 61 on wet.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Continental WinterContact TS 790 scores 88 vs 80 on handling.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Continental WinterContact TS 790 scores 90 vs 86 on treadwear.
Tire A · Continental WinterContact TS 790
Tire B · General Altimax Arctic 12
More comparisons
Also compared with
Continental WinterContact TS 790 also compared with
General Altimax Arctic 12 also compared with
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.