74
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
70/100
1 owner review
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated September 2026
Firestone WinterForce 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: Firestone WinterForce — better dry and wet. Pick the General Altimax Arctic 12 if handling, comfort and treadwear matter most to you.
Read full
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made via links on this page.
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)
WinterForce leads by 25
Why this score
| Source | WinterForce | Altimax Arctic 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 17 |
| Tire Rack owners | – | 86 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 70 | 70 |
| SimpleTire owners | – | 87 |
Wet
Score (0–100)
WinterForce leads by 19
Why this score
| Source | WinterForce | Altimax Arctic 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 43 |
| Tire Rack owners | – | 88 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 80 | 85 |
| SimpleTire owners | – | 91 |
Snow
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | WinterForce | Altimax Arctic 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 59 |
| Tire Rack owners | – | 91 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | – | 95 |
| SimpleTire owners | – | 96 |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
Altimax Arctic 12 leads by 16
Why this score
| Source | WinterForce | Altimax Arctic 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 86 |
| Tire Rack owners | – | 82 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 70 | 70 |
| SimpleTire owners | – | 91 |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | WinterForce | Altimax Arctic 12 |
|---|---|---|
| SimpleTire owners | – | 85 |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Altimax Arctic 12 leads by 6
Why this score
| Source | WinterForce | Altimax Arctic 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | – | 87 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 80 | 100 |
| SimpleTire owners | – | 90 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
Altimax Arctic 12 leads by 20
Why this score
| Source | WinterForce | Altimax Arctic 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 60 | 65 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Firestone WinterForce | General Altimax Arctic 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 74 | 72 |
| Dry | 70 | 45 |
| Wet | 80 | 61 |
| Snow | – | 74 |
| Comfort | 70 | 86 |
| Noise | – | 83 |
| Treadwear | 80 | 86 |
| Handling | 60 | 80 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Personalize
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.
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Recomputed
Headline score
74
/ 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.
Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.
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 · Firestone WinterForce | B · General Altimax Arctic 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter Touring 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?
74
/ 100
Firestone
72
/ 100
General
Winner: Firestone WinterForce — better dry and wet. Pick the General Altimax Arctic 12 if handling, comfort and treadwear matter most to you.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Firestone WinterForce scores 70 vs 45 on dry.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
General Altimax Arctic 12 scores 80 vs 60 on handling.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Firestone WinterForce scores 80 vs 61 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
General Altimax Arctic 12 scores 86 vs 70 on comfort.
Tire A · Firestone WinterForce
Tire B · General Altimax Arctic 12
More comparisons
Also compared with
Firestone WinterForce 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.