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.
Head-to-head
Updated September 2026
General Altimax Arctic 12 vs Hankook Icebear W440 — 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
83
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
83/100
5 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Hankook Icebear W440 — better dry and wet. Pick the General Altimax Arctic 12 if treadwear 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
Score (0–100)
Icebear W440 leads by 37
Why this score
| Source | Altimax Arctic 12 | Icebear W440 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 17 | – |
| Tire Rack owners | 86 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 70 | 82 |
| SimpleTire owners | 87 | – |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Icebear W440 leads by 25
Why this score
| Source | Altimax Arctic 12 | Icebear W440 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 43 | – |
| Tire Rack owners | 88 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 85 | 86 |
| SimpleTire owners | 91 | – |
Snow
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | Altimax Arctic 12 | Icebear W440 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 59 | – |
| Tire Rack owners | 91 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 95 | – |
| SimpleTire owners | 96 | – |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
Icebear W440 leads by 2
Why this score
| Source | Altimax Arctic 12 | Icebear W440 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 86 | – |
| Tire Rack owners | 82 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 70 | 88 |
| SimpleTire owners | 91 | – |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | Altimax Arctic 12 | Icebear W440 |
|---|---|---|
| SimpleTire owners | 85 | – |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Altimax Arctic 12 leads by 4
Why this score
| Source | Altimax Arctic 12 | Icebear W440 |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 87 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 100 | 82 |
| SimpleTire owners | 90 | – |
Handling
Score (0–100)
Altimax Arctic 12 leads by 2
Why this score
| Source | Altimax Arctic 12 | Icebear W440 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 65 | 78 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | General Altimax Arctic 12 | Hankook Icebear W440 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 72 | 83 |
| Dry | 45 | 82 |
| Wet | 61 | 86 |
| Snow | 74 | – |
| Comfort | 86 | 88 |
| Noise | 83 | – |
| Treadwear | 86 | 82 |
| Handling | 80 | 78 |
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
72
/ 100
Tire A
83
/ 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 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.
The Hankook Icebear W440 is widely regarded as a high-value winter tire that offers impressive performance in snow and ice at a competitive price point. While some users note a necessary break-in period where the tires feel initially slippery, the consensus highlights a significant improvement in traction for rear-wheel-drive vehicles in challenging winter conditions.
Pros
- Excellent traction and confidence on snow and ice
- High value-for-money proposition compared to premium brands
- Noticeable performance improvement for rear-wheel-drive vehicles
- Reliable grip on ungritted and steep winter roads
Cons
- Noticeable 'slippery' sensation during the initial 100-mile break-in period
- Performance is strictly categorized as a budget-friendly option rather than a top-tier premium performer
- Mixed feedback on overall refinement compared to more expensive alternatives
Observations
- Users driving rear-wheel-drive platforms, such as the BMW 5 Series and Mazda Eunos, reported a transformative improvement in winter handling.
- The tire is noted for providing sufficient dry and wet grip once the initial break-in phase is complete.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · General Altimax Arctic 12 | B · Hankook Icebear W440 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Premium Touring Winter tire | Winter Touring tires |
| 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?
72
/ 100
General
83
/ 100
Hankook
Winner: Hankook Icebear W440 — better dry and wet. Pick the General Altimax Arctic 12 if treadwear matters most to you.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Hankook Icebear W440 scores 82 vs 45 on dry.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Hankook Icebear W440 scores 86 vs 61 on wet.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
General Altimax Arctic 12 scores 86 vs 82 on treadwear.
Tire A · General Altimax Arctic 12
Tire B · Hankook Icebear W440
More comparisons
Also compared with
General Altimax Arctic 12 also compared with
Hankook Icebear W440 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.