74
/ 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 Kumho Winter Craft WP51 — 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
81
/ 100
Objective (60%)
73/100
2 professional tests
User signal (40%)
78/100
15 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Kumho Winter Craft WP51 — better dry, noise and wet. Pick the General Altimax Arctic 12 if handling and treadwear matter 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)
Winter Craft WP51 leads by 42
Why this score
| Source | Altimax Arctic 12 | Winter Craft WP51 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 17 | 94 |
| Tire Rack owners | 86 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 70 | 77 |
| SimpleTire owners | 87 | – |
| Dry Braking (% of best) | 81% | 100% |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Winter Craft WP51 leads by 13
Why this score
| Source | Altimax Arctic 12 | Winter Craft WP51 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 43 | 74 |
| Tire Rack owners | 88 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 85 | 74 |
| SimpleTire owners | 91 | – |
| Wet Braking (% of best) | 76% | 100% |
Snow
Score (0–100)
Winter Craft WP51 leads by 3
Why this score
| Source | Altimax Arctic 12 | Winter Craft WP51 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 59 | 68 |
| Tire Rack owners | 91 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 95 | 90 |
| SimpleTire owners | 96 | – |
| Snow Braking (% of best) | 92% | 91% |
| Snow Handling (% of best) | 90% | 97% |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
Altimax Arctic 12 leads by 2
Why this score
| Source | Altimax Arctic 12 | Winter Craft WP51 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 86 | – |
| Tire Rack owners | 82 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 70 | 84 |
| SimpleTire owners | 91 | – |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Winter Craft WP51 leads by 17
Why this score
| Source | Altimax Arctic 12 | Winter Craft WP51 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 100 |
| SimpleTire owners | 85 | – |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Altimax Arctic 12 leads by 7
Why this score
| Source | Altimax Arctic 12 | Winter Craft WP51 |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | 87 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 100 | 79 |
| SimpleTire owners | 90 | – |
Handling
Score (0–100)
Altimax Arctic 12 leads by 9
Why this score
| Source | Altimax Arctic 12 | Winter Craft WP51 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 65 | 71 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | General Altimax Arctic 12 | Kumho Winter Craft WP51 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 74 | 81 |
| Dry | 45 | 87 |
| Wet | 61 | 74 |
| Snow | 74 | 77 |
| Comfort | 86 | 84 |
| Noise | 83 | 100 |
| Treadwear | 86 | 79 |
| Handling | 80 | 71 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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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.
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Recomputed
Headline score
74
/ 100
Tire A
81
/ 100
Tire B
Test data
The professional test results behind the scores
Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.
| Discipline | Category | Tire A | Tire B | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 81% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | 100% #11/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test | -19.1 | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 14% #7/17 · 2020 Consumer Reports North America Winter Tyre Test | 6% #16/16 · 2021 ADAC 15 Inch Winter Tyre Test | +8 | Different tests |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 92% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | 91% #3/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test | +1.1 | Different tests |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 90% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | 97% #5/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test | -7.4 | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 76% #9/10 · 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | 100% #11/11 · 2018 AMS Winter Tyre Test | -24 | Different tests |
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 Kumho Winter Craft WP51 is widely regarded as a high-value winter tire that excels in deep snow and icy conditions, often outperforming more expensive competitors in severe weather. While users consistently praise its winter traction and affordability, some report compromises in dry-road handling, wet-weather braking, and increased cabin noise.
Pros
- Exceptional traction and reliability in deep snow and slush
- High price-to-performance ratio compared to premium brands
- Solid durability and tread life for the price point
- Effective performance on icy surfaces
Cons
- Noticeable increase in road noise
- Mediocre wet-weather braking and traction
- Lack of steering feedback and stability on dry pavement
- Potential for tread block squirm during steering inputs
Observations
- Drivers of smaller, lighter vehicles (e.g., Yaris, Mazda 3) report high satisfaction with snow climbing capabilities.
- Owners of heavier or higher-performance vehicles (e.g., Audi A4/A6, Mercedes E220D) noted concerns regarding wet-weather traction and handling precision.
- Some users observed a 15-20% increase in fuel consumption, likely due to the tire's aggressive winter tread compound.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · General Altimax Arctic 12 | B · Kumho Winter Craft WP51 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Premium Touring Winter tire | Winter Premium 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?
74
/ 100
General
81
/ 100
Kumho
Winner: Kumho Winter Craft WP51 — better dry, noise and wet. Pick the General Altimax Arctic 12 if handling and treadwear matter most to you.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Kumho Winter Craft WP51 scores 87 vs 45 on dry.
Pick tire B
You want a quieter cabin
Kumho Winter Craft WP51 scores 100 vs 83 on noise.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Kumho Winter Craft WP51 scores 74 vs 61 on wet.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
General Altimax Arctic 12 scores 80 vs 71 on handling.
Tire A · General Altimax Arctic 12
Tire B · Kumho Winter Craft WP51
More comparisons
Also compared with
General Altimax Arctic 12 also compared with
Kumho Winter Craft WP51 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.