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Head-to-head Updated May 2026

Dunlop SP Sport 5000 Symmetrical vs General Altimax Arctic — Compared (May 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

Winter Touring tires

General Altimax Arctic tread pattern
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
85/100
57 owner reviews
Dry
87
Wet
86
Snow
88
Comfort
86
Noise
83
Treadwear
84
Handling
78
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Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VerdictWinner: General Altimax Arctic — better snow, noise and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.
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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) Altimax Arctic leads by 14
A
73
B
87
Why this score
SourceSP Sport 5000 SymmetricalAltimax Arctic
Tire Rack owners 72 –
Tyre Reviews owners – 73
SimpleTire owners – 92

Wet

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Altimax Arctic leads by 27
A
59
B
86
Why this score
SourceSP Sport 5000 SymmetricalAltimax Arctic
Tire Rack owners 58 –
Tyre Reviews owners – 67
SimpleTire owners – 90

Snow

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Altimax Arctic leads by 49
A
39
B
88
Why this score
SourceSP Sport 5000 SymmetricalAltimax Arctic
Tire Rack owners 39 –
Tyre Reviews owners – 10
SimpleTire owners – 96

Comfort

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Altimax Arctic leads by 34
A
52
B
86
Why this score
SourceSP Sport 5000 SymmetricalAltimax Arctic
Tire Rack owners 53 –
Tyre Reviews owners – 57
SimpleTire owners – 90

Noise

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Altimax Arctic leads by 36
A
47
B
83
Why this score
SourceSP Sport 5000 SymmetricalAltimax Arctic
SimpleTire owners – 81

Treadwear

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Altimax Arctic leads by 36
A
48
B
84
Why this score
SourceSP Sport 5000 SymmetricalAltimax Arctic
Tire Rack owners 51 –
Tyre Reviews owners – 53
SimpleTire owners – 87

Handling

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Altimax Arctic leads by 5
A
73
B
78
Why this score
SourceSP Sport 5000 SymmetricalAltimax Arctic
Tyre Reviews owners – 50

Scores at a glance

CategoryDunlop SP Sport 5000 SymmetricalGeneral Altimax Arctic
Relative Score 55 85
Dry 73 87
Wet 59 86
Snow 39 88
Comfort 52 86
Noise 47 83
Treadwear 48 84
Handling 73 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

Tire A

Tire B

From owners

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Dunlop SP Sport 5000 Symmetrical

Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.

Tire B General Altimax Arctic

The General AltiMAX Arctic is widely regarded as a high-value winter tire that delivers exceptional traction in snow, slush, and ice. While some users note a slight increase in road noise and a softer feel in dry conditions, the consensus is that it offers performance comparable to premium brands at a significantly more accessible price point.

Pros

  • Exceptional traction and grip in deep snow and icy conditions
  • High value-for-money ratio compared to premium winter tire brands
  • Impressive tread longevity for a dedicated winter compound
  • Reliable handling and braking performance in cold-weather environments

Cons

  • Increased road noise, particularly as the tire wears
  • Soft sidewall feel leading to less precise handling on dry pavement
  • Potential for minor understeer during aggressive cornering
  • Not intended for year-round use, as dry performance is compromised

Observations

  • Owners of RWD vehicles, including sports roadsters, report high confidence in deep snow and winter conditions.
  • Users with light-weight vehicles (e.g., Chevy HHR, FWD Civics) report excellent starting and stopping capability on slippery surfaces.
  • Drivers of heavy-duty trucks and SUVs appreciate the durability and load-handling capabilities of the tire's construction.
Specifications

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Dunlop SP Sport 5000 Symmetrical B · General Altimax Arctic
Category—Winter Touring tires
Vehicle type—Passenger Car / Crossover
Tread depth—12/32″
Sidewall—Blackwall
Max pressure—44 psi
Final verdict

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop

General

Winner: General Altimax Arctic — better snow, noise and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You drive through snowy winters

General Altimax Arctic scores 88 vs 39 on snow.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

General Altimax Arctic scores 83 vs 47 on noise.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

General Altimax Arctic scores 84 vs 48 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

General Altimax Arctic scores 86 vs 52 on comfort.

Tire A · Dunlop SP Sport 5000 Symmetrical
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Tire B · General Altimax Arctic
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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.