General Altimax Arctic 12 vs Continental VikingContact 8
Ahead in each discipline
The General Altimax Arctic 12 and the Continental VikingContact 8 have met in one independent test so far, and the VikingContact 8 finished ahead. The VikingContact 8 was stronger in dry, snow, ice and comfort.
Performance profile
12 measurements from the one shared test, each tire shown as its share of the better figure.
Where each is furthest ahead
Altimax Arctic 12
VikingContact 8
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
In each test the better of the two figures counts as 100% and the other as its share of it, so a 118 ft stop against 112 ft is 95%; each spoke averages the shared tests that recorded it. The scale stops at 92%: a point further in sits on the hub's edge, hollow.
Where each scores higher
Altimax Arctic 12
VikingContact 8
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
Category scores are percentiles among tires of the same season and class: 90 means this tire out-performs 90% of them, measured across every test we hold, not only the ones it appeared in.
Where owners rate each higher
Altimax Arctic 12
VikingContact 8
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
Owners rate the Altimax Arctic 12 82% from 3 reviews and the VikingContact 8 83% from 8. Each spoke is one question owners answer out of 10; reviews are vetted by hand before publication.
Every measurement, side by side
Both tires' figures from the one test that ran them together, on the same car, in the same size, on the same day. The bar grows towards the tire that did better.
| Measurement | Altimax Arctic 12 | Gap | VikingContact 8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry VikingContact 8 ahead | |||
| Dry Braking ft | 103 | 3.7% | 99 |
| Dry Circle g | 0.78 | 3.8% | 0.81 |
| Subj. Road Score pts | 6.25 | 20% | 7.5 |
| Wet Level | |||
| Wet Braking ft | 122 | 3.8% | 118 |
| Wet Circle g | 0.65 | 3.2% | 0.63 |
| Snow VikingContact 8 ahead | |||
| Snow Braking ft | 61 | 2.9% | 59 |
| Snow Handling s | 56.31 | 3.8% | 54.19 |
| Subj. Snow Handling pts | 7.75 | 3.2% | 8 |
| Ice VikingContact 8 ahead | |||
| Ice Braking ft | 46 | 5.7% | 43 |
| Ice Traction s | 5.51 | 3.8% | 5.3 |
| Comfort VikingContact 8 ahead | |||
| Subj. Comfort pts | 7.5 | 6.7% | 8 |
| Subj. Noise pts | 7.5 | 3.3% | 7.75 |
Braking distances and lap times are better when lower; speeds, wear and grip figures when higher. A test's figures are its own: sizes, cars, surfaces and temperatures differ from one to the next, which is why the averages here are only ever of tests the two tires shared.
Head to head in 1 test in 2026
Each row is one published test in which both tires ran on the same car, in the same size, on the same day. The line is the whole field, winner on the left.
| Test | Altimax Arctic 12 | Field | VikingContact 8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tire Test | P4 of 5 | P1 of 5 |
Altimax Arctic 12 vs VikingContact 8: your questions
Is the General Altimax Arctic 12 or the Continental VikingContact 8 the better tire?
The General Altimax Arctic 12 and the Continental VikingContact 8 have met in one independent test so far, and the VikingContact 8 finished ahead. On the Tire Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the Altimax Arctic 12 scores 6.5 and the VikingContact 8 9.2 out of 10.
Which is better in the wet, the Altimax Arctic 12 or the VikingContact 8?
Across the shared tests the wet measurements are split 1-1 between the Altimax Arctic 12 and the VikingContact 8.
Which is better in the dry?
The VikingContact 8 led 3 of the 3 dry measurements the shared tests recorded.
Which is better in snow?
The VikingContact 8 led 3 of the 3 snow measurements the shared tests recorded.
Which is quieter and more comfortable?
Owners rate comfort 7.3/10 for the Altimax Arctic 12 and 9.1/10 for the VikingContact 8.
What do owners say?
Owners rate the Altimax Arctic 12 82% from 3 reviews and the VikingContact 8 83% from 8.
More comparisons with these tires
vs 
Continental VikingContact 8 vs Michelin X Ice Snow
6-0 in 6 shared tests
vs 
Continental VikingContact 8 vs Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5
6-0 in 6 shared tests
vs 
Continental VikingContact 8 vs Goodyear UltraGrip Ice 3
6-1 in 7 shared tests
vs 
Continental VikingContact 8 vs Pirelli Ice Friction
3-0 in 3 shared tests
vs 
Continental VikingContact 8 vs Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10
2-0 in 4 shared tests
vs 
Continental VikingContact 8 vs Michelin X Ice North 4
2-0 in 4 shared tests
Run either of these?
Your review is the part of this page no test can supply: how the tire wore, how it aged, what it was like in the rain in year three. It takes about five minutes.
Where this data comes from
Finishing positions and measurements are transcribed from each published test. A test only counts here when both tires ran in it, so every figure was recorded on the same car, size and day as the one it is compared to.
About the TR Score
The Tire Reviews Score rates each tire out of 10 from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold, so two tires can be compared even before a test has run them together.
Who does the testing
Every test published as a Tire Reviews test is run by Jonathan Benson, who has been testing tires independently since 2007.