General Altimax Arctic 12 vs Michelin X Ice Snow
Ahead in each discipline
The General Altimax Arctic 12 and the Michelin X Ice Snow have met in one independent test so far, and the X Ice Snow finished ahead. The Altimax Arctic 12 was stronger in wet, the X Ice Snow in snow and ice.
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
X Ice Snow
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 90%: a point further in sits on the hub's edge, hollow.
Where each scores higher
Altimax Arctic 12
X Ice Snow
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
X Ice Snow
Point at or tap any spoke for both tires' figures.
Owners rate the Altimax Arctic 12 82% from 3 reviews and the X Ice Snow 85% from 19. 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 | X Ice Snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Level | |||
| Dry Braking ft | 103 | 0.3% | 103 |
| Dry Circle g | 0.78 | = | 0.78 |
| Subj. Road Score pts | 6.25 | 28% | 8 |
| Wet Altimax Arctic 12 ahead | |||
| Wet Braking ft | 122 | 5.1% | 129 |
| Wet Circle g | 0.65 | 8.3% | 0.6 |
| Snow X Ice Snow ahead | |||
| Snow Braking ft | 61 | 8.2% | 56 |
| Snow Handling s | 56.31 | 3.6% | 54.31 |
| Subj. Snow Handling pts | 7.75 | 3.2% | 8 |
| Ice X Ice Snow ahead | |||
| Ice Braking ft | 46 | 14.2% | 39 |
| Ice Traction s | 5.51 | 7.6% | 5.09 |
| Comfort Level | |||
| Subj. Comfort pts | 7.5 | 3.3% | 7.75 |
| Subj. Noise pts | 7.5 | 7.1% | 7 |
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 | X Ice Snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tire Test | P4 of 5 | P2 of 5 |
Altimax Arctic 12 vs X Ice Snow: your questions
Is the General Altimax Arctic 12 or the Michelin X Ice Snow the better tire?
The General Altimax Arctic 12 and the Michelin X Ice Snow have met in one independent test so far, and the X Ice Snow finished ahead. On the Tire Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the Altimax Arctic 12 scores 6.5 and the X Ice Snow 7.9 out of 10.
Which is better in the wet, the Altimax Arctic 12 or the X Ice Snow?
The Altimax Arctic 12 led 2 of the 2 wet measurements the shared tests recorded.
Which is better in the dry?
Across the shared tests the dry measurements are split 1-1 between the Altimax Arctic 12 and the X Ice Snow.
Which is better in snow?
The X Ice Snow 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 8.8/10 for the X Ice Snow.
What do owners say?
Owners rate the Altimax Arctic 12 82% from 3 reviews and the X Ice Snow 85% from 19.
More comparisons with these tires
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Michelin X Ice Snow vs Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10
2-1 in 6 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.