General  Altimax Arctic 12

I have had earlier model / version of this tire as well. Best winter tire for the dollar and outperform the higher priced "winter performance" tires! I go straight from sticky summer autocross tires to these when the weather changes. Great ski tire! These are also excellent rain tires. I will continue buying these for years to come. Excellent value, performance, and peace of mind.

On my second winter in Northern New York with these tires. My car handles great in the snow with them. Last winter I got to test out the deep snow traction when we were hit with a heavy snow fall that totaled 3ft. Drove in to, and home from work and the snow on the road was deep enough you could hear it scraping the undercarriage of the car. Did not get stuck at all. This winter has been more rain/wet so far and the tires grip the wet road as though it were dry. Can't really comment on tread wear just yet, but so far after 1 winter season, the treads still look new. I do not put them on until the tempurature stays below 40F (usually November) and take them off once the temp starts staying above 40F (Usually April) No complaints whatsoever with these tires. Would definitely buy again.

I didn't hesitate to choose the Arctic 12s when it came time to replace my previous generation Arctics. After 7 seasons of confident winter traction they were done! Money well spent. Haven't seen any snow yet with new set. I run them non-studded because of occasional trips to Ontario CA, but they still do great, even in our WNY winters! You won't be disappointed! And as always, the Tire Rack buying experience is stress free!

I love these tires! Great on my Honda Civic. They provided me the confidence I needed for winter driving. Awesome traction in all snow depths and handles well on ice. Would definitely buy again!

I purchased these tires with rims, to use during the winter. I'm very happy with this purchase. The tires are fantastic in snow and ice. I was very surprised at how well the tires work in averse conditions. The only downside to the tires is how noisy they are on dry pavement, but I expected it. It's a fair trade-off for how good they are in the snow.

These are my winter set for my 2018 WRX. I have 3 seasons and approx 15k miles on them now. Compared to the original Altimax Arctic which I ran on my previous car, the AA 12s are significantly quieter and better in dry conditions. I did not get mine studded as ice isn't the majority of my winter driving conditions. In dry, cold conditions they're still squishy and spongy compared to my summer setup but that's to be expected. Steering response is delayed and it's easy to make them howl in the corners. However when it comes to the white stuff they really shine. I've tried to get stuck. Snow up to the hood is the upper limit but it's really more of a ground clearance thing at that point. In normal snowy road conditions they do fantastic, I love being able to out-stop and out-accelerate nearly anything else on the road short of a snowmobile. Would definitely recommend as a great budget friendly winter tire.

I Absolutely LOVE these tires. I drive highway 20 miles to work in ALL weather conditions- I did a lot of research before I settled on these and I am not disappointed. I have held my own in rain, snow, ice, dry conditions. I have just a normal sedan and it feels like it even gives my car more power. I am a very happy customer.

I waited until we had a couple of Michigan snow storms before I rated these tires and now I can say with confidence, these tires really get the job done. This car has been mediocre in the snow at best but these tires have transformed it into a snow beast. Let's face it, you buy winter only tires for one reason, driving in winter weather and that is where these tires really pull through but the dry performance is also very respectable. I really don't push the car through tight corners at speed so it's not fair for me to rate them in that category but driving the way you expect someone to drive an 09 Focus sedan, they are quiet on the road and handle just fine. Driving on snow covered highways and side streets is a joy with a very stable feel and stopping on snow and ice is where they really pay off. I find myself tempted to be "that guy" driving faster and passing everybody just because I can but better judgement takes over and I just maintain a reasonable speed in traffic and enjoy the drive. What can be a anxious, white knuckle, just want to be there type of ordeal is now a relaxing and enjoyable drive in a beautiful winter storm. The more you hate driving in snow, the more you need these tires and at the same time, the more you like driving in the snow, the more you need these tires!

Over the years we have had Blizzaks and General Arctics for snow tires as well as General RT43's for summer tires. It is that history that led us to get the Arctics last year for the wife's Rav4. She previously had same for her Prius and was amazed how well just front wheel drive with snows did in the New England winters. I have them on my Fusion AWD and have fantastic results as well. She works nights as a CNA so needs reliable tires/transportation which is why when she leased her Rav we knew it would be Generals for winter use. This winter has not been as bad with snow as previous ones but we have had more ice storms than usual. The combination of the Rav AWD and the Generals (along with careful driving) has made sure she gets to and from work safely and without incident. She appreciates that the Generals are quieter and ride smoother than the OEM summers. She can be a little spirited with stopping so I'm glad for the traction the Generals provide both with snow and ice. This winter has forced her to reign in her driving somewhat but her confidence in the Generals shows when she drives herself rather than have me take her in. As we have dedicated summer and winter tires we expect to get at least 5+ seasons out of the Generals - I expect they will be replaced based on age long before they run out of tread. Anyone considering a good snow tire and can't afford Blizzaks (our previous 1st choice) will be very please to try the Generals and have both comfort and safety as a reward. Thanks General!

On an older Focus these tires are great. I was able to travel on snow and slippery roads during the winter that would not have been possible with all season radials. Including on packed snowy roads with a touch of frozen material on top. Quiet on the freeway and deliver a smooth ride. I run General Altimax all seasons on the same car in spring, summer and fall. General makes a good tire for the money. I have a set of Grabbers on my Nissan Frontier with over 55k on them and they still show good tread and ride well.

Consistently, a good and economical choice. Comfortable ride, but somewhat noisy.

This is an excellent winter tire for the money. They offer excellent snow grip and are comfortable. They've gotten a little louder since when they were new, but that is to be expected. Still nothing terrible. The handling and cornering performance is what you'd expect from a winter tire - nothing special, but I've had winter tires that were way clumbsier than these. They offer a very accepable handling experience in my opinion. And the treadwear is fantastic, I estimate I'll get 16k-18k out of these before they need to be replaced.

So far I've been very impressed with these. They start off with roughly 12.5/32" tread, and after 5000 miles all four were still showing more than 11/32. Traction in both deep and light snow was great, my RWD car seemed to accelerate nearly as well as the 4WD/AWDs I've owned in the past on all-seasons.

The biggest benefit was stability at speed. The increase in lateral grip was noticeable compared to my all-seasons, and braking distance was significantly reduced. Nothing grips ice well, but these grip noticeably better. I was able to climb light inclines on ice that required a running start on all seasons.

I highly recommend winter tires for anyone in a climate that regularly get snow, and these performed roughly as well as the Blizzak's I've had in the past. Would definitely purchase again, and I will keep this review updated if things change.

Put these on my 2017 Equinox November 2017. Used all winter (7500 miles) in NE and tires still look new. Very impressive traction in any snow one would venture out into with a Front WD Equinox. 4-6 inches on unplowed roads - no concerns. Probably could do 8" on unplowed roads if necessary, but wouldn't be my choice of vehicle for this. Tires would pull through just fine, I suspect, but why bother.

I have to travel a 3/8 mile uphill incline of about 7% in a residential neighborhood to get to my home. Traction is mandatory as there is no room to get any momentum. These tires did and excellent job of pulling up this hill in both loose and hard packed conditions. hard pack, slush, powder were all handled well by this tire and standing water and wet roads just fine too.

Ice traction is a misleading category in my opinion. Nothing short of studs will be worth a darn. Having lived in snow country over 40 years, this has been my experience.

If you are looking for a very good snow tire (that probably could double as an all season tire) at a reasonable price point, this was and will continue to be my choice. I have ran the "top of the line" snow tires in the past, and while they may do marginally better in performance, their price point was much higher and longevity significantly less.