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General Altimax Arctic 12
  • General Altimax Arctic 12
  • General Altimax Arctic 12

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The AltiMAX Arctic 12 is General's Studdable Winter/Snow tire designed for the drivers of coupes, sedans, crossovers and SUVs looking for confident performance and traditional wintertime traction on dry, wet and snow-covered roads.

General Altimax Arctic 12General AltiMAX Arctic 12 tires feature a winter-focused compound molded into a highly directional tread pattern. The arrow-shaped, rigid central rib provides solid on-center feel and steering response, and the optimized tread contour aids in pressure distribution across the footprint for improved wear compared to the previous-generation tire. High-void, angled grooves and wide lateral notches evacuate water and slush from the contact patch to resist hydroplaning, and the strategically angled tread blocks and serrated sipes provide additional biting edges for confident traction in slippery conditions.

Internal construction of the AltiMAX Arctic 12 consists of a high-turn up, polyester casing beneath two wide, steel belts. A spirally wound, polyamide cap ply aids handling and provides high-speed durability.

AltiMAX Arctic 12 tires meet the industry's severe snow service requirements and are branded with the three-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) symbol.

Install AltiMAX Arctic 12 tires in sets of four only.

Molded to accept optional TSMI #12 silver-colored metallic winter studs.

Related Information: What is the three-peak mountain snowflake symbol (3PMSF)?

Tire Rack Test Results General Altimax Arctic 12

Testing Studdable Winter / Snow Tires: General AltiMAX Arctic 12 Studded and Non-Studded (03:31)

The General AltiMAX Arctic 12 has been a customer favorite since it was released. We compared it to another big name in the category – and a studded set of AltiMAX Arctic 12 tires – to see if the performance justifies the reputation.

Read the Full Test Report

Ratings Charts & Reviews General Altimax Arctic 12

Tire Category: Studdable Winter / Snow

Consumer Surveys

 
Best in Category
Miles Reported
Recommended
Treadwear
General Altimax Arctic 12
Excellent
99%
3.1M
9.1 - Excellent
8.8 - Excellent
8.9 Hydroplaning Resistance
8.8 Wet Traction
8.6 - Excellent
8.5 Corner Stability
8.8 Dry Traction
8.6 Steering Response
9.1 - Excellent
9.4 Light Snow Traction
9.1 Deep Snow Traction
8.7 Ice Traction
8.2 - Good
8.7 Ride Quality
7.8 Noise
8.7 - Excellent

Customers Say

Owners report excellent dry traction and confident wet performance, with most ratings in the 8-10 range for on-road and light off-road use. Winter traction earns praise for snowy conditions (7-10 scores), though ice performance shows more variability with some 5-7 ratings. Riders appreciate the comfortable highway experience and quiet ride for an all-terrain tire, with noise levels rarely mentioned as an issue. Treadwear receives mostly 7-10 scores, though a few outliers note faster wear in aggressive off-road use. While not specialized for severe winter conditions, users report it handles typical all-terrain needs well, particularly valuing its durability in rugged scenarios.

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Customers Like:

352 customers mention "Wet Traction"

  • 264 positive
  • 88 negative

Customers praise wet traction with most scoring 9s-10s, noting confident grip. Some report lower scores (0-6), indicating occasional concerns in heavy rain.

February 20, 2014

4.9 out of 5 Star Rating
4.9 out of 5

Really grippy, first rain of the season when road is wet and oily still had great traction...

Really grippy, first rain of the season when road is wet and oily still had great traction
very quiet, excellent handling, ride is very good though just a tad rougher than old tires which could be because of the Kevlar or because the old tires were worn
really loving them so far. Have no idea what people are talking about with not being able to stay in their lane, could be mechanical because of the excellent steering response
only time will tell how many miles I get, but right now they are a screaming buy!!!!

Vehicle: 2007 Toyota Sequoia SR5 4wd
Miles Driven on Tires: 1,000
Driving Conditions: Combined Highway/City
Location: SIMI VALLEY, CA
Driving Style: Spirited
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December 03, 2013

4.7 out of 5 Star Rating
4.7 out of 5

...Although traction is great it doesn't mean it gives you a license to drive like an A-hole. I would say traction is better, had about 8 of heavy wet snow fall on us last night, I drove 60 miles to work in all kinds of roadway --------, no issues...

Alright, let me explain a little here. I mainly graded alot of 9s' for the fact that nothing is ever perfect, these are ---- near there. Okay, I have driven on dry, wet, light snow, heavy snow, slush, icy asphalt (city and hwy). I use to run the Firestone Destination A/Ts, however there was a rebate on this tire so I said what the heck why not. I did, and couldn't be happier. Although traction is great it doesn't mean it gives you a license to drive like an A-hole. I would say traction is better, had about 8" of heavy wet snow fall on us last night, I drove 60 miles to work in all kinds of roadway --------, no issues. Any road condition you can think of in winter weather, all but driving during a blizzard, I just faced it. I waited for this opportunity to rate these tires. My truck is a diesel, a Dodge at that, so the ride isn't that smooth to begin with (can compare to a lumber wagon), and engine noise is kinda up there too. I did not notice any uncomfortable noise from the tires (howling). I thought I would considering the luggy type tread, but I am happy with the noise level...which like I said I don't hear...LOL. Anyway, I have driven on dry pavement, steering is a breeze, handles nice in all kinds of dry road situations. I was really impressed by the snow/slush/ice stopping ability, and upon take off not much for spinning or loss of traction...really impressed. I may add another review later when the weather warms and I start hauling my camper...yes these are an E-rated tire...so stiff to begin with and ride is actually nice. I was going to mention that I have driven on rocky, gravel, sandy (hard pack and loose) types of roadways...handled the conditions very well, I was very impressed by the American made tire as in the past I had one model of Goodyear that was junk in the past, these have won me over on the steady truck tire for me. I know my review is all over the place but the handling in the snow related junk is excellent IMO.

Vehicle: 2009 Dodge Ram 2500 SLT 4wd Mega Cab
Miles Driven on Tires: 750
Driving Conditions: Combined Off Road/Highway
Location: HINCKLEY, MN
Driving Style: Spirited
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April 21, 2015

4.7 out of 5 Star Rating
4.7 out of 5

...It was raining heavily this past weekend, and I tried to get a little loose around corners from the start, but it was impossible with these tires...

Very great ride on this set of tires. I put a full set all around, and have no complaints at all. It was raining heavily this past weekend, and I tried to get a little loose around corners of from the start, but it was impossible with these tires. Great traction on and off road.

Vehicle: 2006 Toyota 4Runner 2wd SR5
Miles Driven on Tires: 5,200
Driving Conditions: Mostly Highway
Location: POOLER, GA
Driving Style: Average
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287 customers mention "Winter Traction"

  • 196 positive
  • 91 negative

Customers praise winter traction with most snow/deep snow scores 9-10, noting confident performance. Ice traction shows mixed results, with scores ranging 5-8 and some lower ratings indicating occasional challenges.

November 25, 2014 (Verified Purchase)

4.6 out of 5 Star Rating
4.6 out of 5

I have an incline driveway which i drove up with eight inches of snow without any wheel slip at all. No need to change to snows as these perform well on dry or wet/snowy roads...

I am a 4 million mile professional driver and i use this on my vehicle that i earn my living with. I drive aggressively and in all weather. These tires are very good and can be used year round. I have an incline driveway which i drove up with eight inches of snow without any wheel slip at all. No need to change to snows as these perform well on dry or wet/snowy roads. I will be placing a new set on even though these are not gone yet. I have over 56k miles on them and they still have tread left but i never wear tires to too shallow a tread depth for safety reasons. These tire do not have formal water channeling design but they have large enough gaps so hydroplaning is resisted to a point. If there was a negative about the tire it was several flats gotten early on. There are not many tires i can recommend in this size that will perform on snow and dry pavement well. These get my vote for best available and tread design. Just wish goodyear would stop jacking up the price. If they don't i will go another route.

Vehicle: 2014 GMC Yukon XL Denali 1500 AWD
Miles Driven on Tires: 56,000
Driving Conditions: Combined Highway/City
Location: THORNHURST, PA
Driving Style: Spirited
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December 08, 2013

4.5 out of 5 Star Rating
4.5 out of 5

...So far the tires have been great on the highway, in snow, and on ice...

Great traction and great ride so far. I'll provide an update once I have a few more thousand miles on the tires. So far the tires have been great on the highway, in snow, and on ice. Dry handling has improved greatly over my previous tires and there is absolutely no road noise. No issues with getting the wheels balanced properly in the first attempt.

Vehicle: 2007 Nissan Armada
Miles Driven on Tires: 500
Driving Conditions: Combined Highway/City
Location: CENTENNIAL, CO
Driving Style: Spirited
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March 15, 2014

4.9 out of 5 Star Rating
4.9 out of 5

...From dry pavement to ice/snow packed pavement and Snowy slush covered roads. I have seen most if not all winter driving conditions this winter down to -22 degrees Fahrenheit. I haul and tow heavy campers and trailers and these tires are performing very well...

I have driven from Oregon to Saskatoon,SK, from Oregon to Anchorage, Alaska up thru Yukon, all during the winter. From dry pavement to ice/snow packed pavement and Snowy slush covered roads. I have seen most if not all winter driving conditions this winter down to -22 degrees Fahrenheit. I haul and tow heavy campers and trailers and these tires are performing very well. My driving style is very conservative so I am hoping to get the advertised mileage. The Wrangler A/T Adventurer is a winter rated tire with the "snow flake" symbol on the sidewall, which I believe is made with a softer compound. I have had only 1 "Oh Crap" experience while driving on ice, but it was caused by a big side gust of wind. I am very pleased with the performance of these Wrangler tires.

Vehicle: 2013 Ram 3500 4wd Crew Cab
Miles Driven on Tires: 39,500
Driving Conditions: All Highway
Location: SEASIDE, OR
Driving Style: Easy Going
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364 customers mention "Dry Traction"

  • 341 positive
  • 23 negative

Customers praise dry traction with most scoring 9s and 10s, citing confident grip and responsive handling. Scores between 7-8 indicate reliable on-road performance, aligning with its all-terrain design.

September 24, 2014 (Verified Purchase)

5 out of 5 Star Rating
5 out of 5

...The dry and wet traction is unbelievable even when empty...

I will review again after winter but wanted to submit my initial impressions. Wow! If you have the F250 or F350 diesel you need this tire. It blows the OEM tire out of the water. I changed the OEM to a Cooper AT at less than 20K because it was worthless in the snow and ice. The cooper was somewhat better if I kept enough weight in the bed but it wore out fast and the steering response and ride were disappointing even when new. They were worn out at 30K miles. Popped a tire (on gravel) in August and bought these. I have about 1500 miles on the tires about half of them off road and some on roads that are technical with large rocks. The other half is highway. I do very little city driving with this rig. I haul a 5000 lb camper and tow a 5000 lb boat frequently. The dry and wet traction is unbelievable even when empty, I can't wait to try them in the snow.

The sidewalls are stiff and you have to use a tire shop that has high pressure mounting to seat the tire. They balanced with very little weight and the ride is very smooth, am literally dumbfounded how such a stout tire rides so nice. Again, I don't know about Chevy or Dodge but if you have the diesel Ford you will not be disappointed.

Vehicle: 2005 Ford F350 SupCrew 4wd
Miles Driven on Tires: 1,500
Driving Conditions: Combined Off Road/Highway
Location: SPOKANE, WA
Driving Style: Spirited
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February 11, 2019

4.3 out of 5 Star Rating
4.3 out of 5

...Also happy with their dry and wet traction so far.

We haven't had these tires for too long as they came on our new GC Trailhawk. Most miles to this point have been highway, but we will start adding offroad mileage soon. They ride is good and they don't make a lot of noise. Also happy with their dry and wet traction so far.

Vehicle: 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4X4 Overland
Miles Driven on Tires: 1,020
Driving Conditions: Combined Off Road/Highway
Location: CROSSROADS, TX
Driving Style: Average
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July 26, 2016

4.9 out of 5 Star Rating
4.9 out of 5

...Replaced the POS Michelin OEM tires and it changed the whole dynamic of the Jeep...better ride and handling in all weather conditions...

This is an awesome tire for the Jeep Grand Cherokee or other SUV's. Replaced the POS Michelin OEM tires and it changed the whole dynamic of the Jeep....better ride and handling in all weather conditions. Very aggressive tread but not noisy at all.....highly recommend!

Vehicle: 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited
Miles Driven on Tires: 3,000
Driving Conditions: Mostly Highway
Location: AKRON, OH
Driving Style: Spirited
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365 customers mention "Ride Quality"

  • 302 positive
  • 63 negative

Customers praise ride comfort and low noise levels, with most scoring 9s and 10s. A few report lower scores (4-6), noting occasional road noise or firmness, but overall satisfaction remains high for on-road use.

May 26, 2016

4.8 out of 5 Star Rating
4.8 out of 5

...On the higway they are very quite and smooth, delivering a safe care free journey...

We've got 24,000 miles on this set of tires and they have been great. I have them rotated every 5,000 miles and the wear appears very even and not extreme. We live in rural Montana and while the main highways are in very good condition the side roads are ill maintained and vary from rock to gumbo mud . While the gumbo often requires 4 WD the tires have yet to create any doubts about making it through. On the higway they are very quite and smooth, delivering a safe care free journey. Great tire !!

Vehicle: 2014 GMC Sierra 1500 4wd Crew Cab
Miles Driven on Tires: 24,000
Driving Conditions: Combined Off Road/Highway
Location: MELSTONE, MT
Driving Style: Average
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July 31, 2017

4.2 out of 5 Star Rating
4.2 out of 5

...They are incredibly quiet and comfortable tires for being so beefy...

I have had these tires for about 4 years now with around 30000 miles on them. They are fantastic tires other then the tread life is terrible. I have had all 4 replaced under warranty because they were down to the wear bars at 30k. They are incredibly quiet and comfortable tires for being so beefy. I suggest them for off road use only. I loved them when I was out in the country and offroading. They were impossible to get stuck and performed great in almost any condition. The only downside is they didn't last but about half the tire warranty. If you are looking for a great off road tire this is it. If you are looking for an on road and off road tire be aware that these failed early.

Vehicle: 2013 RAM 1500 4wd Quad Cab
Miles Driven on Tires: 31,000
Driving Conditions: Mostly Highway
Location: RICHMOND, TX
Driving Style: Average
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August 30, 2016 (Verified Purchase)

4.6 out of 5 Star Rating
4.6 out of 5

...They're quite and ride nice, I just hit 35,000 miles and have a lot of tread left.

I have these tires on my 2015 GMC 2500HD Duramax and are by far the best tire I've owned. I mainly drive highways in all weather conditions, these tires really shine on snow and ice as well as wet roads. I pull a 35' fifth wheel occasionally along with a couple of flatbed trailers however most of the time I'm commuting. They're quite and ride nice, I just hit 35,000 miles and have a lot of tread left.

Vehicle: 2015 GMC Sierra 2500 HD 4wd Crew Cab
Miles Driven on Tires: 35,000
Driving Conditions: Mostly Highway
Location: DONIPHAN, NE
Driving Style: Average
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317 customers mention "Treadwear"

  • 206 positive
  • 111 negative

Customers praise treadwear with most scoring 9s and 10s, noting long-lasting performance on rugged terrain. Some report lower scores (0-6), indicating uneven wear concerns.

December 07, 2022

4.3 out of 5 Star Rating
4.3 out of 5

All 4 tires at 42,900 miles have 7/32nd tread left, not bad... I believe i will go beyond manufacture mileage rating.

All 4 tires at 42,900 miles have 7- 32nd tread left, not bad. I rotate every 8 to 10 k and keep the psi at 30 lbs unless i'am towing and then i will add air. The manufacture door jamb recommends 30 psi and for good reason. I believe i will go beyond manufacture mileage rating.

Vehicle: 2021 Toyota Tacoma 4WD Double Cab
Miles Driven on Tires: 42,900
Driving Conditions: Combined Off Road/Highway
Location: SEAFORD, DE
Driving Style: Average
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February 16, 2015

4.1 out of 5 Star Rating
4.1 out of 5

Great tire but tread wear was 75% at 9,500 and 50% at 16,000 miles.

Great tire but tread wear was 75% at 9,500 and 50% at 16,000 miles.

Vehicle: 2012 Ford F150 Lariat 4wd Super Crew
Miles Driven on Tires: 16,000
Driving Conditions: Mostly City
Location: SUN PRAIRIE, WI
Driving Style: Average
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March 07, 2015

3.1 out of 5 Star Rating
3.1 out of 5

I am really disappointed with these tires,the only thing i liked is the wear of the tires...

I have bought these tires bought on many reviews.
I am really disappointed with these tires,the only thing i liked is the wear of the tires.
weak sidewall ,had a problem with two of them.
i am considering to shift to another brand

Vehicle: 2011 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon
Miles Driven on Tires: 24,000
Driving Conditions: Combined Off Road/Highway
Location: COLORADO SPRINGS, CO
Driving Style: Spirited
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Consumer Reviews

Media Gallery

Testing Studdable Winter / Snow Tires: General AltiMAX Arctic 12 Studded and Non-Studded (03:31)

The General AltiMAX Arctic 12 has been a customer favorite since it was released. We compared it to another big name in the category – and a studded set of AltiMAX Arctic 12 tires – to see if the performance justifies the reputation.

Read the Full Test Report

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