General AltiMAX Arctic 12 vs AltiMAX Arctic 12 (Studded): If you are living in an area which has a cold and long winter, you probably heard of Nordic/Studless tires. These are the tires which are designed specifically for snow & ice usage only. In terms of winter performances the typical ranking goes like this, All Season –> Winter –> Nordic/Studless–>Studded.
The General AltiMAX Arctic 12 is a studdable winter tire that promises to provide reliable traction and handling in extreme weather conditions. With its innovative design and advanced technologies, the AltiMAX Arctic 12 is a game-changer for drivers who need a tire that can handle harsh winter roads. One of the standout features of the AltiMAX Arctic 12 is its studdable design, which allows drivers to add studs for even better traction on ice and hard-packed snow. This feature makes the AltiMAX Arctic 12 a great choice for drivers who frequently encounter extreme winter conditions, such as heavy snow or ice storms.
In terms of launch date, the General AltiMAX Arctic 12 was introduced to the market in late 2016 and has been well-received by drivers and industry experts alike. General Tires, the manufacturer of the AltiMAX Arctic 12, has made several marketing claims about the tire, including its ability to provide superior handling and stability in winter conditions, as well as its long-lasting performance and durability.
This kept us wondering, what is the performance difference between Studded vs Studdable using the same pattern? Lucky for us, Tire Rack duly comply with our request and we will take this opportunity to evaluate the results in this article.
Table of Contents
Results: General AltiMAX Arctic 12 vs AltiMAX Arctic 12 (Studded)
Results below were taken from the Tire Rack’s “Testing Studdable Winter / Snow Tires 2022” test. A total of 4 tires were tested this time around in Tire Rack’s own proving ground. The graph below shows the comparison between General AltiMAX Arctic 12 vs General AltiMAX Arctic 12 (Studded) based on the relevant performance category. The AltiMAX Arctic 12 was set as a reference hence at the 100% mark. Note that for subjective evaluation, we equate 1 point as 5%. Hence for example if tire A is graded 7 while tire B is graded 6, A is better than B by 5%.
As we are evaluating the Nordic/Studless segments, Tire Rack has tested ice but the snow results are due this 2022/23 winter season. Besides ice, a detailed testing on summer performances such as wet & dry braking/handling were conducted. The tire size of interest is a 225/45R17 which is a common tire size for Audi A3 and Hyundai Elantra. You can check out our latest tire size table for more information. The testing vehicle is a powerful 2022 Subaru BRZ Limited.
Ice
As what vanilla ice said in his famous song “Ice Ice Baby”, the song sums up the key needs for this particular segment. As the usage conditions are usually around lower than -10°C, ice is the most wanted criteria. This is where we got a clear indication who dominates in winter performance as AltiMAX Arctic 12 (Studded) managed to out-brake AltiMAX Arctic 12 by 4.6 feet (1.4m) from a braking speed of 12 mph (20 km/h) to 0.
In ice acceleration the advantage is much smaller as AltiMAX Arctic 12 (Studded) took 0.06 seconds less to get till 60 feet in comparison with AltiMAX Arctic 12. Overall we can see that the studded version of AltiMAX Arctic 12 does have an upper edge on ice.
AltiMAX Arctic 12 (Studded):
- +13% in ice braking
- +1.2% in ice acceleration
Snow
Comparing the snow performance of the General AltiMAX Arctic 12 in its studless and studded configurations reveals some interesting nuances in their capabilities.
Starting with snow braking from 25 to 0 mph, the studded version of the AltiMAX Arctic 12 has a slight edge, coming to a stop in 46.90 feet, whereas the studless version takes a bit longer at 48.60 feet. The inclusion of studs in the tire evidently enhances its ability to grip onto the snowy surface, resulting in a shorter stopping distance.
When it comes to snow acceleration from 0 to 12 mph, the performance is very closely matched, with the studless tire slightly outperforming the studded version, covering the distance in 24.10 feet as opposed to 24.30 feet. This demonstrates that the addition of studs does not necessarily translate to a significant advantage in every aspect of snow performance.
In terms of subjective snow handling, drivers rated the studded AltiMAX Arctic 12 higher, with a score of 7.75 out of 10, compared to 7.54 for the studless version. This indicates a perceived improvement in control and confidence when driving on snow with the studded tire.
In summary, while the studded General AltiMAX Arctic 12 showcases slightly better performance in snow braking and handling, the differences are minimal. The choice between the studless and studded versions should therefore be based on specific driving conditions and personal preferences.
AltiMAX Arctic 12 (Studded):
- +3.6% in snow braking
- -0.8% in snow acceleration
- +1.1% in snow handling (subj)
Wet
The friction of coefficient of the tire/road dramatically decreases in wet roads compared to dry roads. Hence it is more likely to get into a road accident during wet conditions rather than on a sunny day. It was so important that the EU label has wet braking as one of its three criteria. AltiMAX Arctic 12 (Studded) came out on top again as it out brake AltiMAX Arctic 12 by 1.4 feet (0.43m) in distance at a braking speed of 50mph (80km/h) down to 0.This is kind of counter intuitive as you would expect contact area >> than pressure distribution in wet braking but the results proof otherwise.
The same advantage continued with wet handling as AltiMAX Arctic 12 (Studded) was 0.66 seconds faster per lap & has a slightly higher subjective rating of 6.25/10 compared to the 6.19/10 of AltiMAX Arctic 12.
AltiMAX Arctic 12 (Studded):
- +1% in wet braking
- +0.3% in wet handling (subj)
- +1.7% in wet handling (lap time)
Dry
As for dry, safety is usually not an issue as the braking distance is much longer than wet. However this is the default daily usage and the tires have to perform at a very consistent level. The non-studded AltiMAX Arctic 12 took back the initiative in dry braking by braking 2.3 feet (0.7m) earlier compared to the AltiMAX Arctic 12 (Studded) from a speed of 50mph (80km/h) down to 0.
While in subjective dry handling, both tires were rated the same. However in terms of lap times, AltiMAX Arctic 12 had a 0.35 seconds advantage over AltiMAX Arctic 12 (Studded). Clearly in dry, the contact area triumphs the higher pressure generated by the tires hence leading to a much better performance of the unstudded AltiMAX Arctic 12.
AltiMAX Arctic 12 (Studded):
- -2.3% in dry braking
- 0% in dry handling (subj)
- -1.1% in dry handling (lap time)
Noise/Comfort/Ride Quality
Ride comfort, noise & comfort was tested and to our expectation, the AltiMAX Arctic 12 (Studded) is ranked lower due to the noise generated by the studs. AltiMAX Arctic 12 had a higher overall rating of 6.5/10 compared to AltiMAX Arctic 12 (Studded) which managed only 5.79/10 rating. Below are some of the key feedback from the subjective drivers:
AltiMAX Arctic 12:
The non-studded AltiMAX Arctic 12 proved to be our team’s subjective favorite overall. The ride quality was slightly tauter than we expected from the category, though not objectionable. It created a distinct “ring” over large impacts that stood out to our drivers, along with noticeable tread growl and varied tones over all surfaces on our route. The steering was heavy and relatively quick to respond, though a little stiff and dull.
Test driver feedback on AltiMAX Arctic 12
AltiMAX Arctic 12 (Studded):
The studded version of the AltiMAX Arctic 12 exhibited ride quality that may have been a fraction firmer than its non-studded counterpart, and the steering and light handling characteristics were identical between the two. It likely comes as no surprise that the studded version of the tire was significantly louder. The variety of tones and resonances created by the studded tires on our route was impressively, almost comically, intrusive. At low speeds on all surfaces, the tapping of the studs sounded like stepping on bubble wrap, or as one of our drivers put it – like there’s a deep fryer working in the back seat. As speeds increased, the sound of the studs increased in volume and combined to form a loud, constant drone. More noticeable than the drone, however, was an intense resonance that could practically be felt from the driver’s seat. This all added up to Noise Comfort scores that fell between “poor” and “very poor” in our rating system.
Test driver feedback on AltiMAX Arctic 12 (Studded)
AltiMAX Arctic 12 (Studded):
- –3.6% in average of Noise, Comfort & Ride Quality.
Price
AltiMAX Arctic 12 is priced as a mid tier range product with a great value for money proposition. However we are unable to track the cost of studding to make the full comparison complete.
Tire size: 205/55R16
AltiMAX Arctic 12 : $132
Summary
Overall, AltiMAX Arctic 12 (Studded) is particularly strong in ice, snow & wet performances. However when it comes to noise & dry performances, AltiMAX Arctic 12 had the upper hand. As this is a Studded vs Studdable comparison with the same tire, there is no clear winner and it really hinges on your main requirements.