Firestone Winterforce 2 vs General Grabber Arctic 12

Two winter tire heavyweights, the Firestone Winterforce 2 and the General Grabber Arctic 12, each known for distinctive performances in handling, comfort, and durability. The stage is set, let’s find out who steals the winter tire crown!

Firestone Winterforce 2
Firestone Winterforce 2

Info on Sizes

The General Altimax Arctic 12 (review) comes in 14 to 19 inches with following.

  • Speed ratings: T only.
  • Load ratings: XL only.
  • Tread depth: 12/32″ on all.
  • Weight: 16 to 35 lbs.

On the other side, the Firestone Winterforce 2 (review) comes in 14 to 18″ with following.

  • Speed ratings: S on all.
  • Load ratings: SL and XL.
  • Tread depth: 12/32″ on all.
  • Weight: 15 to 35 lbs.

Wet Traction

Wet traction is primarily influenced by two factors: tread design and rubber composition.

And although both tires here are pretty impressive, with ample siping and soft tread rubbers, the General Grabber Arctic 12 still manages to stay slightly ahead in this category.

This is because the tire features a more aggressive network of straight and interlocking sipes, which exhibit superior water absorption capabilities, leading to better grip in wet conditions.

On the other hand, the Firestone Winterforce 2, with its single siping design that is also less angled, fails to provide equal overall traction, resulting in longer wet braking distances and handling times.

Though its wider grooves, does allow for better float speeds, resulting in superior resistance to hydroplaning, nonetheless.

Snow Performance

When it comes to proficiency in fluffy snow conditions, both tires exhibit impressive performance, but still the Firestone Winterforce 2 is what you really want, and a closer examination of its construction and design reveals the reasons behind this advantage.

The tire basically features interlocking tread voids, with lugs having snow vices. And both of these work in combination to skillfully trap snowflakes, improving the contact between snow particles. As the tire rolls, the trapped snow makes contact with the ground, enhancing grip since snow adheres better to itself than to rubber.

Furthermore, the tire’s greater weight (on average), facilitates the pushing in of snow, making it easier for the snow to lodge in the treads.

This feature also helps the tire at displacing heavy snow, and this results in forward propulsion as the thrown snow clears the path for the tire’s roll, marginally improving acceleration times.

On the other hand, the General Grabber Arctic 12 demonstrates slightly less effectiveness in braking and handling on snow, with its more enclosed structure, missing with as prominent of the in-groove notches as seen on its counterpart.

So its taking the backseat here.

Fuel Economy

The fuel efficiency of tires is closely related to their grip on the road and their overall weight. In this aspect, the Firestone Winterforce 2 could use some improvement.

The tire’s substantial weight and broader tread voids increase its rolling resistance and friction with the road surface, resulting in reduced fuel economy.

On the other hand, the lighter General Grabber Arctic 12 exerts less pressure on the road, reducing overall friction.

Its longitudinally aligned tread ribs streamline with the tire’s direction, minimizing obstacles to movement, saving energy, and improving fuel economy.

Ice Performance

On icy terrains, you need a lot of smaller biters all over the tread, and looking at both tires, it makes sense why the General Arctic 12 features better overall ice gripping values.

The tire’s intricate features, such as varying-width slanted incisions, combined with dual siping (patterns), and highly angled biters, all aim towards providing a superior performance, relatively.

On the other hand, the Firestone Winterforce 2’s wider tread voids fail to grip ice as effectively. The lack of notches and multi-angled siping on both central and shoulder lugs leads to longer average braking distances and handling times.

Dry Traction

Efficiency in dry grip largely depends on the tire’s contact area with the ground, with directional grip and lateral traction playing key roles. In this regard, the General Grabber Arctic 12, with its wider and more streamlined continuous central rib, holds an advantage.

The central most section of the tire is where it gets most of the directional grip from, as when rolling straight, that area gets to have the most weight concentration on itself.

That’s why directional grip gets measured with braking distances.

In a similar way, the shoulders define handling, as weight shifts towards them on corners.

Now, the Firestone’s tire although only lacks 2 feet in terms of stopping efficacy, its lateral traction could use some help.

Tread Life

Tread life is heavily influenced by a mixture of tire’s rolling resistance, and rubber compound, and considering both, the Winterforce 2 takes the lead.

Sure the tire features larger frictional values, and with it fuel usage, but its stiffer rubber compound still takes longer to wear down to replacement levels.

On the other hand, the Grabber Arctic 12 lacks here with its comparatively softer rubber compound.

But note that, you can’t except too much out of winter tires, and it makes sense why both of them, don’t offer any treadwear warranties.

Comfort Levels

The comfort of a tire largely depends on elements such as road noise and vibration dampening. These characteristics are influenced by the tire’s construction, materials used, tread pattern, and sidewall design, which all work in harmony to determine the ride smoothness.

Regarding noise, the General Grabber Arctic 12 takes the lead with its less voided tread design. With fewer air particles colliding with the tread walls, there is less noise generation.

Moreover, the tire also features a superior tread rubber, featuring better thermal adaptability. So with this, its able to soak up the bumps with greater efficacy.

And yes, since the tire also features smoother turning, and faster response times, if further adds to its overall superiority.

In Conclusion

Let’s summarize everything here now.

When considering snow performance, the Firestone Winterforce 2 shines with its distinctive tread design and higher count of tread voids, providing superior snow grip and clearance.

However, under icy conditions, the General Grabber Arctic 12 excels due to its complex biters, angled cuts, and multi-angled sipes that deliver enhanced traction and handling.

On wet surfaces, the General Grabber Arctic 12 dominates in terms of grip, while its competitor stands out for hydroplaning resistance.

Moreover, the Grabber also features superior comfort performance, and gives you superior fuel economy. And Firestone on the other hand, does better in the treadwear department, lasting longer.

Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32 vs LM005

The battle is on as Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32, known for its game-changing snow grip technology, faces off against Blizzak LM005, recognized for its unparalleled slush performance. Let’s see which tire is a better pick for you.

Winter Tire

Tire Sizes

The Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 comes in just 18 sizes in 18 to 20 inches rims, with following specs.

  • Speed ratings: H and V.
  • Load ratings: XL only.
  • Tread depth: 8 to 11/32″.
  • Weight: 24 to 36 lbs.
  • Tread warranty: None.

On the other side, the Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32 comes in 16 to 20″ with following.

  • Speed ratings: H, V and W.
  • Load ratings: SL and XL.
  • Tread depth: 9 to 12/32″.
  • Weight: 22 to 35 lbs.

Tread Design

The Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32 .

Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32
Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32

Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 on the other hand.

Bridgestone Blizzak LM005
Bridgestone Blizzak LM005

Wet Performance

The tire’s traction on wet surfaces hinges greatly on the design of the tread and the composition of the rubber compound.

In this regard, the Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 shines slightly brighter than its counterpart, despite both tires featuring extensive siping.

Sipes within a tire primarily act as channels or voids that expel air and draw in water particles, thus enhancing wet grip.

Leveraging a dual siping system that combines assertive interlocking and linear designs, the Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 offers superior wet traction capabilities.

Additionally, the multi-angled sipes present in the Blizzak LM005 enhance cornering capabilities, ensuring grip in all directions.

In contrast, the Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32 opts for a different siping approach, predominantly featuring lateral sipes, resulting in slightly different traction performance.

However, it is worth noting that the Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32 excels in resisting hydroplaning, as the tire demonstrates superior “float” speeds (the maximum speed a tire can maintain over standing water without losing contact with the road) in both straight and curved water-testing scenarios.

Fluffy Snow Traction

In the realm of navigating softer, powdery snow terrains, the Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32 gains a slight advantage due to its comprehensive network of tread voids, acting as snow traps.

These snow traps facilitate increased contact between the tire and the snow, generating greater friction.

This is because, naturally, snow particles tend to adhere to one another rather than to rubber, hence enhancing traction.

On the contrary, the Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 lacks these specific characteristics, resulting in reduced snow contact with the lodged snow in the grooves.

Moreover, the tire’s smaller tread voids limit its ability to generate significant forward momentum by effectively throwing snow backwards, a feat accomplished more efficiently by the Blizzak LM-32.

Comfort Levels

When exploring the realm of comfort, there are two intertwined aspects to consider: noise reduction and the tire’s ability to gracefully glide over road shocks.

Let us delve into each element individually to gain a comprehensive understanding.

Road Noise

The origin of road noise lies within the collision of air particles against the walls of the tire’s tread, with the shoulder area being the primary gateway for these acoustic disturbances.

The general principle is that the smaller the shoulder voids, the lesser the noise generated.

And so in this regard, the Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 leads with its relatively more compact design, as it keeps the shoulder voids minimal, restricting the ingress of air and reducing the impact on the tread walls.

However, the celebration for the Blizzak LM005 is cut short by the Blizzak LM-32, which counters with its innovative pitch sequencing technology.

This technology introduces variations in the tread block geometry, causing the air particles to generate diverse sounds. These varied tones then harmoniously cancel each other out, effectively diminishing noise.

Road Bumps Absorption

Let us now explore the tires’ capability to absorb the imperfections of the road, wherein the Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 takes the lead with its softer overall tread compound.

The tire’s malleable composition allows it to gracefully soak up a greater intensity of the road irregularities, providing a smoother and more comfortable ride.

Moreover, its internal construction is also in favor of this, as you get to see more flexible plies under the hood, as well.

Fuel Usage

The fuel efficiency of tires is deeply intertwined with the design of the tread and the overall weight, as these factors directly influence the rolling resistance, a critical determinant of fuel consumption.

And in this regard, both tires showcase near identical values.

The Blizzak LM005, being lighter on average, across all sizes, yeilds slightly wider tread voids. Consequently, during maneuvers, its lugs still experience increased movement, necessitating additional fuel.

On the other hand, the Blizzak LM-32, despite its heavier weight exerting greater force on the lugs, strikes a delicate balance with its stiffer compound, resulting in equivalent fuel consumption levels.

Therefore, when it comes to fuel efficiency, both tires stand on equal footing.

Ice Traction

When venturing onto icy terrains, the Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 steals the limelight with its superior performance.

Employing advanced design techniques, such as the even distribution of specialized biters across the tread equipped with V-shaped notches, this tire achieves enhanced grip on compacted surfaces.

Moreover, with highly angled siping, the tire offers a grip in all directions, whereas on Blizzak LM-32, its only limited to lateral orientations.

Dry Directional Grip

The capacity for directional grip primarily resides within the central region of the tire’s tread, as this area bears the majority of the load during straight-line motion, as seen on highways, particularly.

So it makes sense why the Blizzak LM-32 is a better fit here.

I mean, although both tires showcase continuous central ribs to maintain consistent road contact, the Blizzak LM-32’s more compact and uninterrupted (middle) pattern contributes to a shorter braking distance, approximately 2 feet less than the Bridgestone Blizzak LM005.

Though the tire lacks when it comes to handling.

Dry Lateral Traction

The tire’s handling, or lateral traction performance, relies heavily on the tire’s shoulder structure and overall mass.

This is because, during cornering, the weight distribution shifts to the edges of the tread (shoulders/sidewalls) due to inertia, and so they connect with the road better.

Now as the shoulders on Blizzak LM005 gets to offer greater footprint, you see superior handling lap times on it, on average, that is.

Though majority of this capability is actually coming form the fact that the tire has a firmer tread compound, and so it does not allow for excessive lug bending, as the tire corners.

This allows for quicker handling times, and a more diminished over and understeering.

To Conclude

Upon assessing these tires across a wide spectrum of criteria, it becomes evident that each possesses its own appeal based on specific strengths.

The Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 distinguishes itself through commendable performance in wet traction, shock absorption, and ice traction.

On the other hand, the Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32 showcases superior performance in powdery snow traction and dry directional grip.

Furthermore, both tires perform equally in terms of fuel usage and road noise, making the ultimate choice highly dependent on individual requirements and prevailing driving conditions.

Cooper Evolution Winter vs Firestone Winterforce 2

The competition heats up as Cooper Evolution Winter, praised for its superior grip and comfort, squares off against Firestone Winterforce 2, known for its exceptional durability and handling. Let’s find out which tire can conquer the winter roads!

Chevy

Sizes Info

The Cooper Evolution Winter comes in 67 sizes in 14 to 20 inches, having following specs.

  • Speed ratings: T and H.
  • Load ratings: SL or XL.
  • Tread depth: 12 and 14/32″.
  • Weight: 17 to 37 lbs.
  • Tread warranty: None.

On the other side, the Firestone Winterforce 2 (review) comes in 14 to 18″ with following.

  • Speed ratings: S on all.
  • Load ratings: SL and XL.
  • Tread depth: 12/32″ on all.
  • Weight: 15 to 35 lbs.

Longitudinal Traction

When talking about dry traction, we need to focus on two main parts: grip in a straight line, and handling around corners.

Now out of both, the Cooper Evolution Winter is better good at keeping its grip, or hold, on the road, as it’s designed with a slightly wider center, helping it to stay firmer on the road.

Cooper Evolution Winter
Cooper Evolution Winter

This means the tire can keep in close contact with the road, and can be used to explain why it showcases a shorter braking distance here of 3 feet, (on average).

On the other hand, the Firestone Winterforce 2 doesn’t do as well, with its wider gaps leading to a more limited rubber to surface contact.

Lateral Traction

Handling depends on two factors: contact from the shoulders and lug bending, and both of these aren’t favoring Firestone.

The Cooper Evolution Winter on the other hand, features a tighter shoulder pattern, which helps it grab the road better when moving sideways.

But why shoulders? Well, because they are the ones which bear the most weight, as the tire corners (mainly due to inertia).

And yes, worth reminding, the Cooper tire also features a relatively firmer lugs. Meaning, they don’t bend or flex as much as they do on Firestone.

And its significant, because excessive lug bending causes a delay steering response, which of course limits the overall handling abilities on a tire.

Ice Performance

In the realm of icy conditions, the Cooper Evolution Winter indisputably proves its dominance, showcasing an average braking distance that outperforms its counterpart by a considerable six feet.

And yes, the tire further impresses you with slightly superior acceleration as well, as seen in a range of tests.

So the question is, why does the Firestone fall short in these conditions? And the answer lies in the somewhat limited biting capability of that tire.

You see, the Winterforce 2 struggles due to its larger tread voids, diminished notches, and expanded lateral tread voids in the central tread area.

Firestone Winterforce 2
Firestone Winterforce 2

Such features, are although great on fluffier snow, they impede the overall efficiency when it comes to gripping on packed ice, resulting in compromised braking performance.

On the other side of the spectrum, the Cooper showcases a more aggressive siping that clenches the icy surface with, I have to say, impressive force.

The tire’s strategically angled biters dispersed across the tread, coupled with the dual siping (both rectilinear and lateral), collectively contribute to an relatively better ice-gripping experience, overall.

Fuel Economy

Fuel efficiency of a tire is intimately connected to its tread’s stickiness, and weight properties. And in these aspects, the Firestone Winterforce could certainly use an upgrade.

The weightier build (as seen on average, considering all sizes), and the tire’s larger tread voids, result in heightened lug flexing during cornering, braking, and acceleration.

This happens because each lug is bearing more weight pressure on itself, and the Winterforce’s wider grooves aren’t helping to that either.

This molding of the lugs asks for extra energy expenditure, that could have been used in to the rolling of the tire.

Conversely, the Cooper Evolution Winter, characterized by its more streamlined ribs and sleek design, demonstrates lower rolling resistance values, on average.

This indicates that the tire’s lugs aren’t compelled to apply as much force against the road. Thus, it allows the compact tread structure of the tire to devote its energy towards propelling the tire forward instead of expending energy on the bending of individual blocks.

Wet Traction

Wet traction is predominantly governed by two key elements: the tread design and the rubber compound incorporated into the tire. These variables determine the tire’s grip on damp surfaces and its resistance to hydroplaning. Let’s delve into each aspect further.

Wet Grip

Regarding wet grip, both tires are equipped with generous siping and pliable tread rubber. Nevertheless, the Cooper Evolution Winter still possesses an upper hand in grip, showcasing reduced slippage around corners.

So why is that? Well this tire adopts a dual siping design, incorporating a dense grid of straight and interlocking slits, all thoughtfully angled.

And this configuration offers grip from various directions.

Conversely, the Firestone Winterforce, armed solely with laterally aligned sipes, falls somewhat short in providing all-encompassing traction, which, predictably, results in elongated wet braking distances and handling times.

Resistance To Hydroplaning

Hydroplaning is a phenomenon where water obstructs the tire tread’s consistent contact with the road, causing a traction loss. And in this area, the Firestone Winterforce outperforms with its broader grooves.

Its wider channels, coupled with curving arms, quickly displace water from the tread, allowing higher average velocities, without hydroplaning in both straight-line and curved aquaplaning scenarios.

In comparison, the Cooper Evolution Winter lags due to its limited ability to evacuate as much water out, in a similar amount of time, as seen on its counterpart.

Fluffy Snow Performance

In snowy conditions, both tires yield admirable performance. However, when confronted with fluffier snow landscapes, the Firestone Winterforce 2 emerges as the top contender.

And this tire’s superior traction is primarily credited to its tread design.

Firestone essentially integrates a somewhat more aggressive tread pattern, featuring widely spaced lugs that engage with the snowy surface.

These tread blocks form a snow-to-snow contact, adeptly seizing and holding onto fluffy snow particles within their interlocking grooves and snow-vices.

This interaction fosters a layer of trapped snow, enabling the tread to sustain ground contact through this snow-filled rubber. This is significant because snow bonds more effectively with itself than with rubber, yielding increased friction.

In contrast, the Cooper Evolution adopts a more minimalist strategy, presenting a relatively sealed design with a continuous running rib at the center and missing an interlocking groove structure.

Hence, after thorough testing, we can confidently state that the Winterforce 2 demonstrates superior performance on fluffy snow terrains.

So, what’s the verdict?

In conclusion, both tires exhibit unique strengths that make them suitable for different conditions and requirements.

The Cooper Evolution Winter would be the preferred choice for icy conditions, dry traction, and fuel efficiency, while the Firestone Winterforce 2 is the ideal option for hydroplaning resistance and fluffy snow performance.

Ultimately, the decision rests on the user’s specific driving conditions and needs.

Goodyear Wintercommand vs Wintercommand Ultra

The Goodyear Wintercommand and the Wintercommand Ultra, each revered for their exceptional winter performance, are set to compete. So is the newer tire better here? Well, let’s delve into the details and find out!

Goodyear Wintercommand
Goodyear Wintercommand

Key Takeaway

  • Ice Performance: The WinterCommand Ultra is better here, due to its more biting tread features, though I do like the fact that its predecessor had studable lugs.
  • Snow Performance: The Goodyear WinterCommand outperforms its Ultra counterpart on fluffy snow due to an aggressive array of tread voids, yielding superior snow-to-snow contact.
  • Wet Traction: The Ultra variant surpasses the regular WinterCommand due to a more aggressive siping design with greater flexibility, reducing braking distance and improving handling times.
  • Hydroplaning Resistance: The Ultra variant performs better in hydroplaning situations, allowing for higher float speeds, especially during cornering, due to its superior water dispersal abilities.
  • Dry Traction: The WinterCommand slightly pulls ahead in directional grip due to its sleeker design with longitudinally aligned ribs. Though in lateral traction, the WinterCommand Ultra shines due to its more stable shoulder lugs and lighter weight, resulting in better steering response and faster lap times.
  • Ride Quality: The Goodyear Ultra excels in terms of reducing road noise with its closed tread design and performs better in vibration absorption due to superior settling abilities.
  • Tread Life: The Ultra’s lighter weight results in less pressure on the lugs and lesser rolling resistance, therefore increasing its tread life.

Dry Traction

The evaluation of dry traction considers two fundamental characteristics: directional grip and lateral traction. Let’s analyze them individually.

Directional Grip

Directional grip pertains to a tire’s ability to maintain traction during straight-line movement, focusing primarily on the tire’s central portion.

And in this category, the Goodyear WinterCommand Ultra (review) slightly pulls ahead, attributable to its slightly sleeker design which features longitudinally aligned ribs.

These ribs essentially enhance the tire’s streamline properties, contributing to the straight rolling direction and improving braking efficiency.

However, the Goodyear WinterCommand Ultra falls a bit short in this aspect, primarily due to its directional tread design.

Despite these differences, the actual performance gap is minimal, with a negligible difference of just 0.2 feet, effectively resulting in a draw in this round.

Lateral Traction

The lateral traction of a tire, or its sideways grip, is largely determined by the tire’s contact patch and the composition of the rubber. And in this arena, the WinterCommand Ultra emerges as the frontrunner.

The tire stands out with its more stable shoulder lugs and lighter weight.

These factors jointly inhibit excessive bending of the tire’s tread lugs, facilitating more balanced over and understeer.

This results in a quicker steering response, placing the WinterCommand Ultra ahead, literally.

I mean on lap times calculated, the tire showcased almost 2 seconds faster lap times, on average.

Ride Quality

When it comes to tire comfort, there are two crucial factors to consider: road noise and vibration absorption. And we have some mixed results here.

The Goodyear WinterCommand Ultra stands out in terms of road noise, thanks to its closed tread design.

By restricting the movement of air particles, this design reduces the noise generated when they collide with the tire tread.

On the other hand, the WinterCommand excels in vibration absorption, demonstrating superior settling abilities.

Wet Traction

The pivotal role that siping plays in wet grip is clearly illustrated when comparing two different tires. Both possess an adequate amount of siping, yet the Ultra variant here, significantly surpasses its counterpart.

The tire consistently demonstrated a reduction in braking distance by 4 feet and improved handling lap times by two seconds.

So, what factors contribute here?

Well, the tire offers a more aggressive siping design with greater flexibility. And these attributes allow the tire to effectively manage water on its surface.

To understand how this works, let’s look at the mechanics of sipes. They function by contracting to create a vacuum within the slits, thereby drawing in and removing water particles. This action clears the path, allowing for optimal grip of the rubber.

Unfortunately, the Goodyear Wintercommand tire falls short in these areas. Its sipes lack both the requisite aggressiveness and the flexibility to outperform its peer.

Hydroplaning Resistance

Hydro or aquaplaning, is a situation where a water layer gets formed between the tread and the road surface, causing the vehicle to skid or “plane” on water.

And here again the Ultra variant excels, allowing for greater float speeds, especially when the tire is cornering.

Speed is everything here, and float speed is the maximum speed a tire can achieve on a standing water.

Though both tires offer similar speeds on straight Aqua tests, on curved, the Wintercommand Ultra took a lead by 3 mph.

With a directional tread design, the tire simply offers better dispersing of water out of the its grooves.

Ice Performance

Under packed up snow conditions, the Goodyear WinterCommand Ultra emerges as a champion against its peer, showcasing superior braking capabilities.

The tire’s ingeniously engineered tread features, such as multiple angled cuts and in-groove notches, coupled with bifold angled siping, provide extraordinary gripping prowess over icy landscapes, outperforming its predecessor.

In contrast, the Goodyear WinterCommand, with larger tread voids and fewer indentations, struggles to keep up.

Though this tire has the plus point of having studable lugs, its chunkier biters aren’t sophisticated enough to produce as much of a braking or handling efficacy as the Ultra variant.

Tread Life

The tread life of a tire is influenced by rolling resistance. And in this aspect, the Ultra variant shines due to its lighter weight, which reduces pressure on the lugs as they interact with the road.

In contrast, the slightly heavier weight and wider grooves of the simple WinterCommand variant tire, subject each lug to higher pressure and increased heat generation, leading to greater rolling resistance and accelerated rubber wear.

Snow Performance

Both tires deliver impressive performance in various snowy conditions.

However, the Goodyear WinterCommand has a slight advantage, particularly on fluffy snow surfaces. Its aggressive array of biting edges, distributed over its tread, enables enhanced snow-to-snow contact.

This design effectively traps fluffy snow within the interlocking grooves and snow vices, resulting in stronger ground contact with the captured snow.

On the flip side, the Goodyear WinterCommand Ultra, with its more crowded lug design, falls slightly short of delivering similar outcomes.

To End

So lets sum down everything here.

Upon analyzing key parameters, it can be seen how both tires give out very different results in various performance sections.

The WinterCommand Ultra showcased distinct strengths in terms of reduced road noise, extended tread life, superior wet traction, and impressive hydroplaning resistance.

On the other hand, the basic WinterCommand tire excelled in vibration absorption and better performance on fluffy snow surfaces.

Despite minor setbacks, both variants demonstrated effective handling and grip in diverse conditions, illustrating Goodyear’s commitment to quality and performance.

Sumitomo Ice Edge vs General AltiMax Arctic 12

Both Sumitomo Ice Edge and General AltiMax Arctic 12 are pacesetters in the winter tire industry, each displaying unique strengths in the face of frosty and snowy conditions. Let’s see which tire emerges as better pick for you!

Winter Tire

Key Takeaway

  • Wet Performance: The AltiMax Arctic 12 outperforms here, due to superior water absorption and grip, especially during cornering, thanks to high-density and flexible sipes.
  • Snow Grip: The Sumitomo Ice Edge excels on light, fluffy snow due to more in-groove notches and voids that trap snow particles, facilitating better snow-to-snow contact.
  • Vibration Absorption: The AltiMax Arctic 12 stands out with its innovative, softer compound that absorbs surface irregularities for a smoother ride, whereas the Ice Edge’s stiffer rubber offers lesser vibration dampening.
  • Noise Generation: Arctic 12’s closed-up shoulder voids and superior pitch sequencing technology, which alters tread block geometry, results in less noise generation.
  • Ice Traction: Arctic 12’s angled ‘biters’, V-shaped notches, and aggressive siping pattern offer greater handling and directional traction on icy terrains.
  • Dry Gripping: General tire here, with its streamlined central rib, shows superior dry grip performance, boasting an average of 4 feet shorter braking distance.
  • Dry Handling: Atimax excels here in dry handlin, offering superior steering response and balanced steering.
  • Tread and Fuel Usage: The AltiMax Arctic 12 leads in fuel economy and tread life due to its streamlined lugs and less aggressive central tread voids, which minimize obstructions during rolling.

Available Sizes

The Sumitomo Ice Edge comes in 14 to 20 inches with following.

  • Speed ratings: T only.
  • Load ratings: SL and XL.
  • Tread depth: 12/32″ on all.
  • Weight: 16 to 33 lbs.

On the other side, the General Altimax Arctic 12 (review) comes in 14 to 19 inches with following.

  • Speed ratings: T only.
  • Load ratings: XL only.
  • Tread depth: 12/32″ on all.
  • Weight: 16 to 35 lbs.

Dry Gripping

The efficacy of a tire’s directional grip is mainly contingent upon the central tread area, as this part of the tread gets to meet up with the road with greater force.

That’s why with a more streamlined (arrow-shaped), central most rib, which is also continuous running, the General Altimax 12 comes out on top, showcasing an average of 4 feet shorter braking distance values, upon testing.

General AltiMax Arctic 12
General AltiMax Arctic 12

On the other side, the Sumitomo with wider lateral groove takes the backseat here.

Dry Handling

The tire’s lateral grip or handling is dependent on the design of the shoulder lugs and overall tread flexibility.

And it gets measured with lateral g forces and lap times in testing.

And in both tests, the General Altimax is better.

The tire basically features lugs which aren’t as susceptible to bending as its counterpart. This allows for superior steering response and a more balanced over and understeering.

Wet Performance

Tire performance on wet surfaces hinges largely on the number and quality of grooves or sipes and the efficacy of the rubber tread in water absorption.

And considering these factors, the AltiMax Arctic 12 seems to have a slight edge due to its variety of sipes that are adept at superior water absorption, enabling firmer grip during all sorts of wet conditions.

This is especially notable when cornering, courtesy of the tire’s high-density, flexible, yet sturdy sipes.

In contrast, the Sumitomo Ice Edge, while still a competent performer, slightly lags behind its competitor due to less aggressive siping and a stiffer rubber composition.

Sumitomo Ice Edge
Sumitomo Ice Edge

Snow Grip

In the realm of snowy conditions, the tables turn in favor of the Sumitomo Ice Edge, specifically when traversing light, fluffy snow, despite its relatively weaker performance on ice and hard-packed snow.

So why is that the case?

Well, the tire basically is equipped with more in number of in-groove notches and voids, which effectively trap more snow particles, enhancing the tire’s grip by facilitating snow-to-snow contact, given that snow adheres better to itself than to rubber.

The General Altimax, although also features a lot of biters here, its overall snow holding abilities are still lower, thereby impacting its performance.

Vibration Absorption

Tires are very important when it comes to vehicle comfort. This is because these are the first one to hit the imperfections of the road.

So an absorbing tire is appreciated here.

That’s the reason why, out of both, the General AltiMax Arctic 12 stands tall due to its innovative, and softer compound, which delivers a markedly smoother ride by adeptly absorbing surface irregularities.

Whereas the Sumitomo Ice Edge, with its stiffer rubber can’t offer a better vibration dampening efficacy.

Noise Generation

Noise emission from tires primarily stems from two factors:

  • When air hits the tire walls (primarily entering through shoulder voids), generating noise.
  • And when that noise starts echoing within the tread, leading to in-groove resonance.

Considering both, it can be explained why the Arctic 12, with its closed-up shoulder voids, restricts air entry better, and offers less overall noise generation.

Moreover, with it also handles with noise resonance with its superior pitch sequencing technology, which alters the tread block geometry.

These alternations, account for generated tones/noise levels, with varying frequencies, which attempt to cancel each other out, resulting in a quieter tire.

Tread and Fuel Usage

The relationship between tread life and fuel economy is principally determined by rolling resistance, which is then influenced primarily by the tire’s weight, tread composition, and design.

Now in terms of fuel economy, the General AltiMax Arctic 12 outperforms with its streamlined lugs and less aggressive central tread voids.

These characteristics create a smoother, more continuous central rib, minimizing obstructions during straight-line rolling and consequently enhancing fuel economy.

In contrast, the Sumitomo Ice Edge not only lacks in fuel efficiency department, but also in the tread life.

And the reason is simple. It’s tread lugs are more susceptible to bending, and that asks for additional fuel energy.

Moreover, with this bending/rubbing on the surface of the road, extra heat gets generated.

And I think I don’t have to tell you, that the heat is the biggest enemy of winter tires, when it comes to tread life.

Ice Traction

The General AltiMax Arctic 12 demonstrates superior traction on icy terrains, owing to its more in number, and tiny ‘biters’ made up of angled cuts and V-shaped notches oriented in various directions.

And yes, on top of that, you also get more aggressive siping, which are also angled, and are the mixture of rectilinear and interlocking patterns.

All of these allow for greater handling and directional traction on Arctic 12.

On the other hand, the Sumitomo Ice Edge tends to falter due to its larger tread gaps and fewer notches.

Its siping is not aggressive and only oriented laterally.

And even if you consider its stud holes, its not as studable as the AlitMax.

To Sum Up

So what did we learn?

Well, the General AltiMax Arctic 12 tire stands out in wet performance and dry gripping. Its high-density and flexible sipes allow for superior water absorption and grip, especially during cornering.

Additionally, the tire’s streamlined central rib provides excellent dry grip, resulting in an average braking distance that is 4 feet shorter compared to its competitors.

Moreover, the AltiMax Arctic 12 offers a smooth ride with its softer compound that absorbs surface irregularities and minimizes vibration.

On the other hand, the Sumitomo Ice Edge tire excels in snow grip and dry handling. With more in-groove notches and voids, it effectively traps snow particles, enabling better snow-to-snow contact, particularly on light, fluffy snow.

When it comes to dry handling, the Ice Edge tire resists bending with its shoulder lugs, delivering superior steering response and balanced steering.

However, it falls short in wet performance and ice traction due to its larger tread gaps, fewer notches, and less aggressive siping.

Additionally, the Ice Edge tire is less fuel-efficient and has a shorter tread life compared to the AltiMax Arctic 12, as its lugs are more susceptible, requiring additional fuel energy and resulting in excess heat that reduces tread life.