December 7, 2022
Studdable Winter / Snow tires utilize traditional methods - aggressive, open patterns, sipes for biting edges, and cold-weather compounds - to deliver winter traction superior to even the best all-season tires. In this way, they’re the closest living descendants to the "snow tires" of old. Dependable and typically value-priced, as the name implies, they’re also molded to accept optional metal studs¹ for additional mechanical grip in specific winter driving scenarios.
¹ Studs are not permitted for use in some states and are restricted to specific dates in others. Always check with local law enforcement before using studded tires.
This time around, our test was multi-faceted, with multiple comparisons within the same test. Primarily, we compared the two newest Studdable Winter / Snow tires, the Firestone Winterforce 2 and General AltiMAX Arctic 12. Both tires were previously untested, so we were excited to see how they stacked up against one another.
Additionally, we took the opportunity to include the AltiMAX Arctic 12 with studs installed to determine how much difference studs make in all aspects of performance. Lastly, for the test’s light snow and ice components, we also included a benchmark Studless Ice & Snow winter tire to get a general idea of the relative traction drivers can expect if they were to choose a strong performer from that category. Our evaluation used 2022 Subaru BRZ Limited test vehicles fitted with new, full tread depth 225/45R17 tires mounted on 17x8.0 wheels.
Our 6.0-mile loop of expressway, state highway and county roads provides a great variety of road conditions, including city and highway speeds, smooth and coarse concrete, and new and patched asphalt. This route allows our team to experience noise comfort, ride quality, and everyday handling, just as you would during your drive to school or work.
In our on-road testing, all three tires exhibited some satisfying traits and some that illustrated the give-and-take tire manufacturers have to navigate in their design. 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. The Winterforce 2 exhibited ride quality that earned the highest score from our team, albeit by a relatively narrow margin. It was slightly stiff over big impacts but soaked up small imperfections very nicely. Noise comfort, on the other hand, was a definite low point. The tread created a ringing drone and a cyclical thump over all surfaces that increased in volume and intensity with speed. It was always present when driving over smooth or broken roads, asphalt or concrete. The steering felt natural in the way it responded to inputs, so it was satisfying in that regard, but it was also a little slow and imprecise. 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.
Our 1/3-mile per lap test track course includes 90-degree street corners, a five-cone slalom, and simulated expressway ramps. Run in both dry and wet conditions, the test track allows our team to experience the traction, responsiveness, handling, and drivability normally only encountered during abrupt emergency avoidance maneuvers or competition events.
Even though wet traction isn’t always top of mind when thinking about a winter tire’s performance, the reality is that cold, wet conditions are very common during the winter in many parts of the country. Sometimes it’s in the form of actual precipitation, but it’s also a regular occurrence when temperatures climb above freezing and existing snow melts from the roadway.
Interestingly, in our wet testing, the studded AltiMAX Arctic 12 led in objective and subjective metrics. However, the non-studded counterpart was close enough to be considered a tie in most ways. In 50-0 mph braking, the studded tire’s 141.3-foot stopping distance was 1.4 feet shorter than the non-studded version, and the two posted identical .60g figures on the skid pad. All of those results represent a substantial advantage over the Winterforce 2, which required 159.5 feet to come to a stop from the same speed and could only manage .53g in lateral traction.
In the dry, there was a bit of a shuffle in the order, but all three tires were tightly grouped. The Winterforce 2 posted the shortest 50-0 mph braking distance and second-highest lateral traction at 97.8 feet and .88g, respectively. The non-studded AltiMAX Arctic 12 was the leader on the skid pad with .89g of lateral traction and had the second-shortest braking distance at 99.6 feet. The studded AltiMAX Arctic 12 was close behind, requiring 101.9 feet to come to a stop and generating .86g on the skid pad.
Ice traction is arguably one of the most challenging tasks expected of a tire. It takes highly-specialized attributes to achieve traction on such a low-friction surface, and all three tires in our test performed admirably. However, none - not even the studded tire - could match the traction of a dedicated Studless Ice & Snow winter tire.
Of the three Studdable Winter / Snow tires, the studded AltiMAX Arctic 12 led the way in both acceleration and braking, but its 60’ acceleration figures were barely ahead of its non-studded counterpart at 4.88 seconds compared to 4.94 seconds. The Winterforce 2 was a noticeable step back, requiring 5.47 seconds to accelerate 60 feet. The studs provided a bigger advantage in braking from 12 mph, bringing the vehicle to a stop in 35.4 feet, a task that required 40.0 feet in the non-studded AltiMAX Arctic 12 and 43.3 feet in the Winterforce 2. The Studless Ice & Snow winter tire we tested at the same time accelerated 60’ in 4.28 seconds and only needed 32.7 feet to stop from 12 mph.
| 60’ Ice Acceleration (Seconds) | |
|---|---|
| 5.47 | Firestone Winterforce 2 |
| 4.94 | General AltiMAX Arctic 12 |
| 4.88 | General AltiMAX Arctic 12 (Studded) |
| 4.28 | Studless Ice & Snow Winter Tire |
| 12-0mph Ice Braking (Feet) | |
|---|---|
| 43.3 | Firestone Winterforce 2 |
| 40.0 | General AltiMAX Arctic 12 |
| 35.4 | General AltiMAX Arctic 12 (Studded) |
| 32.7 | Studless Ice & Snow Winter Tire |
When it came time to put the AltiMAX Arctic 12 through its paces on the snow, our team found the studded version unsurprisingly outperformed the tire without studs; however, what is surprising is just how narrow those margins were. In acceleration, the studded AltiMAX Arctic 12 was only fractionally better by 2/10th of a foot than its stud-free counterpart. In snow stopping distance, the tires came to a halt less than 2 feet apart. On the track, our team found the studless AltiMAX Arctic 12 to be well-rounded, capable of guiding its way around corners thanks to a reliable reserve of lateral traction, with authoritative and responsive steering that we could count on to point the vehicle in the right direction. Meanwhile, while offering marginally better longitudinal traction, the studded version gave up an advantage at the limits of lateral movement, breaking off more abruptly and in a less recoverable fashion than its non-studded sibling. Firestone’s entry managed to put up relatively competitive acceleration numbers, keeping only a couple feet behind General’s unstudded tire and tying it in stopping distance. However, on the track was a different story: the Winterforce 2 struggled to communicate its limits in the corners, with sudden and snappy breakaway. Our team felt it had strength in a straight line, and it was good laterally, as well, but care had to be taken when exploring the limits of grip.
While each tire tested showed its strengths and weaknesses, it is worth noting that the studless ice & snow benchmark tire offered significantly better control, acceleration and braking than both the Winterforce 2 and AltiMAX Arctic 12, including both studded and unstudded versions.
In our test of Studdable Winter / Snow tires, the primary comparison is between the General AltiMAX Arctic 12 and Firestone Winterforce 2. The General is a touch stiff and loud on the road, with acceptable steering, but not a standout. Similarly, its wet traction is sufficient and is quite strong on the snow and ice for the category. The Firestone is nicely cushioned over most impacts on the road and creates significant tread noise that almost any driver will notice. In the wet, it’s perceptibly behind the competition, and while its ice traction is better than even the best all-season tires, it’s a step back in this comparison.
The secondary evaluation contrasts the non-studded General AltiMAX Arctic 12 against the same tire, but with optional studs installed. On the road, the ride and steering are identical, but the studded version creates a tremendous amount of oppressive road noise. The two deliver almost-indistinguishable performance in wet traction, but the studded version has a small advantage on the ice, more so in braking than acceleration. This story continues in the snow, where the studs grant the AltiMAX Arctic 12 a slight advantage in traction at the cost of much less communication to the driver when reaching its limits.
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