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205/40 R18 - Best winter tyres 2026 - market overview, tests, reviews

Winter
11
Tyres

We recommend

Premium
GoodYear UltraGrip Performance+
GoodYear

UltraGrip Performance+

8.8
£168
mytyres.co.uk
Buy Details
Price / Value
Toyo Observe S944
Toyo

Observe S944

6.5
£107
mytyres.co.uk
Buy Details

Best deals

Best tyres in tests (2026)

Default order: highest overall test rating first. Ratings combine tests in different tyre sizes.

Filter
1
Michelin PILOT ALPIN 5
MichelinPremium
PILOT ALPIN 5
AUTOBILD'26#1SPORTSCARS'26#1AUTOBILD'26#2
9.8
Price from£186
Expert summary
This is currently the best rated tyre we have and there is a reason for it - it combines sportiness on snow and dry and very good safety margins on the wet. It’s designed to maintain the joy of driving, even on winter tyres, but still manages to be safe at all times. 100% recommended.
Recommended
#1
2026
theTyre Lab.comRecommended#1 Winter tires 2026
Performance
Wear
100%
Gravel traction
100%
Sand traction
100%
+29
Wet safety
44%
Ice lateral guidance
33%
Price/value
8%
View full review
Price variants (1)
205/40 R18 86 V
B D 70dB
£186
mytyres.co.uk
mytyres.co.uk
£186
In stock · Free shipping
Buy
tyres-pneus-online.co.uk
tyres-pneus-online.co.uk
£189
In stock · Free shipping
Buy
2
Continental WinterContact TS 870 P
ContinentalPremium
WinterContact TS 870 P
AUTOBILD'26#1SPORTAUTO'26#1AUTOBILD'26#2
9.3
Price from£168
Expert summary
Continental winter tires have been winning tire tests for many years, and the 870P is no exception. The “P” stands for performance, but don’t be mistaken, its rolling resistance is also praised, making it ideal for EVs. A well-balanced tire.
Recommended
#4
2026
theTyre Lab.comRecommended#4 Winter tires 2026
Performance
Dry handling - objective
93%
Mud traction
91%
Rolling resistance
90%
+26
Gravel traction
46%
Sand traction
46%
Price/value
4%
View full review
Price variants (1)
205/40 R18 86 V BSW XL
B C 72dB
£168
tyres-pneus-online.co.uk
tyres-pneus-online.co.uk
£168
In stock · Free shipping
Buy
3
GoodYear UltraGrip Performance+
GoodYearPremium
UltraGrip Performance+
AUTOMOTORSPORT'25#2ADAC'23#3ADAC'23#3
8.8
Price from£168
Expert summary
A typical premium tyre - very well balanced, great on all surfaces with low rolling resistance. Proven by many tests.
Recommended
#8
2026
theTyre Lab.comRecommended#8 Winter tires 2026
Performance
Fuel efficiency
100%
Snow handling - objective
95%
Aquaplaning - cross
91%
+22
Price/value
53%
Dry handling
52%
Dry lane changing
51%
View full review
Price variants (1)
205/40 R18 86 W
B D 71dB
£168
mytyres.co.uk
mytyres.co.uk
£168
In stock · Free shipping
Buy
tyres-pneus-online.co.uk
tyres-pneus-online.co.uk
£180
In stock · Free shipping
Buy
4
Bridgestone Blizzak 6
BridgestonePremium
Blizzak 6
SPORTSCARS'26#2AUTOEXPRESS'26#4SPORTAUTO'26#4
8.4
Price from£153
Expert summary
Blizzak has always been a winter tire focused on wet conditions, but with its sixth model, Bridgestone has promised improved snow performance and reduced rolling resistance. Early tests suggest they have delivered on these promises—Blizzak 6 is unmatched in wet conditions and excels on snow, making it ideal not just for city climates.
Recommended
#13
2026
theTyre Lab.comRecommended#13 Winter tires 2026
Performance
Snow safety
100%
Lateral guidance on snow
96%
Gravel traction
91%
+26
Dry braking
46%
Exterior noise
39%
Price/value
34%
View full review
Price variants (1)
205/40 R18 86 V
B C 70dB
£153
mytyres.co.uk
mytyres.co.uk
£153
In stock · Free shipping
Buy
tyres-pneus-online.co.uk
tyres-pneus-online.co.uk
£172
In stock · Free shipping
Buy
5
Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2
PirelliPremium
Cinturato Winter 2
REIFENTESTER'25#6AUTOMOTORSPORT'25#7AUTOBILD'25#8
7.0
Price from£169
Expert summary
The Cinturato Winter 2 is enjoyable to drive and offers safety in all conditions. However, some tests have described its dry handling as sluggish.
Performance
Snow safety
100%
Snow handling
72%
Wet circle cornering
70%
+22
Dry steering response
13%
Safety
7%
Lateral guidance on snow
6%
View full review
Price variants (1)
205/40 R18 86 V
B D 71dB
£169
mytyres.co.uk
mytyres.co.uk
£169
In stock · Free shipping
Buy

205/40 R18 tyre test

Personalize →

Best tyres in your size

Dry

1. Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
93%
2. Continental Wintercontact Ts 870 P
79%
3. Imperial SnowDragon UHP
68%
4. Bridgestone Blizzak 6
66%
5. Vredestein Wintrac Pro
65%
6. Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2
60%

Wet

1. Bridgestone Blizzak 6
72%
2. Continental Wintercontact Ts 870 P
71%
3. Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
69%
4. Vredestein Wintrac Pro
67%
5. Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2
63%
6. Imperial SnowDragon UHP
29%

Snow

1. Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
87%
2. Bridgestone Blizzak 6
72%
3. Continental Wintercontact Ts 870 P
68%
4. Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2
58%
5. Vredestein Wintrac Pro
55%
6. Imperial SnowDragon UHP
29%

This is a preview of our comprehensive tyre test. The full test includes:

Detailed breakdowns
Interactive sorting
Side-by-side comparisons
View Full Test Results

Price vs Quality

See how tyre price relates to test performance at a glance

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I'm looking for ...

Best snow tyres
Best tyres for EVs
Best ice tyres
Best dry-handling tyres
Best rain tyres
Quietest tyres
Most economical tyres
Best anti-aquaplaning tyres

Customer reviews

74 customer reviews for tyres in this size
Michelin PILOT ALPIN 5 3.8/5 (28) Continental WinterContact TS 870 P 4/5 (26) GoodYear UltraGrip Performance+ 3.8/5 (15) Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2 3.1/5 (5)

Other popular sizes

215/65 R16158 Tyres205/55 R16141 Tyres225/55 R17128 Tyres215/60 R17126 Tyres225/45 R17123 Tyres0/0 R0118 Tyres225/50 R17115 Tyres215/60 R16113 Tyres

205/40 R18 — Also available in

Summer(45)All season(11)

Top brands in 205/40 R18

Bridgestone(1)Continental(1)GoodYear(1)Michelin(1)Pirelli(1)Toyo(1)

Did you know ...?

205/40 R18 doesn't belong to the most popular dimensions for winter tyres - there are 1 tyre models available, which can be compared to 155/60 R15, 170/60 R17, 160/60 R14. Let's break down the sizing - 40 is height of the tyre, which is calculated as 40% of the tyre width (205mm), which means the sidewall height has 82 mm. The wheel diameter is R18, which means it fits to a 18 inch/457.2mm diameter wheel. The total circumference of the tyre is 1951.56 mm, which is very similar to 185/65 R15(1952.5 mm), 195/55 R16(1950.61 mm), 190/50 R17(1953.44 mm), 235/40 R17(1947.16 mm), 160/60 R17(1959.73 mm), 215/45 R17(1964.44 mm), 205/45 R17(1936.16 mm). There are multiple speed indexes available for winter tyres in 205/40 R18: H(210km/h), V(240km/h), W(270km/h). The same goes for weight indexes: 86, 97.

There are 1 runflat variants available.

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