205/45 R16 - Best winter tyres 2026 - market overview, tests, reviews

Winter

30

Tyres

We recommend

Premium

Blizzak LM-005

9.0

£136

Buy Details

Price / Value

KRISALP HP3

8.9

£112

Buy Details

Best deals

Upper-middle

W462 Winter i*cept RS3

205/45 R16 87 H

£93

Best price in last 6 months Lowest price among well rated tyres.

Upper-middle

Snowprox S954

205/45 R16 87 H XL

£93

Lowest price among well rated tyres.

Best tyres in tests (2026)

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1

Premium

WinterContact TS 870

'26#1

'25#1

'24#1

9.9

Price from

£129

Price from£129

Expert summary

Continental has been dominating the winter tyre segment for years, and the TS870 is no different. It is very well-balanced and offers great mileage, making the premium price point worthwhile in the long run.

Recommended

#2

2026

theTyre Lab.comRecommended#2 Winter tires 2026

Performance

Lateral guidance on snow

100%

Wet circle cornering

95%

Snow cornering

95%

+22

Dry braking

66%

Price/value

63%

Snow traction

62%

Test results

2026205/55 R16#1(-)

2025225/45 R17#1(Test winner)

2024205/55 R16#1(Good)

2024205/55 R16#1(Exemplary)

2024205/55 R16#8(-)

2023225/45 R17#1(Good)

2023225/45 R17#1(Test winner)

2022225/45 R17#1(-)

2022185/65 R15#1(Good)

2022225/45 R19#1(-)

View full review

Price variants (1)

205/45 R16 87 H EVc

B C 70dB

£129

mytyres.co.uk

£129

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£168

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

2

Upper-middle

W462 Winter i*cept RS3

'26#3

'25#2

'25#4

8.1

Price from

£93

Price from£93

Expert summary

There aren’t many things to dislike about the Winter i*cept RS3, except perhaps for slightly lower mileage and higher rolling resistance. For its price, it performs well in all weather conditions.

Performance

Lateral guidance on snow

100%

Wet side guide

100%

Dry steering response

100%

+21

Rolling resistance

36%

Wet safety

33%

Interior noise

31%

Test results

2026205/55 R16#3(-)

2025215/55 R17#2(Exemplary)

2025215/55 R17#4(Very good)

2024205/55 R16#4(Satisfactory)

2024215/55 R17#4(Recommended)

2024215/55 R17#5(Satisfactory)

2024205/55 R16#6(Good)

2024205/55 R16#14(-)

2023225/45 R17#4(-)

2023205/60 R16#5(Good)

View full review

Price variants (2)

205/45 R16 87 H

B D 72dB

£93

mytyres.co.uk

£93

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

205/45 R16 87 H mfs XL

B D 72dB

£115

mytyres.co.uk

£115

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

3

Premium

Winter

'26#8

'25#1

'25#2

7.5

Price from

£102

Price from£102

Performance

Snow traction

100%

Snow cornering

100%

Comfort

100%

+11

Interior noise

30%

Dry handling

26%

Aquaplaning - longitudal

23%

Test results

2026205/55 R16#8(-)

2025225/40 R18#1(-)

2025225/40 R18#2(Exemplary)

View full review

Price variants (1)

205/45 R16 87 H

C D 71dB

£102

mytyres.co.uk

£102

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

4

Premium

Blizzak 6

'26#4

'25#1

'25#2

9.0

Price from

£145

Price from£145

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

#7

2026

theTyre Lab.comRecommended#7 Winter tires 2026

Performance

Snow safety

100%

Lateral guidance on snow

96%

Gravel traction

91%

+26

Interior noise

49%

Dry braking

49%

Price/value

34%

Test results

2026205/55 R16#4(-)

2025235/50 R19#1(Test winner)

2025275/35 R19#2(Very good)

2025225/40 R18#3(Exemplary)

2025225/40 R18#3(Good)

2025225/45 R17#3(-)

2025215/55 R17#3(Good)

2025245/45 R19#4(Highly recommended)

2025225/40 R18#6(-)

2025215/55 R17#6(Very good)

View full review

Price variants (1)

205/45 R16 87 H

B C 70dB

£145

mytyres.co.uk

£145

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£176

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

5

Upper-middle

WinterCraft WP52+

'25#4

'25#5

8.7

Price from

£84

Price from£84

Expert summary

The Kumho WinterCraft WP52+ is a winter tyre from the established South Korean manufacturer, designed for use on passenger cars during cold weather conditions. Serving as an updated successor to the standard WinterCraft WP52, this model is engineered for winter driving. Its main focus is delivering traction on cold, snowy, and icy roads, though specific technical modifications over its predecessor are not detailed.

Recommended

#10

2026

theTyre Lab.comRecommended#10 Winter tires 2026

Performance

Dry braking

95%

Wet braking

93%

Wet handling

88%

+10

Snow traction

47%

Comfort

42%

Aquaplaning - cross

31%

Test results

2025225/40 R18#4(Good)

2025225/40 R18#4(-)

2025215/55 R17#5(Good)

View full review

Price variants (1)

205/45 R16 87 H

B C 72dB

£84

mytyres.co.uk

£84

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£117

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

6

Upper-middle

EuroWinter HS02

'26#7

'25#9

'24#7

6.5

Price from

£88

Price from£88

Expert summary

The EuroWinter HS02 is one of the few affordable winter tires with good mileage and low rolling resistance. It offers strong driving characteristics, with only slight weaknesses on snow.

Performance

Interior noise

90%

Dry braking

75%

Dry steering response

75%

+16

Snow braking

6%

Lateral guidance on snow

0%

Snow handling - objective

0%

Test results

2026205/55 R16#7(-)

2025215/55 R17#9(Satisfactory)

2024205/55 R16#7(Satisfactory)

2024205/55 R16#22(-)

2023205/60 R16#11(Satisfactory)

View full review

Price variants (1)

205/45 R16 87 H

B D 68dB

£88

mytyres.co.uk

£88

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

7

Upper-middle

Krisalp HP3

'25#7

'25#12

'25#14

8.0

Price from

£112

Price from£112

Expert summary

Old but gold, that is how we can pretty much describe the Krisalp HP3. It's a winter tyre that is great on snow for a good price, which is what the average driver is looking for. It's not a premium tyre, but you get a lot of bang for your buck.

Performance

Snow braking

96%

Ice lateral guidance

90%

Snow traction

88%

+19

Dry handling

31%

Dry handling - objective

25%

Wet handling - objective

13%

Test results

2025225/40 R18#7(Satisfactory)

2025225/40 R18#12(-)

2025225/40 R18#14(Satisfactory)

2024205/55 R16#8(Good)

2024205/55 R16#16(-)

2023225/45 R18#4(-)

2023205/60 R16#10(Satisfactory)

2023225/45 R18#11(Satisfactory)

2022215/60 R16#7(Satisfactory)

2022225/45 R17#8(-)

View full review

Price variants (1)

205/45 R16 87 H XL £112

mytyres.co.uk

£112

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£136

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

8

Upper-middle

G-FORCE WINTER 2

'25#11

'25#12

'24#10

8.2

Price from

£127

Price from£127

Expert summary

G-Force Winter 2 is our favorite budget winter tyre. It's great on snow and offers good safety on all surfaces, which is no surprise as BFGoodrich is a part of the Michelin group.

Performance

Lateral guidance on snow

100%

Snow handling - objective

100%

Snow braking

100%

+23

Dry lane changing

39%

Dry handling

35%

Wet handling - objective

22%

Test results

2025225/40 R18#11(-)

2025225/40 R18#12(Good)

2024205/55 R16#10(Good)

2024205/55 R16#13(-)

2023225/45 R18#4(Good)

2023225/45 R18#5(-)

2023205/60 R16#8(Satisfactory)

2022185/65 R15#5(Satisfactory)

2022215/55 R17#6(-)

2022215/55 R17#9(Good)

View full review

Price variants (1)

205/45 R16 87 H £127

mytyres.co.uk

£127

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

9

Budget

Speed-Grip 5

'25#11

'25#14

'25#15

8.0

Price from

£121

Price from£121

Expert summary

We really like the new Speed-Grip 5 - it's not expensive, it's very good on snow and on top of that, it's got very low rolling resistance. What it lacks compared to the premium tyres is better wet performance, but given it's price it's definitely recommendable.

Performance

Interior noise

100%

Dry handling - objective

88%

Aquaplaning - cross

84%

+17

Wet handling

36%

Wet handling - objective

25%

Snow handling - objective

25%

Test results

2025225/40 R18#11(Good)

2025225/40 R18#14(Satisfactory)

2025225/40 R18#15(-)

2024205/55 R16#3(Exemplary)

2024215/55 R17#4(Satisfactory)

2024205/55 R16#6(-)

2023225/45 R17#6(Satisfactory)

2023225/45 R18#16(Satisfactory)

2023225/45 R18#19(-)

2022185/65 R15#3(Good)

View full review

Price variants (1)

205/45 R16 87 H

C D 72dB

£121

mytyres.co.uk

£121

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£132

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

10

Upper-middle

BluEarth Winter V906

'25#8

'25#28

'24#8

5.5

Price from

£135

Price from£135

Performance

Dry lane changing

89%

Dry handling

86%

Comfort

82%

+20

Snow traction

14%

Snow safety

11%

Lateral guidance on snow

0%

Test results

2025245/45 R19#8(-)

2025225/40 R18#28(-)

2024215/55 R17#8(Satisfactory)

2024205/55 R16#19(-)

2024205/55 R16#20(Satisfactory)

View full review

Price variants (1)

205/45 R16 87 H £135

mytyres.co.uk

£135

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

205/45 R16 tyre test

Personalize →

Best tyres in your size

Dry

1. Continental WinterContact TS 870

77%

2. Bridgestone Blizzak LM-005

77%

3. Michelin Alpin 6

74%

4. Kumho WinterCraft WP52+

71%

5. GoodYear UltraGrip Performance 3

70%

6. Hankook W462 Winter i*cept RS3

69%

7. Yokohama BluEarth-Winter V906

67%

8. Semperit Speed-Grip 5

65%

9. Bridgestone Blizzak 6

64%

10. Linglong Sport Master Winter

61%

11. FALKEN EUROWINTER HS02

57%

12. Kleber Krisalp HP3

47%

13. Dunlop Winter

46%

14. BFGoodrich G-FORCE WINTER 2

46%

Wet

1. Bridgestone Blizzak LM-005

87%

2. Continental WinterContact TS 870

84%

3. Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3

77%

4. Hankook W462 Winter i*cept RS3

73%

5. Kumho WinterCraft WP52+

71%

6. Bridgestone Blizzak 6

70%

7. Michelin Alpin 6

70%

8. Kleber Krisalp HP3

62%

9. BFGoodrich G-FORCE WINTER 2

59%

10. Semperit Speed-Grip 5

59%

11. Yokohama BluEarth-Winter V906

58%

12. FALKEN EUROWINTER HS02

57%

13. Dunlop Winter

55%

14. Linglong Sport Master Winter

35%

Snow

1. BFGoodrich G-FORCE WINTER 2

91%

2. Kleber Krisalp HP3

84%

3. Dunlop Winter

84%

4. Continental WinterContact TS 870

78%

5. Bridgestone Blizzak 6

73%

6. Hankook W462 Winter i*cept RS3

70%

7. GoodYear UltraGrip Performance 3

69%

8. Kumho WinterCraft WP52+

68%

9. Bridgestone Blizzak LM-005

66%

10. Michelin Alpin 6

63%

11. Semperit Speed-Grip 5

57%

12. FALKEN EUROWINTER HS02

45%

13. Yokohama BluEarth-Winter V906

44%

14. Linglong Sport Master Winter

40%

Comfort

1. BFGoodrich G-FORCE WINTER 2

80%

2. Continental WinterContact TS 870

75%

3. Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3

74%

4. Kleber Krisalp HP3

74%

5. FALKEN EUROWINTER HS02

68%

6. Hankook W462 Winter i*cept RS3

67%

7. Semperit Speed-Grip 5

64%

8. Michelin Alpin 6

62%

9. Bridgestone Blizzak LM-005

61%

10. Kumho WinterCraft WP52+

53%

11. Bridgestone Blizzak 6

40%

12. Linglong Sport Master Winter

38%

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

Compare tyres

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

196 customer reviews for tyres in this size

Continental WinterContact TS 860 3.6/5 (47)

Michelin ALPIN 6 3.9/5 (34)

Michelin Alpin 5 3.7/5 (28)

Kleber KRISALP HP3 3.5/5 (28)

Continental WinterContact TS 870 3.7/5 (24)

GoodYear UltraGrip Performance 3 3.9/5 (14)

Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2.8/5 (9)

Toyo Snowprox S954 1.5/5 (4)

Imperial Snowdragon 3 1.5/5 (4)

Yokohama BluEarth winter V906 1.9/5 (4)

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205/45 R16 — Also available in

Summer(94)All season(20)

Top brands in 205/45 R16

Did you know ...?

205/45 R16 doesn't belong to the most popular dimensions for winter tyres - there are 10 tyre models available, which can be compared to 165/60 R15, 165/60 R14, 165/65 R15. Let's break down the sizing - 45 is height of the tyre, which is calculated as 45% of the tyre width (205mm), which means the sidewall height has 92.25 mm. The wheel diameter is R16, which means it fits to a 16 inch/406.4mm diameter wheel. The total circumference of the tyre is 1856.37 mm, which is very similar to 175/60 R15(1856.68 mm), 185/50 R16(1857.94 mm), 195/60 R14(1852.28 mm), 195/40 R17(1846.63 mm), 165/80 R13(1866.73 mm), 165/70 R14(1842.86 mm), 165/65 R15(1870.82 mm). There are multiple speed indexes available for winter tyres in 205/45 R16: H(210km/h), T(190km/h), V(240km/h). The same goes for weight indexes: 83, 87. You can find 205/45 R16 on 17 car models - mainly .