205/45 R17 - Best winter tyres 2026 - market overview, tests, reviews

Winter

73

Tyres

We recommend

Premium

Blizzak LM-005

9.0

£189

Buy Details

Price / Value

KRISALP HP3

8.9

£99

Buy Details

Budget

Premitra Snow WP6

8.2

£86

Buy Details

Best deals

Premium

Cinturato Winter 2

205/45 R17 88 V .

£148

Great price for a premium tyre

Upper-middle

Winterhawk 4

205/45 R17 88 V .

£92

Budget

Kristall Control HP2

205/45 R17 88 V

£94

Best price in last 6 months

Upper-middle

KRISALP HP3

205/45 R17 88 V mfsXL

£99

Best price in last 6 months

Upper-middle

W462 Winter i*cept RS3

205/45 R17 88 V

£107

Best price in last 6 months

Upper-middle

WR Snowproof P

205/45 R17 88 V

£104

Best tyres in tests (2026)

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1

Premium

UltraGrip Performance 3

'25#1

'25#1

'25#1

9.5

Price from

£150

Price from£150

Expert summary

The UltraGrip Performance 3 is one of the best tyres we have seen in the tests and on top of that it's top discipline is snow performance while maintaining great properties on wet, which makes it a great candidate for snowy climates.

Recommended

#5

2026

theTyre Lab.comRecommended#5 Winter tires 2026

Performance

Dry driving behavior

100%

Wet side guide

100%

Gravel traction

91%

+27

Interior noise

63%

Rolling resistance

60%

Price/value

53%

Test results

2025225/40 R18#1(Good)

2025215/55 R17#1(Exemplary)

2025245/45 R19#1(Highly recommended)

2025215/55 R17#2(Good)

2025225/45 R17#2(-)

2025275/35 R19#3(Very good)

2025225/40 R18#3(-)

2025235/50 R19#4(Good)

2025225/40 R18#5(Good)

2024215/55 R17#1(Good)

View full review

Price variants (1)

205/45 R17 88 V EVR

C D 70dB

£150

mytyres.co.uk

£150

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£152

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

2

Premium

Winter

'25#1

'25#2

9.6

Price from

£131

Price from£131

Recommended

#4

2026

theTyre Lab.comRecommended#4 Winter tires 2026

Performance

Snow traction

100%

Snow cornering

100%

Comfort

100%

+10

Wet circle cornering

47%

Dry handling

42%

Aquaplaning - longitudal

26%

Test results

2025225/40 R18#1(-)

2025225/40 R18#2(Exemplary)

View full review

Price variants (1)

205/45 R17 88 V

B D 70dB

£131

mytyres.co.uk

£131

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£156

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

3

Premium

Alpin 7

'25#1

'25#3

8.5

Price from

£154

Price from£154

Expert summary

Michelin has unveiled the ALPIN 7 winter tyre, featuring an advanced tread design with additional sipes and an evolving tread pattern to maintain traction as the tyre wears. The new model aims to enhance braking and acceleration on snowy and wet roads while improving overall efficiency for a variety of vehicles. Unlike the Alpin 6, which was considered a bit overpriced for its performance, the Alpin 7 is expected to offer better value and address concerns in upcoming winter tests.

Performance

Lateral guidance on snow

100%

Snow handling - objective

100%

Wet side guide

100%

+17

Wet circle cornering

55%

Wet braking

54%

Snow acceleration

33%

Test results

2025215/65 R17#1(Very good)

2025215/55 R17#3(Very good)

2025235/50 R19#3(Exemplary)

2025225/45 R17#4(-)

2025215/55 R17#5(Good)

2025215/55 R17#6(Good)

View full review

Price variants (1)

205/45 R17 88 V XL

B C 71dB

£154

mytyres.co.uk

£154

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£185

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

4

Premium

Blizzak 6

'25#1

'25#2

'25#3

9.2

Price from

£144

Price from£144

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

#8

2026

theTyre Lab.comRecommended#8 Winter tires 2026

Performance

Snow safety

100%

Lateral guidance on snow

96%

Gravel traction

91%

+26

Exterior noise

52%

Price/value

34%

Interior noise

29%

Test results

2025235/50 R19#1(Test winner)

2025275/35 R19#2(Very good)

2025225/45 R17#3(-)

2025215/55 R17#3(Good)

2025225/40 R18#3(Exemplary)

2025225/40 R18#3(Good)

2025245/45 R19#4(Highly recommended)

2025225/40 R18#6(-)

2025215/55 R17#6(Very good)

2025215/55 R17#7(Good)

View full review

Price variants (1)

205/45 R17 88 V

B C 70dB

£144

mytyres.co.uk

£144

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£177

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

5

Upper-middle

WinterCraft WP52+

'25#4

'25#5

8.7

Price from

£97

Price from£97

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

#11

2026

theTyre Lab.comRecommended#11 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 R17 88 V

B D 72dB

£97

mytyres.co.uk

£97

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

6

Premium

WinterContact TS 870 P

'25#1

9.4

Price from

£155

Price from£155

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

#7

2026

theTyre Lab.comRecommended#7 Winter tires 2026

Performance

Dry handling - objective

93%

Rolling resistance

92%

Mud traction

91%

+26

Gravel traction

46%

Sand traction

46%

Price/value

4%

Test results

2025215/55 R17#1(Good)

2025215/55 R17#1(Outstanding)

2025235/50 R19#1(Exemplary)

2025215/55 R17#3(Exemplary)

2025245/45 R19#5(Highly recommended)

2025225/40 R18#6(Good)

2025225/40 R18#7(Good)

2025225/40 R18#13(-)

2024215/55 R17#2(Highly recommended)

2024235/55 R18#2(Very good)

View full review

Price variants (1)

205/45 R17 88 V BSW XL

B C 71dB

£155

mytyres.co.uk

£155

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£155

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

7

Upper-middle

W462 Winter i*cept RS3

'25#2

'25#4

'24#4

8.2

Price from

£107

Price from£107

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

Dry braking

38%

Rolling resistance

35%

Wet safety

33%

Test results

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)

2023225/45 R17#7(Satisfactory)

View full review

Price variants (4)

205/45 R17 88 V

B C 72dB

£107

mytyres.co.uk

£107

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£138

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

205/45 R17 88 V

B C 72dB

£125

mytyres.co.uk

£125

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

205/45 R17 88 V

B D 72dB

£133

mytyres.co.uk

£133

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£156

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

205/45 R17 88 V mfs XL

B C 72dB

£112

mytyres.co.uk

£112

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

8

Premium

Wintrac Pro+

'25#4

7.2

Price from

£117

Price from£117

Performance

Wet handling - objective

90%

Wet circle cornering

89%

Wet handling

83%

+22

Price/value

21%

Dry lane changing

16%

Dry driving behavior

11%

Test results

2025215/55 R17#4(Exemplary)

2025215/55 R17#4(Good)

2025235/50 R19#4(Good)

2025215/55 R17#5(Very good)

2025225/45 R17#6(-)

2025245/45 R19#6(-)

2025275/35 R19#6(Good)

2025225/40 R18#13(Satisfactory)

2025225/40 R18#17(-)

View full review

Price variants (1)

205/45 R17 88 V £117

mytyres.co.uk

£117

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£149

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

9

Premium

Cinturato Winter 2

'25#6

'25#7

'25#8

7.2

Price from

£148

Price from£148

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%

Test results

2025215/55 R17#6(Good)

2025215/55 R17#7(Good)

2025215/55 R17#8(Good)

2025225/40 R18#10(Good)

2024205/55 R16#4(-)

2024215/55 R17#6(-)

2024215/55 R17#7(Satisfactory)

2024205/55 R16#11(Sufficient)

2024205/55 R16#13(Satisfactory)

2023225/45 R17#5(-)

View full review

Price variants (1)

205/45 R17 88 V

B C 71dB

£148

mytyres.co.uk

£148

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

10

Upper-middle

WinterExpert

'25#5

'25#8

'25#12

8.1

Price from

£105

Price from£105

Expert summary

Very good traction on snow for a nice price in a wide range of dimensions. Could use shorter braking distance on dry and better traction on the wet.

Performance

Rolling resistance

93%

Dry handling - objective

86%

Ice braking

78%

+21

Safety

19%

Wet side guide

0%

Wet handling - objective

0%

Test results

2025225/40 R18#5(-)

2025225/40 R18#8(Good)

2025225/40 R18#12(Satisfactory)

2024205/55 R16#7(-)

2024205/55 R16#9(Good)

2023225/45 R18#11(-)

2023225/45 R18#12(Satisfactory)

2023205/60 R16#14(Satisfactory)

2022245/45 R19#7(Sufficient)

2022215/60 R16#14(Satisfactory)

View full review

Price variants (1)

205/45 R17 88 V £105

mytyres.co.uk

£105

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£134

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

11

Upper-middle

WR Snowproof P

'25#8

'22#4

'22#13

7.5

Price from

£104

Price from£104

Performance

Rolling resistance

96%

Dry braking

92%

Exterior noise

89%

+16

Wet safety

14%

Aquaplaning - cross

4%

Aquaplaning - longitudal

3%

Test results

2025225/40 R18#8(Satisfactory)

2022225/45 R17#4(Recommended for economical driving)

2022215/55 R17#13(-)

2022215/55 R17#18(Satisfactory)

2021225/45 R17#5(-)

2021225/40 R18#7(-)

2021225/50 R17#13(Satisfactory)

View full review

Price variants (1)

205/45 R17 88 V

B C 69dB

£104

mytyres.co.uk

£104

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£147

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

12

Upper-middle

Eurowinter HS02

'25#9

'24#7

'24#22

7.2

Price from

£93

Price from£93

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

Dry steering response

75%

Comfort

75%

Wet circle cornering

73%

+14

Snow braking

5%

Lateral guidance on snow

0%

Snow handling - objective

0%

Test results

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 R17 88 V

B D 68dB

£93

mytyres.co.uk

£93

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

13

Upper-middle

Krisalp HP3

'25#7

'25#12

'25#14

8.0

Price from

£99

Price from£99

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 R17 88 V mfs XL £99

mytyres.co.uk

£99

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

14

Upper-middle

G-FORCE WINTER 2

'25#11

'25#12

'24#10

8.2

Price from

£111

Price from£111

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 R17 88 V £111

mytyres.co.uk

£111

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

15

Budget

Speed-Grip 5

'25#11

'25#14

'25#15

8.0

Price from

£107

Price from£107

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 (2)

205/45 R17 84 H

C D 72dB

£107

mytyres.co.uk

£107

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£132

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

205/45 R17 88 V

C C 72dB

£125

mytyres.co.uk

£125

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£134

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

16

Upper-middle

Winterhawk 4

'25#7

'25#16

'25#18

6.3

Price from

£92

Price from£92

Expert summary

The Winterhawk 4 is a tyre with mixed ratings as there are tests where the tyre was not recommended. Common criticisms include longer braking distances and significant understeer

Performance

Lateral guidance on snow

95%

Ice braking

92%

Ice lateral guidance

82%

+24

Safety

19%

Dry braking

15%

Dry lane changing

14%

Test results

2025225/40 R18#7(-)

2025225/40 R18#16(Satisfactory)

2025225/40 R18#18(Sufficient)

2024205/55 R16#10(-)

2024215/55 R17#10(Satisfactory)

2024205/55 R16#18(Satisfactory)

2023225/45 R18#6(-)

2023205/60 R16#7(Good)

2023225/60 R18#9(Not recommended)

2023225/45 R18#20(Not recommended)

View full review

Price variants (1)

205/45 R17 88 V

B D 71dB

£92

mytyres.co.uk

£92

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£127

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

17

Budget

Kristall Control HP2

'25#13

'25#18

6.8

Price from

£94

Price from£94

Expert summary

Kristall Control HP2 is an affordable snow specialist with some compromises in the wet and dry handling and braking.

Performance

Ice lateral guidance

97%

Aquaplaning - cross

91%

Lateral guidance on snow

86%

+20

Wet handling

18%

Wet circle cornering

16%

Dry lane changing

0%

Test results

2025225/40 R18#13(Satisfactory)

2025225/40 R18#18(Satisfactory)

2025225/40 R18#18(-)

2024205/55 R16#19(Satisfactory)

2024205/55 R16#20(-)

2023205/60 R16#9(Satisfactory)

2023225/45 R18#23(-)

2022225/45 R17#6(-)

2022215/55 R17#18(-)

2021225/50 R17#11(Satisfactory)

View full review

Price variants (1)

205/45 R17 88 V

D C 71dB

£94

mytyres.co.uk

£94

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

18

Budget

Ice-Plus S210

'25#31

3.7

Price from

£60

Price from£60

Test results

2025225/40 R18#31(-)

View full review

Price variants (1)

205/45 R17 88 V XL£60

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£60

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

205/45 R17 tyre test

Personalize →

Best tyres in your size

Dry

1. Continental Wintercontact Ts 870 P

78%

2. Bridgestone Blizzak LM-005

77%

3. Michelin Alpin 7

76%

4. Michelin Alpin 6

74%

5. Triangle WInterX TW401

73%

6. Kumho WinterCraft WP52

73%

7. GoodYear UltraGrip Performance 3

71%

8. Kumho WinterCraft WP52+

71%

9. Hankook W462 Winter i*cept RS3

68%

10. Yokohama BluEarth-Winter V906

67%

11. Semperit Speed-Grip 5

65%

12. Vredestein Wintrac Pro

65%

13. Imperial SnowDragon UHP

64%

14. Bridgestone Blizzak 6

64%

15. Linglong Sport Master Winter

61%

Wet

1. Bridgestone Blizzak LM-005

87%

2. GoodYear UltraGrip Performance 3

76%

3. Hankook W462 Winter i*cept RS3

73%

4. Vredestein Wintrac Pro+

73%

5. Kumho WinterCraft WP52+

71%

6. Bridgestone Blizzak 6

70%

7. Continental Wintercontact Ts 870 P

70%

8. Michelin Alpin 6

70%

9. Michelin Alpin 7

68%

10. Vredestein Wintrac Pro

67%

11. Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2

63%

12. Kleber Krisalp HP3

62%

13. Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6

61%

14. BFGoodrich G-FORCE WINTER 2

59%

15. Semperit Speed-Grip 5

59%

Snow

1. BFGoodrich G-FORCE WINTER 2

91%

2. Kleber Krisalp HP3

84%

3. Michelin Alpin 7

81%

4. Bridgestone Blizzak 6

73%

5. GoodYear UltraGrip Performance 3

68%

6. Continental Wintercontact Ts 870 P

68%

7. Kumho WinterCraft WP52+

68%

8. Fulda Kristall Control HP2

68%

9. Hankook W462 Winter i*cept RS3

67%

10. Bridgestone Blizzak LM-005

66%

11. Michelin Alpin 6

63%

12. Matador MP93 Nordicca

58%

13. Uniroyal WinterExpert

58%

14. Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2

58%

15. Semperit Speed-Grip 5

57%

Comfort

1. BFGoodrich G-FORCE WINTER 2

80%

2. Michelin Alpin 7

80%

3. Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6

75%

4. Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3

74%

5. Kleber Krisalp HP3

74%

6. Giti GitiWinter W2

74%

7. Continental Wintercontact Ts 870 P

73%

8. FALKEN EUROWINTER HS02

68%

9. Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2

67%

10. Hankook W462 Winter i*cept RS3

67%

11. Semperit Speed-Grip 5

64%

12. Michelin Alpin 6

62%

13. Bridgestone Blizzak LM-005

61%

14. Uniroyal WinterExpert

55%

15. Kumho WinterCraft WP52+

53%

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

Cars with 205/45 R17 tyres

+4

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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

180 customer reviews for tyres in this size

Michelin ALPIN 6 3.8/5 (27)

Kleber KRISALP HP3 3.5/5 (25)

Nokian WR A4 3.3/5 (23)

Michelin Alpin 5 3.6/5 (22)

Falken EuroWinter HS01 3.7/5 (20)

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P 3.9/5 (16)

Yokohama BluEarth winter V905 3.8/5 (14)

Goodyear UltraGrip 8 Performance 3.3/5 (14)

Debica Frigo HP2 2.6/5 (10)

Firestone Winterhawk 3 2.6/5 (9)

Other popular sizes

215/65 R16156 Tyres 205/55 R16140 Tyres 225/55 R17128 Tyres 215/60 R17126 Tyres 225/45 R17123 Tyres 0/0 R0118 Tyres 225/50 R17115 Tyres 215/60 R16113 Tyres

205/45 R17 — Also available in

Summer(158)All season(50)

Top brands in 205/45 R17

Did you know ...?

205/45 R17 doesn't belong to the most popular dimensions for winter tyres - there are 35 tyre models available, which can be compared to 225/70 R15, 195/75 R16, 235/45 R17. 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 R17, which means it fits to a 17 inch/431.8mm diameter wheel. The total circumference of the tyre is 1936.16 mm, which is very similar to 195/60 R15(1932.08 mm), 225/35 R18(1931.14 mm), 185/70 R14(1930.82 mm), 235/40 R17(1947.16 mm), 195/55 R16(1950.61 mm), 205/50 R16(1920.77 mm), 205/40 R18(1951.56 mm). There are multiple speed indexes available for winter tyres in 205/45 R17: H(210km/h), V(240km/h). The same goes for weight indexes: 84, 88. You can find 205/45 R17 on 28 car models - mainly .

There are 9 runflat variants available.