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

Winter

71

Tyres

We recommend

Premium

Cinturato Winter 2

8.9

£151

Buy Details

Price / Value

KRISALP HP3

8.9

£122

Buy Details

Budget

Premitra Snow WP6

8.2

£87

Buy Details

Best deals

Premium

Cinturato Winter 2

205/45 R17 88 V .

£151

Great price for a premium tyre

Upper-middle

Winterhawk 4

205/45 R17 88 V .

£102

Budget

Kristall Control HP2

205/45 R17 88 V

£94

Best price in last 6 months

Upper-middle

G-FORCE WINTER 2

205/45 R17 88 V

£109

Best price in last 6 months

Upper-middle

WR Snowproof P

205/45 R17 88 V

£105

Upper-middle

Observe S944

205/45 R17 88 H XL

£112

Best tyres in tests (2026)

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1

Premium

UltraGrip Performance 3

'25#1

'25#1

'25#1

9.5

Price from

£149

Price from£149

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

#3

2026

theTyre Lab.comRecommended#3 Winter tires 2026

Performance

Snow braking

100%

Wet handling

89%

Wet circle cornering

87%

+7

Aquaplaning - longitudal

74%

Comfort

69%

Interior noise

63%

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

£149

mytyres.co.uk

£149

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

£134

Price from£134

Recommended

#5

2026

theTyre Lab.comRecommended#5 Winter tires 2026

Performance

Snow traction

100%

Comfort

100%

Exterior noise

100%

+5

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

£134

mytyres.co.uk

£134

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£157

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

3

Premium

Alpin 7

'25#1

'25#3

8.5

Price from

£168

Price from£168

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

Comfort

84%

Exterior noise

83%

Snow handling

81%

+6

Interior noise

57%

Wet circle cornering

55%

Wet braking

54%

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

£168

mytyres.co.uk

£168

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£198

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

4

Premium

Blizzak 6

'25#1

'25#2

'25#3

9.2

Price from

£140

Price from£140

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

Wet circle cornering

79%

Comfort

78%

Snow traction

76%

+6

Dry braking

53%

Exterior noise

52%

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

£140

mytyres.co.uk

£140

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

5

Upper-middle

WinterCraft WP52+

'25#4

'25#5

8.7

Price from

£98

Price from£98

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%

+5

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

£98

mytyres.co.uk

£98

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

6

Premium

WinterContact TS 870 P

'25#1

9.4

Price from

£157

Price from£157

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

#6

2026

theTyre Lab.comRecommended#6 Winter tires 2026

Performance

Snow braking

100%

Aquaplaning - cross

84%

Dry handling

83%

+7

Aquaplaning - longitudal

66%

Wet handling

66%

Snow traction

65%

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

£157

mytyres.co.uk

£157

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£164

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

7

Upper-middle

W462 Winter i*cept RS3

'25#2

'25#4

'24#4

8.2

Price from

£115

Price from£115

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

Aquaplaning - longitudal

87%

Aquaplaning - cross

84%

Dry handling

83%

+6

Exterior noise

53%

Interior noise

41%

Dry braking

38%

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

£120

mytyres.co.uk

£120

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£145

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

205/45 R17 88 V

B C 72dB

£124

mytyres.co.uk

£124

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

£158

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

205/45 R17 88 V mfs XL

B C 72dB

£115

mytyres.co.uk

£115

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

8

Premium

Wintrac Pro+

'25#4

7.2

Price from

£121

Price from£121

Performance

Wet circle cornering

89%

Wet handling

83%

Aquaplaning - longitudal

79%

+6

Interior noise

43%

Snow handling

37%

Dry braking

34%

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 £121

mytyres.co.uk

£121

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£147

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

9

Premium

Cinturato Winter 2

'25#6

'25#7

'25#8

7.2

Price from

£151

Price from£151

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

Exterior noise

74%

Snow handling

72%

Wet circle cornering

70%

+7

Dry handling

36%

Aquaplaning - cross

34%

Snow braking

0%

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

£151

mytyres.co.uk

£151

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

10

Upper-middle

WinterExpert

'25#5

'25#8

'25#12

8.1

Price from

£106

Price from£106

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

Snow traction

67%

Wet circle cornering

63%

Aquaplaning - cross

61%

+6

Dry handling

40%

Wet handling

37%

Dry braking

34%

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 £106

mytyres.co.uk

£106

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£131

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

11

Upper-middle

WR Snowproof P

'25#8

'22#4

'22#13

7.5

Price from

£105

Price from£105

Performance

Dry braking

92%

Exterior noise

89%

Dry handling

67%

+5

Snow handling

18%

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

£105

mytyres.co.uk

£105

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£149

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

12

Upper-middle

Eurowinter HS02

'25#9

'24#7

'24#22

7.2

Price from

£95

Price from£95

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

Wet circle cornering

73%

Exterior noise

73%

Dry braking

63%

+5

Wet handling

25%

Snow traction

23%

Snow handling

6%

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

£95

mytyres.co.uk

£95

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

13

Upper-middle

Krisalp HP3

'25#7

'25#12

'25#14

8.0

Price from

£122

Price from£122

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 traction

88%

Aquaplaning - longitudal

84%

Snow handling

77%

+6

Wet braking

53%

Wet handling

49%

Dry handling

31%

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 £122

mytyres.co.uk

£122

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

14

Upper-middle

G-FORCE WINTER 2

'25#11

'25#12

'24#10

8.2

Price from

£109

Price from£109

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

Snow traction

94%

Snow handling

90%

Aquaplaning - longitudal

89%

+6

Wet handling

44%

Wet circle cornering

39%

Dry handling

35%

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 £109

mytyres.co.uk

£109

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

15

Budget

Speed-Grip 5

'25#11

'25#14

'25#15

8.0

Price from

£111

Price from£111

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%

Aquaplaning - cross

84%

Aquaplaning - longitudal

82%

+6

Wet circle cornering

45%

Snow traction

40%

Wet handling

36%

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

£111

mytyres.co.uk

£111

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£130

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

205/45 R17 88 V

C C 72dB

£115

mytyres.co.uk

£115

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£132

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

16

Upper-middle

Winterhawk 4

'25#7

'25#16

'25#18

6.3

Price from

£102

Price from£102

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

Exterior noise

81%

Snow handling

80%

Aquaplaning - longitudal

76%

+6

Comfort

44%

Dry handling

28%

Dry braking

15%

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

£102

mytyres.co.uk

£102

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£125

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

Aquaplaning - cross

91%

Snow traction

79%

Interior noise

77%

+6

Exterior noise

24%

Wet handling

18%

Wet circle cornering

16%

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

£62

Price from£62

Test results

2025225/40 R18#31(-)

View full review

Price variants (1)

205/45 R17 88 V XL£62

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£62

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)

Fulda Kristall Control HP2 2.7/5 (9)

Other popular sizes

215/65 R16151 Tyres 205/55 R16137 Tyres 225/55 R17123 Tyres 215/60 R17122 Tyres 225/45 R17119 Tyres 0/0 R0118 Tyres 225/50 R17112 Tyres 215/60 R16109 Tyres

205/45 R17 — Also available in

Summer(158)All season(49)

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.