205/65 R16 - Best winter tyres 2026 - market overview, tests, reviews

Winter

87

Tyres

We recommend

Premium

Blizzak LM-005

9.0

£131

Buy Details

Price / Value

W462 Winter i*cept RS3

8.7

£96

Buy Details

Best deals

Premium

Blizzak LM-005

205/65 R16 95 H .

£131

Great price for a premium tyre

Upper-middle

EuroWinter HS01

205/65 R16 95 H

£89

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

Premium

Blizzak LM-001

205/65 R16 95 H

£123

Premium

WINTER SOTTOZERO Serie III

205/65 R16 95 H

£130

Best tyres in tests (2026)

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1

Premium

WinterContact TS 870

'25#1

'24#1

'24#1

9.9

Price from

£121

Price from£121

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

Wet circle cornering

94%

Aquaplaning - longitudal

88%

Aquaplaning - cross

88%

+6

Comfort

74%

Dry braking

66%

Snow traction

65%

Test results

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)

2022185/65 R15#1(Good)

2022225/45 R17#1(-)

2022225/45 R17#1(Test winner)

2022225/45 R19#1(-)

View full review

Price variants (1)

205/65 R16 95 H EVc

B C 72dB

£121

mytyres.co.uk

£121

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£157

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

2

Premium

Winter

'25#1

'25#2

9.6

Price from

£111

Price from£111

Recommended

#4

2026

theTyre Lab.comRecommended#4 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)

205/65 R16 95 H

C C 71dB

£111

mytyres.co.uk

£111

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

3

Premium

Blizzak 6

'25#1

'25#2

'25#3

9.2

Price from

£108

Price from£108

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

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 (2)

205/65 R16 99 H

B C 70dB

£108

mytyres.co.uk

£108

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£144

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

4

Upper-middle

WinterCraft WP52+

'25#4

'25#5

8.7

Price from

£93

Price from£93

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%

+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)

205/65 R16 95 H

B C 72dB

£93

mytyres.co.uk

£93

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

5

Upper-middle

W462 Winter i*cept RS3

'25#2

'25#4

'24#4

8.2

Price from

£96

Price from£96

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 (3)

205/65 R16 95 H

B D 72dB

£96

mytyres.co.uk

£96

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£128

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

205/65 R16 95 H

B D 72dB

£125

mytyres.co.uk

£125

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

205/65 R16 95 H

B D 72dB

£140

mytyres.co.uk

£140

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

6

Budget

Polaris 6

'25#2

'25#9

'25#10

8.3

Price from

£99

Price from£99

Expert summary

Barum unveils the Polaris 6, a budget-friendly winter tyre from the Czech Republic that adopts design elements from Continental’s TS series, including a V-shaped tread for better snow performance. The Polaris 6 improves on the Polaris 5 with enhanced durability, reduced rolling resistance, and quieter operation, while maintaining solid wet and dry performance. Priced about 20% higher, it leverages Continental’s technology to offer greater value and reliable winter traction for cost-conscious drivers.

Performance

Comfort

100%

Exterior noise

100%

Snow traction

79%

+5

Dry handling

51%

Aquaplaning - cross

38%

Aquaplaning - longitudal

36%

Test results

2025215/65 R17#2(Good)

2025225/40 R18#9(Good)

2025225/40 R18#10(-)

View full review

Price variants (1)

205/65 R16 95 H

C C 72dB

£99

mytyres.co.uk

£99

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

7

Upper-middle

Snowproof 2

'25#7

'24#6

'24#27

7.3

Price from

£89

Price from£89

Expert summary

The Snowproof 2 is the new version of the very popular first generation. As is usual for the nordic brand, It's great on snow while being more affordable than the premium brands.

Performance

Aquaplaning - cross

96%

Aquaplaning - longitudal

86%

Wet circle cornering

73%

+5

Snow handling

31%

Snow traction

23%

Exterior noise

9%

Test results

2025215/55 R17#7(Good)

2024205/55 R16#6(Satisfactory)

2024205/55 R16#27(-)

2023235/55 R18#4(Recommended)

View full review

Price variants (1)

205/65 R16 95 H XL

B D 69dB

£89

mytyres.co.uk

£89

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

8

Upper-middle

Eurowinter HS02

'25#9

'24#7

'24#22

7.2

Price from

£85

Price from£85

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)

205/65 R16 95 H £85

mytyres.co.uk

£85

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

9

Budget

Speed-Grip 5

'25#11

'25#14

'25#15

8.0

Price from

£89

Price from£89

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 (1)

205/65 R16 95 H

C B 72dB

£89

mytyres.co.uk

£89

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£127

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

205/65 R16 tyre test

Personalize →

Best tyres in your size

Dry

1. Vredestein Wintrac

80%

2. Continental WinterContact TS 870

77%

3. Bridgestone Blizzak LM-005

77%

4. Kumho WinterCraft WP52

73%

5. Kumho WinterCraft WP52+

71%

6. Hankook W462 Winter i*cept RS3

68%

7. Yokohama BluEarth-Winter V906

67%

8. Semperit Speed-Grip 5

65%

9. Bridgestone Blizzak 6

64%

10. Barum Polaris 6

62%

11. Linglong Sport Master Winter

61%

12. Nokian Snowproof 2

54%

13. Dunlop Winter Sport 5

50%

14. Falken Eurowinter HS02

44%

Wet

1. Bridgestone Blizzak LM-005

87%

2. Continental WinterContact TS 870

84%

3. Hankook W462 Winter i*cept RS3

73%

4. Kumho WinterCraft WP52+

71%

5. Bridgestone Blizzak 6

70%

6. Vredestein Wintrac

68%

7. Dunlop Winter Sport 5

67%

8. Nokian Snowproof 2

65%

9. Semperit Speed-Grip 5

59%

10. Yokohama BluEarth-Winter V906

58%

11. Kumho WinterCraft WP52

56%

12. Falken Eurowinter HS02

53%

13. Barum Polaris 6

51%

14. Linglong Sport Master Winter

34%

Snow

1. Continental WinterContact TS 870

78%

2. Dunlop Winter Sport 5

76%

3. Barum Polaris 6

74%

4. Bridgestone Blizzak 6

73%

5. Nokian Snowproof 2

70%

6. Kumho WinterCraft WP52+

68%

7. Hankook W462 Winter i*cept RS3

67%

8. Bridgestone Blizzak LM-005

66%

9. Semperit Speed-Grip 5

57%

10. Vredestein Wintrac

51%

11. Kumho WinterCraft WP52

50%

12. FALKEN EUROWINTER HS02

47%

13. Yokohama BluEarth-Winter V906

44%

14. Linglong Sport Master Winter

37%

Comfort

1. Barum Polaris 6

97%

2. Continental WinterContact TS 870

75%

3. FALKEN EUROWINTER HS02

68%

4. Hankook W462 Winter i*cept RS3

67%

5. Semperit Speed-Grip 5

64%

6. Vredestein Wintrac

61%

7. Bridgestone Blizzak LM-005

61%

8. Kumho WinterCraft WP52+

53%

9. Dunlop Winter Sport 5

49%

10. Bridgestone Blizzak 6

40%

11. Linglong Sport Master Winter

38%

12. Kumho WinterCraft WP52

37%

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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Cars with 205/65 R16 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

194 customer reviews for tyres in this size

Continental WinterContact TS 860 3.6/5 (44)

Dunlop Winter Sport 5 3.8/5 (38)

Falken Eurowinter HS449 4/5 (33)

Michelin Alpin 5 3.6/5 (22)

Falken EuroWinter HS01 3.7/5 (20)

Continental WinterContact TS 870 3.4/5 (15)

Goodyear UltraGrip 8 Performance 3.3/5 (14)

Continental VancoWinter 2 2/5 (4)

Uniroyal SNOW MAX 2 2.2/5 (4)

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

205/65 R16 — Also available in

Summer(102)All season(35)

Top brands in 205/65 R16

Did you know ...?

205/65 R16 doesn't belong to the most popular dimensions for winter tyres - there are 40 tyre models available, which can be compared to 215/65 R15, 195/70 R15, 195/50 R15. Let's break down the sizing - 65 is height of the tyre, which is calculated as 65% of the tyre width (205mm), which means the sidewall height has 133.25 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 2113.98 mm, which is very similar to 275/30 R20(2114.29 mm), 235/35 R20(2112.72 mm), 215/50 R18(2111.78 mm), 200/60 R17(2110.52 mm), 275/35 R19(2120.89 mm), 235/40 R19(2106.75 mm), 325/25 R20(2106.44 mm). There are multiple speed indexes available for winter tyres in 205/65 R16: C(km/h), H(210km/h), R(170km/h), T(190km/h), V(240km/h). The same goes for weight indexes: 95, 99, 103, 105, 107, 110. You can find 205/65 R16 on 17 car models - mainly .