215/40 R18 - Best winter tyres 2026 - market overview, tests, reviews

Winter

29

Tyres

We recommend

Premium

Cinturato Winter 2

8.9

£151

Buy Details

Price / Value

Observe S944

7.9

£106

Buy Details

Best deals

Premium

Cinturato Winter 2

215/40 R18 89 V .

£151

Great price for a premium tyre

Upper-middle

Observe S944

215/40 R18 89 V XL

£106

Lowest price among well rated tyres.

Best tyres in tests (2026)

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1

Premium

Pilot Alpin 5

'25#1

'25#1

'25#2

10.0

Price from

£155

Price from£155

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 handling - objective

38%

Ice lateral guidance

33%

Price/value

8%

Test results

2025225/40 R18#1(Exemplary)

2025275/35 R19#1(Outstanding)

2025245/45 R19#2(Highly recommended)

2025225/40 R18#2(Good)

2025225/40 R18#2(-)

2024235/35 R19#1(Exemplary)

2024245/45 R18#1(Exemplary)

2024235/35 R19#1(Test winner)

2023225/45 R18#1(Test winner)

View full review

Price variants (1)

215/40 R18 89 V

B D 70dB

£155

mytyres.co.uk

£155

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

2

Premium

UltraGrip Performance 3

'25#1

9.5

Price from

£144

Price from£144

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)

215/40 R18 89 V XL EVR

C C 71dB

£144

mytyres.co.uk

£144

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£153

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

3

Premium

Blizzak 6

'25#1

'25#2

'25#3

9.2

Price from

£165

Price from£165

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)

215/40 R18 89 W

B C 70dB

£165

mytyres.co.uk

£165

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

4

Upper-middle

WinterCraft WP52+

'25#4

'25#5

8.7

Price from

£91

Price from£91

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)

215/40 R18 89 V

B D 72dB

£91

mytyres.co.uk

£91

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£128

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

5

Premium

WinterContact TS 870 P

'25#1

9.4

Price from

£151

Price from£151

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)

215/40 R18 89 V BSW XL

B C 71dB

£151

mytyres.co.uk

£151

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£181

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

6

Budget

Polaris 6

'25#2

'25#9

'25#10

8.3

Price from

£112

Price from£112

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

Exterior noise

100%

Price/value

100%

Snow acceleration

100%

+12

Aquaplaning - cross

38%

Aquaplaning - longitudal

36%

Snow cornering

21%

Test results

2025215/65 R17#2(Good)

2025225/40 R18#9(Good)

2025225/40 R18#10(-)

View full review

Price variants (1)

215/40 R18 89 V

C D 72dB

£112

mytyres.co.uk

£112

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£132

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

7

Premium

Wintrac Pro+

'25#4

7.2

Price from

£132

Price from£132

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)

215/40 R18 89 Y £132

mytyres.co.uk

£132

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

8

Upper-middle

Winter i*cept evo3 W330

'25#4

'25#5

'25#6

8.7

Price from

£113

Price from£113

Expert summary

Hankook sneaked in between the traditional premium tyres again with its Icept Evo3. It excels in aquaplaning resistance, which is crucial for european winters.

Recommended

#13

2026

theTyre Lab.comRecommended#13 Winter tires 2026

Performance

Aquaplaning - cross

96%

Gravel traction

91%

Snow handling - objective

90%

+19

Wet handling - objective

50%

Dry steering response

41%

Exterior noise

13%

Test results

2025275/35 R19#4(Very good)

2025225/40 R18#5(Good)

2025225/40 R18#6(Good)

2025225/40 R18#14(-)

2024235/35 R19#4(Recommended)

2024245/45 R18#5(Exemplary)

2024235/35 R19#6(Good)

2023225/40 R18#4(Exemplary)

2023225/45 R18#4(Highly recommended)

2023225/45 R18#6(Good)

View full review

Price variants (1)

215/40 R18 89 V

B D 72dB

£113

mytyres.co.uk

£113

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£142

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

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)

215/40 R18 89 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

£114

Price from£114

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)

215/40 R18 89 V £114

mytyres.co.uk

£114

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£147

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

11

Premium

Cinturato Winter 3

'25#9

8.0

Price from

£154

Price from£154

Test results

2025225/40 R18#9(-)

View full review

Price variants (1)

215/40 R18 89 V

A C 72dB

£154

mytyres.co.uk

£154

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£189

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

12

Budget

Speed-Grip 5

'25#11

'25#14

'25#15

8.0

Price from

£118

Price from£118

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)

215/40 R18 89 V

C D 72dB

£118

mytyres.co.uk

£118

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£143

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

215/40 R18 tyre test

Personalize →

Best tyres in your size

Dry

1. Michelin Pilot Alpin 5

92%

2. Continental Wintercontact Ts 870 P

78%

3. Kumho WinterCraft WP52

73%

4. GoodYear UltraGrip Performance 3

71%

5. Kumho WinterCraft WP52+

71%

6. Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 W330

69%

7. Semperit Speed-Grip 5

65%

8. Imperial SnowDragon UHP

64%

9. Bridgestone Blizzak 6

64%

10. Barum Polaris 6

62%

11. Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2

60%

12. Barum Polaris 5

57%

13. Vredestein Wintrac Pro+

51%

14. Uniroyal WinterExpert

35%

Wet

1. GoodYear UltraGrip Performance 3

76%

2. Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 W330

75%

3. Vredestein Wintrac Pro+

73%

4. Kumho WinterCraft WP52+

71%

5. Bridgestone Blizzak 6

70%

6. Continental Wintercontact Ts 870 P

70%

7. Michelin Pilot Alpin 5

67%

8. Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2

63%

9. Semperit Speed-Grip 5

59%

10. Kumho WinterCraft WP52

56%

11. Uniroyal WinterExpert

52%

12. Barum Polaris 6

51%

13. Barum Polaris 5

41%

14. Imperial SnowDragon UHP

29%

Snow

1. Michelin Pilot Alpin 5

87%

2. Barum Polaris 6

74%

3. Bridgestone Blizzak 6

73%

4. GoodYear UltraGrip Performance 3

68%

5. Continental Wintercontact Ts 870 P

68%

6. Kumho WinterCraft WP52+

68%

7. Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 W330

67%

8. Barum Polaris 5

61%

9. Uniroyal WinterExpert

58%

10. Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2

58%

11. Semperit Speed-Grip 5

57%

12. Vredestein Wintrac Pro+

51%

13. Kumho WinterCraft WP52

50%

14. Imperial SnowDragon UHP

29%

Comfort

1. Barum Polaris 6

97%

2. Michelin Pilot Alpin 5

91%

3. Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3

74%

4. Continental Wintercontact Ts 870 P

73%

5. Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2

67%

6. Semperit Speed-Grip 5

64%

7. Barum Polaris 5

55%

8. Uniroyal WinterExpert

55%

9. Kumho WinterCraft WP52+

53%

10. Bridgestone Blizzak 6

40%

11. Vredestein Wintrac Pro+

40%

12. Kumho WinterCraft WP52

37%

13. Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 W330

31%

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 215/40 R18 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

115 customer reviews for tyres in this size

Nexen WinGuard Sport 3.2/5 (20)

Michelin PILOT ALPIN 5 3.7/5 (20)

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P 3.9/5 (16)

Yokohama BluEarth winter V905 3.8/5 (14)

GoodYear UltraGrip Performance+ 3.8/5 (13)

Barum Polaris 5 2.5/5 (11)

GoodYear UltraGrip Performance 3 3.3/5 (8)

Uniroyal WinterExpert 3.2/5 (5)

Gripmax Status Pro Winter 3.2/5 (4)

Toyo Snowprox S954 1.5/5 (4)

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

215/40 R18 — Also available in

Summer(75)All season(16)

Top brands in 215/40 R18

Did you know ...?

215/40 R18 doesn't belong to the most popular dimensions for winter tyres - there are 11 tyre models available, which can be compared to 170/80 R15, 165/70 R13, 325/30 R21. Let's break down the sizing - 40 is height of the tyre, which is calculated as 40% of the tyre width (215mm), which means the sidewall height has 86 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 1976.69 mm, which is very similar to 245/35 R18(1975.12 mm), 195/70 R14(1974.81 mm), 180/55 R17(1978.58 mm), 185/60 R16(1974.18 mm), 245/40 R17(1972.29 mm), 205/60 R15(1969.78 mm), 225/50 R16(1983.6 mm). There are multiple speed indexes available for winter tyres in 215/40 R18: V(240km/h), W(270km/h), Y(300km/h). The same goes for weight indexes: 89. You can find 215/40 R18 on 9 car models - mainly .

215/40 R18 is found on 9 vehicles: