215/45 R16 - Best winter tyres 2026 - market overview, tests, reviews
Table of contents:
Best winter tyres in tests (2026)
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Tests from 2025
Tests from 2024
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.
Tests from 2025
Tests from 2024
Tests from 2023
Tests from 2022
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.
| Shop | Product | Stock | Availability | Shipping | Price | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
WinterContact TS 870 XL
- In stock
£204
|
WinterContact TS 870 XL | In stock | Free shipping | £204 |
Buy
tyres.pneus.online.uk
|
|
|
Continental WinterContact TS 870 ( 215/45 R16 90V XL EVc, with kerbing rib )
- In stock
£206
|
Continental WinterContact TS 870 ( 215/45 R16 90V XL EVc, with kerbing rib ) | In stock | Free shipping | £206 |
Buy
mytyres.co.uk
|
Tests from 2025
Tests from 2023
Tests from 2022
Tests from 2021
A typical premium tyre - very well balanced, great on all surfaces with low rolling resistance. Proven by many tests.
Tests from 2025
Tests from 2024
Tests from 2023
While being somehow dated as it was introduced back in 2015, it received some midlife updates and still holds up with the current models, at least in smaller dimensions. At the right price, it could be a great choice.
| Shop | Product | Stock | Availability | Shipping | Price | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Dunlop Winter Sport 5 ( 215/45 R16 90V XL, with rim protection (MFS) BLK )
- In stock
£128
|
Dunlop Winter Sport 5 ( 215/45 R16 90V XL, with rim protection (MFS) BLK ) | In stock | Free shipping | £128 |
Buy
mytyres.co.uk
|
|
|
Winter Sport 5 MFS XL
- In stock
£158
|
Winter Sport 5 MFS XL | In stock | Free shipping | £158 |
Buy
tyres.pneus.online.uk
|
Tests from 2025
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.
| Shop | Product | Stock | Availability | Shipping | Price | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Barum Polaris 6 ( 215/45 R16 90V XL EVc, with kerbing rib )
- In stock
£97
|
Barum Polaris 6 ( 215/45 R16 90V XL EVc, with kerbing rib ) | In stock | Free shipping | £97 |
Buy
mytyres.co.uk
|
|
|
Polaris 6 EV XL
- In stock
£127
|
Polaris 6 EV XL | In stock | Free shipping | £127 |
Buy
tyres.pneus.online.uk
|
Tests from 2025
Tests from 2024
Tests from 2023
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.
Tests from 2025
Tests from 2023
Tests from 2022
A cheap tyre from European manufacturer that is very snow-focused, while sacrificing performance on both dry and wet. It could be recommended as a cheap option for extreme climates with a lot of snow.
Tests from 2025
Tests from 2024
Tests from 2023
Tests from 2022
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.
Tests from 2025
Tests from 2024
Tests from 2023
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
Cars with 215/45 R16 tyres
215/45 R16 tyre test Personalize
Best tyres in your size
Dry
1.
Continental WinterContact TS 870
80%
2.
Vredestein Wintrac
77%
3.
GoodYear UltraGrip Performance 3
74%
4.
Kumho WinterCraft WP52
74%
5.
Michelin Alpin 6
74%
6.
Falken Eurowinter HS02
71%
7.
Barum Polaris 6
62%
8.
Semperit Speed-Grip 5
58%
9.
Barum Polaris 5
57%
10.
Dunlop Winter Sport 5
50%
Wet
1.
Continental WinterContact TS 870
89%
2.
Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3
80%
3.
Michelin Alpin 6
70%
4.
Dunlop Winter Sport 5
69%
5.
Vredestein Wintrac
66%
6.
Semperit Speed-Grip 5
59%
7.
Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6
57%
8.
Barum Polaris 6
51%
9.
Falken Eurowinter HS02
50%
10.
Kumho WinterCraft WP52
47%
Snow
1.
Continental WinterContact TS 870
81%
2.
Dunlop Winter Sport 5
78%
3.
Barum Polaris 6
74%
4.
GoodYear UltraGrip Performance 3
72%
5.
Michelin Alpin 6
63%
6.
Barum Polaris 5
61%
7.
Vredestein Wintrac
52%
8.
Semperit Speed-Grip 5
51%
9.
Matador MP93 Nordicca
51%
10.
Kumho WinterCraft WP52
48%
Comfort
1.
Barum Polaris 6
97%
2.
Continental WinterContact TS 870
82%
3.
Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3
80%
4.
Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6
74%
5.
Vredestein Wintrac
70%
6.
FALKEN EUROWINTER HS02
69%
7.
Michelin Alpin 6
60%
8.
Barum Polaris 5
55%
9.
Semperit Speed-Grip 5
55%
10.
Dunlop Winter Sport 5
43%
Economy
1.
Semperit Speed-Grip 5
91%
2.
Continental WinterContact TS 870
88%
3.
Dunlop Winter Sport 5
79%
4.
Barum Polaris 5
77%
5.
Vredestein Wintrac
77%
6.
GoodYear UltraGrip Performance 3
69%
7.
Firestone Winterhawk 4
63%
8.
Michelin Alpin 6
59%
9.
Kumho WinterCraft WP52
41%
10.
Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6
31%
This is a preview of our comprehensive tyre test. The full test includes:
Detailed property breakdowns
Interactive sorting and filtering
Side-by-side comparisons
Did you know ...?
215/45 R16 doesn't belong to the most popular dimensions for winter tyres - there are 17 tyre models available, which can be compared to 205/40 R18, 190/50 R17, 205/65 R15. Let's break down the sizing - 45 is height of the tyre, which is calculated as 45% of the tyre width (215mm), which means the sidewall height has 96.75 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 1884.64 mm, which is very similar to 175/70 R14(1886.84 mm), 195/50 R16(1889.35 mm), 185/60 R15(1894.38 mm), 185/65 R14(1872.7 mm), 215/40 R17(1896.89 mm), 205/40 R17(1871.76 mm), 195/55 R15(1870.82 mm). There are multiple speed indexes available for winter tyres in 215/45 R16: H(210km/h), V(240km/h). The same goes for weight indexes: 86, 90. You can find 215/45 R16 on 7 car models - mainly Seat, Skoda, Audi, Ford, Volkswagen.
