215/55 R18 - Best winter tyres 2026 - market overview, tests, reviews

Winter

74

Tyres

We recommend

Premium

ContiWinterContact TS 850P

9.1

£207

Buy Details

Price / Value

G-FORCE WINTER 2

8.7

£128

Buy Details

Budget

Speed-Grip 5

8.1

£115

Buy Details

Best deals

Premium

Winter Sport 5 SUV

215/55 R18 99 V

£147

Great price for a premium tyre

Upper-middle

Winterhawk 4

215/55 R18 99 V .

£110

Lowest price among well rated tyres.

Premium

UltraGrip Performance Gen-1

215/55 R18 95 T

£159

Best price in last 6 months

Upper-middle

G-FORCE WINTER 2

215/55 R18 95 H .

£128

Premium

WINTER SOTTOZERO Serie III

215/55 R18 99 V

£165

Best price in last 6 months

Premium

Blizzak LM-005

215/55 R18 99 V

£177

Best tyres in tests (2026)

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1

Premium

Alpin 7

'25#1

'25#3

'25#3

8.5

Price from

£185

Price from£185

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)

215/55 R18 99 V XL

B B 71dB

£185

mytyres.co.uk

£185

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£207

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

2

Premium

Blizzak 6

'25#1

'25#2

'25#3

9.2

Price from

£155

Price from£155

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)

215/55 R18 99 V XL Enliten / EV

B C 70dB

£155

mytyres.co.uk

£155

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£196

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

3

Upper-middle

WinterCraft WP52+

'25#4

'25#5

8.7

Price from

£109

Price from£109

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 (2)

215/55 R18 95 H

A C 71dB

£109

mytyres.co.uk

£109

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£145

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

4

Premium

WinterContact TS 870 P

'25#1

9.4

Price from

£174

Price from£174

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 (2)

215/55 R18 99 V BSW XL

B C 71dB

£174

mytyres.co.uk

£174

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£192

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

5

Budget

Polaris 6

'25#2

'25#9

'25#10

8.3

Price from

£109

Price from£109

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)

215/55 R18 99 V XL EVc

C C 72dB

£109

mytyres.co.uk

£109

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£142

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

6

Upper-middle

Winter i*cept evo3 W330

'25#4

'25#5

'25#6

8.7

Price from

£147

Price from£147

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)

215/55 R18 99 V

B C 72dB

£147

mytyres.co.uk

£147

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£176

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

7

Premium

Cinturato Winter 2

'25#6

'25#7

'25#8

7.2

Price from

£167

Price from£167

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 (3)

215/55 R18 99 T £199

mytyres.co.uk

£199

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£219

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

215/55 R18 99 H

B C 71dB

£167

mytyres.co.uk

£167

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

8

Upper-middle

WinterExpert

'25#5

'25#8

'25#12

8.1

Price from

£144

Price from£144

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)

215/55 R18 99 V £144

mytyres.co.uk

£144

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

9

Upper-middle

Snowproof 2 SUV

'25#8

'24#9

'23#5

7.1

Price from

£133

Price from£133

Performance

Price/value

100%

Aquaplaning - cross

93%

Aquaplaning - longitudal

85%

+17

Dry steering response

22%

Snow traction

20%

Wet braking

19%

Test results

2025235/50 R19#8(Sufficient)

2024235/55 R18#9(Good)

2023235/60 R18#5(Recommended)

View full review

Price variants (2)

215/55 R18 95 T XL Aramid Sidewalls

B D 70dB

£145

mytyres.co.uk

£145

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

215/55 R18 99 V Aramid Sidewalls

B C 70dB

£133

mytyres.co.uk

£133

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£171

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

10

Premium

Cinturato Winter 3

'25#9

8.0

Price from

£165

Price from£165

Test results

2025225/40 R18#9(-)

View full review

Price variants (1)

215/55 R18 99 V

A B 72dB

£165

mytyres.co.uk

£165

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£214

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

11

Upper-middle

Eurowinter HS02

'25#9

'24#7

'24#22

7.2

Price from

£120

Price from£120

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)

215/55 R18 99 V £120

mytyres.co.uk

£120

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

12

Upper-middle

Krisalp HP3

'25#7

'25#12

'25#14

8.0

Price from

£135

Price from£135

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)

215/55 R18 95 H mfs £135

mytyres.co.uk

£135

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

13

Upper-middle

G-FORCE WINTER 2

'25#11

'25#12

'24#10

8.2

Price from

£128

Price from£128

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)

215/55 R18 95 H £128

mytyres.co.uk

£128

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

14

Budget

Speed-Grip 5

'25#11

'25#14

'25#15

8.0

Price from

£115

Price from£115

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)

215/55 R18 99 V

C C 72dB

£115

mytyres.co.uk

£115

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£154

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

15

Upper-middle

Winterhawk 4

'25#7

'25#16

'25#18

6.3

Price from

£110

Price from£110

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)

215/55 R18 99 V

B C 71dB

£110

mytyres.co.uk

£110

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£170

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

215/55 R18 tyre test

Personalize →

Best tyres in your size

Dry

1. Michelin Pilot Alpin 5

92%

2. Apollo Aspire XP Winter

79%

3. Continental Wintercontact Ts 870 P

78%

4. Bridgestone Blizzak LM-005

77%

5. Michelin Alpin 7

76%

6. Triangle WInterX TW401

73%

7. Kumho WinterCraft WP52

73%

8. Kumho WinterCraft WP52+

71%

9. Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 W330

69%

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. Barum Polaris 6

62%

Wet

1. Bridgestone Blizzak LM-005

87%

2. Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 W330

75%

3. Kumho WinterCraft WP52+

71%

4. Bridgestone Blizzak 6

70%

5. Continental Wintercontact Ts 870 P

70%

6. Apollo Aspire XP Winter

69%

7. Michelin Alpin 7

68%

8. Michelin Pilot Alpin 5

67%

9. Vredestein Wintrac Pro

67%

10. Nokian Snowproof 2 SUV

66%

11. Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2

63%

12. Kleber Krisalp HP3

62%

13. BFGoodrich G-FORCE WINTER 2

59%

14. Semperit Speed-Grip 5

59%

15. Yokohama BluEarth-Winter V906

58%

Snow

1. BFGoodrich G-FORCE WINTER 2

91%

2. Michelin Pilot Alpin 5

87%

3. Kleber Krisalp HP3

84%

4. Michelin Alpin 7

81%

5. Barum Polaris 6

74%

6. Bridgestone Blizzak 6

73%

7. Continental Wintercontact Ts 870 P

68%

8. Kumho WinterCraft WP52+

68%

9. Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 W330

67%

10. Bridgestone Blizzak LM-005

66%

11. Matador MP93 Nordicca

58%

12. Uniroyal WinterExpert

58%

13. Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2

58%

14. Semperit Speed-Grip 5

57%

15. Vredestein Wintrac Pro

55%

Comfort

1. Barum Polaris 6

97%

2. Michelin Pilot Alpin 5

91%

3. BFGoodrich G-FORCE WINTER 2

80%

4. Michelin Alpin 7

80%

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. Semperit Speed-Grip 5

64%

11. Bridgestone Blizzak LM-005

61%

12. Uniroyal WinterExpert

55%

13. Kumho WinterCraft WP52+

53%

14. Nokian Snowproof 2 SUV

51%

15. Vredestein Wintrac Pro

51%

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 215/55 R18 tyres

+1

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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

144 customer reviews for tyres in this size

Michelin PILOT ALPIN 5 3.8/5 (28)

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P 4/5 (26)

Falken EuroWinter HS01 3.7/5 (21)

Nokian WR SUV 3 3.7/5 (20)

Yokohama BluEarth winter V905 3.8/5 (14)

Maxtrek TREK M7 2.7/5 (9)

Nokian WR SUV 4 3.5/5 (8)

Nokian Snowproof 2 SUV 3/5 (6)

Firestone Winterhawk 4 3.4/5 (6)

Dunlop Winter Sport 5 SUV 3/5 (6)

Other popular sizes

215/65 R16156 Tyres 205/55 R16141 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

215/55 R18 — Also available in

Summer(124)All season(63)

Top brands in 215/55 R18

Did you know ...?

215/55 R18 doesn't belong to the most popular dimensions for winter tyres - there are 27 tyre models available, which can be compared to 155/65 R14, 155/65 R14, 170/60 R17. Let's break down the sizing - 55 is height of the tyre, which is calculated as 55% of the tyre width (215mm), which means the sidewall height has 118.25 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 2179.32 mm, which is very similar to 265/35 R20(2178.69 mm), 235/45 R19(2180.58 mm), 195/80 R15(2177.12 mm), 265/40 R19(2182.15 mm), 265/30 R21(2175.24 mm), 235/50 R18(2174.61 mm), 265/45 R18(2185.61 mm). There are multiple speed indexes available for winter tyres in 215/55 R18: H(210km/h), Q(160km/h), R(170km/h), S(180km/h), T(190km/h), V(240km/h), W(270km/h). The same goes for weight indexes: 95, 99, 110. You can find 215/55 R18 on 16 car models - mainly .

There are 1 runflat variants available.