235/50 R18 - Best winter tyres 2025 - market overview, tests, reviews

#1
Winter tires

Tests from 2024

235/35 R19 Rank: 1 (Exemplary)

235/35 R19 Rank: 1 (Test winner)

245/45 R18 Rank: 1 (Exemplary)

Tests from 2023

225/45 R18 Rank: 1 (Test winner)

225/40 R18 Rank: 1 (Test winner)

225/45 R18 Rank: 1 (Test winner)

225/45 R18 Rank: 2 (-)

225/40 R18 Rank: 3 (Very good)

Tests from 2022

245/45 R19 Rank: 1 (Very good)

245/40 R19 Rank: 4 (Good)

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5

4.95/5

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.

50%

Snow braking

Dry braking

Snow traction

Dry handling

Exterior noise

Snow handling

Wet handling

Comfort

Wet circle cornering

Wet braking

4.85/5

#3
Winter tires

Tests from 2024

205/55 R16 Rank: 1 (-)

235/55 R18 Rank: 3 (Very good)

205/55 R16 Rank: 4 (Exemplary)

245/45 R18 Rank: 4 (Exemplary)

Bridgestone Blizzak 6

4.85/5

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.

50%

Wet circle cornering

Wet handling

Wet braking

Snow traction

Comfort

Dry handling

Snow handling

Aquaplaning - longitudal

Aquaplaning - cross

Dry braking

Shop	Product	Stock	Availability	Shipping	Price	Action
Bridgestone Blizzak 6 ( 235/50 R18 101V XL Enliten / EV ) - In stock £154	Bridgestone Blizzak 6 ( 235/50 R18 101V XL Enliten / EV )		In stock	Free shipping	£154	Buy mytyres.co.uk
Blizzak 6 Enliten XL - In stock £194	Blizzak 6 Enliten XL		In stock	Free shipping	£194	Buy tyres.pneus.online.uk

4.8/5

#5
Winter tires

Tests from 2024

215/55 R17 Rank: 1 (Good)

205/55 R16 Rank: 2 (Exemplary)

205/55 R16 Rank: 2 (Good)

245/45 R18 Rank: 2 (Exemplary)

235/35 R19 Rank: 2 (Exemplary)

215/55 R17 Rank: 3 (Recommended)

235/35 R19 Rank: 3 (Highly recommended)

205/55 R16 Rank: 9 (-)

Tests from 2023

225/40 R18 Rank: 1 (Test winner)

255/45 R20 Rank: 2 (Very good)

Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3

4.8/5

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.

50%

Snow braking

Wet handling

Wet circle cornering

Aquaplaning - cross

Dry braking

Comfort

Snow traction

Dry handling

Exterior noise

Aquaplaning - longitudal

Shop	Product	Stock	Availability	Shipping	Price	Action
Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 ( 235/50 R18 101V XL EVR ) - In stock £169	Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 ( 235/50 R18 101V XL EVR )		In stock	Free shipping	£169	Buy mytyres.co.uk
Ultragrip Performance 3 XL - In stock £178	Ultragrip Performance 3 XL		In stock	Free shipping	£178	Buy tyres.pneus.online.uk

4.7/5

#6
Winter tires

Tests from 2024

245/45 R18 Rank: 2 (Exemplary)

235/55 R18 Rank: 2 (Very good)

215/55 R17 Rank: 2 (Highly recommended)

235/35 R19 Rank: 3 (Exemplary)

235/35 R19 Rank: 4 (Recommended)

215/55 R17 Rank: 6 (Satisfactory)

Tests from 2023

235/60 R18 Rank: 1 (Test winner)

225/60 R18 Rank: 1 (Test winner)

225/40 R18 Rank: 3 (Exemplary)

225/45 R18 Rank: 3 (Exemplary)

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P

4.7/5

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.

50%

Snow braking

Aquaplaning - cross

Dry handling

Interior noise

Dry braking

Exterior noise

Wet circle cornering

Wet braking

Snow handling

Comfort

Shop	Product	Stock	Availability	Shipping	Price	Action
Continental WinterContact TS 870 P ( 235/50 R18 101V XL EVc ) - In stock £173	Continental WinterContact TS 870 P ( 235/50 R18 101V XL EVc )		In stock	Free shipping	£173	Buy mytyres.co.uk
WinterContact TS 870 P XL FR - In stock £188	WinterContact TS 870 P XL FR		In stock	Free shipping	£188	Buy tyres.pneus.online.uk

3.05/5

Tests from 2024

205/55 R16 Rank: 2 (-)

245/45 R18 Rank: 7 (Good)

215/55 R17 Rank: 12 (Sufficient)

205/55 R16 Rank: 15 (Satisfactory)

Tests from 2023

225/40 R18 Rank: 7 (Good)

225/45 R17 Rank: 9 (Satisfactory)

225/45 R18 Rank: 9 (-)

225/45 R18 Rank: 25 (-)

Tests from 2022

215/55 R17 Rank: 17 (Satisfactory)

215/55 R17 Rank: 19 (-)

Kumho Wintercraft WP52

3.05/5

The WinterCraft WP52 is an affordable winter tire with good safety qualities on snow and dry surfaces, but it has low aquaplaning resistance and tends to understeer in wet conditions.

50%

Dry braking

Interior noise

Wet braking

Dry handling

Snow handling

Wet handling

Comfort

Snow traction

Aquaplaning - cross

Aquaplaning - longitudal

Shop	Product	Stock	Availability	Shipping	Price	Action
Kumho WinterCraft WP52 ( 235/50 R18 101V XL ) - In stock £106	Kumho WinterCraft WP52 ( 235/50 R18 101V XL )		In stock	Free shipping	£106	Buy mytyres.co.uk

3.8/5

Tests from 2024

205/55 R16 Rank: 3 (Exemplary)

215/55 R17 Rank: 4 (Satisfactory)

205/55 R16 Rank: 6 (-)

Tests from 2023

225/45 R17 Rank: 6 (Satisfactory)

225/45 R18 Rank: 16 (Satisfactory)

225/45 R18 Rank: 19 (-)

Tests from 2022

185/65 R15 Rank: 3 (Good)

225/45 R17 Rank: 5 (-)

215/55 R17 Rank: 10 (Good)

Semperit Speed-Grip 5

3.8/5

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.

50%

Interior noise

Comfort

Aquaplaning - cross

Aquaplaning - longitudal

Dry handling

Snow handling

Dry braking

Exterior noise

Wet braking

Wet circle cornering

Shop	Product	Stock	Availability	Shipping	Price	Action
Semperit Speed-Grip 5 ( 235/50 R18 101V XL EVc ) - In stock £124	Semperit Speed-Grip 5 ( 235/50 R18 101V XL EVc )		In stock	Free shipping	£124	Buy mytyres.co.uk
Speed-Grip 5 XL - In stock £154	Speed-Grip 5 XL		In stock	Free shipping	£154	Buy tyres.pneus.online.uk

4.4/5

#9
Winter tires

Tests from 2024

215/55 R17 Rank: 1 (Test winner)

235/35 R19 Rank: 5 (Good)

Tests from 2023

225/40 R18 Rank: 1 (Very good)

225/45 R18 Rank: 1 (-)

235/55 R18 Rank: 1 (Highly recommended)

255/45 R20 Rank: 1 (Outstanding)

225/45 R18 Rank: 1 (Test winner)

225/45 R17 Rank: 2 (Recommended)

235/60 R18 Rank: 3 (Highly recommended)

225/40 R18 Rank: 5 (Good)

Bridgestone Blizzak LM-005

4.4/5

A great winter tyre with balanced handling characteristics. Great in the wet, but slightly less durable than newer models.

50%

Snow braking

Wet braking

Wet circle cornering

Wet handling

Dry handling

Comfort

Aquaplaning - cross

Aquaplaning - longitudal

Interior noise

Snow traction

Shop	Product	Stock	Availability	Shipping	Price	Action
Blizzak LM005 XL EV - In stock £188	Blizzak LM005 XL EV		In stock	Free shipping	£188	Buy tyres.pneus.online.uk
Bridgestone Blizzak LM 005 ( 235/50 R18 101V XL EVc ) - In stock £213	Bridgestone Blizzak LM 005 ( 235/50 R18 101V XL EVc )		In stock	Free shipping	£213	Buy mytyres.co.uk

4.4/5

#8
Winter tires

Tests from 2024

215/55 R17 Rank: 2 (Good)

235/35 R19 Rank: 4 (Exemplary)

205/55 R16 Rank: 5 (Satisfactory)

205/55 R16 Rank: 7 (Good)

205/55 R16 Rank: 11 (-)

Tests from 2023

205/60 R16 Rank: 1 (Good)

225/45 R17 Rank: 4 (Good)

225/45 R18 Rank: 7 (Good)

225/45 R18 Rank: 15 (-)

Tests from 2022

215/60 R16 Rank: 2 (Good)

Dunlop Winter Sport 5

4.4/5

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.

50%

Comfort

Aquaplaning - cross

Snow traction

Wet circle cornering

Snow handling

Interior noise

Wet handling

Wet braking

Aquaplaning - longitudal

Dry handling

4.15/5

#14
Winter tires

Tests from 2024

235/55 R18 Rank: 4 (Very good)

Tests from 2023

225/60 R18 Rank: 3 (Exemplary)

235/60 R18 Rank: 6 (Recommended)

235/55 R18 Rank: 7 (Recommended)

Pirelli Scorpion Winter 2

4.15/5

Winter-focused tyre that is enjoyable to drive on snow, while being safe on wet and dry.

50%

Interior noise

Dry handling

Dry braking

Exterior noise

Wet circle cornering

Snow traction

Wet braking

Snow handling

Wet handling

Aquaplaning - longitudal

Shop	Product	Stock	Availability	Shipping	Price	Action
Pirelli Scorpion Winter 2 ( 235/50 R18 101V XL ) - In stock £189	Pirelli Scorpion Winter 2 ( 235/50 R18 101V XL )		In stock	Free shipping	£189	Buy mytyres.co.uk
Scorpion Winter 2 XL - In stock £192	Scorpion Winter 2 XL		In stock	Free shipping	£192	Buy tyres.pneus.online.uk

3.1/5

Tests from 2024

215/55 R17 Rank: 3 (Good)

245/45 R18 Rank: 6 (Good)

215/55 R17 Rank: 7 (-)

235/35 R19 Rank: 7 (Good)

235/55 R18 Rank: 10 (Good)

Tests from 2023

225/40 R18 Rank: 5 (Good)

225/60 R18 Rank: 5 (Good)

225/45 R17 Rank: 5 (Satisfactory)

255/45 R20 Rank: 6 (Good)

225/45 R17 Rank: 7 (-)

Vredestein Wintrac Pro

3.1/5

Wintrac Pro is a winter option from a dutch manufacturer that is getting a bit outdated, but on wet and dry roads it still holds up with the premium segment. It has some minor weaknesses on snow, but for a lower than premium price it could be a good deal.

50%

Wet circle cornering

Dry braking

Wet handling

Interior noise

Snow traction

Wet braking

Aquaplaning - longitudal

Aquaplaning - cross

Snow handling

Dry handling

4.4/5

#11
Winter tires

Tests from 2024

235/55 R18 Rank: 5 (Very good)

Tests from 2023

235/55 R18 Rank: 2 (Recommended)

235/60 R18 Rank: 3 (Highly recommended)

225/60 R18 Rank: 6 (Good)

Tests from 2021

235/55 R18 Rank: 6 (Good)

235/55 R18 Rank: 9 (-)

Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 X W330A

4.4/5

50%

Aquaplaning - cross

Aquaplaning - longitudal

Snow handling

Snow traction

Dry handling

Comfort

Wet handling

Dry braking

Wet braking

Wet circle cornering

Shop	Product	Stock	Availability	Shipping	Price	Action
Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 X W330A ( 235/50 R18 101V XL 4PR, SBL ) - In stock £143	Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 X W330A ( 235/50 R18 101V XL 4PR, SBL )		In stock	Free shipping	£143	Buy mytyres.co.uk
Winter I-Cept Evo3 X W330A XL - In stock £163	Winter I-Cept Evo3 X W330A XL		In stock	Free shipping	£163	Buy tyres.pneus.online.uk

2.75/5

Tests from 2024

235/55 R18 Rank: 7 (Good)

GT Radial WinterPro2 Sport

2.75/5

50%

Exterior noise

Dry braking

Wet braking

Dry handling

•••

2.75/5

Tests from 2024

235/55 R18 Rank: 8 (Good)

245/45 R18 Rank: 10 (Satisfactory)

Tests from 2023

225/60 R18 Rank: 7 (Satisfactory)

255/45 R20 Rank: 7 (Satisfactory)

225/40 R18 Rank: 9 (Satisfactory)

225/45 R18 Rank: 10 (-)

225/45 R18 Rank: 17 (Conditionally recommended)

225/45 R18 Rank: 20 (-)

Falken Eurowinter HS02 Pro

2.75/5

EuroWinter HS02 is very good and quite sporty on dry and wet, but lacks some performance on the snow which is the reason for the not so good test results. Weaknesses in aquaplaning and rolling resistance doesn't help either.

50%

Dry braking

Comfort

Wet circle cornering

Exterior noise

Dry handling

Wet braking

Wet handling

Snow braking

Aquaplaning - longitudal

•••

Shop	Product	Stock	Availability	Shipping	Price	Action
Falken EUROWINTER HS02PRO ( 235/50 R18 101V XL, NBLK ) - In stock £127	Falken EUROWINTER HS02PRO ( 235/50 R18 101V XL, NBLK )		In stock	Free shipping	£127	Buy mytyres.co.uk

3.45/5

Tests from 2024

205/55 R16 Rank: 7 (-)

205/55 R16 Rank: 9 (Good)

Tests from 2023

225/45 R18 Rank: 11 (-)

225/45 R18 Rank: 12 (Satisfactory)

205/60 R16 Rank: 14 (Satisfactory)

Tests from 2022

245/45 R19 Rank: 7 (Sufficient)

215/60 R16 Rank: 14 (Satisfactory)

215/55 R17 Rank: 17 (-)

215/55 R17 Rank: 19 (Satisfactory)

Uniroyal WinterExpert

3.45/5

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.

50%

Snow traction

Aquaplaning - cross

Exterior noise

Comfort

Wet circle cornering

Aquaplaning - longitudal

Wet braking

Snow handling

Interior noise

Dry braking

Shop	Product	Stock	Availability	Shipping	Price	Action
Uniroyal WinterExpert ( 235/50 R18 101V XL EVc ) - In stock £128	Uniroyal WinterExpert ( 235/50 R18 101V XL EVc )		In stock	Free shipping	£128	Buy mytyres.co.uk
Winter Expert FR XL - In stock £147	Winter Expert FR XL		In stock	Free shipping	£147	Buy tyres.pneus.online.uk

3.05/5

Tests from 2024

205/55 R16 Rank: 2 (-)

245/45 R18 Rank: 7 (Good)

215/55 R17 Rank: 12 (Sufficient)

205/55 R16 Rank: 15 (Satisfactory)

Tests from 2023

225/40 R18 Rank: 7 (Good)

225/45 R17 Rank: 9 (Satisfactory)

225/45 R18 Rank: 9 (-)

225/45 R18 Rank: 25 (-)

Tests from 2022

215/55 R17 Rank: 17 (Satisfactory)

215/55 R17 Rank: 19 (-)

Kumho WinterCraft WP52

3.05/5

The WinterCraft WP52 is an affordable winter tire with good safety qualities on snow and dry surfaces, but it has low aquaplaning resistance and tends to understeer in wet conditions.

50%

Dry braking

Interior noise

Wet braking

Dry handling

Snow handling

Wet handling

Comfort

Snow traction

Aquaplaning - cross

Aquaplaning - longitudal

Shop	Product	Stock	Availability	Shipping	Price	Action
Kumho WinterCraft WP52 ( 235/50 R18 101V XL ) - In stock £106	Kumho WinterCraft WP52 ( 235/50 R18 101V XL )		In stock	Free shipping	£106	Buy mytyres.co.uk

3/5

Tests from 2024

205/55 R16 Rank: 10 (-)

215/55 R17 Rank: 10 (Satisfactory)

205/55 R16 Rank: 18 (Satisfactory)

Tests from 2023

225/45 R18 Rank: 6 (-)

205/60 R16 Rank: 7 (Good)

225/60 R18 Rank: 9 (Not recommended)

225/45 R18 Rank: 20 (Not recommended)

Tests from 2022

245/45 R19 Rank: 5 (Good)

185/65 R15 Rank: 9 (Satisfactory)

215/55 R17 Rank: 14 (-)

Firestone WinterHawk 4

3/5

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

50%

Exterior noise

Snow handling

Aquaplaning - longitudal

Wet braking

Snow traction

Interior noise

Wet circle cornering

Wet handling

Aquaplaning - cross

Comfort

Shop	Product	Stock	Availability	Shipping	Price	Action
Firestone Winterhawk 4 ( 235/50 R18 101V XL EVc ) - In stock £141	Firestone Winterhawk 4 ( 235/50 R18 101V XL EVc )		In stock	Free shipping	£141	Buy mytyres.co.uk

2.75/5

Tests from 2024

235/55 R18 Rank: 8 (Good)

245/45 R18 Rank: 10 (Satisfactory)

Tests from 2023

225/60 R18 Rank: 7 (Satisfactory)

255/45 R20 Rank: 7 (Satisfactory)

225/40 R18 Rank: 9 (Satisfactory)

225/45 R18 Rank: 10 (-)

225/45 R18 Rank: 17 (Conditionally recommended)

225/45 R18 Rank: 20 (-)

Falken EuroWinter HS02 Pro

2.75/5

50%

Dry braking

Comfort

Wet circle cornering

Exterior noise

Dry handling

Wet braking

Wet handling

Snow braking

Aquaplaning - longitudal

•••

Shop	Product	Stock	Availability	Shipping	Price	Action
Falken EUROWINTER HS02PRO ( 235/50 R18 101V XL, NBLK ) - In stock £127	Falken EUROWINTER HS02PRO ( 235/50 R18 101V XL, NBLK )		In stock	Free shipping	£127	Buy mytyres.co.uk

4.2/5

#13
Winter tires