255/40 R18 - Best winter tyres 2026 - market overview, tests, reviews

Winter

43

Tyres

We recommend

Premium

WinterContact TS 860S

7.6

£241

Buy Details

Price / Value

Winter i*cept evo3 W330

9.6

£162

Buy Details

Budget

WinGuard Sport 2 WU7

6.9

£120

Buy Details

Best deals

Premium

PILOT ALPIN 5

255/40 R18 99 V

£208

Great price for a premium tyre

Upper-middle

Winter i*cept evo3 W330

255/40 R18 99 V .

£162

Lowest price among well rated tyres.

Premium

Blizzak LM-005

255/40 R18 99 H XLMO

£198

Best tyres in tests (2026)

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1

Premium

Pilot Alpin 5

'25#1

'25#1

'25#2

10.0

Price from

£185

Price from£185

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 (2)

255/40 R18 99 H XL MO

C B 73dB

£185

mytyres.co.uk

£185

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

255/40 R18 99 V

B D 70dB

£208

mytyres.co.uk

£208

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£228

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

2

Premium

UltraGrip Performance 3

'25#1

9.5

Price from

£182

Price from£182

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)

255/40 R18 99 V XL EVR

C C 71dB

£182

mytyres.co.uk

£182

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

3

Premium

Blizzak 6

'25#1

'25#2

'25#3

9.2

Price from

£168

Price from£168

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)

255/40 R18 99 V XL Enliten / EV

B C 72dB

£168

mytyres.co.uk

£168

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£225

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

4

Premium

WinterContact TS 870 P

'25#1

9.4

Price from

£195

Price from£195

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)

255/40 R18 99 H BSW

B C 71dB

£195

mytyres.co.uk

£195

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£222

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

5

Premium

P Zero Winter 2

'25#3

'24#1

9.7

Price from

£186

Price from£186

Recommended

#3

2026

theTyre Lab.comRecommended#3 Winter tires 2026

Performance

Wet braking

100%

Wet safety

100%

Wet handling

100%

+14

Wear

56%

Aquaplaning - longitudal

11%

Aquaplaning - cross

11%

Test results

2025245/45 R19#3(Highly recommended)

2024235/35 R19#1(Test winner)

View full review

Price variants (1)

255/40 R18 99 V P

A C 72dB

£186

mytyres.co.uk

£186

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

6

Budget

Polaris 6

'25#2

'25#9

'25#10

8.3

Price from

£117

Price from£117

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)

255/40 R18 99 V

C C 73dB

£117

mytyres.co.uk

£117

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£148

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

7

Upper-middle

Winter i*cept evo3 W330

'25#4

'25#5

'25#6

8.7

Price from

£162

Price from£162

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)

255/40 R18 99 V

B D 73dB

£162

mytyres.co.uk

£162

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

8

Upper-middle

WR Snowproof P

'25#8

'22#4

'22#13

7.5

Price from

£165

Price from£165

Performance

Rolling resistance

96%

Dry braking

92%

Exterior noise

89%

+16

Wet safety

14%

Aquaplaning - cross

4%

Aquaplaning - longitudal

3%

Test results

2025225/40 R18#8(Satisfactory)

2022225/45 R17#4(Recommended for economical driving)

2022215/55 R17#13(-)

2022215/55 R17#18(Satisfactory)

2021225/45 R17#5(-)

2021225/40 R18#7(-)

2021225/50 R17#13(Satisfactory)

View full review

Price variants (1)

255/40 R18 99 V

B C 71dB

£165

mytyres.co.uk

£165

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

9

Budget

Premitra Snow WP6

'25#10

'25#19

'25#44

3.6

Price from

£111

Price from£111

Performance

Safety

94%

Dry steering response

89%

Price/value

84%

+29

Mud traction

18%

Snow handling - objective

11%

Wet safety

0%

Test results

2025245/45 R19#10(-)

2025225/40 R18#19(Sufficient)

2025225/40 R18#44(-)

2024245/45 R18#11(Satisfactory)

2024215/55 R17#13(Sufficient)

2024205/55 R16#41(-)

2023225/45 R18#34(-)

2022225/45 R17#6(-)

2022185/65 R15#8(Satisfactory)

2022245/40 R19#8(Satisfactory)

View full review

Price variants (1)

255/40 R18 99 V mfs XL£111

mytyres.co.uk

£111

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

255/40 R18 tyre test

Personalize →

Best tyres in your size

Dry

1. Michelin Pilot Alpin 5

92%

2. Continental Wintercontact Ts 870 P

78%

3. Bridgestone Blizzak LM-005

77%

4. GoodYear UltraGrip Performance 3

71%

5. Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 W330

69%

6. Vredestein Wintrac Pro

65%

7. Bridgestone Blizzak 6

64%

8. Barum Polaris 6

62%

9. Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6

55%

Wet

1. Bridgestone Blizzak LM-005

87%

2. Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3

76%

3. Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 W330

75%

4. Bridgestone Blizzak 6

70%

5. Continental Wintercontact Ts 870 P

70%

6. Michelin Pilot Alpin 5

67%

7. Vredestein Wintrac Pro

67%

8. Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6

61%

9. Barum Polaris 6

51%

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. Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 W330

67%

7. Bridgestone Blizzak LM-005

66%

8. Vredestein Wintrac Pro

55%

9. Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6

45%

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 255/40 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

229 customer reviews for tyres in this size

Dunlop SP WINTER SPORT 3D 3.5/5 (37)

Michelin PILOT ALPIN 5 3.8/5 (28)

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P 4/5 (26)

Vredestein Wintrac Pro 4/5 (26)

Nokian WR A4 3.4/5 (26)

Falken EuroWinter HS01 3.7/5 (21)

Kumho WinterCraft WP71 2.5/5 (20)

Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3 3.2/5 (16)

GoodYear UltraGrip Performance+ 3.8/5 (15)

Yokohama BluEarth winter V905 3.8/5 (14)

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

255/40 R18 — Also available in

Summer(97)All season(7)

Top brands in 255/40 R18

Did you know ...?

255/40 R18 doesn't belong to the most popular dimensions for winter tyres - there are 28 tyre models available, which can be compared to 225/50 R18, 235/50 R19, 225/45 R19. Let's break down the sizing - 40 is height of the tyre, which is calculated as 40% of the tyre width (255mm), which means the sidewall height has 102 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 2077.22 mm, which is very similar to 255/35 R19(2076.91 mm), 255/45 R17(2077.54 mm), 255/30 R20(2076.59 mm), 305/25 R20(2075.02 mm), 215/65 R15(2075.02 mm), 195/65 R16(2073.14 mm), 225/40 R19(2081.62 mm). There are multiple speed indexes available for winter tyres in 255/40 R18: H(210km/h), T(190km/h), V(240km/h), W(270km/h), Y(300km/h). The same goes for weight indexes: 95, 99. You can find 255/40 R18 on 14 car models - mainly .

There are 6 runflat variants available.