255/45 R18 - Best winter tyres 2026 - market overview, tests, reviews

Winter

38

Tyres

We recommend

Premium

Blizzak LM-005

8.7

£233

Buy Details

Price / Value

Winter i*cept evo3 W330

8.7

£186

Buy Details

Budget

WinGuard Sport 2 WU7

4.2

£140

Buy Details

Best deals

Premium

Blizzak LM-005

255/45 R18 103 V .

£233

Great price for a premium tyre

Best tyres in tests (2026)

Default order: highest overall test rating first. Ratings combine tests in different tyre sizes.

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1

Premium

PILOT ALPIN 5

'26#1

'26#1

'26#2

9.8

Price from

£243

Price from£243

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 safety

44%

Ice lateral guidance

33%

Price/value

8%

Test results

2026245/45 R19#1(Exemplary)

2026225/45 R18#1(Exemplary)

2026225/55 R18#2(Exemplary)

2026245/45 R19#3(-)

2026235/45 R18#6(-)

2025225/40 R18#1(Exemplary)

2025275/35 R19#1(Outstanding)

2025245/45 R19#2(Highly recommended)

2025225/40 R18#2(-)

2025225/40 R18#2(Good)

View full review

Price variants (1)

255/45 R18 103 V

B C 69dB

£243

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£243

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

2

Premium

WinterContact TS 870 P

'26#1

'26#1

'26#2

9.3

Price from

£211

Price from£211

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

#4

2026

theTyre Lab.comRecommended#4 Winter tires 2026

Performance

Dry handling - objective

93%

Mud traction

91%

Rolling resistance

90%

+26

Gravel traction

46%

Sand traction

46%

Price/value

4%

Test results

2026245/45 R19#1(Exemplary)

2026205/45 R17#1(Outstanding)

2026245/45 R19#2(-)

2026225/45 R18#4(Good)

2026235/45 R18#6(-)

2025235/50 R19#1(Exemplary)

2025215/55 R17#1(Outstanding)

2025215/55 R17#1(Good)

2025215/55 R17#3(Exemplary)

2025245/45 R19#5(Highly recommended)

View full review

Price variants (1)

255/45 R18 103 V BSW XL

B C 71dB

£211

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£211

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

3

Premium

UltraGrip Performance 3

'26#2

'26#3

'26#3

9.0

Price from

£179

Price from£179

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

#6

2026

theTyre Lab.comRecommended#6 Winter tires 2026

Performance

Dry driving behavior

100%

Wet side guide

100%

Wear

95%

+27

Interior noise

62%

Rolling resistance

59%

Price/value

53%

Test results

2026235/60 R18#2(-)

2026225/45 R18#3(Exemplary)

2026225/45 R17#3(Highly recommended)

2026205/45 R17#3(Very good)

2026225/50 R17#3(Good)

2026225/55 R18#4(Good)

2026245/45 R19#5(Good)

2026185/65 R15#6(Satisfactory)

2026205/55 R16#6(-)

2026235/45 R18#9(-)

View full review

Price variants (1)

255/45 R18 103 V XL EVR

B C 71dB

£179

mytyres.co.uk

£179

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£248

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

4

Premium

P Zero Winter 2

'26#1

'26#3

'26#10

8.8

Recommended

#7

2026

theTyre Lab.comRecommended#7 Winter tires 2026

Performance

Wet handling - objective

100%

Wet circle cornering

100%

Wet braking

100%

+17

Wear

56%

Aquaplaning - cross

14%

Aquaplaning - longitudal

8%

Test results

2026245/45 R19#1(-)

2026245/45 R19#3(Exemplary)

2026235/45 R18#10(-)

2025245/45 R19#3(Highly recommended)

2024235/35 R19#1(Test winner)

View full review

5

Premium

UltraGrip Performance+

'25#2

'23#3

8.8

Expert summary

A typical premium tyre - very well balanced, great on all surfaces with low rolling resistance. Proven by many tests.

Recommended

#8

2026

theTyre Lab.comRecommended#8 Winter tires 2026

Performance

Fuel efficiency

100%

Snow handling - objective

95%

Aquaplaning - cross

91%

+22

Price/value

53%

Dry handling

52%

Dry lane changing

51%

Test results

2025215/55 R17#2(Outstanding)

2023225/45 R17#3(Good)

2023205/60 R16#3(Good)

2022215/60 R16#3(Good)

2022215/55 R17#3(Exemplary)

2022215/55 R17#4(-)

2021235/55 R18#1(Exemplary)

2021225/50 R17#3(Good)

2021225/45 R17#3(-)

2021225/40 R18#5(-)

View full review

6

Upper-middle

Winter i*cept evo3 W330

'26#8

'25#4

'25#5

8.7

Price from

£186

Price from£186

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

#10

2026

theTyre Lab.comRecommended#10 Winter tires 2026

Performance

Aquaplaning - cross

97%

Gravel traction

91%

Snow handling - objective

83%

+19

Wet handling - objective

49%

Dry steering response

41%

Exterior noise

12%

Test results

2026225/45 R18#8(Satisfactory)

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)

View full review

Price variants (2)

255/45 R18 103 V

B C 73dB

£186

mytyres.co.uk

£186

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

7

Premium

Blizzak LM-005

'26#8

'24#1

'24#5

8.7

Price from

£233

Price from£233

Expert summary

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

Recommended

#9

2026

theTyre Lab.comRecommended#9 Winter tires 2026

Performance

Wet side guide

100%

Wet braking

97%

Wet circle cornering

92%

+26

Mileage

40%

Snow safety

33%

Price/value

20%

Test results

2026185/65 R15#8(Sufficient)

2024215/55 R17#1(Test winner)

2024235/35 R19#5(Good)

2023235/55 R18#1(Highly recommended)

2023255/45 R20#1(Outstanding)

2023225/45 R18#1(Test winner)

2023225/45 R18#1(-)

2023225/40 R18#1(Very good)

2023225/45 R17#2(Recommended)

2023235/60 R18#3(Highly recommended)

View full review

Price variants (1)

255/45 R18 103 V

A C 73dB

£233

mytyres.co.uk

£233

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

8

Premium

Blizzak 6

'26#2

'26#4

8.4

Price from

£209

Price from£209

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

#13

2026

theTyre Lab.comRecommended#13 Winter tires 2026

Performance

Snow safety

100%

Lateral guidance on snow

96%

Gravel traction

91%

+26

Dry braking

46%

Exterior noise

39%

Price/value

34%

Test results

2026225/45 R18#2(Exemplary)

2026205/55 R16#4(-)

2026205/45 R17#4(Good)

2026225/50 R17#5(Satisfactory)

2026235/60 R18#5(-)

2026245/45 R19#5(-)

2026225/55 R18#5(Good)

2026225/45 R17#5(Highly recommended)

2026245/45 R19#5(Good)

2026235/45 R18#14(-)

View full review

Price variants (1)

255/45 R18 103 V XL Enliten / EV

B C 72dB

£209

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£209

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

mytyres.co.uk

£209

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

9

Premium

Winter Sport 5

'25#4

'24#2

'24#4

8.4

Expert summary

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.

Recommended

#14

2026

theTyre Lab.comRecommended#14 Winter tires 2026

Performance

Snow handling - objective

100%

Ice braking

85%

Safety

85%

+19

Exterior noise

35%

Dry handling - objective

29%

Snow acceleration

14%

Test results

2025225/40 R18#4(Good)

2024215/55 R17#2(Good)

2024235/35 R19#4(Exemplary)

2024205/55 R16#5(Satisfactory)

2024205/55 R16#7(Good)

2024205/55 R16#11(-)

2023205/60 R16#1(Good)

2023225/45 R17#4(Good)

2023225/45 R18#7(Good)

2023225/45 R18#15(-)

View full review

10

Upper-middle

WinterCraft WP52+

'26#6

'26#8

'26#11

8.0

Price from

£166

Price from£166

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.

Performance

Dry braking

97%

Wet braking

88%

Price/value

84%

+14

Aquaplaning - longitudal

46%

Exterior noise

42%

Aquaplaning - cross

31%

Test results

2026225/45 R17#6(Recommended)

2026245/45 R19#8(Good)

2026245/45 R19#11(-)

2026185/65 R15#12(Sufficient)

2025225/40 R18#4(Good)

2025225/40 R18#4(-)

2025215/55 R17#5(Good)

View full review

Price variants (1)

255/45 R18 103 V

B C 71dB

£166

mytyres.co.uk

£166

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

11

Premium

Winter

'26#6

'26#8

7.6

Price from

£160

Price from£160

Performance

Mileage

95%

Exterior noise

89%

Snow traction

88%

+14

Interior noise

30%

Wet handling - objective

27%

Dry handling

26%

Test results

2026225/45 R18#6(Good)

2026205/55 R16#8(-)

2026225/50 R17#8(Satisfactory)

2025225/40 R18#1(-)

2025225/40 R18#2(Exemplary)

View full review

Price variants (1)

255/45 R18 103 V

B B 71dB

£160

mytyres.co.uk

£160

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

12

Premium

Wintrac Pro+

'26#2

'26#6

'26#8

7.4

Price from

£181

Price from£181

Performance

Dry circle cornering

100%

Wet circle cornering

88%

Wet handling - objective

84%

+27

Dry driving behavior

11%

Ice braking

0%

Ice traction

0%

Test results

2026215/55 R17#2(-)

2026245/45 R19#6(-)

2026245/45 R19#8(Good)

2026225/50 R17#10(Satisfactory)

2025235/50 R19#4(Good)

2025215/55 R17#4(Exemplary)

2025215/55 R17#4(Good)

2025215/55 R17#5(Very good)

2025245/45 R19#6(-)

2025275/35 R19#6(Good)

View full review

Price variants (1)

255/45 R18 103 V £181

mytyres.co.uk

£181

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£193

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

13

Upper-middle

WR Snowproof P

'25#8

'22#4

'22#13

7.3

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

14

Upper-middle

EuroWinter HS02 Pro

'26#6

'26#11

'26#11

6.1

Price from

£133

Price from£133

Expert summary

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.

Performance

Wet side guide

67%

Dry braking

65%

Wear

64%

+21

Gravel traction

18%

Mud traction

18%

Snow handling - objective

9%

Test results

2026225/55 R18#6(Satisfactory)

2026225/50 R17#11(Poor)

2026225/45 R17#11(Conditionally recommended)

2026225/45 R18#11(Satisfactory)

2026235/45 R18#17(-)

2026245/45 R19#28(-)

2025235/50 R19#9(Sufficient)

2025215/55 R17#9(Good)

2025225/40 R18#20(-)

2025225/40 R18#20(Satisfactory)

View full review

Price variants (1)

255/45 R18 103 V £133

mytyres.co.uk

£133

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

15

Budget

Premitra Snow WP6

'26#10

'26#15

4.3

Price from

£135

Price from£135

Performance

Safety

94%

Dry steering response

89%

Price/value

84%

+29

Mud traction

18%

Snow handling - objective

10%

Wet safety

0%

Test results

2026225/45 R18#10(Satisfactory)

2026205/55 R16#10(-)

2026245/45 R19#15(Satisfactory)

2026245/45 R19#20(-)

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(-)

View full review

Price variants (1)

255/45 R18 103 V £135

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£135

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

mytyres.co.uk

£135

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

16

Bluewin UHP2

'26#29

'23#37

3.5

Price from

£86

Price from£86

Test results

2026245/45 R19#29(-)

2023225/45 R18#37(-)

View full review

Price variants (1)

255/45 R18 103 V XL£86

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£86

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

255/45 R18 tyre test

Personalize →

Best tyres in your size

Dry

1. Michelin Pilot Alpin 5

93%

2. Continental Wintercontact Ts 870 P

79%

3. Bridgestone Blizzak LM-005

77%

4. Kumho WinterCraft WP52+

73%

5. GoodYear UltraGrip Performance 3

71%

6. Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 W330

69%

7. Falken EuroWinter HS02 Pro

68%

8. Imperial SnowDragon UHP

68%

9. Bridgestone Blizzak 6

66%

10. Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6

55%

11. Vredestein Wintrac Pro+

54%

12. Dunlop Winter

52%

13. Dunlop Winter Sport 5

51%

Wet

1. Bridgestone Blizzak LM-005

87%

2. GoodYear UltraGrip Performance 3

77%

3. Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 W330

75%

4. Vredestein Wintrac Pro+

74%

5. Bridgestone Blizzak 6

72%

6. Pirelli P Zero Winter 2

72%

7. Continental Wintercontact Ts 870 P

71%

8. Michelin Pilot Alpin 5

69%

9. Dunlop Winter Sport 5

67%

10. Kumho WinterCraft WP52+

67%

11. Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6

61%

12. Dunlop Winter

56%

13. Falken EuroWinter HS02 Pro

50%

14. Imperial SnowDragon UHP

29%

Snow

1. Michelin Pilot Alpin 5

87%

2. Dunlop Winter

79%

3. Dunlop Winter Sport 5

76%

4. Bridgestone Blizzak 6

72%

5. GoodYear UltraGrip Performance 3

70%

6. Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 W330

68%

7. Continental Wintercontact Ts 870 P

68%

8. Bridgestone Blizzak LM-005

66%

9. Pirelli P Zero Winter 2

65%

10. Kumho WinterCraft WP52+

62%

11. Vredestein Wintrac Pro+

54%

12. Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6

47%

13. Falken EuroWinter HS02 Pro

33%

14. Imperial SnowDragon UHP

29%

Comfort

1. Dunlop Winter

92%

2. Pirelli P Zero Winter 2

92%

3. Michelin Pilot Alpin 5

90%

4. Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3

78%

5. Continental Wintercontact Ts 870 P

73%

6. Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6

72%

7. Falken EuroWinter HS02 Pro

63%

8. Bridgestone Blizzak LM-005

60%

9. Kumho WinterCraft WP52+

51%

10. Dunlop Winter Sport 5

49%

11. Vredestein Wintrac Pro+

49%

12. Bridgestone Blizzak 6

44%

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 255/45 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

258 customer reviews for tyres in this size

Dunlop Winter Sport 5 3.9/5 (46)

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

Michelin PILOT ALPIN 5 3.8/5 (28)

Nokian WR A4 3.4/5 (26)

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P 4/5 (26)

Nexen WinGuard Sport 3.3/5 (23)

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)

Other popular sizes

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255/45 R18 — Also available in

Summer(106)All season(17)

Top brands in 255/45 R18

Did you know ...?

255/45 R18 doesn't belong to the most popular dimensions for winter tyres - there are 21 tyre models available, which can be compared to 175/70 R13, 155/65 R13, 155/80 R13. Let's break down the sizing - 45 is height of the tyre, which is calculated as 45% of the tyre width (255mm), which means the sidewall height has 114.75 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 2157.33 mm, which is very similar to 255/40 R19(2157.02 mm), 255/35 R20(2156.7 mm), 215/65 R16(2154.82 mm), 225/45 R19(2152.31 mm), 295/30 R20(2151.99 mm), 235/60 R16(2162.67 mm), 295/35 R19(2164.87 mm). There are multiple speed indexes available for winter tyres in 255/45 R18: S(180km/h), T(190km/h), V(240km/h), W(270km/h). The same goes for weight indexes: 99, 103, 110. You can find 255/45 R18 on 9 car models - mainly .

255/45 R18 is found on 9 vehicles: