Winter tyre test 225/40 R18 - Autobild 2025
225/40 R18 - 2025
Dry and wet tests were performed at the Contidrom facility in Wietze, Lower Saxony, Germany, under controlled temperature and pressure conditions; snow disciplines were conducted in Arvidsjaur, Sweden, to ensure realistic snow and ice environments.
Winner
Michelin
Best Value
kumho
Test Vehicle
Tested tyres
20
A 300 PS BMW M135i with all-wheel drive was used throughout, guaranteeing high-performance, balanced handling and uniform test results reflective of potent compact sports hatchbacks.
If your daily is an S3, GTI, A 35 or i30 N and you swap to real winters, this is your size. Auto Bild just ran its big 225/40 R18 winter test and, as usual, started with a massive field and a ruthless cut. Here’s the story behind the scores—methods, quirks, and the little details that actually change what you buy.
read the full articleAgenda:
Best value in test
Better than average value
Worse than average value
Worst value in test
Wet2
Dry2+
Snow1–
Running costs1
Wet
Wet Circle Cornering#1/20
Wet Handling#1/20
Wet Braking#2/20
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#3/20
Aquaplaning Cross#13/20
Dry
Dry Braking#1/20
Dry Handling#1/20
Economy
Mileage#5/20
Rolling Resistance#10/20
Price Value Ratio#18/20
Comfort
Noise Exterior#1/20
Ride Comfort#5/20
Snow
Snow Handling#1/20
Snow Braking#3/20
Snow Traction#9/20
Snow Circle Cornering#10/20
Best-in-test Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 stopped around 44–45 meters, roughly 5 meters longer than a matched summer tyre; Michelin, Barum, Bridgestone, and Continental were closest to summer tyre performance, while Pirelli was notably weak.
Wet2
Dry2+
Snow1–
Running costs2
Wet
Wet Braking#2/20
Aquaplaning Cross#10/20
Wet Circle Cornering#11/20
Wet Handling#11/20
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#15/20
Dry
Dry Braking#10/20
Dry Handling#12/20
Economy
Mileage#3/20
Price Value Ratio#4/20
Rolling Resistance#5/20
Comfort
Noise Exterior#1/20
Ride Comfort#1/20
Snow
Snow Circle Cornering#1/20
Snow Traction#1/20
Snow Braking#3/20
Snow Handling#7/20
Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 3 excelled, while typically balanced brands like Continental, Hankook, and Vredestein underperformed; the test's budget tyre was insufficient for safety, being too snow-focused.
Wet2
Dry2+
Snow2+
Running costs1–
Wet
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#3/20
Aquaplaning Cross#4/20
Wet Circle Cornering#7/20
Wet Braking#8/20
Wet Handling#11/20
Dry
Dry Handling#1/20
Dry Braking#3/20
Economy
Mileage#1/20
Rolling Resistance#5/20
Price Value Ratio#8/20
Comfort
Noise Exterior#4/20
Ride Comfort#5/20
Snow
Snow Braking#5/20
Snow Circle Cornering#7/20
Snow Handling#7/20
Snow Traction#9/20
Wet2+
Dry2+
Snow1–
Running costs2
Wet
Wet Braking#2/20
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#3/20
Wet Handling#4/20
Wet Circle Cornering#7/20
Aquaplaning Cross#10/20
Dry
Dry Braking#3/20
Dry Handling#12/20
Economy
Price Value Ratio#4/20
Mileage#8/20
Rolling Resistance#10/20
Comfort
Noise Exterior#4/20
Ride Comfort#11/20
Snow
Snow Handling#1/20
Snow Braking#5/20
Snow Circle Cornering#7/20
Snow Traction#9/20
BF Goodrich G-Force Winter 2 and Kleber Krisalp HP3 outperformed even the Michelin, exhibiting exceptionally short snow stopping distances, with anything up to 29 meters regarded as strong, and only the top 20 progressing to further disciplines.
Wet2
Dry2
Snow2
Running costs1
Wet
Aquaplaning Cross#1/20
Wet Braking#1/20
Wet Circle Cornering#1/20
Wet Handling#1/20
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#3/20
Dry
Dry Braking#10/20
Dry Handling#12/20
Economy
Mileage#1/20
Price Value Ratio#8/20
Rolling Resistance#15/20
Comfort
Noise Exterior#4/20
Ride Comfort#5/20
Snow
Snow Handling#7/20
Snow Circle Cornering#10/20
Snow Braking#13/20
Snow Traction#14/20
Premium second brands (Kleber, BF Goodrich) led the snow handling disciplines, whereas established high-end brands sometimes lagged; notable differentiation was seen in steering precision and lateral grip.
Wet2
Dry2+
Snow1–
Running costs2+
Wet
Aquaplaning Cross#1/20
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#3/20
Wet Handling#8/20
Wet Braking#12/20
Wet Circle Cornering#15/20
Dry
Dry Braking#3/20
Dry Handling#4/20
Economy
Mileage#3/20
Price Value Ratio#4/20
Rolling Resistance#15/20
Comfort
Ride Comfort#5/20
Noise Exterior#15/20
Snow
Snow Handling#1/20
Snow Braking#5/20
Snow Circle Cornering#5/20
Snow Traction#5/20
Wet2+
Dry2
Snow2+
Running costs2
Wet
Aquaplaning Cross#1/20
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#3/20
Wet Circle Cornering#7/20
Wet Handling#11/20
Wet Braking#12/20
Dry
Dry Braking#3/20
Dry Handling#3/20
Economy
Rolling Resistance#3/20
Mileage#8/20
Price Value Ratio#18/20
Comfort
Ride Comfort#1/20
Noise Exterior#4/20
Snow
Snow Braking#5/20
Snow Circle Cornering#5/20
Snow Traction#5/20
Snow Handling#7/20
Raw braking distances were measured from 80 km/h (wet) and 50 km/h (snow), using a satellite-based onboard system for accurate distance, speed, and acceleration capture.
Wet2
Dry3
Snow2
Running costs2+
Wet
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#3/20
Wet Braking#6/20
Wet Circle Cornering#7/20
Aquaplaning Cross#10/20
Wet Handling#11/20
Dry
Dry Handling#4/20
Dry Braking#10/20
Economy
Rolling Resistance#3/20
Price Value Ratio#4/20
Mileage#5/20
Comfort
Noise Exterior#4/20
Ride Comfort#11/20
Snow
Snow Braking#13/20
Snow Handling#14/20
Snow Traction#14/20
Snow Circle Cornering#16/20
Wet3
Dry2–
Snow2+
Running costs2+
Wet
Wet Braking#8/20
Wet Handling#11/20
Aquaplaning Cross#15/20
Wet Circle Cornering#15/20
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#16/20
Dry
Dry Handling#4/20
Dry Braking#10/20
Economy
Price Value Ratio#1/20
Rolling Resistance#1/20
Mileage#8/20
Comfort
Noise Exterior#1/20
Ride Comfort#1/20
Snow
Snow Braking#5/20
Snow Traction#9/20
Snow Handling#11/20
Snow Circle Cornering#16/20
All tyres were pressure-matched and pre-conditioned to identical temperatures for fair comparison; all results were averaged across repeat runs.
Wet2
Dry2
Snow2
Running costs2
Wet
Wet Circle Cornering#1/20
Wet Handling#1/20
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#3/20
Wet Braking#6/20
Aquaplaning Cross#15/20
Dry
Dry Braking#3/20
Dry Handling#18/20
Economy
Mileage#5/20
Rolling Resistance#15/20
Price Value Ratio#16/20
Comfort
Noise Exterior#4/20
Ride Comfort#11/20
Snow
Snow Handling#5/20
Snow Circle Cornering#10/20
Snow Braking#13/20
Snow Traction#17/20
A special treadwear test bench, under steady conditions, determined projected tyre longevity in kilometers, giving a cost-per-kilometer metric.
Wet2–
Dry2
Snow2–
Running costs2
Wet
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#3/20
Aquaplaning Cross#4/20
Wet Handling#4/20
Wet Braking#8/20
Wet Circle Cornering#11/20
Dry
Dry Braking#3/20
Dry Handling#4/20
Economy
Mileage#8/20
Price Value Ratio#8/20
Rolling Resistance#10/20
Comfort
Noise Exterior#4/20
Ride Comfort#11/20
Snow
Snow Circle Cornering#10/20
Snow Traction#14/20
Snow Braking#18/20
Snow Handling#18/20
Wet3
Dry2–
Snow1
Running costs2+
Wet
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#1/20
Aquaplaning Cross#4/20
Wet Braking#12/20
Wet Circle Cornering#15/20
Wet Handling#17/20
Dry
Dry Braking#10/20
Dry Handling#12/20
Economy
Price Value Ratio#8/20
Rolling Resistance#10/20
Mileage#16/20
Comfort
Ride Comfort#11/20
Noise Exterior#15/20
Snow
Snow Braking#1/20
Snow Circle Cornering#1/20
Snow Handling#1/20
Snow Traction#1/20
Slalom results highlighted the importance of pure lateral force capability, while broader handling included feedback and recoverability as rating factors.
Wet2
Dry2–
Snow2
Running costs3
Wet
Wet Handling#4/20
Wet Circle Cornering#5/20
Wet Braking#12/20
Aquaplaning Cross#15/20
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#16/20
Dry
Dry Braking#10/20
Dry Handling#12/20
Economy
Mileage#16/20
Price Value Ratio#16/20
Rolling Resistance#19/20
Comfort
Ride Comfort#17/20
Noise Exterior#18/20
Snow
Snow Traction#9/20
Snow Braking#13/20
Snow Handling#14/20
Snow Circle Cornering#16/20
Wet3
Dry2+
Snow1
Running costs2+
Wet
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#1/20
Aquaplaning Cross#4/20
Wet Circle Cornering#11/20
Wet Handling#11/20
Wet Braking#12/20
Dry
Dry Handling#18/20
Dry Braking#19/20
Economy
Price Value Ratio#8/20
Rolling Resistance#10/20
Mileage#19/20
Comfort
Ride Comfort#17/20
Noise Exterior#18/20
Snow
Snow Braking#1/20
Snow Circle Cornering#1/20
Snow Traction#1/20
Snow Handling#5/20
Budget second-line brands like Kleber and BF Goodrich outperformed their premium parent brands on snow, suggesting compound and tread differences optimized for wintry conditions.
Wet3
Dry2
Snow2+
Running costs3+
Wet
Aquaplaning Cross#15/20
Wet Circle Cornering#15/20
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#16/20
Wet Braking#19/20
Wet Handling#19/20
Dry
Dry Handling#4/20
Dry Braking#10/20
Economy
Price Value Ratio#1/20
Mileage#8/20
Rolling Resistance#15/20
Comfort
Noise Exterior#4/20
Ride Comfort#5/20
Snow
Snow Braking#5/20
Snow Traction#5/20
Snow Circle Cornering#10/20
Snow Handling#11/20
Goodyear was the wet-weather leader, showing a well-engineered balance for rain—contrary to several premium brands with unexpected weaknesses on wet surfaces.
Wet3
Dry2
Snow2+
Running costs3
Wet
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#3/20
Wet Handling#8/20
Wet Circle Cornering#11/20
Aquaplaning Cross#13/20
Wet Braking#19/20
Dry
Dry Handling#18/20
Dry Braking#20/20
Economy
Rolling Resistance#5/20
Price Value Ratio#8/20
Mileage#19/20
Comfort
Ride Comfort#5/20
Noise Exterior#18/20
Snow
Snow Traction#1/20
Snow Braking#5/20
Snow Circle Cornering#7/20
Snow Handling#11/20
Wet2+
Dry2+
Snow3+
Running costs2
Wet
Wet Circle Cornering#1/20
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#3/20
Aquaplaning Cross#4/20
Wet Handling#4/20
Wet Braking#8/20
Dry
Dry Handling#4/20
Dry Braking#10/20
Economy
Price Value Ratio#1/20
Rolling Resistance#5/20
Mileage#8/20
Comfort
Ride Comfort#1/20
Noise Exterior#4/20
Snow
Snow Traction#17/20
Snow Braking#19/20
Snow Handling#19/20
Snow Circle Cornering#20/20
Anonymously sourced budget tyres sometimes beat premium brands in specific metrics, such as snow braking, while being unacceptably weak in others (i.e., wet safety), highlighting serious single-condition optimization pitfalls.
Wet3–
Dry2
Snow2+
Running costs2
Wet
Wet Braking#2/20
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#3/20
Aquaplaning Cross#4/20
Wet Handling#19/20
Wet Circle Cornering#20/20
Dry
Dry Braking#10/20
Dry Handling#12/20
Economy
Rolling Resistance#5/20
Price Value Ratio#8/20
Mileage#16/20
Comfort
Noise Exterior#15/20
Ride Comfort#17/20
Snow
Snow Circle Cornering#1/20
Snow Braking#5/20
Snow Traction#5/20
Snow Handling#14/20
Cost per kilometer varied dramatically; Ceat was the best in longevity, while Falken wore almost 20,000 kilometers sooner than Bridgestone under test conditions—showing premium price doesn’t have to mean higher cost of ownership.
Wet3–
Dry2
Snow2–
Running costs3
Wet
Wet Braking#12/20
Aquaplaning Cross#15/20
Wet Circle Cornering#15/20
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#16/20
Wet Handling#17/20
Dry
Dry Braking#3/20
Dry Handling#4/20
Economy
Rolling Resistance#1/20
Mileage#8/20
Price Value Ratio#8/20
Comfort
Noise Exterior#4/20
Ride Comfort#17/20
Snow
Snow Circle Cornering#10/20
Snow Braking#13/20
Snow Handling#14/20
Snow Traction#19/20
Wet3
Dry2
Snow3
Running costs3
Wet
Wet Circle Cornering#5/20
Wet Handling#8/20
Wet Braking#12/20
Aquaplaning Cross#15/20
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#16/20
Dry
Dry Braking#1/20
Dry Handling#4/20
Economy
Mileage#8/20
Price Value Ratio#18/20
Rolling Resistance#20/20
Comfort
Noise Exterior#4/20
Ride Comfort#11/20
Snow
Snow Circle Cornering#16/20
Snow Braking#19/20
Snow Handling#19/20
Snow Traction#19/20
Above you can see the results of the Autobild 2025 225/40 R18 test performed by Autobild on a BMW M135i in 2025. This test was performed in 225/40 R18, but is applicable to other similar sizes, especially in the same tyre width (225). Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 is the best of 20 tested tyres according to tested properties (Rating, Wet, Dry, Snow, Running costs, ). Other featured tyres include Dunlop Winter, Bridgestone Blizzak 6, Kumho WinterCraft WP52+; Some tyres weren't included in the test, such as Michelin PILOT ALPIN PA4, Nokian WR D4, Pirelli WINTER SOTTOZERO Serie III.
Same size tyres not featured in the test
Tests usually don't cover the whole market - here is our selection what not to miss when shopping for tyres in this size.
Show me more tyres (225/40 R18)
