205/45 R17 - Best winter tyres 2025 - market overview, tests, reviews

#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 ( 205/45 R17 88V XL Enliten / EV ) - In stock £158	Bridgestone Blizzak 6 ( 205/45 R17 88V XL Enliten / EV )		In stock	Free shipping	£158	Buy mytyres.co.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

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 ( 205/45 R17 88V XL EVc ) - In stock £162	Continental WinterContact TS 870 P ( 205/45 R17 88V XL EVc )		In stock	Free shipping	£162	Buy mytyres.co.uk
WinterContact TS 870 P XL - In stock £164	WinterContact TS 870 P XL		In stock	Free shipping	£164	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 ( 205/45 R17 88V XL ) - In stock £107	Kumho WinterCraft WP52 ( 205/45 R17 88V XL )		In stock	Free shipping	£107	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 ( 205/45 R17 84H EVc ) - In stock £126	Semperit Speed-Grip 5 ( 205/45 R17 84H EVc )		In stock	Free shipping	£126	Buy mytyres.co.uk
Speed-Grip 5 FR - In stock £127	Speed-Grip 5 FR		In stock	Free shipping	£127	Buy tyres.pneus.online.uk

Shop	Product	Stock	Availability	Shipping	Price	Action
Semperit Speed-Grip 5 ( 205/45 R17 88V XL EVc ) - In stock £126	Semperit Speed-Grip 5 ( 205/45 R17 88V XL EVc )		In stock	Free shipping	£126	Buy mytyres.co.uk
Speed-Grip 5 FR XL - In stock £139	Speed-Grip 5 FR XL		In stock	Free shipping	£139	Buy tyres.pneus.online.uk

3.35/5

Tests from 2024

205/55 R16 Rank: 3 (Good)

205/55 R16 Rank: 5 (-)

205/55 R16 Rank: 5 (Exemplary)

215/55 R17 Rank: 5 (-)

Tests from 2023

225/45 R17 Rank: 2 (Good)

205/60 R16 Rank: 2 (Good)

225/45 R17 Rank: 6 (-)

Tests from 2022

215/55 R17 Rank: 1 (Exemplary)

225/45 R17 Rank: 3 (-)

215/55 R17 Rank: 3 (-)

Michelin Alpin 6

3.35/5

The Alpin 6 was introduced back in 2019, but still holds up surprisingly well compared to the current competitors. It's pricey, but Michelin promises it will maintain it's performance during the whole lifespan, which is rarely tested.

50%

Comfort

Snow traction

Wet braking

Wet handling

Dry braking

Dry handling

Aquaplaning - cross

Wet circle cornering

Aquaplaning - longitudal

Exterior noise

Shop	Product	Stock	Availability	Shipping	Price	Action
Michelin Alpin 6 ( 205/45 R17 88V XL ) - In stock £198	Michelin Alpin 6 ( 205/45 R17 88V XL )		In stock	Free shipping	£198	Buy mytyres.co.uk

Shop	Product	Stock	Availability	Shipping	Price	Action
Michelin Alpin 6 ZP ( 205/45 R17 88V XL, runflat ) - In stock £188	Michelin Alpin 6 ZP ( 205/45 R17 88V XL, runflat )		In stock	Free shipping	£188	Buy mytyres.co.uk
Alpin 6 ZP XL - In stock £199	Alpin 6 ZP XL		In stock	Free shipping	£199	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
Bridgestone Blizzak LM 005 ( 205/45 R17 88V XL EVc ) - In stock £155	Bridgestone Blizzak LM 005 ( 205/45 R17 88V XL EVc )		In stock	Free shipping	£155	Buy mytyres.co.uk
Blizzak LM005 XL - In stock £164	Blizzak LM005 XL		In stock	Free shipping	£164	Buy tyres.pneus.online.uk

3.9/5

Tests from 2024

215/55 R17 Rank: 4 (Recommended)

205/55 R16 Rank: 4 (Satisfactory)

215/55 R17 Rank: 5 (Satisfactory)

205/55 R16 Rank: 6 (Good)

205/55 R16 Rank: 14 (-)

Tests from 2023

225/45 R17 Rank: 4 (-)

205/60 R16 Rank: 5 (Good)

225/45 R17 Rank: 7 (Satisfactory)

Tests from 2022

225/45 R19 Rank: 3 (-)

225/45 R17 Rank: 3 (Highly recommended)

Hankook W462 Winter i*cept RS3

3.9/5

There aren’t many things to dislike about the Winter i*cept RS3, except perhaps for slightly lower mileage and higher rolling resistance. For its price, it performs well in all weather conditions.

50%

Aquaplaning - longitudal

Aquaplaning - cross

Dry handling

Snow handling

Wet handling

Comfort

Snow traction

Wet braking

Wet circle cornering

Exterior noise

Shop	Product	Stock	Availability	Shipping	Price	Action
Hankook Winter i*cept RS3 (W462) ( 205/45 R17 88V XL 4PR, SBL ) - In stock £106	Hankook Winter i*cept RS3 (W462) ( 205/45 R17 88V XL 4PR, SBL )		In stock	Free shipping	£106	Buy mytyres.co.uk
Winter I-Cept Rs3 W462 XL - In stock £135	Winter I-Cept Rs3 W462 XL		In stock	Free shipping	£135	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

2.95/5

Tests from 2024

205/55 R16 Rank: 4 (-)

215/55 R17 Rank: 6 (-)

215/55 R17 Rank: 7 (Satisfactory)

205/55 R16 Rank: 11 (Sufficient)

205/55 R16 Rank: 13 (Satisfactory)

Tests from 2023

225/45 R17 Rank: 5 (-)

225/45 R18 Rank: 5 (Good)

225/40 R18 Rank: 6 (Good)

225/45 R18 Rank: 6 (Recommended)

225/40 R18 Rank: 7 (Good)

Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2

2.95/5

The Cinturato Winter 2 is enjoyable to drive and offers safety in all conditions. However, some tests have described its dry handling as sluggish.

50%

Snow handling

Exterior noise

Dry braking

Snow traction

Interior noise

Wet circle cornering

Wet handling

Wet braking

Aquaplaning - longitudal

Comfort

Shop	Product	Stock	Availability	Shipping	Price	Action
Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2 ( 205/45 R17 88V XL ) - In stock £157	Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2 ( 205/45 R17 88V XL )		In stock	Free shipping	£157	Buy mytyres.co.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

245/45 R18 Rank: 8 (Good)

215/55 R17 Rank: 9 (Satisfactory)

205/55 R16 Rank: 12 (-)

205/55 R16 Rank: 14 (Satisfactory)

Tests from 2023

225/45 R18 Rank: 7 (-)

225/40 R18 Rank: 8 (Good)

225/45 R17 Rank: 8 (Satisfactory)

225/45 R18 Rank: 28 (-)

Tests from 2022

225/45 R17 Rank: 8 (-)

Tests from 2021

205/55 R16 Rank: 28 (-)

Giti GitiWinter W2

2.75/5

50%

Interior noise

Exterior noise

Aquaplaning - cross

Aquaplaning - longitudal

Wet circle cornering

Snow traction

Dry handling

Snow braking

Comfort

Wet handling

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
Winter Expert FR XL EV - In stock £118	Winter Expert FR XL EV		In stock	Free shipping	£118	Buy tyres.pneus.online.uk
Uniroyal WinterExpert ( 205/45 R17 88V XL EVc ) - In stock £119	Uniroyal WinterExpert ( 205/45 R17 88V XL EVc )		In stock	Free shipping	£119	Buy mytyres.co.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 ( 205/45 R17 88V XL ) - In stock £107	Kumho WinterCraft WP52 ( 205/45 R17 88V XL )		In stock	Free shipping	£107	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 ( 205/45 R17 88V XL EVc ) - In stock £87	Firestone Winterhawk 4 ( 205/45 R17 88V XL EVc )		In stock	Free shipping	£87	Buy mytyres.co.uk
Winterhawk 4 XL - In stock £117	Winterhawk 4 XL		In stock	Free shipping	£117	Buy tyres.pneus.online.uk

4.2/5

#13
Winter tires