215/45 R16 - Best winter tyres 2026 - market overview, tests, reviews

Winter

31

Tyres

Best deals

Upper-middle

Observe S944

215/45 R16 90 H XL

£88

Best price in last 6 months Lowest price among well rated tyres.

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

WinterContact TS 870

'26#1

'26#1

'26#2

9.8

Price from

£161

Price from£161

Expert summary

Continental has been dominating the winter tyre segment for years, and the TS870 is no different. It is very well-balanced and offers great mileage, making the premium price point worthwhile in the long run.

Recommended

#3

2026

theTire Lab.comRecommended#3 Winter tires 2026

Performance

Lateral guidance on snow

100%

Wet circle cornering

95%

Snow cornering

93%

+23

Snow handling - objective

64%

Price/value

63%

Snow traction

61%

Test results

2026185/65 R15#1(Good)

2026205/55 R16#1(-)

2026225/50 R17#2(Good)

2026225/45 R17#4(Highly recommended)

2025225/45 R17#1(Test winner)

2024205/55 R16#1(Good)

2024205/55 R16#1(Exemplary)

2024205/55 R16#8(-)

2023225/45 R17#1(Test winner)

2023225/45 R17#1(Good)

View full review

Price variants (1)

215/45 R16 90 V EVc

B C 70dB

£161

mytyres.co.uk

£161

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£192

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

2

Premium

UltraGrip Performance 3

'26#3

'26#3

'26#3

9.2

Price from

£154

Price from£154

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

#8

2026

theTire Lab.comRecommended#8 Winter tires 2026

Performance

Dry driving behavior

100%

Wet side guide

100%

Wear

95%

+27

Interior noise

62%

Rolling resistance

60%

Price/value

53%

Test results

2026225/50 R17#3(Good)

2026225/45 R17#3(Highly recommended)

2026225/45 R18#3(Exemplary)

2026225/55 R18#4(Good)

2026205/55 R16#6(-)

2026185/65 R15#6(Satisfactory)

2026245/45 R19#9(-)

2025245/45 R19#1(Highly recommended)

2025215/55 R17#1(Exemplary)

2025225/40 R18#1(Good)

View full review

Price variants (1)

215/45 R16 90 V XL EVR

C C 70dB

£154

mytyres.co.uk

£154

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£178

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

3

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

#10

2026

theTire Lab.comRecommended#10 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

4

Premium

Winter Sport 5

'25#4

'24#2

'24#4

8.4

Price from

£119

Price from£119

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.

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

Price variants (1)

215/45 R16 90 V mfs XL£119

mytyres.co.uk

£119

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£164

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

5

Upper-middle

WinterCraft WP52+

'26#6

'26#11

'26#12

8.1

Price from

£112

Price from£112

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

93%

Wet circle cornering

84%

+14

Snow handling - objective

43%

Dry handling - objective

29%

Aquaplaning - cross

28%

Test results

2026225/45 R17#6(Recommended)

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)

215/45 R16 90 V

B C 72dB

£112

mytyres.co.uk

£112

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£125

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

6

Budget

Speed-Grip 5

'26#13

'25#11

'25#14

8.0

Price from

£131

Price from£131

Expert summary

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.

Performance

Interior noise

100%

Dry handling - objective

88%

Aquaplaning - cross

84%

+17

Wet handling

36%

Wet handling - objective

25%

Snow handling - objective

25%

Test results

2026245/45 R19#13(-)

2025225/40 R18#11(Good)

2025225/40 R18#14(Satisfactory)

2025225/40 R18#15(-)

2024205/55 R16#3(Exemplary)

2024215/55 R17#4(Satisfactory)

2024205/55 R16#6(-)

2023225/45 R17#6(Satisfactory)

2023225/45 R18#16(Satisfactory)

2023225/45 R18#19(-)

View full review

Price variants (1)

215/45 R16 90 V

C C 72dB

£131

mytyres.co.uk

£131

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

7

Budget

Polaris 6

'26#7

'26#11

'25#2

7.8

Price from

£93

Price from£93

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

2026245/45 R19#7(-)

2026185/65 R15#11(Sufficient)

2025215/65 R17#2(Good)

2025225/40 R18#9(Good)

2025225/40 R18#10(-)

View full review

Price variants (1)

215/45 R16 90 V

C D 72dB

£93

mytyres.co.uk

£93

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

8

Upper-middle

EuroWinter HS02

'26#7

'25#9

'24#7

6.5

Price from

£90

Price from£90

Expert summary

The EuroWinter HS02 is one of the few affordable winter tires with good mileage and low rolling resistance. It offers strong driving characteristics, with only slight weaknesses on snow.

Performance

Interior noise

90%

Dry braking

75%

Dry steering response

75%

+16

Snow braking

6%

Lateral guidance on snow

0%

Snow handling - objective

0%

Test results

2026205/55 R16#7(-)

2025215/55 R17#9(Satisfactory)

2024205/55 R16#7(Satisfactory)

2024205/55 R16#22(-)

2023205/60 R16#11(Satisfactory)

View full review

Price variants (1)

215/45 R16 90 V £90

mytyres.co.uk

£90

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

9

Upper-middle

Winterhawk 4

'26#19

'25#7

'25#16

6.3

Price from

£109

Price from£109

Expert summary

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

Performance

Lateral guidance on snow

95%

Ice braking

92%

Ice lateral guidance

82%

+24

Safety

19%

Dry braking

15%

Dry lane changing

14%

Test results

2026245/45 R19#19(-)

2025225/40 R18#7(-)

2025225/40 R18#16(Satisfactory)

2025225/40 R18#18(Sufficient)

2024205/55 R16#10(-)

2024215/55 R17#10(Satisfactory)

2024205/55 R16#18(Satisfactory)

2023225/45 R18#6(-)

2023205/60 R16#7(Good)

2023225/60 R18#9(Not recommended)

View full review

Price variants (1)

215/45 R16 90 V

B D 71dB

£109

mytyres.co.uk

£109

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

10

Budget

MP93 Nordicca

'26#8

'26#17

'25#11

6.2

Expert summary

A cheap tyre from European manufacturer that is very snow-focused, while sacrificing performance on both dry and wet. It could be recommended as a cheap option for extreme climates with a lot of snow.

Performance

Ice braking

68%

Snow handling - objective

67%

Snow braking

65%

+14

Safety

19%

Wet handling

19%

Dry driving behavior

13%

Test results

2026225/55 R18#8(Satisfactory)

2026245/45 R19#17(-)

2025225/40 R18#11(Satisfactory)

2023225/45 R18#38(-)

2022215/60 R16#15(Satisfactory)

2022215/55 R17#31(-)

View full review

11

Budget

Sport Master Winter

'26#4

'26#7

'26#9

6.0

Performance

Dry driving behavior

67%

Price/value

63%

Dry handling - objective

62%

+22

Wet side guide

13%

Dry steering response

13%

Wet safety

11%

Test results

2026185/65 R15#4(Satisfactory)

2026225/55 R18#7(Satisfactory)

2026225/45 R17#9(Recommended)

2026205/55 R16#9(-)

2026245/45 R19#21(-)

2025225/45 R17#5(-)

2025215/55 R17#8(Good)

2025245/45 R19#9(-)

2025215/55 R17#10(Satisfactory)

2025225/40 R18#16(-)

View full review

12

Budget

Premitra Snow WP6

'26#10

'26#20

4.0

Price from

£113

Price from£113

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#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(-)

2023225/45 R18#34(-)

View full review

Price variants (1)

215/45 R16 90 V mfs XL£113

mytyres.co.uk

£113

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

13

Budget

Snoways 4

'25#29

'24#29

'23#15

3.0

Test results

2025225/40 R18#29(-)

2024205/55 R16#29(-)

2023205/60 R16#15(Poor)

2022215/55 R17#27(-)

View full review

215/45 R16 tyre test

Personalize →

Best tyres in your size

Dry

1. Vredestein Wintrac

80%

2. Continental WinterContact TS 870

78%

3. Michelin Alpin 6

74%

4. Kumho WinterCraft WP52

73%

5. Kumho WinterCraft WP52+

72%

6. GoodYear UltraGrip Performance 3

71%

7. Imperial SnowDragon UHP

68%

8. Semperit Speed-Grip 5

67%

9. Linglong Sport Master Winter

64%

10. Barum Polaris 6

62%

11. FALKEN EUROWINTER HS02

57%

12. Barum Polaris 5

57%

13. Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6

55%

14. Dunlop Winter Sport 5

51%

Wet

1. Continental WinterContact TS 870

84%

2. GoodYear UltraGrip Performance 3

77%

3. Michelin Alpin 6

70%

4. Kumho WinterCraft WP52+

69%

5. Vredestein Wintrac

68%

6. Dunlop Winter Sport 5

67%

7. Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6

61%

8. Semperit Speed-Grip 5

59%

9. FALKEN EUROWINTER HS02

57%

10. Kumho WinterCraft WP52

56%

11. Barum Polaris 6

51%

12. Barum Polaris 5

41%

13. LingLong Sport Master Winter

39%

14. Matador MP93 Nordicca

37%

15. Imperial SnowDragon UHP

29%

Snow

1. Continental WinterContact TS 870

77%

2. Dunlop Winter Sport 5

76%

3. Barum Polaris 6

74%

4. GoodYear UltraGrip Performance 3

71%

5. Kumho WinterCraft WP52+

65%

6. Michelin Alpin 6

63%

7. Barum Polaris 5

61%

8. Semperit Speed-Grip 5

57%

9. Matador MP93 Nordicca

54%

10. Vredestein Wintrac

51%

11. Kumho WinterCraft WP52

50%

12. Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6

45%

13. FALKEN EUROWINTER HS02

45%

14. Linglong Sport Master Winter

43%

15. Imperial SnowDragon UHP

29%

Comfort

1. Barum Polaris 6

96%

2. Continental WinterContact TS 870

79%

3. Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3

77%

4. Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6

73%

5. FALKEN EUROWINTER HS02

68%

6. Semperit Speed-Grip 5

64%

7. Michelin Alpin 6

62%

8. Vredestein Wintrac

62%

9. Barum Polaris 5

55%

10. Kumho WinterCraft WP52+

49%

11. Dunlop Winter Sport 5

49%

12. Linglong Sport Master Winter

43%

13. Kumho WinterCraft WP52

37%

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

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Cars with 215/45 R16 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

320 customer reviews for tyres in this size

Nokian WR D4 3.7/5 (77)

Continental WinterContact TS 860 3.6/5 (47)

Dunlop Winter Sport 5 3.9/5 (46)

Michelin ALPIN 6 3.9/5 (34)

Michelin Alpin 5 3.7/5 (28)

Continental WinterContact TS 870 3.7/5 (24)

Falken EuroWinter HS01 3.7/5 (21)

GoodYear UltraGrip Performance+ 3.8/5 (15)

Barum Polaris 5 2.7/5 (14)

GoodYear UltraGrip Performance 3 3.9/5 (14)

Other popular sizes

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215/45 R16 — Also available in

Summer(82)All season(32)

Top brands in 215/45 R16

Did you know ...?

215/45 R16 doesn't belong to the most popular dimensions for winter tyres - there are 17 tyre models available, which can be compared to 205/40 R18, 190/50 R17, 205/65 R15. Let's break down the sizing - 45 is height of the tyre, which is calculated as 45% of the tyre width (215mm), which means the sidewall height has 96.75 mm. The wheel diameter is R16, which means it fits to a 16 inch/406.4mm diameter wheel. The total circumference of the tyre is 1884.64 mm, which is very similar to 175/70 R14(1886.84 mm), 195/50 R16(1889.35 mm), 185/60 R15(1894.38 mm), 185/65 R14(1872.7 mm), 215/40 R17(1896.89 mm), 205/40 R17(1871.76 mm), 195/55 R15(1870.82 mm). There are multiple speed indexes available for winter tyres in 215/45 R16: H(210km/h), V(240km/h). The same goes for weight indexes: 86, 90. You can find 215/45 R16 on 7 car models - mainly .

215/45 R16 is found on 7 vehicles: