255/55 R18 - Best winter tyres 2026 - market overview, tests, reviews

Winter

86

Tyres

We recommend

Premium

UltraGrip Performance+

9.0

£174

Buy Details

Price / Value

Snowprox S954

7.8

£137

Buy Details

Best deals

Premium

UltraGrip Performance+

255/55 R18 105 T Volkswagen

£138

Great price for a premium tyre

Upper-middle

Winterhawk 4

255/55 R18 109 V .

£116

Lowest price among well rated tyres.

Premium

Winter Sport 5 SUV

255/55 R18 109 V

£148

Premium

ContiWinterContact TS 850P

255/55 R18 109 H XLMO

£158

Best tyres in tests (2026)

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1

Premium

UltraGrip Performance 3

'25#1

'25#1

'25#1

9.5

Price from

£139

Price from£139

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

theTire 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 (2)

255/55 R18 109 H XL

B C 73dB

£139

mytyres.co.uk

£139

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£200

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

255/55 R18 109 V

B C 73dB

£142

mytyres.co.uk

£142

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£198

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

2

Premium

Blizzak 6

'25#1

'25#2

'25#3

9.2

Price from

£164

Price from£164

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

theTire 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)

255/55 R18 109 V

B B 72dB

£164

mytyres.co.uk

£164

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£180

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

3

Premium

UltraGrip Performance+

'25#2

'23#3

9.0

Price from

£138

Price from£138

Expert summary

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

Recommended

#9

2026

theTire Lab.comRecommended#9 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

Price variants (3)

255/55 R18 105 T Volkswagen

B B 73dB

£174

mytyres.co.uk

£174

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£213

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

255/55 R18 105 T Volkswagen

B B 73dB

£138

mytyres.co.uk

£138

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£196

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

255/55 R18 109 H

B B 72dB

£150

mytyres.co.uk

£150

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£209

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

4

Premium

WinterContact TS 870 P

'25#1

9.4

Price from

£166

Price from£166

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

theTire 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)

255/55 R18 109 V XL

B B 72dB

£166

mytyres.co.uk

£166

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£199

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

5

Premium

Scorpion Winter 2

'25#4

'24#4

'23#3

8.6

Price from

£167

Price from£167

Expert summary

Winter-focused tyre that is enjoyable to drive on snow, while being safe on wet and dry.

Performance

Lateral guidance on snow

100%

Dry lane changing

100%

Interior noise

100%

+17

Aquaplaning - cross

47%

Price/value

33%

Rolling resistance

28%

Test results

2025235/50 R19#4(Good)

2024235/55 R18#4(Very good)

2023225/60 R18#3(Exemplary)

2023235/60 R18#6(Recommended)

2023235/55 R18#7(Recommended)

View full review

Price variants (1)

255/55 R18 109 V XL

A C 71dB

£167

mytyres.co.uk

£167

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

6

Budget

Polaris 6

'25#2

'25#9

'25#10

8.3

Price from

£136

Price from£136

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)

255/55 R18 109 V

C C 73dB

£136

mytyres.co.uk

£136

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

7

Upper-middle

WinterExpert

'25#5

'25#8

'25#12

8.1

Price from

£122

Price from£122

Expert summary

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.

Performance

Rolling resistance

93%

Dry handling - objective

86%

Ice braking

78%

+21

Safety

19%

Wet side guide

0%

Wet handling - objective

0%

Test results

2025225/40 R18#5(-)

2025225/40 R18#8(Good)

2025225/40 R18#12(Satisfactory)

2024205/55 R16#7(-)

2024205/55 R16#9(Good)

2023225/45 R18#11(-)

2023225/45 R18#12(Satisfactory)

2023205/60 R16#14(Satisfactory)

2022245/45 R19#7(Sufficient)

2022215/60 R16#14(Satisfactory)

View full review

Price variants (1)

255/55 R18 109 V £122

mytyres.co.uk

£122

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£152

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

8

Upper-middle

Winter i*cept evo3 X W330A

'25#7

'24#5

'23#2

8.7

Price from

£135

Price from£135

Recommended

#14

2026

theTire Lab.comRecommended#14 Winter tires 2026

Performance

Dry lane changing

100%

Price/value

100%

Snow braking

89%

+19

Exterior noise

24%

Interior noise

13%

Wet safety

0%

Test results

2025235/50 R19#7(Good)

2024235/55 R18#5(Very good)

2023235/55 R18#2(Recommended)

2023235/60 R18#3(Highly recommended)

2023225/60 R18#6(Good)

2021235/55 R18#6(Good)

2021235/55 R18#9(-)

View full review

Price variants (1)

255/55 R18 109 V

B C 73dB

£135

mytyres.co.uk

£135

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

9

Upper-middle

Eurowinter HS02 Pro

'25#9

'25#20

6.6

Price from

£149

Price from£149

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

Dry braking

74%

Wet handling - objective

68%

Exterior noise

68%

+20

Gravel traction

18%

Mud traction

18%

Snow handling - objective

9%

Test results

2025215/55 R17#9(Good)

2025235/50 R19#9(Sufficient)

2025225/40 R18#20(Satisfactory)

2025225/40 R18#20(-)

2024235/55 R18#8(Good)

2024245/45 R18#10(Satisfactory)

2023255/45 R20#7(Satisfactory)

2023225/60 R18#7(Satisfactory)

2023225/40 R18#9(Satisfactory)

View full review

Price variants (1)

255/55 R18 109 V

B D 68dB

£149

mytyres.co.uk

£149

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

10

Upper-middle

Winterhawk 4

'25#7

'25#16

'25#18

6.3

Price from

£116

Price from£116

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

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)

2023225/45 R18#20(Not recommended)

View full review

Price variants (1)

255/55 R18 109 V

B C 71dB

£116

mytyres.co.uk

£116

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

11

Budget

Premitra Snow WP6

'25#10

'25#19

'25#44

3.6

Price from

£101

Price from£101

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)

255/55 R18 109 V mfs XL£101

mytyres.co.uk

£101

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

255/55 R18 tyre test

Personalize →

Best tyres in your size

Dry

1. Apollo Aspire XP Winter

79%

2. Continental Wintercontact Ts 870 P

78%

3. Bridgestone Blizzak LM-005

77%

4. GoodYear UltraGrip Performance 3

71%

5. Falken EuroWinter HS02 Pro

70%

6. Vredestein Wintrac Pro

65%

7. Bridgestone Blizzak 6

64%

8. Barum Polaris 6

62%

9. Linglong Sport Master Winter

61%

10. Viking WinTech

61%

11. Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6

55%

12. Uniroyal WinterExpert

35%

Wet

1. Bridgestone Blizzak LM-005

87%

2. Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3

76%

3. Bridgestone Blizzak 6

70%

4. Continental Wintercontact Ts 870 P

70%

5. Apollo Aspire XP Winter

69%

6. Vredestein Wintrac Pro

67%

7. Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6

61%

8. Uniroyal WinterExpert

52%

9. Barum Polaris 6

51%

10. Viking WinTech

50%

11. Falken EuroWinter HS02 Pro

49%

12. Linglong Sport Master Winter

34%

Snow

1. Barum Polaris 6

74%

2. Bridgestone Blizzak 6

73%

3. GoodYear UltraGrip Performance 3

68%

4. Continental Wintercontact Ts 870 P

68%

5. Viking WinTech

67%

6. Bridgestone Blizzak LM-005

66%

7. Matador MP93 Nordicca

58%

8. Uniroyal WinterExpert

58%

9. Vredestein Wintrac Pro

55%

10. Apollo Aspire XP Winter

49%

11. Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6

45%

12. Linglong Sport Master Winter

37%

13. Falken EuroWinter HS02 Pro

31%

Comfort

1. Barum Polaris 6

97%

2. Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6

75%

3. Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3

74%

4. Continental Wintercontact Ts 870 P

73%

5. Falken EuroWinter HS02 Pro

65%

6. Bridgestone Blizzak LM-005

61%

7. Viking WinTech

59%

8. Uniroyal WinterExpert

55%

9. Vredestein Wintrac Pro

51%

10. Bridgestone Blizzak 6

40%

11. Linglong Sport Master Winter

38%

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 255/55 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

200 customer reviews for tyres in this size

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

Falken Eurowinter HS449 4/5 (36)

Michelin Latitude Tour HP 3/5 (31)

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P 4/5 (26)

GoodYear UltraGrip Performance+ 3.8/5 (15)

Yokohama BluEarth winter V905 3.8/5 (14)

GoodYear UltraGrip Performance 3 3.9/5 (14)

Michelin PILOT ALPIN 5 SUV 3.8/5 (12)

Continental 4X4 WinterContact 3.8/5 (9)

Falken EuroWinter HS02 Pro 3.7/5 (6)

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

255/55 R18 — Also available in

Summer(125)All season(54)

Top brands in 255/55 R18

Did you know ...?

255/55 R18 doesn't belong to the most popular dimensions for winter tyres - there are 76 tyre models available, which can be compared to 165/70 R14, 215/55 R16, 215/50 R17. Let's break down the sizing - 55 is height of the tyre, which is calculated as 55% of the tyre width (255mm), which means the sidewall height has 140.25 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 2317.55 mm, which is very similar to 255/50 R19(2317.24 mm), 255/60 R17(2317.87 mm), 255/45 R20(2316.92 mm), 255/65 R16(2318.18 mm), 255/40 R21(2316.61 mm), 255/70 R15(2318.5 mm), 235/65 R17(2316.3 mm). There are multiple speed indexes available for winter tyres in 255/55 R18: H(210km/h), Q(160km/h), R(170km/h), T(190km/h), V(240km/h). The same goes for weight indexes: 105, 109, 110, 117. You can find 255/55 R18 on 10 car models - mainly .

There are 6 runflat variants available.