205/55 R17 - Best winter tyres 2025 - market overview, tests, reviews

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Wintrac Pro is a winter option from a dutch manufacturer that is getting a bit outdated, but on wet and dry roads it still holds up with the premium segment.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.

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

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.

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.

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

G-Force Winter 2 is our favorite budget winter tyre. It's great on snow and offers good safety on all surfaces, which is no surprise as BFGoodrich is a part of the Michelin group.

Old but gold, that is how we can pretty much describe the Krisalp HP3. It's a winter tyre that is great on snow for a good price, which is what the average driver is looking for. It's not a premium tyre, but you get a lot of bang for your buck.

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

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.

The czech low-cost tire has high projected mileage and is good on snow, but lacks a bit of wet and dry performance. Pricewise, it can match the low-cost chinese tyres and in comparison, it's definitely a better option.

Kristall Control HP2 is an affordable snow specialist with some compromises in the wet and dry handling and braking.