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165/55 R13 Tires

Everything we know about the 165/55 R13 tire size: 5 owner reviews covering 150,000 miles of driving, and EU label data for the tires you can actually buy in it.

  • 5owner reviews
  • 150,000 milescovered on them
  • 10tires made in this size
165/55 R13 To scale, mm
Ø 512 165 91 13" 91

165/55 R13 EU tire label data

EU label values are declared for each individual size, so the figures here are exact for 165/55 R13 rather than a range across a model. 4 tires carry label data in this size. The most common load index is 70 (up to 335 kg per tire). Speed ratings on offer: H (210 km/h).

70dB Quietest tires

The quietest 165/55 R13 tires are labelled at 70 dB external noise:

Label values come from the EU EPREL database and apply to the EU market versions of each tire. Wet grip and rolling resistance run from class A (best) to E; noise is the measured drive-by figure. A good label is a floor, not a verdict - the tests and owner ratings above tell you far more.

What does 165/55 R13 mean?

A 165/55 R13 tire is 165 mm wide, its sidewall is 55% of that width (91 mm) tall, and it fits a 13 inch wheel. That gives an overall diameter of roughly 512 mm.

Section width165 mm
Sidewall height91 mm
Rim diameter13" (330 mm)
Overall diameter≈ 512 mm
Circumference≈ 1,608 mm
Revolutions per km≈ 622
Revolutions per mile≈ 1,001

Also written as

165/55R13 165/55 ZR13 165-55-13 165 55 13

Figures are calculated from the nominal size. A loaded, rolling tire runs a few percent smaller, and true widths vary slightly between makes.

Comparing two sizes? Use the tire size calculator →

What cars use 165/55 R13 tires?

The cars most often running this size in our owner reviews. Each links to the best rated tires for that exact car.

Fiat Seicento 1.1 MPI FIRE (sporting) 1 reviews in this size Nissan Micra 1 reviews in this size Ford KA 1.3 1 reviews in this size Hyundai Atos 1 reviews in this size Fiat Cinquecento ED 1 reviews in this size

Every tire reviewed in 165/55 R13

The complete record, including discontinued tires and tires with too few reviews to rank, ordered by the amount of evidence. A further 3 tires have a single review each; they count toward the totals but are not listed.

Tire Season Owner rating Reviews Distance reviewed
Nankang XR611 Summer 61% 2 35,000 miles

Reviews only cover part of the market: 10 tires are made in 165/55 R13. Browse every 165/55 R13 tire →

What drivers say about their 165/55 R13 tires

The most recent owner reviews fitted in this size, in their own words.

41%
Tracmax X Privilo TX2 165/55 R13 Fiat Cinquecento ED 65,000 miles October 23, 2025
Tires fitted to a Fiat Cinquecento Sporting.

For everyday driving on dry asphalt, it's fine. As soon as you try to go a little faster, the tire completely crushes the sidewalls and becomes very uncommunicative.

In the rain, I would describe it at best as "terrifying": little or no lateral grip, no braking grip, and no feel: when you feel it slipping, it's too late.

Wear is extremely rapid with intensive use, a few hundred kilometers are enough.

The comfort, on the other hand, seemed good.
81%
Marangoni elogic 165/55 R13 Ford KA 1.3 20,000 miles December 28, 2013
A very good tire for the money, big improvement in drive quality compared to my old tires.
In my view these tires made an awful car to drive a bit more enjoyable, upon driving 500-1000 miles a week on a full set of these tires improved the cars handling especially at higher motorway speeds and a massive improvement in my fuel consumption and a very good performance on both wet and dry roads to the point that I was able to stop so quickly that the car behind me unfortunately hit my car. To cut a long story short I would recommend these tires to a friend and would purchase again no question :)
61%
Nankang XR611 165/55 R13 Nissan Micra 5,000 miles April 26, 2013
I had these tires fitted to 13x7 Starmags on my Micra which is fitted with lower suspension. Day to day driving these tires are awesome. You really cannot go wrong with them - they wear very well due to the hard compound. If you're a sober driver I'd definitely recommend these. Grip levels are low, but when you're driving in a relaxed fashion and not going too crazy they're amazing.

I enjoy going to track days in my daily driven giggle of a Nissan Micra, and this is where they begin to fall down. Spirited driving on roads is hampered by this tire. Grip levels in the dry are pretty bad and will restrict your cars performance massively in the corners. In the wet, don't even attempt to drive fast as they're genuinely scary. The hard compound wears extremely well but also has very little grip. Fast take offs from standing usually result in wheel spins.

Great tire for Joe Bloggs in his Ford Mondeo going to work and back. Terrible tire for enthusiasts!

I've since ditched them and the 13s in favor of 15" Team Dynamics with Toyo T1Rs. Infinitely better, kids!
60%
Nankang XR611 165/55 R13 Fiat Seicento 1.1 MPI FIRE (sporting) 30,000 miles November 11, 2012
Good tire for the price. At this size it was only this or the Pirelli P 700z. The Pirelli is a 1995 design so i chose the Nankang. Got theme after some 175/50/13 Yokohama A539. I believe the lack of grip in the wet is due to wear as i dont remember i had any wet grip problems when the tires were new.

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Where this data comes from

Owner ratings are submitted through the review form on this site, naming the tire, the size and the distance covered, and are checked by hand before publication. Test results come from independent published tire tests indexed by size, and label values from the EU EPREL database.

About the TR Score

The Tire Reviews Score rates each tire out of 10 using independent test results and the full body of owner reviews, so you can check a car-specific ranking against the wider evidence.

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Who does the testing

Every test published as a Tire Reviews test is run by Jonathan Benson, who has been testing tires independently since 2007.

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