I bought these tires in November 2019 and had them fitted to my 2019 Ford Fiesta ST. There was very little choice for winter tires when it came to the wheel size on this car so I was limited to only this one or the very overpriced Pirelli Sotozero 3s. For the first winter that I had them fitted it was mostly just cold and wet (no snow) but the level of grip that this tire offers over the Michelin pilot super sports (fitted to this car as standard) in temperatures below about 5°C is worth it even if you don't get any snow. Fast forward to December 2020/January 2021 and I can confirm that in the snow these tires are extremely capable. A full three inches of snow is no problem for these tires. I have also used these tires on icy roads and they hold up well there too, with abs breaking coming on when you slam the breaks but it stopping the car some several meters shorter than if you had summer tires on. The tires also preform equally as well in slushy/wet snow. If I had to rate the handling/breaking for fresh dry snow I would say 10/10, for slushy/wet snow 9/10 and icy roads would be 8/10. It's also worth noting that even after 6000 miles on these tires there is very little wear and they probably still have another full winter in them if not 2. Overall a fantastic tire that significantly improves the safety of your car during the winter.
205/55 R18 Tires
Everything we know about the 205/55 R18 tire size: 1 owner reviews covering 6,000 miles of driving, and EU label data for the tires you can actually buy in it.
- 1owner reviews
- 6,000 milescovered on them
- 5tires made in this size
205/55 R18 EU tire label data
EU label values are declared for each individual size, so the figures here are exact for 205/55 R18 rather than a range across a model. 3 tires carry label data in this size. The most common load index is 96 (up to 710 kg per tire). Speed ratings on offer: V (240 km/h), H (210 km/h). 2 tires in this size carry the 3PMSF severe snow marking.
B Lowest rolling resistance
The most fuel efficient choice: 2 tires in this size reach rolling resistance class B. The highest scoring on Tire Reviews:
- Hankook Winter I*cept Evo 4 Winter 9.6
- Continental WinterContact TS 830 P Winter 6.9
70dB Quietest tires
The quietest 205/55 R18 tires are labelled at 70 dB external noise:
- Bridgestone Blizzak 6 Winter 9.4
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 205/55 R18 mean?
A 205/55 R18 tire is 205 mm wide, its sidewall is 55% of that width (113 mm) tall, and it fits a 18 inch wheel. That gives an overall diameter of roughly 683 mm.
| Section width | 205 mm |
|---|---|
| Sidewall height | 113 mm |
| Rim diameter | 18" (457 mm) |
| Overall diameter | ≈ 683 mm |
| Circumference | ≈ 2,145 mm |
| Revolutions per km | ≈ 466 |
| Revolutions per mile | ≈ 750 |
Also written as
205/55R18 205/55 ZR18 205-55-18 205 55 18
Figures are calculated from the nominal size. A loaded, rolling tire runs a few percent smaller, and true widths vary slightly between makes.
What cars use 205/55 R18 tires?
The cars most often running this size in our owner reviews. Each links to the best rated tires for that exact car.
What drivers say about their 205/55 R18 tires
The most recent owner reviews fitted in this size, in their own words.
Drive on 205/55 R18 tires?
Review your tires and help the next driver choose. It takes about five minutes, and every review on this page came from a driver who took them.
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.
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.