265/40 R18 Tires

Everything we know about the 265/40 R18 tire size: 31 owner reviews covering 252,253 miles of driving, and EU label data for the tires you can actually buy in it.

31owner reviews
252,253 milescovered on them
100tires made in this size

265/40 R18 To scale, mm

The quick answer

The quick answer - 265/40 R18
Season	Owners' pick	Owner rating	Latest test winner
Summer	Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 9.2 Current version: Michelin Pilot Sport S 5	81% from 3 reviews	-

Owner picks are the highest weighted owner score in 265/40 R18; test winners come from the most recent independent test conducted in this size. The full evidence is below.

The best rated 265/40 R18 tires

Rated only by drivers running this size. Each tire needs at least 3 reviews in 265/40 R18 to be ranked; the order weights a tire's score by how many reviews back it, so one glowing review cannot top a table.

Summer tires

The highest rated Summer tire in 265/40 R18 is the Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 - 81% from 3 owner reviews in this size. The current tire in that line is now the Michelin Pilot Sport S 5.

Summer tires ranked by owner rating in 265/40 R18
#	Tire	Owner rating	Reviews	Distance reviewed	TR Score
1	Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 Replaced by Michelin Pilot Sport S 5	81%	3	6,000 miles	9.2

Want test data as well as owner opinion? Best Summer Tires →

TR Score is the tire's overall Tire Reviews rating out of 10, built from independent test results and every owner review of that tire - not just the reviews from this car. The owner rating column is this car only.

265/40 R18 EU tire label data

EU label values are declared for each individual size, so the figures here are exact for 265/40 R18 rather than a range across a model. 50 tires carry label data in this size. The most common load index is 101 (up to 825 kg per tire). Speed ratings on offer: (Y) (301 km/h), Y (300 km/h), W (270 km/h), V (240 km/h). 5 tires in this size carry the 3PMSF severe snow marking.

A Best wet grip

15 tires in this size hold the top EU wet grip rating, class A. The highest scoring on Tire Reviews:

Continental SportContact 7 Summer 9.7
Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo Summer 9.5
Hankook Ventus Evo Summer 9.4
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 Summer 9.3
Bridgestone Potenza Sport Summer 9.3
Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3 Summer 8.9

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:

Federal Evoluzion ST 1 Summer 7.2
Vitour Tempesta P1+ Summer 4.8

69dB Quietest tires

The quietest 265/40 R18 tires are labelled at 69 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 265/40 R18 mean?

A 265/40 R18 tire is 265 mm wide, its sidewall is 40% of that width (106 mm) tall, and it fits a 18 inch wheel. That gives an overall diameter of roughly 669 mm.

265/40 R18 nominal dimensions
Section width	265 mm
Sidewall height	106 mm
Rim diameter	18" (457 mm)
Overall diameter	≈ 669 mm
Circumference	≈ 2,102 mm
Revolutions per km	≈ 476
Revolutions per mile	≈ 765

What cars use 265/40 R18 tires?

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

BMW E92 M3 4 reviews in this size Mercedes Benz E Class AMG 3 reviews in this size Porsche Cayman 3 reviews in this size Mercedes Benz S320 2 reviews in this size BMW 520d Tourer 2 reviews in this size Mercedes Benz E Class 2 reviews in this size Mercedes Benz E Class Estate 1 reviews in this size Infiniti G37 1 reviews in this size Honda Civic Type R 1 reviews in this size Nissan 370Z 1 reviews in this size

Every tire reviewed in 265/40 R18

The complete record, including discontinued tires and tires with too few reviews to rank, ordered by the amount of evidence. A further 22 tires have a single review each; they count toward the totals but are not listed.

All tires reviewed in 265/40 R18
Tire	Season	Owner rating	Reviews	Distance reviewed
Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 Replaced by Michelin Pilot Sport S 5	Summer	81%	3	6,000 miles
Nexen N Fera SU1 Replaced by Nexen N Fera Sport SU2	Summer	97%	2	5,000 miles
Kumho Ecsta PS71 Replaced by Kumho Ecsta Sport S PS72	Summer	79%	2	41,500 miles
Kumho Ecsta KU39	Summer	78%	2	22,500 miles

Reviews only cover part of the market: 100 tires are made in 265/40 R18. Browse every 265/40 R18 tire →

What drivers say about their 265/40 R18 tires

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

67%

Kumho Ecsta PS71 265/40 R18 Mercedes Benz E Class Estate 18,000 miles November 2, 2026

Overall, really quite decent tire, these tires replaced Pirelli P Zeros which couldn’t handle the rough pothole minefield of Kuwaits roads and get kept bulging at the nearest sight of an uneven surface. So the context of this review is that the climate of Kuwait is extremely hot and harsh some of the roads are quite bad.

After nearly 3 years of daily use with a track day mixed in these actually performed quite well in dry grip. They still have a surprising amount of traction and feedback and are really confidence inspiring to push. However with only around 30k Km done they seem to have started drying up and becoming harsh on bumps and potholes.

Ultimately, I think the standout feature for this tire is the sidewall strength and its rim protection ability, and how much load and stress it can withstand three years of driving at daily over rough roads with big potholes, and I’ve never had a puncture or even damage the carcass.

84%

Kumho Ecsta KU39 265/40 R18 BMW 520d Tourer 20,500 miles October 10, 2025

I've had these KU39 tires on the rear of my BMW 520d touring for the last 14 months. Unfortunately 1 tire blew out through the side wall while towing a caravan, however I blame it on the pot holes and state of the roads. The other rear tire has just reached its end of life at 20,500 miles, and while I could drive another 2000-3000 miles the winter is approaching and its better to get some extra depth of tread.

This is the 3rd set of Kumho's I've had on my BMW and I do enjoy them. They are quite, comfortable and grippy both wet and dry. The last set I had lasted 23,000 miles, so these ones are a little less. Generally they wear similar to Hankook tires but are cheaper, although I've found I can get longer wear out of Contiental tires, but they are not as comfortable as the Kumho's.

88%

Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02 265/40 R18 Infiniti G37 2,500 miles February 20, 2025

Good deal when on sale for such a high performance tire. The TW rating and performance is a good street daily mix. Have not experienced any hydro planing even with the increased width. Car is G37s (big brakes) 6mt with hks digresive coil overs and extra 1 deg camber in front and back. Very sporty feel and will tram line on undulating road + tar snakes

94%

Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 PLUS 265/40 R18 Honda Civic Type R 40,000 miles October 14, 2024

There's tires handle very well in wet and dry conditions. When the D starts to go on the wear indicator these tires tend to spin a little bit from a stop. I originally got these tires for hydroplaning issues. These did great until after you get past the w wear indicator on the tire in wet weather. They still preform alright in the rain even when the w is gone, just can't be on throttle because you'll spin. Tires have been abused quite a bit on long mountain runs especially on corners. Have been my daily tires since 57k miles now have 91k. So I'd say these are worth it. Highway driving these tires are pretty quite.
-Wheel measurements: 18x8.5
-Suspension: Ebachi pro kit lowering springs with stock magnetic shocks from honda.

91%

Kumho Ecsta PS71 265/40 R18 BMW 520d Tourer 23,500 miles August 26, 2024

Great tires for the price! 23,500 miles and 15 months driving before they were down to minimum wear markers and needed replaced, which on my BMW F11 520D rear wheel drive seems to be about average life expectancy. Tires never lost grip once, wet or dry. I would have preferred if they lasted at bit longer, but I tow a caravan about in the summer months which probably shortens their life.They seemed to get a little noiser when they were well worn down.

85%

Yokohama Advan Sport AS Plus 265/40 R18 Nissan 370Z 2,000 miles April 2, 2024

I just bought these tires for my "winter" wheels (Square 265/40R18). I wanted a set of tires that can be considered very safe in cold/wet conditions. The first thing I noticed was the ride comfort and overall lack of road noise. Considering this tire will never see the track, this was an excellent revelation. The tires are very sure footed in wet conditions, and they can safely disperse puddles that accumulate on the road.

These are just my initial thoughts, but so far, so good.

47%

Yokohama ADVAN Neova AD08R 265/40 R18 Mercedes Benz S65 AMG 4,000 miles December 12, 2023

Needs tons of heat to develop initial grip and losses grip when cooled down abruptly. Very poor grip and handling on wet when paired with powerful rear wheel drive (too hard sidewall cannot transfer torque properly).
Absolutely terrible in wet, literally zero resistance to aquaplanning, not enough groove pattern.
Gives great feeling and handling in corners when hot which is the only advantage. In other case completely useless on regular road or in wet. I recommend to use only on track without any moisture.

79%

Yokohama ADVAN APEX V601 265/40 R18 BMW 330e 12,500 miles August 26, 2023

Recently switched from the trusty PS4 after a solid 5-year run to the V601s. Performance wise it’s been impressive, delivering fantastic handling in both wet and dry conditions. However the only drawback I’ve encountered is the quicker wear and tear. With just around 20.000kms on the odometer, the tread is nearly worn out, warranting a replacement after roughly 9 months of use. Overall, while the performance is on point, the lifespan might be something to keep in mind.

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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.

Our review ethics →

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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265/40 R18 Tires

The quick answer