These tires are still dangerous in cold damp conditions, they behave like budget tires. I know they’re summer tires but their prime operating window is so narrow, and the performance falls off a cliff face. They’re so bad I had to get them checked to see if they were fake.
235/45 R20 Tires
Everything we know about the 235/45 R20 tire size: 23 owner reviews covering 333,654 miles of driving, and EU label data for the tires you can actually buy in it.
- 23owner reviews
- 333,654 milescovered on them
- 220tires made in this size
235/45 R20 EU tire label data
EU label values are declared for each individual size, so the figures here are exact for 235/45 R20 rather than a range across a model. 187 tires carry label data in this size. The most common load index is 100 (up to 800 kg per tire). Speed ratings on offer: (Y) (301 km/h), Y (300 km/h), W (270 km/h), V (240 km/h), H (210 km/h), T (190 km/h). 97 tires in this size carry the 3PMSF severe snow marking.
A Best wet grip
74 tires in this size hold the top EU wet grip rating, class A. The highest scoring on Tire Reviews:
- Pirelli P Zero Winter 2 Winter 9.8
- Goodyear Vector All Season 4 All Season 9.7
- Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 Summer 9.7
- Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo Summer 9.5
- Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S Summer 9.4
- Michelin Pilot Sport 5 Summer 9.4
A Lowest rolling resistance
The most fuel efficient choice: 20 tires in this size reach rolling resistance class A. The highest scoring on Tire Reviews:
- Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 Summer 9.7
- Bridgestone Potenza Sport Summer 9.3
- Hankook iON Evo Summer 9.3
- Continental UltraContact NXT Summer 9.1
- Pirelli P Zero Summer 8.8
- Michelin Primacy 4 Summer 8.8
66dB Quietest tires
The quietest 235/45 R20 tires are labelled at 66 dB external noise:
- Pirelli P Zero Summer 8.8
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.
How long do 235/45 R20 tires last?
Across 10 end of life reviews in this size, a typical set of tires was worn out after 20,000 miles. Half of all worn-out sets lasted between 16,250 miles and 27,000 miles.
Distances are self-reported by drivers whose review marked the set as worn out; figures are medians, so a single unusual report cannot move them. Driving style and the car matter more than the size itself.
What does 235/45 R20 mean?
A 235/45 R20 tire is 235 mm wide, its sidewall is 45% of that width (106 mm) tall, and it fits a 20 inch wheel. That gives an overall diameter of roughly 720 mm.
| Section width | 235 mm |
|---|---|
| Sidewall height | 106 mm |
| Rim diameter | 20" (508 mm) |
| Overall diameter | ≈ 720 mm |
| Circumference | ≈ 2,260 mm |
| Revolutions per km | ≈ 442 |
| Revolutions per mile | ≈ 712 |
Also written as
235/45R20 235/45 ZR20 235-45-20 235 45 20
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 235/45 R20 tires?
The cars most often running this size in our owner reviews. Each links to the best rated tires for that exact car.
Renault Austral Full hybrid
5 reviews in this size
Honda Odyssey
1 reviews in this size
Audi A6 S line
1 reviews in this size
Saab Automobile Saab 9 5 Aero
1 reviews in this size
Renault Grand Scenic
1 reviews in this size
Mercedes Benz GLE 350de
1 reviews in this size
Audi 1.8T Quattro
1 reviews in this size
Skoda Koadiaq RS
1 reviews in this size
Acura Lynk & Co 01
1 reviews in this size
Skoda Kodiaq 2.0 TSI RS
1 reviews in this size
Every tire reviewed in 235/45 R20
The complete record, including discontinued tires and tires with too few reviews to rank, ordered by the amount of evidence. A further 15 tires have a single review each; they count toward the totals but are not listed.
| Tire | Season | Owner rating | Reviews | Distance reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental Sport Contact 5 Replaced by Continental SportContact 7 | Summer | 82% | 2 | 70,000 miles |
| Continental ContiSportContact 5 SUV | Summer | 75% | 2 | 33,650 miles |
| Michelin Primacy 4 Replaced by Michelin Primacy 5 | Summer | 55% | 2 | 21,000 miles |
| Michelin Primacy 4+ Replaced by Michelin Primacy 5 | Summer | 45% | 2 | 19,000 miles |
Reviews only cover part of the market: 220 tires are made in 235/45 R20. Browse every 235/45 R20 tire →
What drivers say about their 235/45 R20 tires
The most recent owner reviews fitted in this size, in their own words.
Drove them one winter on really heavy snow in the moutains no problem at all the snow grip was really impresive even against some premium tires. I had no problems never got stuck even when i was trying to get stuck i saw many people with premium tires and same awd having trouble but not with this ones. The only problem is Wear I think if ur winter is mild and temp are high the tires will melt away. About to mount them for this winter to see did they change after 1 year.
These tires are just average in good dry weather, but when it gets cold and mildly damp, they behave like cheap budget tires and I just lose all confidence in them. They rate really well on paper, but they are absolutely awful. I can’t wait to replace them which at 12k miles it would appear won’t be long.
Great performance for my Kodiaq RS, excellent grip and handling for a SUV. Exceeded wear expectations. Much better than Pirelli Scorpion verdes for performance however less K’s as expected
Came as factory fitment on my Skoda Kodiaq RS TSI. Has amazing dry grip , inspires lot of confidence. Makes driving in the mountains great fun and is also capable on track. Wet grip is also great. With great grip & handling there is a compromise when it comes to comfort as there is quite a lot of road noise while cruising on the highway. The wear is commendable and holds on until about 4mm. Below 4mm, I feel it wears even more quicker and the road noise becomes a lot more louder. Cannot compare it against any other performance tire but on its own, its quite been quite satifactory. Run abt 26,000 kms now and is close to the end of life I guess.
EQB 350 came with Pirelli P Zero PZ4 MO from factory, and have generally been an ok tire. They excel in dry, above 12c+ conditions with incredible grip, in the wet I'd rate them as very good. However, they disappoint when temperatures fall below 10c, and even with 4MATIC it's fairly easy to break traction on damp roads. On this basis, they do not feel like a suitable tire for the UK.
Will be replacing these tires with Continental AllSeasonContact 2 in order to improve all-weather grip at the cost of outright summer performance and handling.
Will be replacing these tires with Continental AllSeasonContact 2 in order to improve all-weather grip at the cost of outright summer performance and handling.
I bought the car with these tires factory fitted and replaced front pair as they were worn after 50K km. If I could turn back time I'd rather buy 4 summer tires and later 4 winter. I thought the car wasn't handing good because of the front worn tires but after installation of the new ones it's still not the best. When the car is parked for a couple of days the rubber will deform causing vibration. Recently when the temperature dropped below 0*C the tail wants to go sideways whenever there is a trace of a frost on the corner. I don't know are these rear tires aged so badly?
These tires are frightening on damp cold roads. Came new with my car and I can’t wait to replace them. They’re good in warm conditions but nothing special, but as soon as it gets cold they behave like budget tires. I’ve had a lot of summer tires in my time and none have suffered in the colder British weather like these do.
Drive on 235/45 R20 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.