205/65 R16 - Best winter tyres 2025 - market overview, tests, reviews
Table of contents:
Best winter tyres in tests (2025)
Max. price
Options
Continental WinterContact TS 870
Continental has been dominating the winter tyre segment for years, and the TS870 is no different. It is very well-balanced and offers great mileage, making the premium price point worthwhile in the long run.
- Very good aquaplaning resistance
- Exceptional handling on the wet
- Short braking distance on snow
- Great handling on dry roads
- Short braking distance on dry roads
- -
| Rank | Year | Organization | Size | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
8 | 2024 | AUTOBILD | 205/55 R16 | - |
1 | 2024 | AUTOBILD | 205/55 R16 | Exemplary |
1 | 2024 | ADAC | 205/55 R16 | Good |
1 | 2023 | Autoexpress | 225/45 R17 | Test winner |
1 | 2023 | ADAC | 225/45 R17 | Good |
1 | 2022 | Autoexpress | 225/45 R19 | - |
2 | 2022 | Tyre Reviews | 225/45 R17 | Highly recommended |
1 | 2022 | Autozeitung | 225/45 R17 | Test winner |
1 | 2022 | Autoklub ČR | 225/45 R17 | - |
1 | 2022 | ADAC | 215/60 R16 | Good |
1 | 2022 | ADAC | 185/65 R15 | Good |
1 | 2021 | TÜV | 225/45 R17 | - |
4 | 2021 | Autobild | 205/55 R16 | - |
1 | 2021 | Autobild | 205/55 R16 | Exemplary |
2 | 2021 | AutoMotorSport | 195/55 R16 | Very good |
Semperit Speed-Grip 5
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.
- Very good aquaplaning resistance
- Poor handling on the wet
- Longer braking distance on wet roads
| Rank | Year | Organization | Size | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
3 | 2024 | AUTOBILD | 205/55 R16 | Exemplary |
6 | 2024 | AUTOBILD | 205/55 R16 | - |
4 | 2024 | ADAC | 215/55 R17 | Satisfactory |
6 | 2023 | ADAC | 225/45 R17 | Satisfactory |
16 | 2023 | Autobild | 225/45 R18 | Satisfactory |
19 | 2023 | Autobild | 225/45 R18 | - |
3 | 2022 | ADAC | 185/65 R15 | Good |
10 | 2022 | Autobild | 215/55 R17 | Good |
5 | 2022 | Tyre Reviews | 225/45 R17 | - |
Bridgestone Blizzak LM-005
A great winter tyre with balanced handling characteristics. Great in the wet, but slightly less durable than newer models.
- Very good aquaplaning resistance
- Short braking distance on wet roads
- Exceptional handling on the wet
- Exceptional traction on snow
- Low rolling resistance/low fuel consumption
- Low mileage
- Bad value for the money
| Rank | Year | Organization | Size | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2024 | Autozeitung | 215/55 R17 | Test winner |
5 | 2024 | AUTOBILD | 235/35 R19 | Good |
1 | 2023 | Tyre Reviews | 225/45 R18 | Test winner |
8 | 2023 | Autobild | 225/60 R18 | Conditionally recommended |
1 | 2023 | Autobild | 225/45 R18 | - |
10 | 2023 | Autobild | 225/45 R18 | Satisfactory |
2 | 2023 | Autoexpress | 225/45 R17 | Recommended |
5 | 2023 | Autobild | 225/40 R18 | Good |
1 | 2023 | Automotorsport | 255/45 R20 | Outstanding |
1 | 2023 | Sportauto | 225/40 R18 | Very good |
15 | 2023 | ADAC | 225/45 R17 | Satisfactory |
1 | 2023 | ARBÖ | 235/55 R18 | Highly recommended |
6 | 2023 | ADAC | 205/60 R16 | Good |
3 | 2023 | Tyre Reviews | 235/60 R18 | Highly recommended |
1 | 2022 | Autobild | 215/55 R17 | - |
Hankook W462 Winter i*cept RS3
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.
- Very good aquaplaning resistance
- Great handling on dry roads
- Great handling on snow
- High drive-by noise levels
| Rank | Year | Organization | Size | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
5 | 2024 | ADAC | 215/55 R17 | Satisfactory |
4 | 2024 | Autozeitung | 215/55 R17 | Recommended |
14 | 2024 | AUTOBILD | 205/55 R16 | - |
6 | 2024 | AUTOBILD | 205/55 R16 | Good |
4 | 2024 | ADAC | 205/55 R16 | Satisfactory |
7 | 2023 | ADAC | 225/45 R17 | Satisfactory |
4 | 2023 | Autoexpress | 225/45 R17 | - |
5 | 2023 | ADAC | 205/60 R16 | Good |
3 | 2022 | Autoexpress | 225/45 R19 | - |
3 | 2022 | Tyre Reviews | 225/45 R17 | Highly recommended |
9 | 2022 | Autobild | 215/55 R17 | - |
7 | 2022 | Autobild | 215/55 R17 | Good |
Falken Eurowinter HS02
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.
- -
- -
| Rank | Year | Organization | Size | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
7 | 2024 | ADAC | 205/55 R16 | Satisfactory |
22 | 2024 | AUTOBILD | 205/55 R16 | - |
11 | 2023 | ADAC | 205/60 R16 | Satisfactory |
Nokian Snowproof 2
The Snowproof 2 is the new version of the very popular first generation. As is usual for the nordic brand, It's great on snow while being more affordable than the premium brands.
- -
- -
| Rank | Year | Organization | Size | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
6 | 2024 | ADAC | 205/55 R16 | Satisfactory |
27 | 2024 | AUTOBILD | 205/55 R16 | - |
4 | 2023 | ARBÖ | 235/55 R18 | Recommended |
Cars with 205/65 R16 tyres
205/65 R16 tyre test Personalize
Best tyres in your size
Dry
1.
FALKEN EUROWINTER HS02
92%
2.
Continental WinterContact TS 870
81%
3.
Bridgestone Blizzak LM-005
77%
4.
Hankook W462 Winter i*cept RS3
65%
5.
Toyo Observe S944
62%
6.
Semperit Speed-Grip 5
61%
Wet
1.
Continental WinterContact TS 870
88%
2.
Bridgestone Blizzak LM-005
87%
3.
Hankook W462 Winter i*cept RS3
72%
4.
Semperit Speed-Grip 5
61%
5.
FALKEN EUROWINTER HS02
55%
6.
Toyo Observe S944
40%
Snow
1.
Continental WinterContact TS 870
82%
2.
Hankook W462 Winter i*cept RS3
67%
3.
Bridgestone Blizzak LM-005
66%
4.
Semperit Speed-Grip 5
58%
5.
Toyo Observe S944
44%
6.
FALKEN EUROWINTER HS02
24%
Comfort
1.
Continental WinterContact TS 870
82%
2.
FALKEN EUROWINTER HS02
69%
3.
Bridgestone Blizzak LM-005
61%
4.
Toyo Observe S944
57%
5.
Semperit Speed-Grip 5
52%
6.
Hankook W462 Winter i*cept RS3
48%
Economy
1.
Semperit Speed-Grip 5
91%
2.
Continental WinterContact TS 870
88%
3.
Bridgestone Blizzak LM-005
85%
4.
Hankook W462 Winter i*cept RS3
58%
This is a preview of our comprehensive tyre test. The full test includes:
Detailed property breakdowns
Interactive sorting and filtering
Side-by-side comparisons
Did you know ...?
205/65 R16 doesn't belong to the most popular dimensions for winter tyres - there are 40 tyre models available, which can be compared to 215/65 R15, 195/70 R15, 195/50 R15. Let's break down the sizing - 65 is height of the tyre, which is calculated as 65% of the tyre width (205mm), which means the sidewall height has 133.25 mm. The wheel diameter is R16, which means it fits to a 16 inch/406.4mm diameter wheel. The total circumference of the tyre is 2113.98 mm, which is very similar to 275/30 R20(2114.29 mm), 235/35 R20(2112.72 mm), 215/50 R18(2111.78 mm), 200/60 R17(2110.52 mm), 275/35 R19(2120.89 mm), 235/40 R19(2106.75 mm), 325/25 R20(2106.44 mm). There are multiple speed indexes available for winter tyres in 205/65 R16: H(210km/h), R(170km/h), T(190km/h), V(240km/h). The same goes for weight indexes: 95, 103, 107, 110. You can find 205/65 R16 on 17 car models - mainly Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Opel, Audi, Fiat.
