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DriverReviews Awards: 2025/26 winter tyre winners
As temperatures fall and colder mornings become more common, tyre performance plays a bigger role in day-to-day driving.
To highlight which winter tyres perform best in real conditions, DriverReviews has analysed feedback from over a billion kilometres of driving to produce the 2025/26 Winter Customer Choice Awards.
The results are based on verified customer reviews. Taken from drivers using winter tyres on public roads across the UK and Europe.
Should I use winter tyres in the UK?
Winter tyres are often associated with heavy snow, which can lead some UK drivers to question their relevance. However, their primary benefit is not limited to snow-covered roads.
Below 7°C, the rubber compound used in summer tyres begins to harden, reducing grip. Winter tyres use a different compound that remains more flexible in colder temperatures, helping to maintain traction on cold, wet and icy roads.
With UK temperatures frequently sitting in single digits for much of the year — often combined with rain — winter tyres can be a practical option for drivers looking to improve cold-weather performance.
How the awards are decided
The Winter Customer Choice Awards are based on aggregated scores from verified tyre reviews.
The dataset includes over 493,000 reviews, covering approximately 1.16 billion kilometres of driving.
Rather than focusing on laboratory tests, these awards are intended to show how tyres perform when used by genuine motorists.
Choosing the right winter tyres
With a wide range of winter tyres on the market, comparisons can quickly become technical. For most drivers, the key considerations are braking performance, grip in wet or icy conditions, and overall confidence in cold weather.
Best winter tyres for 2025/26
The awards for the 2025/26 winter season focus on two categories:
- Winter tyres for passenger cars
- Winter tyres designed for SUVs
Best winter tyre (passenger cars)
Winner: Continental WinterContact TS 870
The Continental WinterContact TS 870 received the highest overall scores in the passenger car category. Review data indicates consistent performance across wet and cold winter conditions.
Fully fitted prices for the Continental WinterContact TS 870 range from £ to £ .
Buy WinterContact TS 870 tyres
Highly Recommended: Michelin Alpin 7
The Michelin Alpin 7 closely followed the winner, with drivers reporting stable handling and reliable grip in lower temperatures.
Commended: Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3
The Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 completes the top three, performing particularly well in wet winter conditions.
Fully fitted prices for the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 range from £ to £ .
Buy UltraGrip Performance 3 tyres
Best winter SUV tyre
SUVs place additional demands on tyres due to increased weight and different handling characteristics, which is reflected in the results.
Winner: Michelin Alpin 7
The Michelin Alpin 7 recorded the highest overall scores in the SUV category, suggesting it performs consistently under heavier loads.
Highly Recommended: Continental WinterContact TS 870 P
Designed for larger and performance-focused vehicles, the WinterContact TS 870 P received strong scores from SUV drivers.
Fully fitted prices for the Continental WinterContact TS 870 P range from £ to £ .
Buy WinterContact TS 870 P tyres
Commended: Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 X
The Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 X also performed well in the SUV category, earning a commendation based on review data.
Fully fitted prices for the Hankook Winter i*cept evo3 X range from £ to £ .
Buy Winter i*cept evo3 X tyres
A practical guide for winter driving
As winter conditions become more common, these results provide a useful reference point for drivers considering a seasonal tyre change.
Whether you drive a smaller car or a larger SUV, review-based insights can help narrow down options based on real-world use.