Which are the best 205/55R16 Tires in 2025 (US)?
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Type: A/S – All-Season; S – Summer; W – Winter; Racetrack tires are prohibited on roads.
Sources: NHTSA, EU, Tire Manufacturers and GTSelector
The Best 205/55R16 Tires for the Money
🥇1st Pick: Kumho Ecsta PA51 205/55ZR16 Tires
All-Season – Ultra High Performance
Overview
These tires are first AA-rated in Traction that appear on the table above. AA is the highest traction rating available. They are also All-Season tires which gives us comfort in terms of their handling in wet surfaces. Priced at roughly $120 and with a treadwear rating of 500, their Price / Treadwear ratio is still below average (in this case, this means a good deal). They have a 45K mile Warranty.
Temperature rating
Their Temperature rating is A, which is the highest available. A B-rated tire in Temperature means that the tire does not dissipate temperature as well as an A-rated tire, but better than a C-rated ritre. An efficient temperature dissipation helps the tire maintain its structural integrity, traction and fuel efficiency. If you are from one of those “hot” states, you probably will be looking to avoid C-rated Temperature tires.
Performance
This tire has one of the highest Speed Indexes in the market: W, but it is only surpassed by the Y-rating. This means that it supports speeds of up to 169 mph (when properly inflated) whilst a Y-rated tire supports speeds of up to 186 mph.
Non-3PMSF Compliant
Although these tire are all-season, they are not 3-Peak Mountain Snowflake compliant, which means that they are no suitable for freezing conditions.
This tire is for you if:
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Traction AA / Temp.: A | ❌Not 3PMSF Compliant |
| ✅ Price X Treadwear | |
| ✅Performance tire |
🥈2nd Pick: Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 205/55R16 Tires
All-Season – Ultra High Performance
The Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 has exactly the same technical features as the 1st placed tire (Kumho Ecsta PA51). The only reason it appears in second place is because it costs an additional $7. The market in the 205/55R16 is crazy competitive (we’ve actually seen non the like this before!).
Overview
These tires are first AA-rated in Traction that appear on the table above. AA is the highest traction rating available. They are also All-Season tires which gives us comfort in terms of their handling in wet surfaces. Priced at roughly $120 and with a treadwear rating of 500, their Price / Treadwear ratio is still below average (in this case, this means a good deal). They have a 50K mile Warranty, 5,000 more than the Kumho!
Temperature rating
Their Temperature rating is A, which is the highest available. A B-rated tire in Temperature means that the tire does not dissipate temperature as well as an A-rated tire, but better than a C-rated ritre. An efficient temperature dissipation helps the tire maintain its structural integrity, traction and fuel efficiency. If you are from one of those “hot” states, you probably will be looking to avoid C-rated Temperature tires.
Performance
This tire has one of the highest Speed Indexes in the market: W, but it is only surpassed by the Y-rating. This means that it supports speeds of up to 169 mph (when properly inflated) whilst a Y-rated tire supports speeds of up to 186 mph.
Non-3PMSF Compliant
Although these tire are all-season, they are not 3-Peak Mountain Snowflake compliant, which means that they are no suitable for freezing conditions.
This tire is for you if:
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Traction AA / Temp.: A | ❌Not 3PMSF Compliant |
| ✅ Price X Treadwear | |
| ✅Performance tire |
🥉3rd Pick: General G-MAX AS-07 205/55ZR16 Tire
All-Season – Ultra High Performance
This incredible tire has exactly the same technical features as the 2nd placed tire (Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 ). The only reason it appears in second place is because it costs an additional $1. The market in the 205/55R16 category is crazy competitive (we’ve actually seen non the like this before!), hence these very marginal gains and losses.
Overview
These tires are first AA-rated in Traction that appear on the table above. AA is the highest traction rating available. They are also All-Season tires which gives us comfort in terms of their handling in wet surfaces. Priced at roughly $120 and with a treadwear rating of 500, their Price / Treadwear ratio is still below average (in this case, this means a good deal). They have a 50K mile Warranty, 5,000 more than the Kumho!
Temperature rating
Their Temperature rating is A, which is the highest available. A B-rated tire in Temperature means that the tire does not dissipate temperature as well as an A-rated tire, but better than a C-rated ritre. An efficient temperature dissipation helps the tire maintain its structural integrity, traction and fuel efficiency. If you are from one of those “hot” states, you probably will be looking to avoid C-rated Temperature tires.
Performance
This tire has one of the highest Speed Indexes in the market: W, but it is only surpassed by the Y-rating. This means that it supports speeds of up to 169 mph (when properly inflated) whilst a Y-rated tire supports speeds of up to 186 mph.
Non-3PMSF Compliant
Although these tire are all-season, they are not 3-Peak Mountain Snowflake compliant, which means that they are no suitable for freezing conditions.
This tire is for you if:
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Traction AA / Temp.: A | ❌Not 3PMSF Compliant |
| ✅ Price X Treadwear | |
| ✅Performance tire |
The Longest Lasting 205/55R16 Tires
🥇Hankook Kinergy PT 205/55R16 91H
Standard Touring All-Season
Out of more than 110 tires, this one is the only tire with a Treadwear rating of 860 and a milage warranty of 90K miles. Absolutely incredible. By our estimates, this tire should be able to endure more than 95K miles (if you treat it well).
On top of that, lets add that it is A-rated in both Traction and Temperature. Priced at around $125, this tire is an absolute beast.
Speed Rating
This tire is H-rated which means that it has a limit of 130 mph, when properly inflated. Hopefully that should be more than enough 😉
Non-3PMSF Compliant
Although these tire are all-season, they are not 3-Peak Mountain Snowflake compliant, which means that they are no suitable for freezing conditions. Although it has a Mud+Snow indication, it is not a winter tire and we therefore won’t recommend it for freezing temperatures.
This tire is for you if:
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Durability | ❌Not 3PMSF Compliant |
| ✅ Price | |
| ✅ A-rated Traction/ Temp. |
🥈Continental TrueContact Tour 54 205/55R16 91V
Grand Touring All-Season
If we are looking for the longest-lasting, this is the 2nd in line, with a treadwear rating of 840 and A-rated in both Traction and Temperature. You might have noticed that there are 2 of these tires in the table above (right by each other). The only difference between them is the speed rating. We chose the V-rated tire (149 mph) which supports higher speed than the H-rated tire (130 mph).
Non-3PMSF Compliant
Although these tire are all-season, they are not 3-Peak Mountain Snowflake compliant, which means that they are no suitable for freezing conditions. Although it has a Mud+Snow indication, it is not a winter tire and we therefore won’t recommend it for freezing temperatures.
This tire is for you if:
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Extreme Durability | ❌ Not 3PMSF Compliant |
| ✅ Price | |
| ✅ Traction “A” / Temperature “A” | |
| ✅ Speed Index “V” |
🥉Yokohama AVID Ascend LX 205/55R16 91H
Standard Touring All-Season
We do have 2 tires with better treadwear than the Yokohama AVID Ascend LX 205/55R16 tire, however we have discarded them due to their UTQG ratings:
The Yokohama AVID Ascend LX (not the GT) 205/55R16 91H has a UTQG rating of 800-A-A, which means a Treadwear of 800 (should be able to roll 85-90K miles), Traction with A rating and Temperature (dissipation) A-rated as well. It actually has a 85K mile Warranty!
Non-3PMSF Compliant
Although these tire are all-season, they are not 3-Peak Mountain Snowflake compliant, which means that they are no suitable for freezing conditions. Although it has a Mud+Snow indication, it is not a winter tire and we therefore won’t recommend it for freezing temperatures.
This tire is for you if:
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Extreme Durability | ❌ Not 3PMSF Compliant |
| ✅ Price | |
| ✅ Traction “A” / Temperature “A” | |
| ✅ Speed Index “V” |
Can I use 205/55r16 tires instead of 205/60r16 tires?
Yes is the straight answer, however it is recommended that you stick to the car’s original setup. This second number measures the “thickness” of the sidewall. In this case you’re changing from a 60%*205mm (about 4.84 inches) to a 55%*205 (about 4.44 inches), so you car will sit slightly lower to the ground However, we advise you consult a tire specialist.