We bought this tyre based on the tests ... for a UK winter in Cumbria, where its mostly wet and cold... these tyres excel in the cold wet weather, good in the dry too, not really had any snow this winter to review that , but will post again for a summer review and a snow review.. but for a cold wet UK winter these tyres are perfect!
215/40 R16 Tyres
Everything we know about the 215/40 R16 tyre size: 17 owner reviews covering 94,517 miles of driving, and EU label data for the tyres you can actually buy in it.
- 17owner reviews
- 94,517 milescovered on them
- 79tyres made in this size
The quick answer
| Season | Owners' pick | Owner rating | Latest test winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Continental Sport Contact 2 7.5 Current version: Continental SportContact 7 | 82% from 3 reviews | - |
Owner picks are the highest weighted owner score in 215/40 R16; test winners come from the most recent independent test conducted in this size. The full evidence is below.
The best rated 215/40 R16 tyres
Rated only by drivers running this size. Each tyre needs at least 3 reviews in 215/40 R16 to be ranked; the order weights a tyre's score by how many reviews back it, so one glowing review cannot top a table.
Summer tyres
The highest rated Summer tyre in 215/40 R16 is the Continental Sport Contact 2 - 82% from 3 owner reviews in this size. The current tyre in that line is now the Continental SportContact 7.
| # | Tyre | Owner rating | Reviews | Distance reviewed | TR Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Continental Sport Contact 2
Replaced by Continental SportContact 7
|
82% | 3 | 52,500 miles | 7.5 |
| 2 |
Toyo T1R
Replaced by Toyo Proxes T1 Sport+
|
72% | 5 | 10,512 miles | 7.6 |
Want test data as well as owner opinion? Best Summer Tyres →
TR Score is the tyre's overall Tyre Reviews rating out of 10, built from independent test results and every owner review of that tyre - not just the reviews from this car. The owner rating column is this car only.
215/40 R16 EU tyre label data
EU label values are declared for each individual size, so the figures here are exact for 215/40 R16 rather than a range across a model. 37 tyres carry label data in this size. The most common load index is 86 (up to 530 kg per tyre). Speed ratings on offer: Y (300 km/h), W (270 km/h), H (210 km/h). 2 tyres in this size carry the 3PMSF severe snow marking.
A Best wet grip
4 tyres in this size hold the top EU wet grip rating, class A. The highest scoring on Tyre Reviews:
- Linglong Sport Master Summer 8.9
- Hankook Ventus V12 evo2 Summer 8.5
- Falken ZIEX ZE310 EcoRun Summer 8.4
- Nexen N Fera Primus Summer 8.2
69dB Quietest tyres
The quietest 215/40 R16 tyres are labelled at 69 dB external noise:
- Linglong Sport Master Summer 8.9
- Falken ZIEX ZE310 EcoRun Summer 8.4
- Nexen N Fera Primus Summer 8.2
- Yokohama S Drive Summer 7.7
- Kumho Solus HS51 Harmony Sports Summer 7.2
- Toyo Proxes TR1 Summer 6.8
Label values come from the EU EPREL database and apply to the EU market versions of each tyre. 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 215/40 R16 mean?
A 215/40 R16 tyre is 215 mm wide, its sidewall is 40% of that width (86 mm) tall, and it fits a 16 inch wheel. That gives an overall diameter of roughly 578 mm.
| Section width | 215 mm |
|---|---|
| Sidewall height | 86 mm |
| Rim diameter | 16" (406 mm) |
| Overall diameter | ≈ 578 mm |
| Circumference | ≈ 1,817 mm |
| Revolutions per km | ≈ 550 |
| Revolutions per mile | ≈ 886 |
Also written as
215/40R16 215/40 ZR16 215-40-16 215 40 16
Figures are calculated from the nominal size. A loaded, rolling tyre runs a few percent smaller, and true widths vary slightly between makes.
What cars use 215/40 R16 tyres?
The cars most often running this size in our owner reviews. Each links to the best rated tyres for that exact car.
Every tyre reviewed in 215/40 R16
The complete record, including discontinued tyres and tyres with too few reviews to rank, ordered by the amount of evidence. A further 9 tyres have a single review each; they count toward the totals but are not listed.
| Tyre | Season | Owner rating | Reviews | Distance reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toyo T1R Replaced by Toyo Proxes T1 Sport+ | Summer | 72% | 5 | 10,512 miles |
| Continental Sport Contact 2 Replaced by Continental SportContact 7 | Summer | 82% | 3 | 52,500 miles |
Reviews only cover part of the market: 79 tyres are made in 215/40 R16. Browse every 215/40 R16 tyre →
What drivers say about their 215/40 R16 tyres
The most recent owner reviews fitted in this size, in their own words.
(Australia) Have had these and other Falkens on the front and rear (currently just the rear) of an MGF. The front tyres are currently Nankangs which are good, but the Falkens definitely have the edge on those. We previously had a Series II Mazda MX5 which came on Pirellis and was terrifying in the wet until we switched it to Falkens. Dry grip never ceases to amaze me, ditto wet grip, progressive breakaway, quick recovery, good steering feel. Can't comment on noise as these are pretty noisy cars anyway, but for now they are my tire of choice, I can't imagine it's worth spending more, especially having been let down so dangerously by one of the big Euro names.
Bought these to replace what I think are shockingly dangerous Toyo proxes T1r's on my MGF,
I have only done around 5miles on these but there is more control of the car as its mid engine rwd I now feel confident i can now throw the car onto a corner and come out facing the correct direction.
These are very good tyres and going to buy 2 more for the front of my car shortly!
I have only done around 5miles on these but there is more control of the car as its mid engine rwd I now feel confident i can now throw the car onto a corner and come out facing the correct direction.
These are very good tyres and going to buy 2 more for the front of my car shortly!
Road feedback - the big let down with this tyre. I would imagine these are fine for general pootling about, but they're hopeless for any sort of spirited driving due to the soft sidewalls.
When you put load on these through a corner the tyres have to take up the slack on the sidewalls before you feel the grip. Feels floaty & not how a sports car should feel.
Once you have the grip, there's little indication on where that grip ends or where your car will end up when it does.
When you put load on these through a corner the tyres have to take up the slack on the sidewalls before you feel the grip. Feels floaty & not how a sports car should feel.
Once you have the grip, there's little indication on where that grip ends or where your car will end up when it does.
These tyres really are the best fitment for an MG TF. They have more grip and are quieter than the original Goodyear GS-D2's and are also more comfortable than Kumho KU31's & Yokohama S-Drive's. I expect them to wear quickly as the treadware number indicates but that's not a problem for me as the car is only for weekend fun! Overall a great tyre at a sensible price and ideally suited to a mid-engine car.
Not too bad at all - had these on the front and they spent about a month there while waiting for my new tyres.
Responsive and crisp with a good wear rate - not suitable for wet use on anything other than a 4 door saloon though as grip was not good at all.
Previous comment about proper suspension setup is probably about right. The TF rivals and probably just beats the MX5 on handling (I drive both regular) and they both make good use of the performance of a tyre rather than just being steering tools.
Responsive and crisp with a good wear rate - not suitable for wet use on anything other than a 4 door saloon though as grip was not good at all.
Previous comment about proper suspension setup is probably about right. The TF rivals and probably just beats the MX5 on handling (I drive both regular) and they both make good use of the performance of a tyre rather than just being steering tools.
Cant really comment on wear but these tyres grip very, very well in the dry. They are a tad louder than old set but most V tread tyres are the same.
Overall very good indeed.
Overall very good indeed.
These are fine for what they are, but they're not performance tyres. Perfectly fine on a family saloon!
Drive on 215/40 R16 tyres?
Review your tyres 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 tyre, the size and the distance covered, and are checked by hand before publication. Test results come from independent published tyre tests indexed by size, and label values from the EU EPREL database.
About the TR Score
The Tyre Reviews Score rates each tyre 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 Tyre Reviews test is run by Jonathan Benson, who has been testing tyres independently since 2007.