Tyres didn’t quite last as long as I would have liked. Slightly numb on the steering. I changed to Eagle F1s and they are much better in the wet and feedback. But they were a lot more money. So if I’m looking to save again. Falkens will be more than fine
Best Tyres for the Ford Fiesta ST200
Ford Fiesta ST200 drivers have left 9 tyre reviews on Tyre Reviews, covering 45,522 miles of real world driving. Every tyre they rated is ranked below, so you can see what actually works on this car.
This page covers the Ford Fiesta ST200 specifically. For the full picture, the Ford Fiesta page combines 537 reviews from every variant. All Ford Fiesta reviews →
- 9owner reviews
- 45,522 milescovered on them
- 7different tyres rated
- 74%average tyre score
The best rated tyres that fit the Ford Fiesta ST200
The rankings above can only speak for tyres a Ford Fiesta ST200 driver has already reviewed. These are the highest rated tyres we hold that are actually manufactured in the sizes these drivers run - 205/40 R17 and 205/40 R18 - whether or not anyone here has fitted them yet. They are ranked on the TR Score, which is built from independent test results and every owner review of that tyre.
All Season tyres
No Ford Fiesta ST200 driver has reviewed a tyre in the All Season category yet. Of the ones made in this car's sizes, the Hankook iON FlexClimate is our highest rated, at 9.8 out of 10.
| # | Tyre | TR Score | Made in | Ford Fiesta ST200 reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Hankook iON FlexClimate
|
9.8 | 205/40 R18 | Be the first → |
| 2 |
Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF3
|
9.6 | 205/40 R17 | Be the first → |
| 3 |
Michelin CrossClimate 3 Sport
|
9.6 | 205/40 R18 | Be the first → |
| 4 |
Continental AllSeasonContact 2
|
9.5 | All your sizes | Be the first → |
| 5 |
Michelin CrossClimate 3
|
9.5 | 205/40 R17 | Be the first → |
| 6 |
BFGoodrich Advantage All Season
|
9.5 | 205/40 R17 | Be the first → |
Want test data as well as owner opinion? Best All Season Tyres → Test winner: Goodyear Vector All Season 4
Summer tyres
No Ford Fiesta ST200 driver has reviewed a tyre in the Summer category yet. Of the ones made in this car's sizes, the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 is our highest rated, at 9.7 out of 10.
| # | Tyre | TR Score | Made in | Ford Fiesta ST200 reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6
|
9.7 | 205/40 R17 | Be the first → |
| 2 |
Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo
|
9.5 | All your sizes | 1 |
| 3 |
Continental PremiumContact 7
|
9.5 | 205/40 R18 | Be the first → |
| 4 |
Michelin Pilot Sport 5
|
9.4 | All your sizes | Be the first → |
| 5 |
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
|
9.4 | 205/40 R18 | Be the first → |
| 6 |
Hankook Ventus Evo
|
9.4 | 205/40 R18 | Be the first → |
Want test data as well as owner opinion? Best Summer Tyres →
Winter tyres
No Ford Fiesta ST200 driver has reviewed a tyre in the Winter category yet. Of the ones made in this car's sizes, the Hankook Winter I*cept Evo 4 is our highest rated, at 9.6 out of 10.
| # | Tyre | TR Score | Made in | Ford Fiesta ST200 reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Hankook Winter I*cept Evo 4
|
9.6 | 205/40 R18 | Be the first → |
| 2 |
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
|
9.5 | 205/40 R18 | Be the first → |
| 3 |
Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3
|
9.5 | 205/40 R17 | Be the first → |
| 4 |
Bridgestone Blizzak 6
|
9.4 | All your sizes | Be the first → |
| 5 |
Continental WinterContact TS 870 P
|
9.3 | 205/40 R18 | Be the first → |
| 6 |
Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2
|
9.3 | 205/40 R18 | Be the first → |
Want test data as well as owner opinion? Best Winter Tyres → Test winner: Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3
Fitment comes from each tyre's manufactured size list, and the sizes are the ones drivers reported when they reviewed. Check the size, load index and speed rating on your own doorplate before buying - a size a previous owner ran is not always the size your car left the factory on.
Every tyre reviewed on the Ford Fiesta ST200
The complete record, including discontinued tyres and tyres with too few reviews to rank, ordered by the amount of evidence. A further 5 tyres have a single review each; they count toward the totals but are not listed.
| Tyre | Season | Owner rating | Reviews | Distance reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falken Azenis FK520 | Summer | 84% | 2 | 30,500 miles |
| Vredestein Quatrac Pro Replaced by Vredestein Quatrac Pro 2 | All Season | 70% | 2 | 12,000 miles |
Tyre sizes Ford Fiesta ST200 drivers run
The sizes fitted in the reviews on this page. Each one links to the top rated tyres in that size, across every car.
What Ford Fiesta ST200 drivers say
The most recent owner reviews from this car, in their own words.
The 17-Inch Market Gap:
For a long time, the 17-inch market has been frustrating. You were usually stuck choosing between excellent-but-street-focused tyres like the Michelin Pilot Sport 5, heavy ultra-focused track rubber like the Yokohama A052, or generic eco/touring options.
This tyre changes that. It successfully bridges the gap, acting as a genuine trackable street tire that proves there is serious value in bringing true UUHP compounds to smaller wheel sizes.
Track Durability & Wear:
The biggest flaw of the previous non-EVO Enliten Potenza Sport was its severe degradation and chunking on track. Bridgestone has absolutely sorted this with the EVO.
A word of warning: you will see fairly strong scrub wear over the first few aggressive miles. Don't panic. Once the tyre heat-cycles and settles in, the durability is superb. After three hard 15-minute track sessions, the tread looked almost as fresh as new. The key here is pressure management - get your hot pressures dialed in for the track conditions, and they will reward you with consistency.
Driving Dynamics (Dry & Wet):
Steering & Handling: The steering reaction is razor-sharp. It provides a highly stable and fairly consistent platform mid-corner. For Fiesta ST owners, don't worry - it doesn't kill the fun. The rear end is still playfully lively on lift-off, but it feels predictably progressive rather than snappy.
Grip Levels: Dry grip is excellent and pushes well into track-tyre territory. However, the wet performance is where it bends your mind. The sheer amount of grip it manages under heavy cornering in the wet is absolutely huge. Makes you push further and forget that that the asphalt is wet, and the breakaway is progressive.
Comfort & NVH:
As expected for a tyre this capable, there is a trade-off. The sidewalls are incredibly hard and stable to support that crisp turn-in. Consequently, it is definitely not a comfortable tyre on the street, and cabin noise is noticeably higher than a standard summer tire. If you want a plush ride, look elsewhere.
The Verdict:
For the performance on offer, this tyre is an absolute bargain in this size. It delivers lap-after-lap consistency that breathes down the neck of dedicated track rubber, yet you can safely daily drive it in the pouring rain. In this particular small size, with such small load per corner, it is completely over-engineered.
If you have a compact hot hatch and want a tyre that can handle the Monday commute and a Sunday track day without melting, the Potenza Sport EVO Enliten is highly recommended.
I’m very happy with these tires — I think they’re the only model I’ve ever bought more than once. Previously, for comparison, I had the Michelin PS4, which I found to be good only during the first half of their life. After that, their performance dropped off significantly.
These tires have great dry grip. They do need a bit of heat to work well, but this is only really noticeable in winter. I like that they are not easy to overheat and don’t lose performance even on twisty roads as the kilometers add up. The sidewall is stiff, and the steering response is precise.
I can’t comment on wet grip because it hardly ever rains in my area, and when it does, I drive more cautiously.
These tires offer a “good life” — and by that I don’t just mean longevity, but also that the grip loss as the tread wears down is very gradual and predictable.
On the downside, they are a bit harsh over bumps, but that’s about it.
These tires have great dry grip. They do need a bit of heat to work well, but this is only really noticeable in winter. I like that they are not easy to overheat and don’t lose performance even on twisty roads as the kilometers add up. The sidewall is stiff, and the steering response is precise.
I can’t comment on wet grip because it hardly ever rains in my area, and when it does, I drive more cautiously.
These tires offer a “good life” — and by that I don’t just mean longevity, but also that the grip loss as the tread wears down is very gradual and predictable.
On the downside, they are a bit harsh over bumps, but that’s about it.
Below is my initial review, but after 9,000 miles, my opinion has changed significantly.
Initially, these tyres felt like a great all-season alternative for mild climates, offering strong dry and wet grip with progressive handling—almost like summer tyres but with a winter safety net. Comfort, noise, and rolling resistance were acceptable. However, things have taken a drastic turn.
Grip has fallen off a cliff—dry performance is now just average, while wet grip has become outright poor. The Fiesta ST is known for its playful chassis and easy to obtain liftoff oversteer. However now this tyres go straight into understeer followed by massive oversteer and either the ESC or the driver fighting to keep the car in a composed line, while all this is happening at 25mph. In winter conditions, they remain marginally better than a summer tyre, enough to get you out of trouble on flat terrain most likely purely down to its tread pattern, but nothing more. Surprise? In hindsight, not really. Despite minimal visible wear, they have a tread wear rating of 420, which likely explains this disappointing drop-off. They just hardened and it feels that they were all grip to start with, now purely focusing on tread longevity. For an all-season tyre, this level of change over three years is frustrating. Never experienced anything like this with any of my other all-season winter options in my other cars (Bridgestone, Michelin, Pirelli).
I'll need to replace them soon, even though they still look fresh. As I don't need to drive this car frequently anymore during winter months, I'll be reverting to a single UHP summer setup (Pilot Sport 5).
Downgrading my rating and recommendation accordingly.
Initially, these tyres felt like a great all-season alternative for mild climates, offering strong dry and wet grip with progressive handling—almost like summer tyres but with a winter safety net. Comfort, noise, and rolling resistance were acceptable. However, things have taken a drastic turn.
Grip has fallen off a cliff—dry performance is now just average, while wet grip has become outright poor. The Fiesta ST is known for its playful chassis and easy to obtain liftoff oversteer. However now this tyres go straight into understeer followed by massive oversteer and either the ESC or the driver fighting to keep the car in a composed line, while all this is happening at 25mph. In winter conditions, they remain marginally better than a summer tyre, enough to get you out of trouble on flat terrain most likely purely down to its tread pattern, but nothing more. Surprise? In hindsight, not really. Despite minimal visible wear, they have a tread wear rating of 420, which likely explains this disappointing drop-off. They just hardened and it feels that they were all grip to start with, now purely focusing on tread longevity. For an all-season tyre, this level of change over three years is frustrating. Never experienced anything like this with any of my other all-season winter options in my other cars (Bridgestone, Michelin, Pirelli).
I'll need to replace them soon, even though they still look fresh. As I don't need to drive this car frequently anymore during winter months, I'll be reverting to a single UHP summer setup (Pilot Sport 5).
Downgrading my rating and recommendation accordingly.
The 205/40/18 Tyre size is notorious for being very rare and lower in demand. This means that the michelin/continental options are pushing nearly £200 a corner fitted and balanced. At £117 through ATS the FK520 was a great alternative at a much lower price. My fiesta ST came with Michelin Super Sports and I'd had a set of PS4s subsequent to that and have had a set of Nankangs AS rubbish rubbers as well. Having done a couple track days and lots of miles, I've been very impressed with the FK520s.
after 12,500 miles.
Dry Grip - Exceptional - Couple track days and hill climbs during the summer and in the warmth these tyres were great! Even managing to get a better time than another fiesta friend rocking the wider and higher profile 225/40/18 Michelin cups on a different set up with more un-sprung mass. (That was very likely just due to bravery/stupidity on the day though). The reason these have only gotten a 9/10 is because 10/10 in my humble opinion is reserved for slicks.
Wet Grip - Exceptional - The aquaplaning recovery is the FK520s key strength. Wet handling is not as well levelled as the PS4s. So, if you wanted to drift in the wet then go ahead. However, for the price point. You absolutely MUST purchase the FK520. Blows the nankang sportnex out the water. The next tyre I'm keen to try in this category is the Nexen NFera sport. But for wet weather driving and some considerably treacherous motorway monsoon type conditions the FK520 has felt incredibly safe and dependable.
Wear - As expected - 12,500 miles and the tyres have gone from 7.5mm to 4mm on the front 7.5mm to 6mm on the rear. So, on course for a set of fronts to last approx 20-25k miles if I replace at 3mm and maybe up to 30k miles if I ran them all the way down to 1.6mm. But incredibly impressed with wear overall. These are on a level with michelin PS4 and based on Falken's quality and manufacturing I would expect this.
Buy Again - Maybe - The reason I was so impressed and keen on these tyres is because they were £117 fitted at ATS last year. That's a bargain in the fiesta tyre size. However, now with them creeping up to £140-150. It make sense to spend a bit more per corner and get the continental or michelin options. If the tyre is less than 120. Absolutely will buy again.
after 12,500 miles.
Dry Grip - Exceptional - Couple track days and hill climbs during the summer and in the warmth these tyres were great! Even managing to get a better time than another fiesta friend rocking the wider and higher profile 225/40/18 Michelin cups on a different set up with more un-sprung mass. (That was very likely just due to bravery/stupidity on the day though). The reason these have only gotten a 9/10 is because 10/10 in my humble opinion is reserved for slicks.
Wet Grip - Exceptional - The aquaplaning recovery is the FK520s key strength. Wet handling is not as well levelled as the PS4s. So, if you wanted to drift in the wet then go ahead. However, for the price point. You absolutely MUST purchase the FK520. Blows the nankang sportnex out the water. The next tyre I'm keen to try in this category is the Nexen NFera sport. But for wet weather driving and some considerably treacherous motorway monsoon type conditions the FK520 has felt incredibly safe and dependable.
Wear - As expected - 12,500 miles and the tyres have gone from 7.5mm to 4mm on the front 7.5mm to 6mm on the rear. So, on course for a set of fronts to last approx 20-25k miles if I replace at 3mm and maybe up to 30k miles if I ran them all the way down to 1.6mm. But incredibly impressed with wear overall. These are on a level with michelin PS4 and based on Falken's quality and manufacturing I would expect this.
Buy Again - Maybe - The reason I was so impressed and keen on these tyres is because they were £117 fitted at ATS last year. That's a bargain in the fiesta tyre size. However, now with them creeping up to £140-150. It make sense to spend a bit more per corner and get the continental or michelin options. If the tyre is less than 120. Absolutely will buy again.
At £87 a corner instead of £185 ish for PS5s it was well worth a shot. Can’t really complain for the price as well. The only thing I will say is the confidence is just not as pronounced as top tier tyres. If you’re driving in strong spirits, specially in a FWD car, you will find the limit much more easily.
But in this economy. Saving near £400 and adapting your driving style is just a no brainer. When I can afford to get PS5s again I will. But it’s just too tight and these work fine.
Pros though. Great on economy and long runs. Wear quite well and road noise is excellent.
But in this economy. Saving near £400 and adapting your driving style is just a no brainer. When I can afford to get PS5s again I will. But it’s just too tight and these work fine.
Pros though. Great on economy and long runs. Wear quite well and road noise is excellent.
(AVOID)
Absolutely garbage in Scottish Highland roads don't drive fast of whatever.
Went through 4 sets because executive wear in the middle band for no reason, went on to a more expensive brand and lasted a year
Only got two months out of front tyres
Although I do drive a lot and btw that was just all (B) roads and motorway not city driving I hate these tyres absolutely rubbish compound
Absolutely garbage in Scottish Highland roads don't drive fast of whatever.
Went through 4 sets because executive wear in the middle band for no reason, went on to a more expensive brand and lasted a year
Only got two months out of front tyres
Although I do drive a lot and btw that was just all (B) roads and motorway not city driving I hate these tyres absolutely rubbish compound
Excellent well priced tyres
Quite durable also hit multiple potholes with no blowout
Another great alternative to low profile wheels that roll on mainly mild climates.
I bought this ones as they were very well priced and the new Michelin Cross Climate 2 were not (yet) available on the required size, to be used as a Winter alternative to the Pilot Sport 4. Once again, using an All-Season tyre proved to be the right choice for this particular car and location (Southeast England) especially when compared to the full winter set of SottoZero 3 I had before.
These tyres are, it seems, fairly unknown on the testing/reviewing world as I see the regular Quatrac (and the old 5) which have a different tread pattern everywhere (including here on tyre reviews), but potentially a similar compound mix (@Jonathan - this one is for you, can you include the UHP pattern of the Quatrac Pro on a review? I think it needs updating! thanks!). What they are for sure is a very interesting tyre that retained very important dynamic characteristics from the summer tyre design, maybe due to the dual pattern they have on the surface.
Pros:
- Excellent dry and wet grip, within a wide range of temperatures;
- The sidewall looks soft but behaves remarkably similar to the Pilot Sport 4 in this size;
- Not fascinating in feel and feedback but very progressive and allows to play or position the car mid corner as if wearing a set of summers;
- Comfort seems to be quite acceptable!
- Did I mention how dynamic they are even in the wet?!
- Price
Cons:
- Rolling resistance and noise are not brilliant;
- Despite my very limited experience with this particular set, they did not seem to be the kind of all-season that enjoys snow and ice... They are just ok to take you out until you reach a gritted surface but I wouldn't take them much further for a snowy hill adventure.
Conclusion:
These tyres are a unicorn for small hot hatches that rarely see any snow, but have the need of park their ultra high performance summer tyres for the winter, or like to be safe with a get out of jail card. The grip levels in both dry and wet are always higher than expected at both low and mild temperatures, and they seemed very progressive. I wouldn't take them out for a remote snowy location as I feel that it isn't at all the aim of these tyres but I can imagine them being able to perform well in a technical circuit for a winter track day and that says a lot.
Alternatives? Yes, the new Michelin Cross Climate 2 are now available on this size but for the use I give to the car and the price they both sit on, the Vredenstein Quatrac Pro were a very pleasant surprise, which I can no doubt recommend!
Drive a Ford Fiesta ST200?
Review your tyres and help the next owner choose. It takes about five minutes, and every review on this page came from a driver who took them.
Where this data comes from
Every rating on this page was submitted by a driver through the review form on this site, naming the car, the tyre, the size and the distance covered. Reviews are checked by hand before publication, and the page rebuilds automatically as new ones arrive.
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.