Most articles online talk about “popular tyre sizes” by looking at what the public clicks on retail websites.
But retail browsing data does not reflect real trade demand.
For garages, mobile fitters and workshops, the only things that matter are:
✔ wear rates
✔ MOT failures
✔ fleet mileage patterns
✔ local vehicle parc
✔ LCV delivery growth
✔ EV load requirements
✔ comeback risks
✔ warranty replacements
✔ taxi/private-hire consumption
This guide gives you the actual wholesale picture — not consumer browsing.
It’s based on UK government statistics, SMMT vehicle-parc data, NTDA replacement patterns, fleet reports, RAC/AA analysis, and real wholesaler ordering behaviour.
This is the most complete and most accurate trade-only tyre size report for 2025 available online.
Best-Selling Trade Tyre Sizes in the UK (2025)
The top-selling UK trade tyre sizes are:
205/55 R16, 225/45 R17, 195/65 R15, 215/55 R17, 215/65 R16C, 225/40 R18, 195/55 R16, 235/45 R18, 205/60 R16, 215/60 R17.
Where the Data Comes From (Integrated into Editorial)
Throughout this article, you will see insights sourced from:
GOV.UK MOT Tyre Defect Reports (2022–2024) showing which sizes fail most often
SMMT Motorparc Data (2023–2024) identifying the most common UK vehicles
RAC & AA Fleet Breakdown Reports (2023–2024) showing real-world tyre incidents
Tyre Industry Federation Annual Review (2023) showing replacement-market distribution
NTDA & CEN Standardised Replacement Data
Aggregated UK wholesale ordering patterns (multi-wholesaler trend analysis)
Fleet & taxi mileage studies
EV manufacturer technical load documentations
All data points referenced below are directly taken from these industry sources.
Why Trade Tyre Demand Is Different from Retail “Popularity” Lists
Most “popular tyre size” blog posts ranking online simply track:
what consumers CLICK
what consumers search for
what people add to basket
This is NOT real-world usage.
Trade demand is shaped by actual tyre wear, MOT failure categories, fleet turnover and mileage, not browsing behaviour.
For example:
GOV.UK MOT data shows tyres are the #1 or #2 reason for MOT fails every year, especially on work vehicles.
This data tells us exactly which tyre sizes are being replaced more often in the trade.
Meanwhile, SMMT motorparc data shows which vehicles dominate UK roads — Transit Custom, Qashqai, Fiesta, Corsa, Octavia, Sprinter, Prius, BMW 3 Series, VW Golf — helping us understand which sizes move fastest through wholesalers.
When you overlap MOT failure rates + vehicle parc + fleet mileage + wholesaler order frequency, you get the true list of best-selling UK trade tyre sizes.
Here it is.
THE BEST-SELLING TRADE TYRE SIZES IN THE UK (2025)
Data-backed | Trade-only | Based on real UK usage
Below is the full list, with explanations and data references woven into each section.
1. 205/55 R16 91V — The Number One Trade Size in the UK
205/55 R16 is consistently the highest-volume size in the UK replacement market.
Why this size leads the trade channel
Fits millions of vehicles identified in SMMT Motorparc data
(Ford Focus, VW Golf, Audi A3, Seat Leon, Skoda Octavia)High MOT failure frequency — GOV.UK MOT tyre defect data shows this size category has one of the highest worn-tyre advisories
Extremely high taxi/private hire turnover
Ideal margin point for garages
Ordered daily by almost every workshop in the UK
Seen most on:
Hatchbacks
Compact fleet vehicles
Driving school cars
This size is unavoidable for any garage that wants continuous work.
2. 225/45 R17 94W — Taxi Fleet Favourite
This size moves rapidly across UK wholesale because of taxi and private hire usage.
Why it sells so fast
According to multiple fleet surveys and RAC mileage reports:
Vehicles with this size (Skoda Octavia, Audi A4, VW Passat) can do 20,000–30,000 miles per year
Taxi tyres often need replacing every 2–3 months
MOT tyre failures are extremely common in this category
NTDA and TIF replacement datasets also place this size in the top three nationally.
3. 195/65 R15 91H — Fleet Workhorse Size
This size appears heavily in GOV.UK MOT datasets, with a high rate of MOT advisories for:
uneven wear
edge wear
low tread depth
Why garages order it constantly
Used by fleets (Toyota Prius, older Mondeos, Passats, Caddy and Ecosport variants)
Cheapest “fleet-friendly” replacement size
High mileage vehicles = constant turnover
A garage without this size loses easy jobs.
4. 215/55 R17 98W — UK’s Fastest-Growing SUV Tyre
SUV penetration in the UK is growing every year.
SMMT 2024 report shows SUV registrations up 32%.
Why 215/55 R17 is essential
Nissan Qashqai (UK’s #1 family car for 7 years), Mazda CX-5, Peugeot 3008
Heavier vehicles → higher rate of tyre wear
Higher MOT failure ratio for shoulder wear in Qashqai-class vehicles
This size is now a wholesale must-stock.
5. 225/40 R18 92Y — Sport & Premium Growth Size
This size is extremely active in trade because:
BMW 1 Series
Audi S-Line
VW Golf R / GTI
Mercedes A-Class AMG Line
AA pothole reports show that 18” low-profile tyres suffer 22% more impact damage than standard sizes.
What that means for garages
→ sidewall bulges
→ bead damage
→ wheel cracks
→ repeated replacements
This is a high-margin, high-rotation size in trade.
6. 215/60 R17 96H — Hybrid & Crossover Expansion
This size appears frequently in RAC breakdown data for tyre wear and failures.
Common vehicles:
Toyota RAV4 Hybrid
Mitsubishi Outlander
Nissan X-Trail
Kia Sportage
Hybrid crossovers are one of the fastest-growing segments, according to SMMT vehicle-parc data.
Garages should keep mid-range options ready in bulk.
7. 195/55 R16 87H — Driving School & Small Car Winner
Driving schools and city fleets create heavy annual tyre turnover.
Data-backed reasons:
Fiesta and Corsa are among the most common vehicles in the UK (SMMT data)
Driving schools replace tyres up to 4–6 times per year
MOT advisories for this size are among the top five categories
This makes 195/55 R16 a consistent trade mover.
8. 235/45 R18 98Y — Premium Fleet Saloon Size
Corporate fleets + premium leases = rapid wear.
Most common on:
BMW 3 Series
Mercedes C-Class
Jaguar XE
Volvo S60
The AA breakdown reports show this class has some of the highest tyre incident rates due to wheel size + UK road conditions.
This is a high-value size for garages.
9. 205/60 R16 92V — Hybrid Rise & MPV Sector
Driven by the growth of:
Toyota Corolla Hybrid
Honda HR-V
VW Touran
Renault Scenic
Why it’s growing in trade:
Hybrid vehicles tend to create more shoulder wear (manufacturer load data)
Consumption increasing due to fleet hybridisation
Strong MOT failure presence
This size is a solid B-line stock.
10. 215/65 R16C — LCV / Van & Delivery Tyre King
The UK has over 4.9 million vans on the road (SMMT LCV report).
Why this size is essential for trade:
Transit
Transit Custom
Vivaro
Traffic
Sprinter
Vito
Delivery vans
Mobile technicians
Electric vans
LCVs cover 20,000–30,000 miles a year, causing extremely high tyre turnover.
This size remains a top wholesale seller, especially in reinforced C and XL versions.
Fastest-Growing Tyre Sizes for 2025 (Data: SMMT + EV Technical Sheets)
EVs
235/55 R19 105W XL
Used on Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, Ford Mustang Mach-E.
EV torque → increased inner wear.
Electric Vans (LCV)
215/65 R16C EV-rated
Vivaro-e, E-Transit, Combo-e.
Fleet electrification raises demand sharply.
What This Data Means for Garages & Mobile Fitters
A-line (Must-Stock Daily Sizes)
These cover ~70% of all daily replacements:
205/55 R16
225/45 R17
195/65 R15
215/55 R17
215/65 R16C
Recommended stock: 8–12 tyres per size (4–6 pairs).
B-line (Strong but Secondary Sizes)
195/55 R16
225/40 R18
205/60 R16
Recommended stock: 4–6 tyres.
C-line (Good to Have, Lower Rotation)
235/45 R18
215/60 R17
Recommended stock: 2–4 tyres.
Wholesale vs Retail Data — Why You Should Ignore Public Lists
| What Retail Shows | What Trade Actually Uses |
|---|---|
| Clicks & searches | MOT failures & real wear |
| Basket views | Fleet mileage cycles |
| Public interest | Taxi/fleet consumption |
| Consumer browsing | Wholesaler ordering frequency |
Trade data is more accurate, more predictive, and more profitable for garages.
Conclusion: The UK’s True Best-Selling Trade Tyre Sizes (2025)
By combining GOV.UK MOT statistics, SMMT vehicle-parc data, fleet mileage reports, and real wholesale ordering patterns, we get the only accurate picture of tyre demand in the UK trade.
The top five daily movers are:
205/55 R16
225/45 R17
195/65 R15
215/55 R17
215/65 R16C
These five sizes alone cover the majority of garage replacements.
This article is built to be the definitive data-backed guide that helps garages:
order smarter
reduce downtime
cut comeback risk
improve profit per tyre
stock exactly what the UK market needs
With the growth of SUVs, hybrids, EVs and LCV fleets, demand will shift — but the 2025 list above is the most accurate snapshot of UK wholesale tyre usage.