Hi Folks,

I just traded my BMW all wheel drive for a 2012 XF 5.0 8 cylinder.

In the past my BMW all wheel drive did fine in moderate snow with all season tires. I am assuming that with the rear wheel drive XF and strong engine I will need dedicated snow tires on all 4 wheels.

My current Jaguar wheels are 18 inch and I know that with snow tires it is often good to minus size one inch to 17 inch tires. Is this recommended to do on this car? Also, does anyone know where I can get a good quality set of used wheels and TPMS to use with my winter tires? I assume that the wheels do not need to be OEM. Thanks much.

Ed

 

Check on the forum classifieds. The 18 inch size is common. I run my 20 inch in winter, but hills are a challenge? Not sure you can get 17s on an XF. eBay has somebJag OEMs. Be sure of seller though.

 

I listed some new 19s for sale in the classifieds.

 

You are right,smaller is better.I hit a big o pot hole in Chicago(notorious for pot holes in the winter) ruined a new tire and bent the rim! I had 19 inch rims and thought if i had bought 18 inch wheels and tires instead i would have avoided a $250 insurance deductible.I don't know about 17 inch wheels there could be brake interference,17 inch Libra wheels were were available on early model XF with the smaller engine (2.7diesel,3.0petrol,3.0diesel).But larger engines usually get larger brakes.

 

Can't speak from personal experience on an XF, but the smaller tire does help. More importantly think "narrower" tires. Wide tires ride and slide on top the snow, where narrow tires will bite and dig into it. If you go to a full-on snow tire like the Bilzzak, you'll find great grip on snow and ice, but ride quality on wet or dry pavement is scarey because the very soft compound lets the car wallow a lot... Enjoy them in the bad stuff, but be ready to pull them as soon as the weather turns. Just food for thought...

Try here for TPMS. I have used them for my Lexus and Audi with no problems.

BOL Vince

 

I have 18inch Blizzak LM 60 - do not recommend them. I know they are supposed to be good on snow but they are not. Car slides/slip like no tomorrow. They are bad on dry conditions as well. I only like these tires when its wet. Not sure if it's the car or the tires but something doesn't feel right. Bought the car a month ago so im waiting till summer to try out the car with Summer tires.

On a side note, i drove a BMW 550i before (RWD), i ran 17 inch dunlop wintersport M3 - HIGHLY recommend those tires. Ride is not as smooth as if you were running Summer in Dry conditions but handling is crazy good in snow/wet conditions. Again not sure if it was the car or the tires but i sure do miss that handling/grip.

 

I highly recommend GoodYear Ultra Grip Ice WRT snow tires.

I put them on my S Type on a spare set of 16" rims I got with the car. I drove through the Rocky Mountains in a snow storm and was passing 4WD trucks and salt trucks. I felt like I was stuck to the road.

You can drive on dry pavement without any noticeable difference in performance. They aren't "squishy" like Blizzaks.

They are available in 17", 18" and 19".

 

Michelin X-Ice XI3s on my 2012 XF and never looked back. Keep these on my factory wheels and have a summer wheel/tire combo for a simple swap.

Unreal performance on snow and ice. RWD with these felt more stable and confident than the AWD loaner XF with factory Contis did.

 

Just sold a great setup. Base xf rims with kumho izen winter tires