It's about that time to start thinking about them!

I have a 2011 xf premium. 19" wheels


Which are best? Why?
Most affordable?

Thanks in advance!!

 

Quite a few threads on this last year too. It does make a big difference if you drive in the snow. I have a 2010 XF SC and live in n.east US. I have had the Pirelli sottozero for two winters now and delighted with them
You have 19inch wheels but if you are getting a second set of wheels for the winters, consider stepping down to 18inch (if they fit your model) for the extra sidewall to reduce pothole risk. I am stuck with 20inch on the SC and wouldn't mind some more rubber btw wheel edge and road

Tire rack has good reviews too

 

I will relate my experience with my XKR.. I live in central Ontario Canada and we often measure snow in 'feet', not inches.
I had a set of Pirelli snows on an XJR a number of years ago and they where good.. what I tried next on the XKR where Yokohama snows and they are a better tire for sure, in the snow. The ones I used had 'walnut shells' ground up in the compound which made them really good on icy type conditions and the lug's did a good job in the snow.
The car had 20 inch rims, so I bought a set of wheels from 'Coventry' at 19 inches to provide more sidewall for potholes and the tires at this size, or even 18 inch, as less expensive than the 20 inch.
Lawrence.

 

Interesting... I am in Wisconsin so I have a decent amount of snow and ice.... Certainly not driving thru feet per say. On my old car with rwd as well I had blizzaks and was quite pleased. Tho those were my first snow tires ever so I have nothing to compare to.....

 

My 10 XF Premium has the 19"stock wheels. I dropped to Drag 33, 18" wheels and use 245/45/18 Hankook I*cepts Evo w310. The whole package was bought from Discount tire direct online and shipped, mounted, and balanced for around $1200.

I did not have the pressure sensors installed in the wheels, I just live with the warning lamp for a few months.

They perform great in snow and very well on ice. When using the winter mode, it goes through 6" of snow without an issue.

These tires are quiet and smooth but when the temp raises above 40 degrees, they don't have great high performance qualities due to how soft the rubber compound is and the "sipped" tread design. But that is what happens with all Winter tires.

 

I'm running Blizzaks on 20" rims. Tire Rack had the best deal. I swap tires, this way I balance 'em each year.

 

Continental ExtremeContact are the best all round snow tires I have used.

Bridgestone WS80 are supposed to be the best you can buy at the moment but I have not tried them. The predecessor WS70 was rated very highly and the new WS80 is reported to be even better. Regular Blizzaks are very ordinary but the WS80 is exceptionally good.

I have run the original Pirelli Sottozero and now run Pirelli Sottozero Serie II, ( the Serie III is now out) and they excel on bare roads in cold conditions as well as being adequate in snow or on ice. If high performance winter driving on mostly bare roads is your top priority then these are what you need.

Hankook Ice Bears get very good reviews by those that buy them. I have not used them.

Nokian make very, very good winter tires especially on ice or in slush. There R series is the one to get for the Jaguar. (R2 now?) The WG all weather series is just about the best year round winter capable tire you can buy and I highly recommend them if you get mild winters with periods of deep snow, or ice or slush as well as periodic warm spells. Quite unbelievable performance. You can actually run them all summer as well if you wish. Be aware that since Bridgestone bought a big chunk of Nokian their tires are getting more and more like Bridgestones and less the exceptional winter tire they once were.

I don't ever buy cheap snow tires, false economy given the damage that poor tires can cause in winter.

Buy the best for winter or take a bus....

 

I have Nokian Hakkapelita R's on oem 20 inch wheels. One of the best available but most expensive.