Junior Member
I saw some comments suggesting that the 19" conti pro contact tires are good in the snow. In my opinion nothing could be further from the truth. I drove other sports sedans before my 2009 jaguar XF and never got snow tires. I was comfortable going fast and felt the loss of traction was predictable. Not so in my jaguar with the conti's. As a result I got 4 extra wheels and blizzaks and it was like the difference between night and day. Huge upgrade. I sold the XF and now am selling the 4 wheels and snows, with a spare snow, in the classified section for $1000.
This will be the third winter I have my XF. The first winter was mild with little snow and I had no issues. Last winter we had a lot of snow and the car was sliding all over the place. I bought winter tires and they made a world of difference. I would not drive the car in snow without them.
This year I'm trying something different and placed the Ecsta 4X II by Kumho tires on the 2010 XF. (I still have the Michelin X-ICE on a second set of rims.)
These Kumho tires are meant to be a full all-season tire with winter ratings. I have been running the Kumho Solus on My Fusion for a month in snow, ice and sleet and it was felt like driving on a nice rainy day. I was very surprised and pleased so just need to see how long they last like this. So far they seem to out perform the other winter tires I have used over the years and I have tried many because of where I live.
These Kumho tires are meant to be a full all-season tire with winter ratings. I have been running the Kumho Solus on My Fusion for a month in snow, ice and sleet and it was felt like driving on a nice rainy day. I was very surprised and pleased so just need to see how long they last like this. So far they seem to out perform the other winter tires I have used over the years and I have tried many because of where I live.
Member
My car is older, but I have had lots of experience driving in snow. I have two sets of tires for my car, both by Michelin. One is an all season set that I use between about 1 Mar and 30 Nov, the other is a Winter set that I use between 1 Dec and end of Feb when the temps are often below freezing. Sorry, I don't recall the tire models without looking them up. I got extra rims so I have both sets mounted. The Winter tires have a different rubber composition and make a *huge* difference in traction when road surfaces are bad.