This was never an issue here in the UK until our last two winters when it got seriously cold and a lot of ice and snow just stayed around. Some of the European Union countries (Germany and Austria for instance), mandate winter tyres in certain months, but their winters tend to be much harsher than the UK.

Speed ratings tend to be less for winter tyres, they are softer compounds and will wear out much more quickly at summer highway speeds, according to a tyre supplier website.

The option for maximum driveability throughout the year is to keep a set of "winters" for the bad months, and swap over using the same wheels, but richer types buy a second set of wheels and keep them in the garage and DIY the swapover. Expensive though !

A friend living in Lancaster, PA, said they had had around 30" of snow last winter, and 72" the year before - serious snow !! We neve get that much in England, although Scottish Highlands can get a lot.


Bridgestone Blizzak LM-60 Review

 

Greetings from the Jersey Shore! As a former north-jersey resident (Montvale, just a few miles from David), I'm pretty familiar with your climate and winter roadways. When I lived up north - we USUALLY get less snow here by the coast - I always had front wheel drive cars, for which a good set of mud-and-snow (M&S) rated all-season tires was adequate. But if I had a rear-wheel-drive car like your XF, I would definitely be using true snow tires in the winter, on all four corners.

And you don't want to be driving on those winter tires during 100 degree summers. You'll wear down that winter tread compound in no time. Besides, they're noisy and offer much less dry-weather grip and stopping power. So get some good "summer-only" or all-season tires for the majority of the year's driving.

A new set of wheels will be easiest for this. If you enjoy working on your own car, you can swap them out yourself; if not, your local garage can do this quickly and without risk of tire or rim damage from having to mount/dismount tires twice a year.

Look online via E-bay for used wheels. Or try to contact the previous owner - chances are, if they had winter tires on the car, they probably had a set of mounted tires in storage, and might be willing to unload them at a nice price.

Hope that helps.

 

Wow..someone really did you a dis-service by giving you winter tires during the height of summer. Definitely get them changed as soon as possible. Just like previous poster said, your winter tires will wear out very quickly! Blizzaks are good winter tires so I'd definitely recommend using them in the winter.

For the XF, I'd check out Michelin Pilot Sport A/s Plus as an all season tire TireVan - Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus Tires

or

Michelin PS2 summer tire
TireVan - Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 Tires

or Michelin Pilot Super Sport Michelin Pilot Super Sport

 

another tire optoins is the contin. dws