As I stated earlier in the thread, sometimes a certain tyre and a certain car just weren't meant to be

 

Hi,

I have had Continentals on Audi's, BMW's and now Jaguar. The performance has always been outstanding and I never even had one flat with a Continental. They have always balanced easily and given long term performance before needing replacing. No flat spotting, etc.. I even had the horrible BMW run flats that were Continental's and I took some heavy hits without doing any damage to the tires.

Now I have the OEM Conti Pro Contact and I am trying to avoid buying a separate set of dedicated snow tires since we have not been having much snow in New Jersey. I am still deciding on the Conti Extreme Contact DWS and the newer Michelin Pilot Sport AS3 that I have been hearing about.

During yesterday's storm on the East Coast I took my XF out for some local testing with Pro Contacts and turned on winter mode. I was really surprised at how stable and sure footed the car felt. I think that it will perform even better with a better all season tire but can't make up my mind. Any opinions?

Thanks,

Ed

 

Ed,

You probably do not want to hear this, but I did take the plunge a few years ago and got a second set of wheels with winter tires for my 09 XF. The XF, in winter driving mode, is now my preferred vehicle to drive in bad conditions, leaving my escalade EXT in the garage.

Steve

 

Was thinking the same thing...

 

In fairness, there are those around here who can create the less than ideal combination of elements to help someone have a bad day...

 

Thanks Steve,

I agree with you that a dedicated set of winter tires would be the best but I am retired and mostly home. I also have an all wheel drive car to use when needed so I was trying to avoid the expense of a second set and hassle of changing tires twice a year.

Did you get OEM or aftermarket wheels? What size did you get and did you also do a set of TPMS sensors for your winter wheels/tires? As you can see, I am still having trouble making up my mind. I appreciate your input. Thanks.

Ed

 

My XF came with 19" Conti ProContact tires and I've been pretty happy with them. I now have 25k miles and the tread depth is down to 3/32", so I think I have around 5k of wear left. Of the tires that are available in the 245/40x19 size, the ProContacts are around the most expensive. Any recommendations on Michelin or Pirelli alternatives? I notice that Tire Rack lists the weight of the tire and the ProContacts are around the lowest weight compared to Michelin or Pirelli.

 

try Continental Extreme Contact DWS for an all season alternative. they should be cheaper, around $185 a tire.

 

correction $194 each

 

Dead right. After the "incident", I contacted DPK and we had a great chat together. He's extremely knowledgeable, and we are in agreement on many subjects. No cross-border problems here!

 

I've got those on now and they did great in the light snow we just had. Not sure I'd trust them in the deeper stuff, there are limits to what they can do.

 

yeah they aren't winter tires, but out of all seasons, they have done the best in light snow in the tire rack tests.

 

I've decided to get those also. even though it doesn't snow in TX, we do get freezing weather and sometimes ice storms. I would rather have some grip than just glass in that kind of weather. Also they have more tread life than most tires.

 

I went to Tire Rack and got a package deal. The regular rims are 19, but I got 18s with the Blizzak winter tires mounted on Sport A7 rims (from memory?), and included TPMS and balancing. The package also included a center mounting ring for each wheel and separate lug nuts for the 18s. The car's good handling in bad weather is really a pleasant surprise. This is my third winter doing the switchover of rims and tires. I also believe that the car rides better on the 18s even on dry roads - no snow. Sorry for the delay in responding - Happy New Year.

 

usually on most cars they ride better on smaller rims. Manly because there's more rubber on the tire to make it a softer ride.

 

Well, I just got my third flat tire on my Conti ProContacts today in 25k miles. That has to be a record for any car that I've owned. I'm definitely not going to buy another set of these.

By the time I replace my tires, my car will be close to 5 years old and I think the battery life on the TPMS sensors is around 6 years, so I think I'll replace those. If I buy new sensors and have them installed when the tires are mounted, do they just pair up with the car without having to go to the dealer or do anything else?

Anyone have any recommendations as to where to source the TPMS sensors?

Thanks.

 

What caused the flat? No tire is better than another if it is a nail or screw. Rarely does anything else cause a flat these days.

If the tire is going flat without damage then suspect your TPMS as these are often installed at incorrect torque and leak. If they are loosened or removed you need to re-install with a new seal and to the correct torque which is quite low: inch pounds not foot pounds.

 

It turned out the leak was from the TPMS. The tire shop had them on hand and replaced and re-balanced with the road force balancing machine. His charge for the sensor was quite reasonable ($44 vs. $58 at Tire Rack). When I remounted the tire, the TPMS warning disappeared within a mile.

Separately, since I need new tires soon, I spoke with Tire Rack and I'm pretty sure I'll buy a set of Pirelli P Zero Nero (all season). The rep said they're better than Conti ProContact in every category and nearly as good in the snow. Plus, they're $40/tire less expensive.

 

P Zero Neros are great tires, I have owned them on several vehicles. I would definitely +1 them. There are several tire options available for the XF that are as good as if not better than the stock Conti's and are significantly cheaper. I had Nitto NT555's on my CTS and they were a great tire as well.

 

I like the P Zero Neros as well, and have had them on a couple different cars. Will strongly consider them when I need to replace the ProContacts, though I really don't have complaints about them on the XF.