265/55 R19 Tyres

Disclaimer1. I differentiate strongly between “winter” tires and “snow” tires with all snow tires being winter tires but not all winter tires being snow tires. By winter tires I mean tires driven under varied winter conditions including dry, wet, slushy and snow roads under 7C and by snow tires, tires that are particularly good in purely snowy conditions. For this reason living in a city I predominantly use winter tires but when I go skiing or to places with more snow I switch to snow tires.
Disclaimer2. While my preferred summer tire is a Michelin I never chose Michelin winter tires (Pilot Alpin) as I find them exceptional in snow but not necessarily in overall winter conditions. This time I was forced to buy them as two full sets of my preferred Conti’s were warranty claimed with Continental (and claim accepted) and there was no other tire in my dimensions and in XL available.

Plus
Ultra quiet tire. While this is last on my list of requirements and one I don’t care about I have never driven on a tire that quiet – almost unnoticeable and this being said for a winter/snow tire.
Best snow grip and traction. Very good breaking in the snow. Highly predictable driving. Probably best snow tires I have experienced across my winter tires to-date although Bridgestone Blizzak LM22 and Dunlop Wintersport M2/M3 I used as purely snow tires were also outstanding.
Comfortable under low speeds up to 80kph. Especially predestined for cities and regular roads with lower than highway or expressway speed limits.

Reservations
Noticeable higher fuel consumption – on average almost 0.8-1.0 liter/100 km more.
Very soft and overly too progressive. While this is expected from a snow tire with a snow compound they are too soft for my liking even though in Extra Load version and even though I had to add 0.3 bar pressure per tire. Still not what I would like them to be. The relative softness makes highway dynamic lane changing a poor experience and one that I am never sure how the tire is reacting. Similar when taking curves at higher speeds the lateral holding and stability are questionable or at least causing doubts/concerns. Nothing compared to proper UHP winter tires I have used to-date
Lot’s of road feedback but in my opinion much too much especially above 80-100 kph. Perfect road/traction feedback up to 80kph
Never sure how they are going to react under specific loads and driving conditions which probably is the worst thing to say about a tire.
Limited FR protection.
Highest speed index available for my tires was H (210kph) which is understood if these tires are snow tires.
Also all four tires were so different that there was a problem with wheel balancing. Two were perfect, one ok and the fourth required extended road testing to get it within manufacturers norms.

Conclusion
Great for snow covered ski resorts and driving up to 80 km/h. I would definitely use them as a second set of tires dedicated to pure snowy conditions. Otherwise for winter slush and varied road conditions in city and on highway I would opt for other tires.

I got these to be an all-weather tire on my Kia EV9, replacing the awful-in-snow stock Kumhos. This size (265/55R19) matches the OE load rating (113 / XL) and is near enough to the OE size (255/60R19). I've taken them skiing many times this winter and they were flawless in the snow. No complaints in the dry or wet conditions, though I'm not pushing the limits by any means.

The overall vehicle efficiency is roughly in line with quoted EPA mileage, but I have not been measuring it closely. Possibly slightly worse.

Happy to be getting out of the changing tires twice a year game. That was a huge hassle and I don't really have the spare space to be storing off-season tires, either.

The tires were on the vehicle I purchase this year, a Toyota Land Cruiser 2019, Diesel, automatic. Both front tires show a wear all around 5 centimeters from the outside, 5-10 centimeters wide, like the rubber cracking like fish scales but still attached. The rear are fine. I went to a tire repair shop in Hungary, would told me it is due to the bad roads in country but the tires were fine, no need to change them yet. Not sure the road conditions are the reason for this type of deterioration, since I never saw that type of wear before (I drove other tires brand, summer & winter, in Ukraine for 15 years (Pajero 3) and in Russia (summer and winter) for 15 years (Land Cruiser 120). Overall, the used tires handle well considering the weight I put in the vehicle (400/500 kg) and how bad are the roads in Ukraine (including the Carpathian Mountains) and Moldova (the worse I have seen in that part of the world, except for Georgia-the country). The overall correct handling could be due to the air suspension on that Land Cruiser. I don't think I would buy that type of tires. Probably the Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV.

I have had the Conti's for 4-5 years on all my cars (high powered SUVs) both 235/65/17 as well as 265/55/19 in XL. The only positive is that they are truly balanced across all dimensions and adequate performers for both dry, wet (although lousy aquaplaning) with worst performance (but still ok if you are careful) on snow and winter slush. On the other side would love to change them but have not found a better performer (in all categories) and especially better in aquaplaning and winter slush. I strongly differentiate between snow tires and winter tires. Snow tires are winter tires but not all winter tires are snow tires. When I go skiing I mount a totally different set of tires (from another manufacturer). The Conti's are outstanding in terms of their durability. Heavy driving in mixed conditions and with SUVs weighing between 2800 and 3500 kg. 25'000 km and only used 3 mm of tread (6.5 left) although I never run winter tires under 4mm. ,With no other alternative (although I am testing some tires selectively will probably also buy them next time.

Bought a Land Cruiser with a brand new set of these fitted at low speeds all is fine but get above 50mph and it’s a different vehicle. I have been into the garage three times to have them rebalanced as the vibration is horrendous. The conclusion is that the tyres are ‘out of round’ therefore faulty and will need changing. Getting vibration through the seat and the steering. After reading some of the reviews about these tyres on here and the conflict of opinions between them and mine I can only assume I got mine from a faulty batch. I would not recommend them for premium vehicles. Buy cheap buy twice! And now the garage will have to replace them.

Bought a Land Cruiser with a brand new set of these fitted at low speeds all is fine but get above 50mph and it’s a different vehicle. I have been into the garage three times to have them rebalanced as the vibration is horrendous. The conclusion is that the tyres are ‘out of round’ therefore faulty and will need changing. Getting vibration through the seat and the steering. After reading some of the reviews about these tyres on here and the conflict of opinions between them and mine I can only assume I got mine from a faulty batch. I would not recommend them for premium vehicles. Buy cheap buy twice! And now the garage will have to replace them.

The tyres are very good throughout winter working well in all weather conditions. They can seem a bit vague on a dry road however makeup for this with good wet, snow and ice grip. The tyres also work well doing some minor off-roading. Last for a long time I do a lot of driving and the tyres wear very slowly. Have been using this model of tyre since I bought my car in 2008 during the winter.

I have gone through 4 sets of studded winter tires (Hakka2, Hakka5, Hakka7, Hakka9). Tried non studded Nokia WR (useless) and Michelin Pilot Alpin ( not great ). BUT....when the winter in Canada turns nasty and -25C or below turns rubber to hockey pucks, there's only one tire I turn to: Nokian Studded Hakkapelita! NOTHING stops on ice as good as these tires. My Range Rover turns into a Caterpillar snow plow . They give you such confidence, you think you're driving on dry. The studs are noisy but you don't hear them on the snow or ice covered roads. Good trade off for the sure grip they provide. Dry or wet grip is excellent also, considering I drive an SUV ( you can only get so much roll, going fast) . Only in the spring when the snow melts and the roads are dry you realize you are driving on "tank tracks",........and it's time to switch to All terrain tires ( and take the summer car out of storage as most Canadians do) ;) Not recommended for more moderate climates however, only the Northern American states and Nordic countries will benefit from these beauties.