This review is for the 97 V XL version of the tire.
Positive Points
* Excellent aquaplane resistance & wet grip performance
* Good snow performance, but only based on approx. 5 days snow driving
* Increased confidence in low temp conditions
* Good levels of comfort
* Great stability at speed and under braking. No tramlining etc
* Retain pressures well
* Good general grip, but see below...
Negative Points
* Dry road performance is as expected, compromised. However, this is by a greater margin than the reviews suggested. I would take the 90% suggested performance of a summer tire and reduce it to 70%. The tires *do* grip, but feel soft underfoot and don't inspire confidence. My Mondeo feels like my old Citroen C5 now!
* Wear doesn't seem great, but that may just be me. 10,000 miles in, and I can only see another 5,000 on the fronts. Rears are fine, and I can see them lasting another 10-15,000
Summary -
You really can tell this is a premium tire, when comparing how it performs to even a good mid range tire. I'm sure they played a big part in me being able to avoid the idiot who pulled out right in front of me the other week. The tire gives a good feeling of safety & stability in all weather conditions. Driving on water logged motorways, for instance, is handled without drama.
My only concern is the soft feeling of the tire in the dry, and the impact this has on cornering feel & confidence. In all other respects, this is a truly excellent tire, and if spirited driving is not your thing, I would whole heartedly recommend this tire. I know a Mondeo is hardly a sports car, it did have sharper handling on well worn Michelins!
Given that we don't have many snow days, I probably won't buy these again and get a premium summer tire instead. But I could be tempted back if that doesn't go well...