Pirelli Scorpion A/TR

Fitted on Range Rover L322 (2002 model.) The car is driven across Europe twice a year and kept in the Alps over winter so sees a bit of everything, and I chose all season tires to avoid having to change them twice a year. Behaves perfectly well in normal conditions, also in the wet, and in moderate snow, eg on the highways which are gritted and salted. However, in more difficult winter conditions (particularly on deep / hard packed snow) I have had big problems. I skidded across a car park after the slightest touch on brakes because there was hard show under a soft layer. I had a terrifying descent into the village on packed snow,I kept losing traction and had to crawl at 5mph to the frustration of following cars fitted with winter tires. I got stuck halfway up a steep snow covered road in the middle of a 3-point turn, i.e. side-on to the downhill slope, and every time I did anything it threatened to slide sideways down the hill into parked cars. On this and several other occasions I had to use chains just to get out of the situation safely, when nobody else seemed to need them. Now I run Continental TS850 dedicated winter tires during the winter and they are simply awesome on the steepest slopes and all kinds of snow. I've never used the chains since. The Pirelli Scorpion ATR is a good al rounder (I still fit them in summer/autumn) but don't make the mistake of thinking they will suffice in heavy show or you'll be in for a shock.