I have now driven Dunlop Winter Sport M3s in two Cleveland, Ohio-area heavy snows -- and the M3s performed reasonably well unlike the all-season Continentals. Here's background:

For starters, I left the Conti all-season tires on waiting for a "significant snowfall." After an 8" snowfall in mid-December, I drove my Xfire to a nearby shopping mall parking lot and ran various amateur tests on ice and snow. Basically, the Contis performed poorly. Control was inconsistent even in shallow snow and slush. Stopping distances were far too long. I've lived in Cleveland for decades and have driven numerous cars in heavy snow conditions -- and the Crossfire was among the worst on stock tires.

I then had a tire dealer mount the M3s and ran the same snow and ice tests. Like night and day! Given the conditions, the Xfire handled reasonably well. Next I added two 60 lb. sand bags and the traction felt a bit better.

A week later we picked up about 10" of snow followed by heavy rain. The end result was a slippery mix of snow, slush, ice and huge puddles on the roads I take. Even so, the M3s delivered good control with little fishtailing or slewing even at 35-45 mph in slush and snow packs as well as deep puddles. Stopping was controlled and the distances reasonable.

Bottom line? You can get by on the Contis in a pinch but you significantly reduce your safety margin. But with snow tires and some added weight, the Crossfire is a decent winter driver. My testing admittedly is unscientific but it's a start for other snowbelters who need or prefer to drive their Crossfires year round.

I bought the M3s with rims from the Tire Rack through a sales rep named Doug who provided excellent service. Happy New Year everyone! Nick