Hey folks, new member and first post here. By way of background, the lease of my Range Rover Sport is close to ending, and I'm looking at the 2009 X5 as a replacement. (Prior to the RRS, I owned an X5 from 2000-2005). Since I live in Chicago, performance on snow and ice is important. I really don't like the look of the standard 18" (style 209) wheels. The next step up is the 19" Light-alloy wheels Y-Spoke (style 211) with run-flat all-season tires ($3700 as part of the sport package).

Does anyone have any foul weather experience with this tire/wheel combination? My dealer says the 18" tire is superior in snow (not surprising), and that the 211 with all-seasons is "just ok".

Is the sport package worth the $3700, or should I just try to upgrade to a larger wheel/tire via a custom order (if possible)?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Ike