It's been snowing on and off the past week in Calgary, and I've been out a few times.
I always run winter tires, but haven't got them on yet, as this snow is pretty early in the season.
I can tell the factory tires suck......compared to the Michelin X-ice. They slide easier in corners, spin a bit more when accelerating from a stop, and take a bit longer to stop. For sure they're manageable when you know what to expect, but if you're expecting long winter conditions, you'll benefit immensely from putting true winter tires on. I "almost" drive at normal summer speed and aggressiveness in snow & ice when I have the winter tires on, they're that good.