Thanks everyone for your welcoming words.
I have managed to get two michellin sport contact 3 tyres for £250 inc fitting and balanced. Got them at farmers(kwik fit) the sales bloke made a bit of a blunder as he made a loss on the deal(happy days) he showed me all his details that he purchased them for, had my new recall alloys on and made it clear that i didnt want a scratch on them, young fitter took the hint and left them unscathed.

Had some snow the other day, and was preparing to leave my work in the morning and did not make it up the hill from work and was stranded for 2hrs, boy was i cursing my first rear wheeled drive car, i felt a bit of a plonker as the car happened to be the poshist in the lot, i was referingduring this time of how the old golf would have made it up the hill. I have now since fallen back in love with the car, until wintery showers return.

Did you try the snow button?

Steve, where does the snow button sit? and does my 220d se have one ?

Surely you mean Conti Sport Contact 3 - as Michelin make Pilot Sport II tyres

Yes i do mean Conti. Cheers

no snow button for us.

Had to be pushed off a field the other day - firmish surface but the grass was wet - tried the snow button and rocking it on the gearbox but the nearside rear wheel just spun. I am concluding that the IS 250 auto is not very good on a slippery surface.

AFIK the snow button just prevents the autobox selecting 1st gear when in D. A couple of short lengths of staircarpet is handy in the boot to put in front of the drive wheels.

Mine still selects 1st in snow mode. Snow mode lowers throttle sensitivity by increasing the distance the pedal needs to be depressed before it gives a certain effect. The auto gearbox also has different criteria for when to change down. It stays in higher gears for longer although it will still kick down when you floor it. Power mode does the opposite, increasing throttle sensitivity and changing down to lower gears more readily when the car is asked to accelerate.