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Normally I would have thought someone would have replied by now.
We have some experience in our family with the Gislaveds (Nord Frost II in a 185/65 size) in extreme northwestern Wisconsin. However, it has been on a 1994 900 so it would be nice if someone with a 9-5 could give you some information as this might make a big difference.
We have found them to be a pretty decent tire. Noise isn't too bad. For a snow tire they are pretty responsive and predicable on dry pavement. Tire wear has been favorable. In the snow they are very good in the deep loose or slushy stuff. Given that the tread design is a traditional snow tire design the tire's strength in this area is not a surprise.
Conclusion: very good all around traditional snow tire that has worked well on our car under our typical winter driving conditions.
Are they right for you? Hard to say. If you live in an area with a lot of snow and need to frequently drive on unplowed roads you probably can't go too far wrong with this tire.
If you drive a lot during the winter months on dry pavement at high speed or are a particularly hard driver you might want to give up a little of the snow capability for a more performance orientated winter tire. Unlike in the past there are a lot of winter tires out there. During the winter on my 1991 900 I am running Nokian Hakkapeliitta NRW-H (190/65) winter tires which are perhaps a bit more performance orientated than the Gislaveds while still retaining good snow capabilities. I am very positive toward these tires but can't really compare them to the Gislaveds because the handling characteristics of the two cars are so radically different.
If you live in an area where ice is more of a concern than snow you may need to consider other characteristics when selecting winter tires.
Wheel choice (alloy vs. steel) is really a personal choice. For most winter driving conditions steel is just fine but if you would rather go alloy that is fine too. Just make sure any wheel you buy is of decent quality and appropriate for your car and the tires you will use.
Disclaimer: Like most non-professional advice the above is based on limited personal judgment and may be of questionable worth.
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