Unless these have some magical A/S technology in them (which they don't, because they're Firestone), they aren't going to be anywhere near the same as a summer tire. Even if you don't drive aggressively, summer tires are better for everyday driving. You get better stability, increased traction, shorter stopping distances, better wet traction, and a car that goes in the direction that you point it. After driving several cars over the years on summer/winter tires, it seriously felt like something was off on my GTI when it was new. I was on winter tires a month after I bought it, but once spring rolled around, it was clear that the OEM tires were the weak link in what is otherwise a brilliant car. I really don't understand why VW would choose to handicap their product before it left the factory.
Now that I've got proper tires on it, my car is smoother, quieter (which isn't what you'd think, but there it is) and doesn't feel as squirmy. Steering feel has been vastly improved as well. Unless you have no place to store a spare set of wheels, there's really no reason to use A/S tires.
