I've just put these back on my Leon for their second winter season. They are wonderful winter tires: quiet, comfortable and have excellent stopping power on cold mornings. They feel safer than my summer tires (Pirelli P7 and previously Pirelli Pzero Nero) when it's cold and damp - i.e. most of winter in the UK - and they work well in snow too: I've driven home over hilly country lanes with about 3-4 inches of fresh snow on top of compacted snow/ice with only a few flashes of the TCS/ESP light. With my previous (summer) tires, I had to resort to snow chains in similar circumstances or I'd have to abandon the car at the bottom of the steep hill.
The PA3s are slightly noisier than the Pirelli P7s, but much quieter than Pirelli P-Zero Neros - I think they're quiet for a winter tire. They do tend to 'sing' when driving through standing water at high speed though. If you are nervous about driving during blizzards or other bad winter weather, I highly recommend these tires. On dual carriageways, you can confidently drive on the slushy lane that everyone else is avoiding. They are quite stable during cornering - not excessively 'squishy' - but they don't match a good summer tire on warmer days, of course.