I am probably 6 months away from needing a new set of tires. Which brands have you had the best luck with?

I replaced my OE tires with Hankook Optimo 727 tires. They are QUIET, smooth riding, and have a 100,000 mile tread/road hazard warranty. They handle very well and did a great job in heavy rain. I have not had the chance to drive them in significant snow yet.

I am a huge fan of Michelin brand tires... You pay a little more but they seem to last the longest, provide a quiet ride and are easy on the gas mileage.

Edit: Also, I'll add that you can do a whole lot of research on TireRack but make sure that you compare the submitted results against the amount of miles reported. A lot of the higher ranking tires have less mileage reported. Another brand of tires that I really enjoy is Bridgestone - though they are a little louder.

Tire Rack

Grand Touring Rankings

Will be a TCH owner soon!

Michelin's have been the road warriors for me (50,000+ avg). They have lasted the longest with good weather handling. Dunlops (35,000mi on avg.)had very good traction but usually the stickier the tire, the worse the treadwear. My last set Goodyear Eagles, failed at 45,000 (Sidewall bubble). I never liked them much but they did the job.

I just replaced the OEM Dunlops ($38) with Bridgestone Infinity ($59). The Dunlops were crap, but the Bridgestones caused my mileage to drop. I think the tire pressure had a lot to do with it. I always kept the Dunlops at the max pressure indicated on the side wall (51 psi) and the Bridgestones max pressure is 44 psi. Handling is better with the Bridgestones, and they are quieter, but much of that could be the lower pressure.

I wanted the Sumitomo HTR 200 ($43), but no one in my area has them, and they were on back order from Tirerack.com. My inspection sticker expires at the end of the month, so I didn't have time to order the Sumitomo. Also, the Sumitomo HTR 200 is listed on the greenseal.com report as one of the better tires for low rolling resistance. If I had more time, I would order the Sumitomo.

(prices from Tirerack.com)