Best Tires - noise?

[rileydog]

I need to get new tires on my base 2003 vibe. I'm at about 110k miles and on my second set of tires. Currently, have GoodYear Comfort Treads on and while I don't hate them, I don't think they lived up to the promises on noise. Also, they seem to wear a bit odd. But, they have lasted almost 60k miles.Obviously, they need to be safe tires and have decent tread life, but comfort is high on the list. I do not need much of a snow tire as it snows maybe 1-2 times of 1/8 inch and the city pretty much shuts down. We do get significant rain at times, so that is important.Budget wise, I am willing to spend upto 150 per tire if need be. I'd rather be closer to $100, but since tires are important and do last awhile I am willing to spend the money for something good.Any suggestions? I've been reading reviews on tire rack and here on this forum, but still am not sure which to pick.

[kostby]

I've had the Barum Bravuris from Discount Tire on my 2003 with factory 16" alloy wheels. You can find them at tires.com and get a price quote online from the nearest locations(s).They are around $85 per tire balanced, new valve stems, installed, state environmental fee, tire disposal fee, excise tax, and state sales tax in central Indiana. BUT... they are noisy on the highway, due to the aggressive tread pattern. Nice looking, good riding, good handling, decent wearing, they start in balance and stay in balance, but loud.

[Entelodont]

The NOV 09 issue of CR gives only one excellent rating for low noise. It's an all season performance Kuhmo Solus KH 16. Another choice would be the Hankook Optimo H727, which was given a very good rating for your criteria. It also has similar marks in many categories, and is a best buy. Happy motoring!

[vibolista]

Can't say enough about my Kumho Ecsta Platinum LX tires. All season rated... but very quiet and smooth, so far. Very comfortable ride while good handling. We have just come through one of the rainiest summers I've experienced here, and no issues with wet performance. Size on car 225/50 17. And not a super expensive tire when I bought them.They have a weird name, they are Korean, but seem to be built to very high standards. Wear numbers are good... and so are reviews. I left them on into first snow last year to see how they would do, and they were OK. I'm not a good judge for all season tires in snow, since I always use snow tires. Snow tires are much better than any all season could ever hope to be in snow.My son is running a set of Yokohama S-drive tires. Strictly Summer only... but very quiet as well. They are now off and his snows are on.