How to pick a tire?

[Ronad]

I need some help knowing how to buy quiet tires that look good. I don't know much about how size differences in a tire effect fuel economy and ride. I also thought only one size fits a specific wheel. But reading in the forum it seems people pick different tire sizes for their wheels. IF you can help please read below and advise.

I have had my forte for about a year now. Got it in a cash for clunckers trade (YES!) It was the last one on the lot that didn't have an ugly interior color. (Don't go for the dudu brown).

I'm replacing the OEM tires after only @25k miles... which is better than some are getting on those hankooks. But I really want a quiet ride that handles well, and I also deal with a lot of snow in the winters. But mostly i'm concerned about the quiet, b/c I love the bluetooth and want to keep the cabin quiet b/c I use the phone a lot for work while driving.

Any suggestions. I don't have alloy rims, although I will hopefully be able to get some this year. I am looking at some goodyear Eagles with a great look for a fair price and they look like they don't sacrifice performance while giving a nice low profile.
http://www.samsclub.com/sams/shop/produc...tId=188235

Thanks for any help you can offer, please advise.

KDG

[mschiavoni]

my advice is is look online at reviews. thats the best way to find out

[ItsaRuck!]

Go to 1010tire and TireRack. Plug in the car info to find what tires work, and then read the reviews. That's how I do it. Never trust a tire salesman.

[OnionBelt]

You're going to hear conflicting reasons from both sides with regards to whice tire to choose so I'll give you both.

OEM - This does not equal "The cheapest tire" that would fit your car. They're designed specifically for your vehicle to give you the best of the following qualities: comfort, noise, fuel economy, and handling. To ensure that suppliers don't hold up production there are usually at least two OEM choices. This is arguably the best, all around option for your car.

Aftermarket - This is where it gets tricky as aftermarket tires are designed for broad application. You won't find the perfect all around tire but your sacrifices can yield a better tire in some circumstances. If you don't care about fuel economy and handling you can get a tire that provides a superior ride to the OEM. If comfort and noise aren't of concern you can go for the better handling tire and so on. You can usually find a pretty cheap alternative this way but any honest tire shop will tell you an aftermarket tire will not give you the same combination of qualities as the OEM.