Very happy with the new Dunlop Direzza DZ102s. These were redesigned for 2014 with an all new compound, larger outer shoulder blocks, symmetrical tread pattern (so you can rotate all 4), that are quiet on the road and carry a 460 treadwear rating. They've been on promo pricing from TireRack since launch so pricing is VERY aggressive. So far they feel much improved over the old DZ101s.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....02XL&tab=Sizes

http://tyre.dunlop.co.jp/tyre/lineup...block2_img.jpg

http://www.dunloptires.com/en-US/tir...26502980100000

I also highly recommend the Continental ExtremeContact DW or DWS depending upon your driving conditions. You can't go wrong with either purchase.

No reason to cheap out. S-04s are a mere 110 a piece.

http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2...re-review.html

A little over $60 a tire. Can't beat that.

Note that the DZ102s are directional, so rotating right-side tires to the left side, or vice versa, would require a dismount/remount to retain the directionality.

Yep, but it can still be done. Also had them mounted at America's tire so for $5 extra they'll do that for the lifetime of my tires.

beats the shit out of asymmetrical inside/outside tires because you can flip them for camber wear.

So, probably already know the answer to this, but when it comes to rotation--Directional tires would have to be remounted when they switched sides of the car, but asymmetrical will wear out more quickly?

Once again, remember that I am going to be using these mostly for DD, occasionally for some fun driving (country roads/autocross).

Also, higher treadwear rating is better, right? I read in the Cooper review article that the stock rubber actually has a relatively low treadwear (280). I am seeing some of these tires have treadwear in the 400s. Do you think that I can expect any of these tires to last at least 30k miles? The way I have been going, the stocks would have worn out around the 35k mark.

No kidding - been there, done that, never again. That arrangement is like some kind of cruel joke.

1) Asymmetrics will not necessarily wear out more quickly. The compound will have more to do with that than will the fact that rotating them between sides of the car is either too inconvenient or expensive to bother with.

2) Re: Higher Tread Wear. Read this, http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=48, and note:

"The problem with UTQG Treadwear Grades is that they are open to some interpretation on the part of the tire manufacturer because they are assigned after the tire has only experienced a little treadwear as it runs the 7,200 miles. This means that the tire manufacturers need to extrapolate their raw wear data when they are assigning Treadwear Grades, and that their grades can to some extent reflect how conservative or optimistic their marketing department is. Typically, comparing the Treadwear Grades of tire lines within a single brand is somewhat helpful, while attempting to compare the grades between different brands is not as helpful."

I think they're politely saying that at best you should take treadwear grades as a general guide to how many miles you can expect from a set of tires. If the certainty of wear is primary, you can always go with Michelin, which still offers mileage guarantees: http://www.michelinman.com/mediabin/...warranties.pdf.

3) I'd suggest calling Tire Rack and telling them what your criteria are. They're familiar with a large number of potential candidates, and can probably point you to two or three that would meet your needs - maybe you could then just choose the least expensive one.

All Seasons: Conti DWS
Kinda grippy summers: DZ102
Very grippy summers: Sumitomo HTRZ III (way different than earlier generations)

I run sumitomo's for my street tires. Cant beat them for the price.

I've got the Continental Extreme Contact DW's in a 235/45/17 on the stock wheels. They are OUTSTANDING in the rain. And they are pretty damn good in the dry too.
Previously I had some Falken something or others and they were absolutely horrible in the rain. It was like driving on ice.

Since tires are likely the most important safety item an owner has control over, I suggest spending whatever is necessary to get a good set. Price is not a factor when I decide on tires. I would not like to be evaluating my poor choice after wrecking my vehicle due to lack of control.
I believe in MPSS. The investment has proven worth it several times.

Not sure what wheels you have, but if you have 18" rims you can find some good deals on slightly used Goodyear Asymmetric 2's - they're OEM on Focus ST's. The ST crowd often either wants all seasons, or they go the other way and want max performance tires for track/street duty. You'll see them on craigslist from time to time, 235/40-18's, like here:

http://longisland.craigslist.org/pts/4690358477.html

I know you don't live in the NE but that's just an example - $350 is common, and probably negotiable for a good set of 4 tires (I got my nearly new set of four for just under $200). Very responsive sidewalls, better in the rain than MPSS, and just slightly worse than them for dry traction. They're still not all seasons though, so in the winter they'll lose a lot of grip just like any other high perf rubber will. If you have 18" rims and can find a set locally, they're huge bang for the buck IMHO. Good luck!