Snuffy "Hub Cap" McKinney wrote:

I had PS860's on the car and had good use out of them. Did not
notice any tread noise. This time I put PS850's on the front and
they sing like snow tires. Will need to replace back tires also, so
I'll move the 850's to the rear and put something with less tread
noise on the front.

My question is -- where would I find a tire noise rating?

Looking at the treads on each, does it look like the 850's would be
noisier? I don't want to put 860's on and find out they are just as
noisy. Primewell PS830/850 $55 Specs:
http://www.firestonecompleteautocare...well/PS830850/
Tread:
http://www.firestonecompleteautocare...0/PS830850.png


Primewell PS860 $65
Specs:
http://www.firestonecompleteautocare...imewell/PS860/
Tread:
http://www.firestonecompleteautocare...l-60/PS860.png



Tires are one of those products where you will have to trade off one
aspect for another. The best tires are those that strike a delicate
balance between noise, tread life, handling, braking, wet traction, and
cost.

Since I drive Toyotas and Lexus, low noise is a high priority for me.
Michelins have always been decent but pricey. General, Goodyear,
Firestone, and several other tires have hit my **** list over the
years. My good list is Michelin, Cooper, Bridgestone (meh) and most
recently Continental.

My 2004 Toyota Avalon needed new tires because a belt broke on one of
the tires and the rest of them were dry rotting. I did a lot of
research and ended up buying Continental TrueContact tires from the
online store Tire Rack. They are the #1 rated tires by both the
customer reviews and testers. I ordered them on Wednesday and they
arrived to my local garage on Thursday. The cost of the tires,
shipping, and installation was less than the Michelins at Costco which
were my other choice. Costco wouldn't give me an appointment till
three weeks later so I didn't bother with them anymore.

The tires got installed yesterday so I don't have enough miles on them
to give a decent report, but they are quiet, track true, and seem
responsive. An Avalon is not a great handling car, but if you want
quiet you can't get much better than that.

Check out Tire Rack for the test analysis and reviews. At least you'll
get a better idea of what's available evenif you don't buy from them.