as you correctly mentioned , tires are application specific . I dont drive in winters or poor weather . I too have used many different tires. Both brand and models .
What eric said. Tires make all the difference. Never underestimate them.... but it's not just about the money anymore. Spending money just gets you expensive tires that may be just as bad as the old one's. I've found that out the hard way.
Decide what YOU need for YOUR driving conditions. Decide what compromises you are willing to make (there are ALWAYS compromises,) and choose a tire that matches that, no matter how cheap or expensive they are.
That's my advice through years of buying tires. Take it or not
Oh and for me, 200 TWR is definitely FTL!
200 is a track tire . probabably very slippery when cold ( mine are ) and wear too damn fast. But when they are warm they can bring a smile.
Next pair of tires i am going to try something different .
BBrich i also have driven new tires that were just offensive. The stock ones that came with my 2007 Speed 3 were horrid for me. I replaced them at about 2000 miles. Actually they are still on stock wheels in the garage.
With the the TPS sensors still DOH !