Shopping for tires

I have a friend that says "good food's not cheap and cheap food's not good."  We always teased him because he was a little on the heavy side and said he oughta know.  But, the point is when you're shopping for tires cheapest isn't always best.  A lot of it depends on what kind of driving you do and where you live.  If you live in an area that gets lot's of snow like we do in Michigan, then you want a tire that has an outside tread that's open like this one:

 So called "all season" tires are good for general driving and dry to wet conditions but if you drive in snow a lot, look for this open tread design.  

Don't scrimp on tires.  They are the contact point between you, your car and the road.  They give you control during driving, braking, constantly vigilant to keep your car on the road.   

When you do invest (and yes it's an investment) in new tires, get a front end alignment.  It will show any problems that may wear your new, expensive tires prematurely.  Or, better yet, choose a shop that will make sure you don't have any loose parts that will trash your brand new tires.  You'll be amazed at how differently your vehicle handles with good/new tires.  Oh and by the way, keep checking that tire pressure too!