Stu

I have heard good stuff about Khumos and Toyo. My sense is they wont grip in the corners nearly as strongly as Michelin, Bridgestone and Yokohama tires costing twice as much, but they deliver a quiet smooth comfortable drive, and thinking about the same tire .

I asked the tire guru at another forum for advise, specifically asking about the Khumos. Here is his reply to me:

Stu,

First off thank you for the detailed description regarding your needs and specifications. You have no idea how many questions like this I get asked with a total of 14 words or so in the message.

For your primary needs of good ride quality and noise suppression, I have a few recommendations. I have organized them in the order of "best in other categories", primarily dry/wet traction. Essentially the first one mentioned is the best tire all around (while still being very quiet/comfortable). I also listed the current prices for each tire off the Tirerack website, just to give a complete picture:

Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S ($93)
Continental ContiProContact ($73)
Yokohama Avid H4S ($64)
Kumho Solus KH16 ($54)

One important note is that the Kumho will last the longest out of the litter, so the value quotient is even higher than the initial price. The Michelin and Yokohama are rated close behind in terms of treadwear, while the Continental will wear out quite a bit faster. The data I'm using for this is not the manufacturer's voluntary (and completely false) treadwear rating, but rather data compiled from long-term testing by an independent source.

Oh, and in case it isn't clear by now, my recommendation is that Kumho! It's a great tire all around, will ride just as comfortably and quietly as the more expensive choices, and should last even longer. It's a no-brainer to me.