Bahadur

I recently purchased a 2002 IS 300 (e-shift) for my wife. After the purchase I belatedly found out that the tires on them are Nankang Sport NS1 (215/45/17, I think).

I couldn't find much information on the Web about the Nankang tires, except a handful of complaints that they are low quality tires made in Taiwan. My questions are:

1. Are the Nankang tires safe? Should I replace them immediately or keep them for 10,000 or so (the treads are 2/3 good, I think).

2. What size tires should I buy next? 17" or 16"? What's the difference?

3. What brand and type tires should I buy next? I always had Michelin Energy MXV4 Plus tires in our past cars. Consumer Reports seems to think very highly of Falken Ziex ZE 512 tires and Bridgestone Turanza LS-H tires among the "high performance all-season" or "grand touring all-season" category, so I think I'll stick to what I know (Michelin) or try the Falken or Bridgestone Turanza tires.

Oh, by the way, there is very little snow if any where I live (though there was an exceptionally unusual snow storm a couple of weeks ago, that is unlikely to recur in the next four years). There is some rain in the winter. The terrain can also be hilly. So, basically, I'm looking for a good ride (rough ride is no, no), above average handling (it is appreciated, but not the first priority) and good rain traction/braking, with only light snow capability. Decent tread wear would help too.

I'd appreciate any advice!

GS4Will

like many things in life, it is all about marketing..nankang is ok for the price...yes, big name tyres are good, but you are paying $$ to pay that cute baby sitting inside michelins

those two tyres you mentioned are worth the $$$

btw, the falken are same as dunlop in japan; both woned by sumitomo of japan