okay so I am the assistant manager of Big O tires in Tucson AZ. being around tires all day everyday one thing to keep your eye on with Michelin's is they are having issues with what they are calling "ozone cracking" more then they used to.
being in the desert where it is extra dry we have more of a issue then most of the country. The best tire (in my opinion) is the Nitto Crosstek. I've been running 265/65/17 (on my 03 sport) for a year now and i am hooked! Not to mention they are a great tire for dry climate because they are a silica based rubber compound (less likely to dry rot) I am actually buying new wheels for my 96 SR5 (they only come in 17's and up) so i can trade out my TAKO's for the Nitto's....
there thats my 2 cents!