Tires: H Series vs. T Series Tires, series tires, replacement tires

Question
I have a 2010 Subaru Forester. My tires are now at 5/32 and I am starting to look for replacement tires. Some dealers are recommending T series tires to replace the Subaru recommended H series tires. Should I be concerned about the handling with this change? Secondly, some dealers are telling me that I should not expect to get the manufactures mileage, i.e. 70,000 miles, because I am driving a AWD vehicle. Is this correct? I only have 37,000 on my car now. If I drive it to 4/32 I don't think I will get the factory mileage of 50,000. Thanks for your comments.

Answer
Frank,

I am not a fan of using anything less than an H speed rating.  The jump from T to H has major, major implications for long term durability.

As a general rule H rated tires are a bit crisper handling, than T rated tires, but there are plenty of exceptions.

Tire wear is more a function of whether you make lots of turns compared to how many miles you drive straight ahead.  City vs country driving, if you will.