Tires: Tire Noise/Choice, snow traction, wet traction

Question
I understand that tire size may be less of a factor when it comes to noise and vibration, given that,  what are the characteristics I need to look for in my quest for a quiet comfortable tire? I need a 245 40 18 and I wondered if a close tred is quieter then an agressive one, or a summer tire vs all season?
Thank You

Answer
Frank,

As a general rule, the more boring a tread pattern, more less noise it is going to make.  So simple straight ribbed tires with no cross grooves and no sipes tend to be the quietest.

This also means that all season tires will be more noisy than summer tires - as a general rule.

However, there is an interaction that takes place between the macrostructure of the pavement and the tread pattern.  So some pavements will generate less noise with certain tread patterns and other pavements will generate less noise with other tread patterns - to the point where you can not predict the rank order of tires based on a test on a different pavement.  In other words, there will be reversals.

Of course, the more boring the tread pattern, the less the wet traction (excluding hydroplaning resistance), and the same is true of snow traction.

On the other end of the spectrum, the smaller the tread elements, the noisier the tread pattern - as a general rule.

So selecting a quiet tire can be quite difficult.  I tend to defer to local retailer who are familiar with the local road surfaces.  They tend to know what works and what doesn't.