criteria for "Quiet/Comfortable tire...?

[Turbonut]

What I want most in a tire is a soft ride and a quiet ride. The tire manufacturer might rate their tire a 9 or 10 on a scale of 10 and you think, ok this is what I want....but you can check the tire rack surveys and get very conflicting results.....for example..one GoodYear tire thats a "10" with Goodyear might get a very good rating at Tirerack for quiet and comfort, while another tire with the same rating...may get a lousey rating by the Tirerack customers........ I realize that a tire thats quiet on one car, could be noisey on another. So I guess my question is are there tire "gradeing" specs that help to identify a tire thats more quiet and comfortable????? For example, I am under the impression that in general, "S" rated tires tend to give a softer quieter ride...correct? The higher the sidewall=more flex=more comfort...correct? I realize that I am trading some handling......I hope this isn't a boring question, I drive like an old man......because I'm almost an ... ...! thanks in advance, Bill

[Grant@Tirerack]

The main thing to keep in mind when looking at the customer surveys vs. test results is the way in which the data is gathered. Surveys are sent out to customers a few months after they have purchased the tires. They rank the tire they bought on a scale of 1-10. They are not driving the same car, on the same road course or track course under the same conditions with different tires. The testing results will give you a better idea how the tires rate under the same conditions vs other tires head-to-head. The survey results are very subjective and are not the result of head-to-head experience. They can be useful to some extent but many times you have to 'read between the lines' on the customer surveys.
Even in the same size and speed rating you can experience a wide range of ride and noise quality. Internal construction, tread design, compound, and even the shape of the tire footprint can all impact ride and noise quality. In general, yes, higher profile tires will give you a softer ride but even in the same size, noise and ride quality can be 'shades of gray'. The only way to feel and hear the differences is to drive in the same conditions with the the tires side-by-side. It's only then that the difference can be experienced. That's why we do our own testing here. I can tell a customer how a Turanza LS-T feels and sounds like vs. an Avid Touring or a Hydroedge because I have driven on them under the same conditions. Those are the kinds of results you can't get from customer surveys.