I sent my just purchased 09 S40 2.4i (FWD) to a shop to get a check. They told me to get new tires, said rear ones need replacement but I might as well get all 4 new ones and suggested Michelin Pilot to me.
A friend who has a BMW told me to get Continental. I called the tire place he recommended but they said to get Firestone Fusion (?). And said it would be just as good as Michelin but tractions are actually better and cheaper. But the friend insisted that his Continental made a difference to him. I asked if the shop has all these tires but they only have Firestone in house and other ones would need to be ordered, so I am not sure if they are trying to sell me Firestone because it's there so they don't have to order. I googled "volvo tire" and checked a few sites, no one mentioned "Firestone".
would like to get some comments regarding the 3 tires, or if there are other ones to be considered. I don't drive that many miles so once I get it, it's going to be for a long time so cost is not that big a concern. But of course if the cheaper one is actually better I would get the cheaper one, or if the difference is neglegtible I perhaps will get the cheaper one too. It's for all seasons.
thanks,

 

each brand has a wide range of models so saying "go with Conti's" narrows it down to like 20 different tread patterns and constructions. Also, Firestone is just a brand under Bridgestone btw... The OEM ContiPro Contact's on my VW CC are legendary for being eaten alive with noise and cupping by 20K miles (read up on VW boards but the other designs prove better) so I've moved on but there are better Conti models now.

Generally speaking Michelins are the most expensive tire on the market albeit high quality. I'd say there are plenty of options and would suggest you start with the Tirerack.com web site to read through their reviews and analysis data.

First you should define your buying criteria - All season vs summer? (if you live up north, you may want to consider winter tires - all seasons are marginal in the snow). Wet handling/braking vs dry? Quiet versus superior wet handling? soft ride vs handling? long wear vs all around performance? Cost to replace?

There's quite a few discount brands available - Kumho, Hankook are two respected brands. in the middle tier, I'd put General (I have G-Max on my VW, and its predecessor Altimax on my S40), Yokohama (on my Highlander) and mainstreams - Bridgestone, Conti, Dunlop, Michelin, Pirelli. Tirerack has data on all of those brands. Check the tire rating info as well like the wear number (anything under 400 is too soft, over 700 is too hard IMHO) etc.