Re: mix-matched tires
I would recommend going with the same make front and rear.
I've had mixed tyres before on a car and because the fronts were new and really sticky the rears were a harder compound and not brand new I lost the rear end on a corner.
This is only my opinion but I am in the procees of buying new tyres at the moment and although the rears don't need replaced straight away I am replacing all 4 at the same time.
Norrie.