I agree with your perspective. There are quite a few quality tire brands out there that are much less cost than the traditional "name" brands. And in many cases, these lower cost tires perform equally as well, with some even having performance results that exceed the "name" brands. One really has to have their driving style known, along with the overall driving demands they are seeking, in order to identify a tire choice. In my case, where I only take the car out for a "spirited-like" driving event only a couple of times a year, spending big bucks for tires isn't cost justified. However, I realize branding is important to many folks and those "name" brand tires are counting on that to sell their more expensive tires.