Ive used Nankang NS2 and the federals and they both work fine for daily duties and the odd squirt through the hills. Both had good reliability and tread life, cant fault them.
I look at it this way.... everyone has personal experiences and opinions about tyre brands etc so you will be going round in circles with that. If you're using your car for simillar duty as i do (above) then no point in paying stacks for a tyre, despite what some say. Seek the hard evidence, take note of tread wear and traction codes as that can illustrate how durable and how well they will grip. The only tyre i have ever found CRAZY dangerous is a brand called 'Linglong'. God... as soon as they touched water they would lock up and not turn even in normal daily driving. very dangerous.
I have used many different brands, both dirt cheap and crazy expensive. I have never, and will probably never test the limits of grip of any of them. so i choose whatever i going at a lower to mid range price. If they are sh!t, oh well they only cost $100ea
I have just got a new set fitted to my 19's. Brand is Carbon CS EVO from St george Tyre. $106ea for 245/35/19. Cheap as chips but i cant fault them so far. Wet/dry/ hard hills cornering. Put these on cause my Dunlop SP Sports which cost a mint cracked the inside sidewalls with 60% tread still remaining!