I also make sure I have decent tyres on my car. My Mondeo is hardly a performance car but I still want to know when I'm doing my usual commute up and down the M4 in the rain that when I hit the brakes it will stop as fast as it possibly can!
I won't discount midrange tyres, but I refuse to fit budgets totally!
I always look at reviews online before I pick a tyre.
Saying that, I fitted Goodyear Eagle F1 Assy 2's and Goodyear EfficientGrips to my Mondeo in the last year based on reviews and they were both absolutley terrible and cause major vibrations! One of my Eagle F1's is like a 50p coin!
I have ContiSportContact 3's on the front of my Mondeo now and they are a cracking tyre!
I recently replaced the nackered 155/80 R13 Budgets fitted onto my Mothers Fiat Panda with some 165/70 R13 Maragonis and even my Mother said it's totally transformed the way the car drives and handles.