Absolutely right. When I tire shop, I look for the best possible tire - for my needs. I have a lifted Tacoma on 33s, I drive on rocky trails, but not often in mud. The Tacoma is not a heavy vehicle nor does it have a high payload. But I want an E-rated tire - not because of its load rating, but because it has better tread depth and a thicker (stronger) sidewall - which I value on rocky trails and on-road when the vehicle is loaded. I also want an AT tire that is 3-Peak Mountain Snow Rated, because we often get snow and freezing conditions before I mount my winter tires, and after I take them off in the Spring. After deciding on these priorities, I'll look for as light a tire as possible, to minimize the weight penalty (slower acceleration, worse mileage, and longer stopping distance) of the E-rated tire. I choose the KO2s for my summer tires, because - when I look at all the variables - this one is best for my needs.
When I shop for the wife's car, a stock 4-Runner, I go for the same tire (in a smaller size) - because she drives trails on her own to go hiking, we live on long dirt roads, and the tire is 3-Peak Mountain Snow Rated. She loves the KO2s, and after we pulled off the stock tires she declared those to be "absolute sh--". But for her car, I buy C-rated tires, because she is not driving hard trails where the thicker sidewall is important, and she hates the weight penalty of a heavy tire. We tried E-rated first, and she really noticed the slower acceleration.
Bottom line: there are a lot of good tires in the market. The best tire for one person will likely be different than the best tire for another person. Every "good" feature of a tire comes with a penalty, and one has to perform a cost/benefit analysis on that feature, and that is highly individualized.
