Recognize that the tires which were around decades ago were nowhere near as good as they are today, and wheels where smaller diameter and width for a given vehicle size and weight, so imported_Irse's father was right about not buying cheap tires back then, but now it's largely irrelevant unless you're a reckless driver and need that last few % performance to save your bacon, which in itself is illogical because you could just as easily need a few % more performance to save your bacon no matter what tires you buy.
The main thing is to buy them, not drive around on old or bald tires. You can buy the best tires possible then after a few years, you would have been better off getting cheaper ones and replacing them more often. This relates to a common misconception that people have, where they compare their old tires to new tires and say the new tires are so much better. Sure, the old tires were so much better when they were new, too.
Sure some grip better in wet, some better in snow or cold, some wear longer or are quieter, but don't make more out of it than it is, just buy the right TYPE of tire for the application when you know you're not getting your money's worth out of them over their whole lifespan