Dumb tire question... not a brand recommendation

[chrisbruck]

Need to replace the tires on my Carrera... stock 16" sizes, nothing fancy. Atlanta area, drive year round but typically rarely in rain, no track days. Tires will get a fair amount of miles on them but will likely dry rot / "age out" before getting worn out.

So I'm debating between two styles... one has a directional pattern and the other does not. My current tires are not directional and occasionally I will swap them from side to side to "rotate" and balance out the wear. With the staggered sizes a traditional rotation is a non-issue. Obviously I can't swap sides with a directional pattern.

So question is... does anyone else have a preference on "directional" vs "non-directional" and like to swap sides like I've done?

[MTN930]

My preference is directional after 50 years of driving. For these reasons:

1. Water evacuation (hydroplane less)
2. Cornering (better grip)
3. General handling (a subjective opinion)

I've noticed that, in general, directional tires do tend to cost a bit more and may come with softer rubber compounds leading to shorter tread/tire life.

But, in the end this issue seems to veer into a "tomato" vs. "tomahto", for each individual's needs and experience tend to steer one toward a particular choice.