The type of tires you have can make a big difference in how well your car handles, especially in emergencies. Many family sedans are now coming with a sportier type of all-season tire. Consumer Reports says the best of those offer real safety advantages.

More and more passenger cars come with what are called touring-performance all-season tires. You find them on Volkswagen Jettas, Honda Accords, Toyota Camrys and many others.

Consumer Reports just tested this sportier tire from all the leading manufacturers. Jennifer Stockburger says you can check whether your car has them, by looking on the side wall for an "H" at the end of the code. The "H" is a speed rating which means that the tire can sustain speeds of up to 130 miles per hour. Thought that sounds wildly unrealistic, tires that have higher speed ratings also tend to handle better at lower speeds.

Consumer Reports put the touring-performance tires through the same punishing tests it uses for all tires. Here at the skid pad drivers keep increasing the speed until the tires lose their grip.

Another test measures handling. The engineers also test braking in all kinds of conditions. In the end, highest scores went to the Dunlop H-rated tires that cost $70 a piece. They are the Dunlop SP Sport A2. But, Consumer Reports says you shouldn't put on H-rated tires if your car didn't come with them originally.

Vehicle manufacturers tend to design the car around a specific type of tire to get ride, comfort and certain handling characteristics. So we recommend that you should always stick with the same size and speed rating that came on your car to make sure you maintain all of that.

While "H" tires perform well on wet and dry pavement, Consumer Reports says there are some compromises. The warranty on the tread is not as long as the warranty for regular all-season tires. And H-rated tires won't give you the best traction in snow.