Peter, Tyres should not really be bought on price alone....In Europe and US markets tyre manufacturers are obliged to give customers some other information to assist with the purchase choice. Inevitably a reasonably well supplied rapid fit will be able to get many more options in a day or two than they hold on the shelf..Initially you need to determine the diameter and then width you wish to use, and also aspect ratio as this affects gearing and hence your speedo accuracy. I suspect your car would have been on crossply originally? In which case normally a 85% aspect ratio radial ply tyre works best.....
In the EU the three indicators are 1) Rolling resistance - how much energy it takes to drive the wheel forward. This affects fuel economy. 2) Wet Grip, put simply how easy it is to lock a wheel in slippery conditions. 3) Drive by noise. This affects in car refinement. The US indicators are a little different a) Traction is similar to EU Wet Grip. b) Temp, or how the tyre copes with dissipation of the heat that occurs through distortion as it is rolled so you can look at that as a sort of Rolling Resistance indicator. c)Wear which is supposed to rank the tyres potential for longevity against others.
So, think about your usage and depending on the tyre market your choices come from you should be able to make a rational decision.
What would I do? Go to the scrap yard and buy a pair of suitable tyres for your trip home. You don't need much over legal tread, but not cut or cracked or blowing eggs and not too old-say 5 years. Yes there is a 4 digit code for that too WeekWeekYearYear. You will have bought time to think about options and do research, and maybe you will want to use the old Avons in the garage. If they have been kept in a black bag and kept cool they may be old but perfectly usable for a year or two. Oh, and just take it easy until you get nice new boots!
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