lol...not necessary the 3 manufacturer. Dunlop, Falken, Yokohama and even Nexen are all there for a reason.
Cheap offering from Bridgestone and Continental can be as bad as China made tyres in term of grip.
Since you want comfort, XM2 or CC5 looks the part. Just no spirited driving.
Normal la bro. thinner sidewall give better steering feedback. Tyre also become lighter and less flex ma. Now you can touge much closer to the road barrier already