I had sumitomo tires on my DD and at 10,000 miles they had about half tread left but we're so noisy I thought I had a wheel bearing go out!!
On my p-car I have the Hankook tires with 18" wheels. I love the look, but the rough ride will make your kidneys bleed. Where as, 17's wouldn't be "as" bad because potentially you have more sidewall (rubber). So, if you are in a bind, go with cheap tires, but you definitely get what you pay for.
Just for reference, here are 18's
