I refuse to pay more than $100/tire (Conti's, P7, many Michelins are out), but luckily selection below that mark is plentiful.
Got some General Gmax AS-05 for my wife's GSW and those tires are grippy good for the summer, and in rain. Never tried in snow, and never will.
Now, my Passat came with some Goodyear Assurance Weatherready, and they are not a bad tire actually. They're not enough for my liking thru the worst of the winter, but they handle well in light snow, perhaps a true all season for people not as far north.
For me, safety is first, I don't care if tires are noisy, don't last, etc. I want them to have the best possible handling dry and wet, and for the winter tires to have great handling in deep snow/ice/wet.