another tire thread
 

ok guys. i need some rubber for my 16" rims. i want to try the good year fuel max tires. see if they really do help increase mileage. they don't make then in the exact size for the 16" but after going through each 16' size that they make here is what i came up with that was close. (if you don't feel like looking at a calculator thats fine)

225/55/16 - 3.589% difference
205/55/16 - .083% difference
205/60/16 - 3.346% difference
215/55/16 - 1.49% difference

225/60/16

i like the look of the slightly wide tires that are on it already, so i dont want to lose that. and i don't care if the tire is a little taller, i'd actually prefer that.

which of these is the best to go. now i want a little taller tires, but i dont want it to rub when turning. and i may eventually lower the car eventually

or does anyone have suggestions for tires. i want directional ones... but i also want ones for good mileage

OK this coming from a guy that works with tires for a living.
I take it your size right now is 225/60/16. I would personally suggest you choose either 225/55/16 or 215/55/16 out of the bunch you posted.
Now I looked into the GoodYear Fuel Max tire and it does not look like a directional tire. Directional tires are generally made for low profile tires (17", 18" usually on aftermarket rims). Those come in variety of thread design and different brands to choose from. If you would like to get 16" directional tires, there are a few that I would suggest to you (keeping the price range affordable).
First choice would be the GoodYear Assurance tire. This tire is not too hard not too soft, has a nice thread design and generaly performs quite well.
Second, and probably the most common directional tire that comes in all sizes is Michelin HydroEdge. I personally am not a fan of HydroEdge as I heard opinions of the tire not preforming as well in the rainy weather as it is supposed to. And the rubber is pretty hard too.
Third, very common direction 16" tire is Yokohama S.Drive. The tire looks great as well as it performs great in all kinds of weather conditions. It's Yokohama and you can not go wrong with brand name like that.
Then we have Toyo Proxes. This tire was designed for high speed performance and behaves great on the highway. My buddy has those tires on his Mazda 3 and loves the drive.
And if you want to go top of the line, there is Pirelli tires (i.e. P6000). They specialize in directional tires.

I personally chose GoodYear Assurance, which I put on my Alero. Great tire, and have had no problems what so ever. I gave you examples of basic directional tires. Brands like Yokohama and Toyo produce expensive tires with great thread patterns that look great, but really, unless you are into professional drag racing or drifting, there is no point to pay a lot of money for a performance tire, that you will only you for daily driving. In my opinion choosing one of the mentioned tires is a good choice for you Alero.
As for the GoodYear Fuel max, I haven't personally had any experience with them yet, so I can really give you my opinion on those.
If you have any more questions PM me and I'll help you out with choosing the right tires.

thanks for the detailed info tdotalero. and i mostly wanted the direction tread for the looks, but it can wait till i get 17" rims i guess. right now i just want tires that get good mileage, like the fuel max. i'll look into the assurance ones. are they a good price?

You're welcome. Yes, I would suggest directional with low profile rims. They look even better, as the sidewall of the tire will be relatively low.
Assurance should be good on gas. Like I said the rubber is just right, and as long as you keep your alignment good and tire pressure equal you should get great MPG. I am not sure about price on brand new tires. I have the shop price, but this varies on where you buy them and have them mounted on the rims.

i have directional tires on my stock rims they are Bridgeston Potenza G009's i love them, they are a really good all season directional tire.

My 4door has Toxo Proxes TPT on her. They are at about 45,000 miles on them now still look new but the noise level is a bit loud with all the crappy roads and especially with the partially fixed highways here (not really smooth roads). They seem like they will easily last up to 60,000 miles. They weren't really that expensive either.

thanks for the suggestions guys!