Well ... decision made and tires bought.
First, thanks to everyone who not only replied on this thread but regularly provide advice in all these forums. Am really glad we all chipped in to have this place survive.
Went with the SP5000's (225-50/16) on an E1 SVT. Haven't driven them really hard yet, but in aggressive city driving, I don't really notice that they are less responsive. It could be because I expected to a lot more and I am pleasantly surprised. They are only at 32psi cold pressure and I will probably take them up to 34 for everyday driving so that should help even more. Can't wait for wet weather (this is Vancouver so it rains a lot) to really see how these tires compared to the KDW's.
Thanks again all!