So What does everyone think of the Outback Tire choice?

[jdkobe]

Looks like they are Bridgestone RE92A's in size R225 55 R17. I see a lot of discussion on the Legacy side on what people are going toward.... what would be a better performaning mud & snow All season radial? (sort of an all year tire, with snow in the winter)

[SUBE555]

From what I've seen thus far, Falken Ziex ZE-512 ($101 each at OnlineTires.com) seem to be the best available per that size. Decent price and should really improve the abilities of your Outback.

[Guest *Jedimaster*]

They definitely need to be replaced with something, at least for summer duty- they a bit on the soft and squishy side.

[c_hunter]

I notice a lot of tread noise (hum) at 45-85 mph, it comes and goes. The car is so quiet, this is the only annoyance. I'd be curious to see how Bridgestone RE-950 tires would improve the situation -- the handling ought to improve a whole lot (they were good upgrade tires for the previous Outbacks) Craig

[chucktoo]

I just put 245/45 - 18 Pole Posiiotn S-03 on my 2.5 XT Outback and they are great. I am not sure they woudl clear the wheel wells on a Legacy. I do need much stiffer sway bars now - has any one seen any yet ? Do any one know how Subaru raise the Outback 3 in higher than the Legacy ? Thanks Charlie

[c_hunter]

Charlie, so are you going back to the RE-92 or another all-season or winter tire for the winter months? Craig

[chucktoo]

We get enough ICE and snow that I have been using W-50 studless snows on my last car and thye work great. I will look at the LM-22 s before I buy the snows. Want a good deal on RE-92A ? Charlie

[SUBE555]

You should also check out the Nokian WR's for those conditions chucktoo. :)

[froej25]

I think the RE92s are being asked to be too many things- winter, summer, on-road, off-road, and last a long time. Oh, and probably do it relatively cheaply too. I know my cousins couldn't wait for them to wear out on their WRXs- and after 5 days with my OBXT, I agree. They're not BAD tires exactly, just not really that great on road. Gravel is another story, I took the Outback out to Atlanta MI (site of the SCCA ProRally SnoDrift) and she's a rocket on gravel roads (could use a little more rear bias to rotate better, but then she's probably spin). I know from my cousins' experience that they are not good in snow (one of my cousins had an accident b/c of their crappy handling); the TireRack reviews agree. I'm going to eventually get a dedicated summer & winter set; use the factory wheels for winter duty, too "trucky" for my tastes.

[Limeydriver]

It would seem that us Outback XT owners have a very limited choice of (good) replacement tires to choose from. The 225/55/17 is not a very popular size. The only really good tire I have seen is the Michelin Pilot A/S. I did see the Falken Ziex ZE-512 and the Toyo Proxes 4's in a 225/55/17. Does anyone have any other suggestions? or am I missing something. Edit. I just saw that the Falken was a consumer reports top recommendation. Maybe I will try those and see what happens. Edit again. According to the Toyo website Proxes 4 are NOT available in 225/55/17 only the Proxes S/T or the Proxes TPT.

[Hero]

[quote name='Limeydriver']It would seem that us Outback XT owners have a very limited choice of (good) replacement tires to choose from.[/QUOTE] Not nessicarily, there are more choices than you'd think you just have to check around a tad bit. Like Sube555 said, I think everyone needs to check out the Nokian WR's if you can spend $600 or so on a set of tires. WR's are IMO by far the best set of All-Season tires you can buy, period. With winter coming up I'm planning on getting some stat, and I know first hand how well these things tear through anything you throw at them. Check out some of the discussions over at [url="http://www.SubaruOutback.org"]www.SubaruOutback.org[/url] if you'd like :D

[zzdoc]

The Nokian WR is available in a 235/55R17 size and I have a set on order for an XT that should be in next month. From what I can find on the internet it should fit all right but I would appreciate feedback if I'm wrong. I've had 3 Subarus so far and am remain unimpressed with the Bridgestones, particularly for winter use. I recently changed the tires on my wife's Legacy to Nokian WRs and they seem to be as good or better than evrything I hace read about them although I am waiting for some serious snow to give them a real workout.

[c_hunter]

The 235 should fit, but that is getting on the wide side for a 7" rim (stock). Should be OK, but just keep in mind it might be a little squirmy. You should be OK on strut clearance, as 235 is the width people are using with 18" upgrades. Craig

[DWColorado]

Drove around a little last night in the snow. For all the grief everyone gives the tires, I was actually quite surprised at how good the stock Bridgestones on my Outback XT were in the snow (note that it wasn't extremely icy, just a 1 to 2 inch layer of snow on the roads). As far as stopping/braking goes, they were definitely better than the all-season Goodyears on my old car and all season Pirellis on my wife's car. Unfortunately, I don’t have any experience with Nokian WR’s for comparison, just studded Nokian Hak’s that turn any car into a snowmobile. Obviously the stock tires don’t compare to real snow tires, but if I lived in an area that didn't see snow on a weekly basis and where you end up driving as slow in the snow as the mustang GT in front of you, I might actually consider using the stock Bridgestone’s for the entire winter. Still planning on getting Nokain RSI’s, but after last night, I’m not in as much a rush.

[M. Schneider]

I've ordered a set of Dunlop M3's which are strictly M/S winter tires; 225/55VR17. I'll pass along my experience with these on the OB XT after a few runs up and down the mtn. passes @ 85 mph. The experience with these M3 tires on a S6 wagon and a 911 have been great, so I'm guessing it will be much more of the same with the OB XT. (Denver to Sumitt County on I-70 west) Cheers, Mike

[dennis72]

take a look at the Yokohama Geolander M/T, it's a standard for JDM Outback.

[bgsntth]

First-off, I finally bought my OBXT this past Saturday-yeah. I ended up getting the Ltd, as my wife stated that this was a requirement. Of course, I don't fit, so am looking at possibly taking out some seat foam (ala Miata fit techniques). Wow, the RE92-A's are even worse than the RE-92's! Some I too amy looking at tire choices and did notice that their is a new Continental Sport Truck tire that looks promising:[url]http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Continental&tireModel=CrossContact+UHP&vehicleSearch=true&partnum=255WR7CC&fromCompare1=yes[/url] Main attractions are a "AA" traction rating, though I'm not even sure if its a M/S rated? No tests, Reviews, or survey results, but warrants monitoring. Otherwise, the Toyo S/T and Michelin Pilot A/S's may be the alternative. Hopefully the Nero or Toyo4 will come in our size's soon. Has anyone fiddled with the alignment yet, which at .4 degrees is nuts. Wondering if its possible to get -.5 degrees of camber, and if this is a no-no with the OBXT suspension.

[sduford]

From what I can read on the Tire Rack, looks like the Pirelly P-Zero Nero M+S would be a good choice. And if you look at the dimensions, they are virtually the same size in 235/55-17 as the Michelin Pilot sport A/S in 225/55-17. In fact, the Pirelli has a slightly smaller circumference. Sly

[zzdoc]

If the 235/55R17 tires are a bit wide for the stock 7" wheels on the XT, can anyone tell me what width wheel in a 17' diameter will fit on the XT without modification to the suspension etc. Any thoughts on a good choice in aftermarket wheels that are available in Canada to use with the Nokian WR's?

[chucktoo]

I have Bridgestone 245/45/18 Pole Position S-03s on aftermarket wheels for the Summer and Dunlop 225/55/17 Winter Sport M-3s on factory wheels for the Winter. In Boston it is almost time to change over to the M-3 . The S-03 are great tires even in the wet - I'll let you know in a month or so how good the M-3s are in snow.

[c_hunter]

[quote name='sduford']From what I can read on the Tire Rack, looks like the Pirelly P-Zero Nero M+S would be a good choice. And if you look at the dimensions, they are virtually the same size in 235/55-17 as the Michelin Pilot sport A/S in 225/55-17. In fact, the Pirelli has a slightly smaller circumference. Sly[/QUOTE] I looked into this too. Only downside is that 235 is a bit wide for a 7" (stock) wheel, so expect a bit more tire squirm and less crisp turn-in. So far, the best options in 225/55-17 appear to be the Bridgestone Turanza (touring tire, so the ride will be softer/quieter and handling may be a smidge worse), the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S (ultra high performance so handling/braking will be awesome but ride quality may suffer a bit) and the Yokohama AH-4S (unfortunately stepping down to an H speed rating, but otherwise the tires rate very high on TireRack). I am still not sure which to get myself. The Michelins are real pricey ($190) and may ride rougher/noisier, the Yokos are a bargain ($110) but have the lower speed rating, and the Turanzas are priced OK ($150) and will be smooth but may not handle as well as the RE-92A. Who knows, by the time I make a decision, my RE-92A might be worn out! Craig

[sduford]

[quote name='c_hunter']I looked into this too. Only downside is that 235 is a bit wide for a 7" (stock) wheel, so expect a bit more tire squirm and less crisp turn-in. Craig[/QUOTE] Good point but I plan to use my OEM wheels for winter tires and purchase a new set of 7.5" wheels and tires next spring, so I think the Pirelli is my best option, and it is $60 cheaper than the Pilot!

[c_hunter]

Yeah, 235 is about perfect for a 7.5" wheel.

[tbd]

I do a lot of snow driving - I am looking at studded 225/55 r17 Haka 2s for winter duty on the XT. Any one have any experiences with clearance? (I see that the owner's manual recommends 215/55 r17s for snows). The M3s should be great tires. At one point I had the M2s on my WRX - they were good in hardpack, great on wet or dry pavement. Their grip was much lower on lots of deep soft wet snow. I nosed into an empty intersection my first time stopping in those conditions.

[tbd]

[quote name='tbd']I do a lot of snow driving - I am looking at studded 225/55 r17 Haka 2s for winter duty on the XT. Any one have any experiences with clearance? (I see that the owner's manual recommends 215/55 r17s for snows). [/QUOTE] There is not much (maybe 1 -1.5 fingers) between the front of the wheel well and the outside of the tire if the wheel is turned to the inside of the tire.