Table of Contents
- View The Best Tires for Subaru Outback Below
- 1. CONTINENTAL TRUE CONTACT TOUR All- Season Radial Tire
- 2. Michelin Defender LTX
- 3. Milestar MS932 Sport All Season Radial Tire
- 4. Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady
- 5. Yokohama Geolandar
- 6. Pirelli Scorpion Verde All Season Street Radial Tire
- 7. BFGoodrich All-Terrain
- 8. Cooper Evolution Winter Studable Radial Tire
- 9. Toyo Tires Extensa A/S All Season Radial Tire
- 10. Bridgestone Dueler H/P Sport AS All-Season Radial Tire
- Tires for Subaru Outback Buyer’s Guide
The Subaru Outback is quite a popular make of car, which means that a lot of people are going to be customizing or tailoring each component to suit their personal needs and preferences. The easiest and most obvious part of your Subaru Outback that you could decide to change would be the tires: as with any car design, the tires on your Outback can completely change how it works and the way it handles different kinds of terrain. However, if you are looking for the best tire on the market, then you will have to spend some time refining your search and narrowing down your options.
Below are ten pairs of the best tires for Subaru Outback users, as well as specific reasons why they are a good choice for certain situations. You want the best tires possible when it comes to staying safe on the road, after all.
View The Best Tires for Subaru Outback Below
1. CONTINENTAL TRUE CONTACT TOUR All- Season Radial Tire
These durable tires have been designed for improved tread life and a more efficient ride, using EcoPlus technology to lower your rolling resistance and help you avoid wasting fuel on long drives. Alongside that, each tire is equipped with Comfort Ride technology to reduce the amount of noise they produce while you are on the move, and the outer surface uses clear grooves to improve your grip without leaving any weak spots that can easily be damaged. They can work equally well on wet, dry, and snowy ground, offering excellent traction and safety regardless of the current weather conditions.
Pros:
+ Effective as snow tires.
+ Extended tread life.
+ Provide a quiet ride.
+ Improve fuel efficiency.
+ Straightforward, easy-to-install design.
Why We Liked It – These are some of the best tires for Subaru Outback models in terms of all-season tire designs, giving you great results in any weather.
2. Michelin Defender LTX
These all-season tires use an Evertread compound to survive up to 10% longer in constant poor weather, improving durability while still maintaining high performance. The improvements to the design are also able to help you stay safe in wet conditions, reducing your stopping distance, and improving your vehicle’s snow traction to make slippery ground much less dangerous.
Not only can they offer a comfortable ride, but each of the tires uses MaxTouch Construction to improve your Outback’s efficiency, saving up to 65 gallons of fuel in a tire’s working lifetime. Once installed, they can improve your traction and grip in any season without problems.
Pros:
+ Extremely durable.
+ Improve wet traction, handling, and braking.
+ Great for all-season touring and travel.
+ Long-lasting design.
+ Balanced construction.
Why We Liked It – This is another set of tires that works well in both dry and wet weather, providing great performance and high traction to help you stay safe more easily.
3. Milestar MS932 Sport All Season Radial Tire
These tires improve your driving experience significantly by helping your vehicle stay responsive in wet weather, improving rainwater dispersion to evacuate water while also giving you superior traction in the rain. This higher steadiness also comes with a wider circumference that boosts all major aspects of your vehicle’s performance, from stability and handling to raw gripping power.
Each all-season tire can remain consistent regardless of the exact weather you are dealing with, and the enhanced compound in the design ensures that the tires won’t wear down easily under weather-related stress. All of this works towards improving safety and helps you stay safe even on difficult terrain or roads.
Pros:
+ Improve handling on wet ground.
+ Use a large circumference for better performance.
+ Easy to install as Subaru Outback tires.
+ Work well at all speeds.
+ Deal with water reliably.
Why We Liked It – These may be all-season tires, but they shine best in wet conditions where water and slippery slopes can be a huge risk to unprepared drivers.
4. Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady
These all-weather tires provide far better grip and traction on wet ground, using Weather Reactive Technology designed by Goodyear themselves to keep the tires strong and reliable even when they start to wear out – this is done using Evolving Traction Grooves that can adapt to the situation and keep performance steady.
An asymmetrical tread offers better traction on almost all surfaces, and the biting edges mean that icy and/or snowy conditions aren’t as much of a risk to your safety. Despite all of this, they are still a standard size and shape, making them easy to install into a car like the Subaru Outback in very little time.
Pros:
+ Designed to handle snowy conditions well.
+ Improved tread life.
+ Adapt to keep performance high even when they are wearing out.
+ Keep your vehicle’s traction predictable.
+ Asymmetric design for all-weather use.
Why We Liked It – These all-season tires are perfect for Outback drivers who want to keep their vehicle feeling consistent and controllable across all kinds of weather.
5. Yokohama Geolandar
These all-terrain tires use a 4×4 style that is meant to give you proper all-season traction regardless of the current weather conditions, helping you grip onto difficult ground at any speed. The Enduro tread compound used in the design improves the durability of each tire and prevents them from puncturing easily.
However, the tread pattern is the real star: it uses both edgetec and circumferential grooves to give you a high level of both water evacuation and cutting-style traction on slippery or soft ground. Not only that, but the 3D sipes are meant to keep this traction level high even as the tires start to wear down from frequent use.
Pros:
+ Uses dual grooves for better stability.
+ Allows for easy water evacuation.
+ Designed for all seasons and weather types.
+ Can double as excellent snow tires.
+ Surprisingly, durable and robust.
Why We Liked It – This is one of the best set of tires for your Subaru Outback if you are looking for grip power and durability, providing an excellent mixture of both with no obvious downsides.
6. Pirelli Scorpion Verde All Season Street Radial Tire
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These all-season street tires focus on keeping you safe and stable in all kinds of weather, especially snowy and wet conditions. The reduction in rolling resistance makes it much easier to avoid wasting fuel without increasing your braking distance, and the improvements in noise reduction allow for a quiet ride regardless of the surface you are on.
An optimized polymer and silica tread compound can also help to boost your mileage and overall performance, while the longitudinal and lateral grooves give you much better handling regardless of the current season and weather. Once attached, they can handle most speeds really well, enduring a lot of wear and tear without breaking down.
Pros:
+ Designed for better overall performance.
+ Uses a reliable groove design.
+ Made with an excellent tread compound.
+ Long-lasting and durable construction.
+ Work in all weather conditions.
Why We Liked It – This set of tires gives you everything you need to handle a range of weather conditions and seasonal hazards with your Outback.
7. BFGoodrich All-Terrain
These all-terrain tires have a tough rubber sidewall that dramatically reduces the chance of them splitting or bruising from constant use, improving their overall durability and making it much harder for them to wear out quickly. The tread compound is able to survive all kinds of chipping and tearing while also avoiding getting snagged on surfaces, and the Stone Ejectors build into the surface get rid of pebbles or other small objects easily. Serrated and staggered shoulder blocks make it far easier to keep the tires moving in soft surfaces such as snow and dirt, while the raised bars stop mud from getting compacted onto the surface and trapping you in place.
Pros:
+ Extremely effective at handling bad terrain.
+ Specially designed for maximum durability.
+ Highly stable.
+ Designed for all-season use.
+ Keeps vehicle performance consistent.
Why We Liked It – These all-season tires are one of the best options on the market if you hate dealing with soft ground or tough surfaces that would normally slow you to a crawl.
8. Cooper Evolution Winter Studable Radial Tire
These winter tires are designed to handle even the most extreme snowy conditions using a strong tread compound that can take on freezing temperatures well, powering through with barely any loss in performance or speed. The Snow-Groove technology used in the design can trap snow on the tread itself, using it to boost traction and help your vehicle move more reliably over the surface.
However, it is also surprisingly good at offering you a quiet and comfortable ride in even the roughest conditions, letting you take on winter weather effectively. A multi-angled siping design also means that there are biting edges in all directions, improving traction while turning to prevent skidding or spins.
Pros:
+ Boosts vehicle performance on snow.
+ Ideal for all snowy conditions.
+ Incredibly good at providing better traction.
+ Directional tread for better braking and acceleration.
+ Helps you stay safe while turning quickly.
Why We Liked It – These tires are some of the best available options for severe winter weather, giving you maximum performance and minimal risk even on rough terrain.
9. Toyo Tires Extensa A/S All Season Radial Tire
This all-season tire comes with four circumferential grooves that can channel water out of the way and keep your traction high on wet surfaces, including small streams or areas that are slightly flooded. The symmetric design allows for cross rotation and reduces the overall wear and tear each tire will suffer, while the straightforward tread design means that they can work just as well in dry or snowy weather. All of this works towards offering you a comfortable ride in all seasons, making use of variable-pitch block designs and treads to keep your vehicle’s movements consistent and stable throughout.
Pros:
+ Great for snowy weather.
+ Provide a comfortable ride.
+ Suitable for all-season driving.
+ Get rid of water easily.
+ Boasts an extended tread life.
Why We Liked It – These are great tires for cars like the Subaru Outback when snow is a common problem, helping you get the best possible level of performance.
10. Bridgestone Dueler H/P Sport AS All-Season Radial Tire
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These high-performance tires have been made using excellent Long Link Carbon to increase their durability by a huge amount, letting them resist cracking and tearing without adding to their weight or bulk. The Silica tread materials improve your wet traction and keep each tire flexible, while the O-BEAD used within the tire body uses a single strand of cable to keep you more comfortable.
To ensure maximum reliability, the design has been computer-optimized to combine various components and materials in a way that balances everything important, making the whole set of tires perfect for day-to-day all-season use.
Pros:
+ Great for all weather types.
+ Deceptively durable.
+ Made with precisely-chosen materials.
+ Computer-optimized for better results.
+ Offers high traction on wet ground.
Why We Liked It – These are tires that focus on a balance of useful features rather than focusing on just one, making them a great all-season choice for people who need to tackle varied weather often.
Tires for Subaru Outback Buyer’s Guide
Tires are a tricky product to buy since many of them offer features that can counteract or prevent the use of other features. If a tire is equipped with one type of all-season traction tread design, they won’t have a winter-specific tread design. Of course, when you limit yourself to a specific type of car like the Subaru Outback, it becomes slightly easier to figure out what tire types you need and tire features that you don’t: you just have to look for the best tires for Subaru Outback users. Ideally, you will find ones that match your needs almost perfectly.
Size
Size matters more than anything when you are looking for tires for Subaru Outback vehicles since the wrong size of tire makes them practically unusable. Even if they can still fit onto your Subaru Outback, there is no guarantee that they will attach correctly, so it is important to understand which tire to use.
In most cases, you will be able to see the measurements of your Subaru Outback, and its tire types by looking in the user’s manual. Tire measurements are often formatted as numbers and letters, such as “225/60R18”. Even if you don’t understand what these mean right away, you can still search for them directly to find tires that will fit, so don’t stress about getting the exact tire dimensions unless you really need to. If you can’t find a user’s manual, an internet search for that model will usually show you the tire measurements you need instead.
Tire Designs
A set of all-season tires can be used in all seasons, as the name suggests. While an all-season tire design is definitely useful, it is not always going to be as precisely engineered as season-specific tires, and you might not need all-season tires anyway if you live in an area with only one or two types of weather. That being said, using all-season tires for Subaru Outback cars isn’t a bad idea, either: it all comes down to what you personally need and think is best.
Subaru Outback tires don’t usually have to be anything special since most Subaru Outback tires are simply regular tires. However, if you are mostly having to deal with heavy snow and ice, then winter tires are usually the better option. If you are in a dry area where there isn’t much rain or snow, then regular tires with a basic tread design can sometimes be all you need.
On the other hand, all-season tires become important if you have to handle more than one type of weather. Snow-specific tires are great for snow, but struggle in any other conditions, in the same way, that a plain tire might struggle to grip when faced with even a small amount of snow.
Tread Pattern
The tread pattern of tires for Subaru Outback cars needs to fit the situation as well. Subaru Outback tires can come in all shapes and sizes, but the tread design is usually the part that impacts them most. Each tire set can have completely different designs and features even if they are the same tire size and general shape, and a small change can completely alter how a tire is meant to be used.
For example, circumferential grooves can play a large role in most tire designs. These are mostly used for wet traction, allowing them to resist water when they are driving through wet spaces and improving their cornering effectiveness on slippery or loose ground. They are also usually reliable throughout all of a tires lifespan since they don’t break down easily. However, these circumferential grooves might not fit in with the kind of tire you are looking for, and you might be more interested in lateral grooves that boost tire acceleration and braking instead.
Rolling Resistance
Every tire allows you to move forward, but not all of them are effective when it comes to moving efficiently. High rolling resistance essentially means that it takes more energy and force to get the tire moving, which can waste fuel and make your performance on certain surfaces much less reliable. This also means that it might be harder to brake effectively, although not always. Rolling resistance in a tire is generally affected by the tread pattern of that tire, and sometimes the materials used in the tire design as well.
Comfort
Staying comfortable is the best part of driving any vehicle, and a Subaru Outback is no exception. Picking a new tire set means that you have to think about how comfortable they will be: there’s a whole list of features that can affect this, but one of the most obvious is the general tire type.
Touring tires are a good example. A touring tire is meant to be more comparable and much easier to use for longer periods of time, offering the same sort of durability as a regular tire would. However, they are less effective at handling severe weather, which can make them less effective Subaru Outback tires if you are planning on using your car during seriously hazardous or difficult conditions. They can also sometimes be less durable in a conventional sense, not offering the same sort of physical protection from bumps and bashes.
How long should tires last on a Subaru Outback?
Standard Subaru Outback tires won’t last as long as many third-party options, so it is a good idea to find replacements before they wear out completely. When you have a new tire set installed, how long they will last will depend on the types of tires for Subaru Outback cars you’ve used. Durability can also play a role, and no two tires are going to be equally effective at handling every weather pattern, so it is sometimes really difficult to figure out which ones will last longer.
Overall, tire and tread life don’t matter as much as overall durability and results. Your average tire will provide great results and a fairly long life regardless of how durable they are as long as they are used correctly, so don’t focus entirely on lifespan. A long-lasting tire is no use if the tread pattern is awful or if it doesn’t keep you comfortable while driving.
Do Subarus need special tires?
The best Subaru Outback tire often will not be anything that special, since tires for a Subaru Outback are more or less the same tire types that you’d use in other cars. The only time you might need ‘special’ tires is when you have certain really snowy or wet road conditions that need a special type of tire to handle correctly, including icy conditions.
In terms of branding, there is no need for any special brands, either. You might personally like Goodyear Assurance Weatherready tires since they are a good all-season option that Goodyear has specifically designed for wet traction. On the other hand, you might think that Michelin Defender LTX tire types are the best due to their high durability. Neither the Michelin Defender LTX nor the Goodyear Assurance Weatherready are the superior type of tires for your Subaru Outback since it all comes down to what you need.
Do I need snow tires on my Subaru Outback?
As you would expect, snow tires are best used for snow. The best snow tire designs aren’t necessarily going to be the best tires for Subaru Outback users since many people might not encounter snow on a regular basis at all. However, if you are worried about snow, then it is a good idea to look into a snow tire of some kind. One key point to remember is that an all-season tire can still be effective in light and medium snow conditions.
However, an all-season type of tire will still struggle in heavy snow, which is where snow tire designs can shine.
Choosing the best tires for Subaru Outback vehicles is as simple as creating a list of features you need, as well as a list of the kinds of weather you expect to deal with. Once you have a list, you can start looking down it and compare it to the feature list of each tire you are interested in. Doing this makes it much easier to pick out the best tires for your needs.
Are Subaru Outbacks good off road?
The Subaru Outback has the name “Subaru Outback” for a reason – mainly that it is great for off-road use as well as being a great on-road car. Of course, this means that the best tires for Subaru Outback users are sometimes going to be all-season options that can handle dry roads and wet ground equally well. You could list off every off-road tire and still struggle to find one that suits, and that is because the Subaru Outback is designed for both on-road and off-road use.
When used off-road, choosing the right tires for Subaru Outback models can make them much more reliable and effective. Something like the Goodyear Assurance Weatherready or the Michelin Defender LTX will add more off-road protection and functionality without forcing you to get major modifications done to your vehicle. In particular, Goodyear is one of the brands that make tires so popular that you might even get Goodyear tires as standard when you buy the Outback initially.
Conclusion
If you are still looking for the best tire designs for your Outback, don’t worry about expanding your search. Don’t just look at brands like Goodyear or limit yourself to touring tire designs, since this can lead to you ignoring tire options that would work best for your needs and preferences. At the end of the day, you want to find the best tire designs according to your own list of features, and that might mean going beyond the recommendations that other people have given you. Whether you pick a basic touring tire or a heavy-duty tire capable of holding off blizzards, it’s a good idea to make sure that the tire you pick really is the best you can get.