Yokohama Geolander A/T-S
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I'm running this tire, and size, on my 07 Outback. I know it's not the new model like yours, but I can honestly say it's an excellent tire for year-round use in Idaho. Had them on since November 2009 and they have done rather well for the past, albeit mild, winter. Already done a few trail excursions in central and southwest Idaho, gripped rather well. And on the highway? Quieter than the original Bridgestones, and much quieter than any AT tire I've ever heard.
As far as I can tell from www.tirerack.com, the above-mentioned Yoko Geolander is (so far) the only A/T tire available in the right size for Premium and Limited 2010 OB's. It seems like a good choice, for anyone who might want to actually go off-road, and should be very good in snow, I would think.
My favorite A/T tire (from other vehicles) has been the Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo, but it's not available in the right size.
Our ContiProContact tires are rated fairly decently, but not great, in the Tire Rack's
"Grand Touring" category. Most of the other tire choices that I've heard people talking about are actually in the "Standard Touring" category (as just one example, the Goodyear TripleTred).
What's not so clear from the Tire Rack's ratings is how to compare a highly-rated Standard Touring tire, with a less-well rated tire from a "higher performance" category (e.g. Grand Touring, or one of the "Performance" categories).
In principle a Grand Touring tire (generally intended for higher-end sedans) is being judged (whether it is via a Tire Rack test, or just buyer surveys) to a somewhat higher standard of driving dynamics and performance, versus a standard touring tire that is aimed squarely at more run-of-the-mill sedans, minivans, etc.) But a top-rated standard touring tire may still be a better choice, especially if it is treadwear, lack of noise, comfort, etc., that are the primary considerations.
My favorite A/T tire (from other vehicles) has been the Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo, but it's not available in the right size.
Our ContiProContact tires are rated fairly decently, but not great, in the Tire Rack's
"Grand Touring" category. Most of the other tire choices that I've heard people talking about are actually in the "Standard Touring" category (as just one example, the Goodyear TripleTred).
What's not so clear from the Tire Rack's ratings is how to compare a highly-rated Standard Touring tire, with a less-well rated tire from a "higher performance" category (e.g. Grand Touring, or one of the "Performance" categories).
In principle a Grand Touring tire (generally intended for higher-end sedans) is being judged (whether it is via a Tire Rack test, or just buyer surveys) to a somewhat higher standard of driving dynamics and performance, versus a standard touring tire that is aimed squarely at more run-of-the-mill sedans, minivans, etc.) But a top-rated standard touring tire may still be a better choice, especially if it is treadwear, lack of noise, comfort, etc., that are the primary considerations.
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You could always go to 16inch wheels and have lots of good tire options for the 2010. I might pick up a cheap set of used 16's and have some hard core A/T's put on them at some point. Truth be told for 17inch wheel sets there are not very many options for most cars regarding standard tire sizes unless your sporting some really big jumbo non standard tiresBobaru said:
Got my tires on finally and couldn't be happier. Gone is the "splashy" feel of the stock tires. Impact harshness about the same but transmits more through the body than the steering wheel now (stiffer sidewall). Just a touch nosier over coarse cement or pavement at speed, but thats to be expected being an A/T tire (people run studs here that tear up the road surface!). New tires dont follow road irregularities like the stock tires did w/much less steering correction needed. A delight on the freeway compared to the wondering Continentals.
The thing I noticed first on the way home was how they weight up the steering wheel nicely. Car simply handles better, is more fun to drive and now I can go off road w/o worry. I can say confidently that the 2010 Outback should of come with these tires when it was new w/o hesitation. They also look pretty sweet! (see attached)
I thought I would need stiffer springs to "sport up" the OB's ride, but that idea is gone now. I just want a bit thicker rear sway bar and I'll be a happy camper!
Can someone tell me why Subaru puts street tires on a vehicle that is promoted as off road oriented anyway?
Note: This review is coming from an owner who came from a 2009 GMC Sierra Crew Cab 4x4 that was slightly lifted and running 33" inch, 3 ply sidewall tires.
The thing I noticed first on the way home was how they weight up the steering wheel nicely. Car simply handles better, is more fun to drive and now I can go off road w/o worry. I can say confidently that the 2010 Outback should of come with these tires when it was new w/o hesitation. They also look pretty sweet! (see attached)
I thought I would need stiffer springs to "sport up" the OB's ride, but that idea is gone now. I just want a bit thicker rear sway bar and I'll be a happy camper!
Can someone tell me why Subaru puts street tires on a vehicle that is promoted as off road oriented anyway?
Note: This review is coming from an owner who came from a 2009 GMC Sierra Crew Cab 4x4 that was slightly lifted and running 33" inch, 3 ply sidewall tires.
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Good Looking Tyres
Was looking at these on the tire rack site, only one's with some tread for the 17". Will consider before next winter on the 2010 OB, have to go with what I have for now, sort of depleted the cash by purchasing the new vehicle. Anyway keep us posted after a few miles.
Mike
Was looking at these on the tire rack site, only one's with some tread for the 17". Will consider before next winter on the 2010 OB, have to go with what I have for now, sort of depleted the cash by purchasing the new vehicle. Anyway keep us posted after a few miles.
Mike
'05 Outback 2.5i - 5-Spd Manual (Now with a new Family)
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Because it is primarily a road car? And because 99% of them will never venture further off pavement than their owner's backyard, or a graded dirt road? Not to mention because a tire like the Geolander will increase ride harshness, and decrease fuel mileage. But I'm sure the question was really only hypothetical, right?4ALAB said:
Why do manufacturers put street oriented tires on light trucks and crossovers? Same reason. As much as I hate to say it, if you were to have a testing authority run the car through a number of handling tests, I'd bet that it would 'do better' on the stock tires, despite the improved feel...
yes, it was hypothetical question, thanks. and of course it would show better stats on a road tire than an a/t tire, thats a given.'05 Outback2.5i said:
not to redirect this thread, but it always amazes me how people buy vehicles. they tend to base it more on statistics (lateral grip, horsepower, etc.) or "wow factor" than what would actually fit thier lifestyle best. there were a lot of good cars that came out over the years but sadly died because of lack of image management contribution.
funny, a subaru is considered cool in the pacific north west, but not in my hometown of San Diego.
This is only very loosely-related to the subject of tires for our Outbacks, but I recently bought a set of Ultra-High-Performance all-season tires for our Volvo C70 convertible. The car came totally "over-tired" from the factory, with 235/40-18 Z-rated (actually Y-rated, meaning good for 168 mph) Pirelli PZero Rosso summer-only Maximum Performance tires, which wear out very quickly (treadwear rating of 220...).
I replaced these with All-Season tires to get a better treadwear rating, and got a set of Continental ExtremeContact DWS tires, also Y-rated.
(These are also much more tire than I need, but since the car came with Z-rated tires to begin with, and fairly low-profile ones to boot, all of the available choices are pretty high performance.)
The DWS stands for dry,wet,snow, and the reviews for this tire have been very good, especially citing great behavior in snow (keep in mind that this is in comparison to other ultra-high-performance, low-profile, all-season tires). And they were also less expensive than the other comparable tires that I was considering.
So far my experience with them has been great. The handling crispness has been almost as good as the PZero Rosso's, and the ride, noise level, comfort, etc. has been a lot better. We'll see if they live up to their 540 treadwear rating....
Not really applicable to an Outback, other than the Continental tie-in.....
(I had never thought much of Continental tires, due to some prior poor experience with a small SUV, but now have three "vehicles" with them - the Outback, the Volvo, and a road bike with Continental Ultra Race 700x23 bicycle tires....)
I replaced these with All-Season tires to get a better treadwear rating, and got a set of Continental ExtremeContact DWS tires, also Y-rated.
(These are also much more tire than I need, but since the car came with Z-rated tires to begin with, and fairly low-profile ones to boot, all of the available choices are pretty high performance.)
The DWS stands for dry,wet,snow, and the reviews for this tire have been very good, especially citing great behavior in snow (keep in mind that this is in comparison to other ultra-high-performance, low-profile, all-season tires). And they were also less expensive than the other comparable tires that I was considering.
So far my experience with them has been great. The handling crispness has been almost as good as the PZero Rosso's, and the ride, noise level, comfort, etc. has been a lot better. We'll see if they live up to their 540 treadwear rating....
Not really applicable to an Outback, other than the Continental tie-in.....
(I had never thought much of Continental tires, due to some prior poor experience with a small SUV, but now have three "vehicles" with them - the Outback, the Volvo, and a road bike with Continental Ultra Race 700x23 bicycle tires....)
Actually I have been doing a bit of searching for a better set of tires and was eyeing the Continental ExtremeContact DWS. They came out on top in TireRack's winter test of Ultra High Performance All-Season tires:Bobaru said:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testDisplay.jsp?ttid=124
However the reviews have been mixed. Some people have noted that they are very noisy and that the sidewalls are too soft. Others have said they are quiet and provide great handling. It would help a lot to hear from someone who could compare them to the ContiProContact that comes stock on the 2010 Outback.
It is hard for me to compare the ContiProContact with the Conti ExtremeContact DWS, since they are on very different vehicles, and also because the DWS's are lower profile (40 series).
So far, the DWS's on my Volvo C70 have been very quiet, compared to the Pirelli PZero Rosso's they replaced. Perhaps the DWS's will grow noisier as they wear, but so far so good. (But the ContiProContacts on my Outback are also very quiet.)
I'm not sure what to make of the "soft sidewall" comments from some reviewers. It probably depends on what prior tire the DWS was being compared to. Since many DWS applications are for fairly high-performance cars, the "standard" they are being compared to are other high performance tires, many of which are pretty stiff (in some cases, the prior tire was a run-flat, which will definitely have a stiff sidewall...).
The DWS's give up a bit of ultimate dry handling, I think, in favor of really good wet and snow performance, and also in favor of a good ride. But this is in the context of very high performance tires. Compared to more normal "touring" tires, like the ContiProContact, I would think that the DWS will outhandle them, whether in the dry, or wet, and MIGHT even be better in snow. They will also wear a bit faster.
It may be a moot point - I don't think the DWS's come in the right size for a 2010 Outback, unless you are also doing a "plus-size" wheel change.
I have been reasonably happy with my ContiProContacts so far, although that includes almost no time in the snow (so far). Bottom line - it's a tough comparison when the tires are so different in intent, and are usually used on very different cars.
So far, the DWS's on my Volvo C70 have been very quiet, compared to the Pirelli PZero Rosso's they replaced. Perhaps the DWS's will grow noisier as they wear, but so far so good. (But the ContiProContacts on my Outback are also very quiet.)
I'm not sure what to make of the "soft sidewall" comments from some reviewers. It probably depends on what prior tire the DWS was being compared to. Since many DWS applications are for fairly high-performance cars, the "standard" they are being compared to are other high performance tires, many of which are pretty stiff (in some cases, the prior tire was a run-flat, which will definitely have a stiff sidewall...).
The DWS's give up a bit of ultimate dry handling, I think, in favor of really good wet and snow performance, and also in favor of a good ride. But this is in the context of very high performance tires. Compared to more normal "touring" tires, like the ContiProContact, I would think that the DWS will outhandle them, whether in the dry, or wet, and MIGHT even be better in snow. They will also wear a bit faster.
It may be a moot point - I don't think the DWS's come in the right size for a 2010 Outback, unless you are also doing a "plus-size" wheel change.
I have been reasonably happy with my ContiProContacts so far, although that includes almost no time in the snow (so far). Bottom line - it's a tough comparison when the tires are so different in intent, and are usually used on very different cars.
Thanks for the comments. It helps to hear from someone that is driving on both even though they are on different vehicles.Bobaru said:
Your point that "It probably depends on what prior tire the DWS was being compared to" is exactly what I have been trying to cut through. Just about everyone comments on a new set of tires in comparison to the old set that they just replaced. So, it can be hard to answer the self-centered question of "How will these compare to the tires I have now?"
I was looking at the DWS in a 235/55ZR17 configuration. That size would be about .4" shorter and .6" wider than the OEM 225/60R17. I know that dovidan used this sizing to mount a set of Michelin Primacy MXV4s and seems to be happy with them:
http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=21848&highlight=primacy
For the record I have done a bit of snow driving with the ContiProContacts and was pleasantly surprised. I didn't expect much from them having previously run AT tires with the Extreme Weather rating. (There's that frame of reference thing again.) But I found that the ContiProContacts gripped just fine in a long drive on a snow-covered interstate that had just reopened after a 2-hour closure to clear accidents. My main complaint about them is that they are too soft and squishy feeling. So, I am really just looking for something a bit firmer with comparable snow traction and noise characteristics.
2010 Outback, 2.5i Premium, 6 speed, PZEV, RalliTEK rear bar, trailer hitch. Also 2001 WRX.
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4ALAB said:
A couple of things spring to mind:
I don't think the marketing department, the engineering group, and materials purchasing are on the same page. Low profile tires say "street performance" rather than "off road"...do we really want to go crashing through the wilderness on 60 series tires and alloy rims? Rubbish roof rack says "designed by too-clever focus group" rather than "useful for outdoorsy types." Low towing capacity says "family sedan" or "legal department won this battle" rather than "utility vehicle." "Little tiny fog lights that don't do anything" says that the styling people won out over engineering. The adverts still are aimed towards rugged outdoorsies but the product seems aimed at the luxury wagon crowd.
Speaking of Subaru OEM tires, my wife's WRX came with the cheapest Bridgestone tires in existence. OK, it's a budget sports car, but with terrible tires owners couldn't get close to the car's potential. My favorite Tire Rack review said "why did Subaru do this to me, oh why why why?? (sob)" A set of Pirelli P Zero Nero's completely transformed the vehicle.
Not really, but the stock tires are actually 60 series, not 50. Personally I think this is a reasonable profile considering that most owners will log a pretty small % of miles (if any) crashing through the wilderness. As for the 17" rims they are getting to be pretty standard fare in order to accommodate modern brake sizes. Even serious off-road vehicles like the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon are running 17" rims now.nikwax said:
So what IS a great tire for the OB?
This may need its own thread, but so much about tires is about compromises. Traction up - treadwear down. Handling good - temp bad. Everything good - prices way up. what would be a good all around all weather tire for mostly pavement with occasional gravel, dirt road (actual off road highly unlikely)?
Bonus points for a selection that still allows one to continue to make payments on a $30K car.
I'll bet a cup of coffee folks will be all over the map on this.
This may need its own thread, but so much about tires is about compromises. Traction up - treadwear down. Handling good - temp bad. Everything good - prices way up. what would be a good all around all weather tire for mostly pavement with occasional gravel, dirt road (actual off road highly unlikely)?
Bonus points for a selection that still allows one to continue to make payments on a $30K car.
I'll bet a cup of coffee folks will be all over the map on this.
2010 Outback, 2.5i Premium, 6 speed, PZEV, RalliTEK rear bar, trailer hitch. Also 2001 WRX.
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Re: So what IS a great tire for the OB?
how about the stock tire? It's not bad for an all round tire. Yes, there's always better or more focused tires out there, but the stock is an OK tire.
sck said:
how about the stock tire? It's not bad for an all round tire. Yes, there's always better or more focused tires out there, but the stock is an OK tire.
'05 Outback 2.5i - 5-Spd Manual (Now with a new Family)
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Re: Re: So what IS a great tire for the OB?
Really? Cause if that's true, its a novel new step for Subarunikwax said:
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