Even before the inevitable domination of crossovers and SUVs, the Subaru Outback has been roaming inhospitable terrain all over the world. Choosing a new set of tires for your Subaru Outback is a bit tricky due to the sheer number of tire brands.
The best tires for the Subaru Outback should be tough enough for mild off-road use but remain comfortable and silent when driven on paved roads.
There is no question the Subaru Outback is one of the most versatile vehicles that money can buy, not to mention one of the most practical and capable as well. I had the privilege to log countless of driving hours behind the wheel of a 2010 Subaru Outback. Man, that vehicle was really something.
The low center of gravity makes the vehicle extremely responsive like a sports car, although it cruised silently like a midlevel luxury sedan. When the road ends towards a gravel-covered patch of rough terrain, you can also count on the increased ground clearance and symmetrical AWD of the Outback’s drivetrain.
Although the styling may be polarizing to some, the Subaru Outback is one of my most favorite cars to drive, ever. If you haven’t driven one, I highly suggest you do. I’m betting the house that you’ll be impressed as well.
What are the best Subaru Outback tires in 2024?
This is where the confusion might set in. Due to the versatile and capable nature of the Subaru Outback, you should seriously consider your driving habits before purchasing a brand new set of tires.
If you are mostly a city dweller and drive on relatively well-paved roads, a simple touring or all-season tire might do the trick. The Subaru Outback is perfectly capable of mundane city driving, and there is no problem with that.
But if you do a lot of off-road driving over rougher patches of terrain, you will need a tougher and more durable set of all-season tires. Snow tires are an excellent choice if you live in harsh winter conditions.
I came up with a list of the best tires for the Subaru Outback so you can make a personal and economical choice. The list consists of OEM brand tires that are specifically designed to meet or exceed the performance characteristics of the Subaru Outback.
But in order to make things a bit more interesting, I also included a bunch of cheaper tire alternatives that can give the OEM brands a serious run for the money. This list is perfect for Subaru Outback owners who want a better set of rubber without the astronomical price tag.
Best Tires for Subaru Outback
| Tires | Top Features |
|---|---|
| Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady | All-weather traction and grip |
| Goodyear Eagle Sport All-Season | Sporty all-season performance |
| Michelin Defender T+H | Longer treadlife and lasting dependability |
| Bridgestone Turanza Serenity Plus | Longer wear and comfortable ride |
| Continental TrueContact Tour | All-season touring performance |
Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady
The Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady is one of the top rated tires for the Subaru Outback. I have personally tried these tires and they were awesome. I have to admit I’m not the biggest fan of Goodyear tires but the Assurance WeatherReady has made me a firm believer.
Goodyear said it best: this tire is ready for anything. Upon first glance, the tire looks like a slimmed down version of an all-terrain tire.
The Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady is Severe Snow Certified (SSC) and is equipped to provide relentless traction and grip even over severely icy or snowy conditions.
But the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady is also a proper all-season tire. It is equipped with an asymmetric tread pattern with sweeping traction grooves to efficiently evacuate water or slush from the face of the tread.
As the tire wears down, there are Evolving Traction Grooves to keep things nice and steady. The grooves are engineered to widen as the tread wears down to still provide ample amounts of traction while still displacing water as you drive.
The tire is also equipped with Tredlock Technology. This will allow the tread to lock together as you approach a tight, winding corner to provide superior traction and control. The technology will also enable the treads to open wider on wet roads to enhance grip.
This makes the Assurance WeatherReady the best all-weather tire for the Subaru Outback.
The Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady is not cheap. It starts at around $120 to $140 and is available in 15” to 19” diameters. Although this tire is a bit pricey, it offers a lot of hi-tech features that are ideal for the outdoorsy nature of the Subaru Outback. It also comes with a superb 60,000-mile treadlife warranty.
Goodyear Eagle Sport All-Season
When talking about the perfect tires for the Subaru Outback, it is hard not to include the Goodyear Eagle Sport All-Season in the conversation.
This is a sport performance tire that is designed to deliver optimal levels of traction and grip in all-season driving. Yes, this also includes mild snow.
The Goodyear Eagle Sport All-Season is constructed using an innovative tread compound. The rubber is engineered to deliver superior traction and grip on both wet and dry pavements while still offering high levels on grip on icy or snowy roads.
The asymmetrical tread design improves steering response and vehicle stability at high speed. The tire is also equipped with full-depth sipes to deliver higher levels of grip even as the tire begins to wear down. This tire also comes with a rim protector to defend the wheels from curb damage.
The Goodyear Eagle Sport All Season is the best Subaru Outback tire for sporty performance.
This tire comes with a 50,000/80,000-mile treadlife warranty and is available in 15” to 20” diameters to fit all year models of the Subaru Outback. Prices start at around $90 to $100.
Michelin Defender T+H
The Michelin Defender T+H is a special type of tire. This is reputably the longest-lasting Defender tire and is backed by an 80,000-mile treadlife warranty. The tire is equipped with a ton of features to ensure the longest wear while still providing enhanced traction and grip.
The Defender T+H is constructed using Michelin’s Ever Tread compound to deliver lasting dependability. The tread pattern is also designed to provide a silent and comfortable ride. The treads were designed using Michelin’s IntelliSipe Technology that maximizes the biting edges of the tire. This will provide adequate levels of traction and grip in all-season driving including snow and ice.
Tires have changed over the years. Hybrid tires can now perform well even on severe road conditions without upsetting the balance and refinement of the vehicle.
The Defender T+H is the best Subaru Outback tire for longer wear life and highway comfort.
The Michelin Defender T+H is also one of the great tires that will enhance the rugged yet docile nature of the Subaru Outback. This tire starts at around $100 to $190 each and is available in 14” to 18” diameters.
Bridgestone Turanza Serenity Plus
The Bridgestone Turanza Serenity Plus is an all-season touring tire designed for luxury sedans and crossover vehicles.
This tire offers a long wear life, comfortable and silent ride, and solid performance over wet, dry, or snowy pavement.
The Bridgestone Turanza Serenity Plus is constructed with a high silica compound infused with NANOPRO-TECH and polymer technology.
This combination will lessen the rolling resistance of the tire while improving the wear performance without sacrificing all-season traction and grip.
This tire is equipped with an asymmetrical tread pattern with RENOA silencer grooves (Resonance Noise Attenuated) to deliver a whisper-quiet ride. The continuous center rib is designed to minimize noise levels while also improving the responsiveness and steering feel. The protruding 3D sub-surface platform is engineered to improve traction on icy, wet, or snowy roads.
The Bridgestone Turanza Serenity Plus is certainly not cheap, but no other tire comes close when it comes to road silence, riding comfort, and longer wear life.
If you do a lot of city driving and highway jaunts in your Subaru Outback, you should take a closer look at the Serenity Plus.
The Bridgestone Turanza Serenity Plus will start at around $110 to $320 depending on the size. It is available in 15” to 20” diameters. The tire is accompanied by an 80,000-mile treadwear warranty.
Continental TrueContact Tour
The Continental TrueContact is an all-season tire designed to deliver premium touring performance.
This tire delivers strong traction and grip on wet, snowy, and dry pavement while remaining quiet and comfortable with excellent wear characteristics.
This tire is manufactured using Continental’s Eco-Plus Technology. This enables the TrueContact to offer superior wet and dry traction along with shorter stopping distances even in adverse weather.
The tire is also designed using Comfort Ride Technology for a smooth and silent ride even on poorly-paved roads.
What makes the Continental TrueContact unique are the built-in Tuned Performance Indicators on the outer shoulder. This technology will enable you to judge the performance levels of the tire on dry, wet, or snowy roads. The quick view indicators will give you a glimpse if the tire can still perform adequately on certain road conditions as the tire wears down.
This is the best Subaru Outback tire for all-season touring performance.
The Continental TrueContact comes with the Total Confidence Plan that includes flat tire road assistance, road hazard assistance, a 90,000-mile treadwear warranty, and 12-month limited warranty for added peace of mind. Prices start at around $85 to $180 and is available in 15” to 19” diameters.
Best Budget Tires Tires for Subaru Outback
Kumho Solus TA31
The Kumho Solus TA31 delivers excellent value for money. This tire is designed to deliver high levels of all-season performance combined with a quiet and comfortable ride.
You can think of the Solus TA31 as a hybrid tire that combines the benefits of a proper luxury touring tire and high-performance all-season tire for almost half the price.
The Kumho Solus TA31 is equipped with wide shoulder blocks and a symmetric tread pattern. The design will enhance wet and dry traction, braking, and handing. This tire also offers a lower rolling resistance to deliver quiet comfort and longer wear.
Kumho has been churning out a lot of excellent tires lately, and the Solus TA31 is one of them. While I think the wet and dry traction to be slightly higher than average at best, the ride comfort and ride silence was incredibly impressive given the low price point of the tire.
The Kumho Solus TA31 is accompanied by a road hazard warranty and 60,000-mile limited warranty. Prices start at around $65 and is sold in 14” to 20” diameters.
If you’re on a tight budget and you need new tires for your Subaru Outback, give the Kumho Solus TA31 a second look.
Toyo Extensa A/S
The Toyo Extensa A/S is one of the good cheap tires for the Subaru Outback. This is an all-season touring tire that can perform admirably in snowy or icy road conditions.
Equipped with a symmetric tread design that is designed to deliver all-season traction and excellent wear characteristics, the tire is also equipped with wider shoulder ribs and multi-wave sipes to improve stability, handling, steering feel, and irregular wear.
The Toyo Extensa A/S is designed with four wide circumferential grooves with variable pitch channels to provide higher-levels of wet traction and braking.
I got the chance to try the Extensa A/S in a bone stock 2017 Honda Civic and I was impressed with the ride comfort, silence, and tread life of the tire. Dry and wet handling was also good and the tire is tough enough to handle winter driving as well.
The Toyo Extensa A/S starts at around $65 each and is available in 13” to 18” diameters. It is accompanied by a 50,000 to 65,000-mile limited warranty.
Hankook Ventus V2 Concept 2 H457
For the price, you will be foolish to ignore the Hankook Ventus V2 Concept 2. This tire is engineered with a lot of features to compete with the best in the segment. The most noticeable feature is the solid center tracking rib with 3D point effect. This will enhance braking and handling while giving your Subaru Outback a more direct and linear steering feel.
The Hankook Ventus V2 Concept 2 is constructed using a high-density nylon reinforcement belt to maintain and even contact patch as the tire wears down.
The HPSR high-polymer and resin compound is formulated to offer outstanding traction and braking on wet and slippery roads.
The tire is also equipped with a noise care block on the shoulders to improve rolling silence of even over rough or coarse pavement. With wide straight grooves and a V-shaped pattern design, the Hankook Ventus V2 Concept 2 is well equipped to tackle the slipperiest road conditions.
The Hankook Ventus 2 will start at around $60 and is available in 15” to 18” diameters.
Mastercraft SRT Touring
If you do a lot of highway driving in your Subaru Outback, you should also consider the Mastercraft SRT Touring.
This tire is primarily designed to deliver a comfortable and quiet ride with excellent traction and grip for all-season driving.
The tire is equipped with an advanced 5-rib tread pattern. It has 20% more lateral grooves to provide higher levels of traction and grip on icy or slippery roads. This tire was developed with a specific pitch sequence that works with the advanced tread pattern to deliver a silent ride.
I was able to try the Mastercraft SRT Touring tires fitted to a 2015 Honda Accord. The ride comfort and ride silence were specifically as advertised while the dry and wet handling is higher than average for the price.
The Mastercraft SRT Touring starts at around $75 to $80 each and is available in 14” to 18” diameters.
Milestar MS932 Sport
The Milestar MS932 Sport is a performance touring tire designed for all-season driving. The tire is constructed using an advanced silica compound to improve wet handling and braking while still performing admirably on dry pavement.
Equipped with wide circumferential ribs to improve lateral grip and stability, the tire is also endowed with a bevy of lateral siping to provide consistent traction and grip on loose or icy surfaces.
The optimized tread pattern of the Milestar MS932 Sport enables the tire to maintain a flat contact patch while improving driving comfort and steering feel.
Are you concerned about the durability and wear characteristics of Milestar tires? The MS932 Sport is accompanied by a 50,000-mile limited treadwear warranty.
I was able to test drive a Honda CR-V fitted with Milestar tires. The comfort and treadwear was sublime, although the tires were a bit noisy at high speeds. However, wet and dry traction was admirable given the price of the tires.
The Milestar MS932 Sport starts at around $60 each and is a solid choice if you are short on cash. It is available in 14” to 20” diameters to fit all year models of the Subaru Outback.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Which is better for my Subaru Outback: all-season or touring tires?
This is a tough question given the versatility of the Subaru Outback. If your daily drive is over rutted city streets and paved highways, nothing beats the comfort, value, and long wear life of a proper set of touring tires.
But if you are a sporty type of driver and you demand precise control and surefooted grip, you should choose a good set of all-season tires that are designed for sporty driving. All-terrain tires or A/t are not recommended for the Subaru Outback.
What is the correct tire pressure for the Subaru Outback?
It will depend on the year model and trim level of the vehicle. Check the owner’s manual or the tire label sticker on the driver’s side door jamb. The recommended tire pressure for the Subaru Outback is approximately 32 PSI.
When should I rotate the tires in my Subaru Outback?
Subaru recommends rotating the tires every 7,500 miles, which is the same interval for synthetic oil changes. With that being said, it is a good idea to have the tires rotated every time you have the oil changed. For specific information regarding tire rotation and oil change schedules, kindly refer to the owner’s manual of your Subaru Outback.
Conclusion
The best tires for the Subaru Outback are those that perform well in all-season driving. It wouldn’t hurt if the tires were also tough enough to handle the demands of mild off-road trails. This list of the top rated tires for the Subaru Outback will make it easier to choose the right tires that are an exact fit to your budget.
Ranks Of The Most Worth Buying Tires
Alvin Reyes has expertise in automotive evaluation. He collaborated with famous newspapers and is still making efforts in tire review for DrivingPress.com
I appreciate this concise article which is what I needed to make an informed decision on type of tires to purchase. Living in the Adirondack Mountains, I need a all weather tire given that I drive on snow/ice/rain a good six months of the year.
I have Yokohama Geolander G015. Snowflake rated. Quiet. Excellent tread life and handling. And an all terrain tire for dealing with rocky road
What year outbacks is this article for? We have a 2017 2.5i Premium and the Bridgestone, Goodyear eagle sport, Continental true contact, and the Kumho tires are not available for our vehicle as of 3/12/2020. Doesn\’t help much if we can\’t get the tires in this write up!
I can recommend the Falken Wildpeak A/T Trails. They come in stock size for 2019 and surrounding years and are very quiet for their tough and aggressive all-terrain capability. I’ve been off reading in these and they performed perfectly.