Tire recommendations for Outback XT

[upcruiser]

I am looking for recommendations for a good tire for an '05 Outback XT. Looking for a slightly larger size than stock and in a rugged construction that would be good in everything from snow to dirt roads. I am finalizing the plan for three months of traveling this spring through early summer and am going to be exploring the southwestern US down to Baja and up to Alaska and back by June. Trying to find a tire that would be relatively durable and up to the task. Any suggestions would be welcome.

 

[CMiller]

I recommend the BFG all terrain in whatever size you can stuff in there. They work great on dirt, rocks, gravel, snow, sand, etc... Really tough tire with 8-10ply of material depending on the size. And most important they are reasonably quiet on the highway.

 

[upcruiser]

My biggest challenge is availability in size. Stock tire size is 225/55/17 and most options are more street performance oriented. Maybe more options in a 1+ size. Was considering doing a small lift if needed on the car but nothing more than an inch.

 

[carolinasuby]

As a Subaru Outback H6 owner, I am about to replace my current tires with the Yokohama Geolander AT/S tires. Tirerack stocks them and they seem to be a popular choice in the Subaru world. www.subaruoutback.org has many postings on them.

 

[upcruiser]

As a Subaru Outback H6 owner, I am about to replace my current tires with the Yokohama Geolander AT/S tires. Tirerack stocks them and they seem to be a popular choice in the Subaru world. www.subaruoutback.org has many postings on them.

Thanks. I had come across some threads on there as well as here on Expo recommending them too. Sounds like it is really the only all terrain option in a close to stock size. Looks like that is what we are going with. Debating some suspension work and perhaps a small lift. Any consensus on this? Sounds like there are some companies offering some kits. Would like to retain a comfortable ride and good handling but would consider a bit beefier spring rate in the back to compensate for payload. With a RTT on top and all of our gear we are going to be traveling I think the stock springs might be taxed. We will probably do some test runs to see how things ride once we have it loaded though then go from there.

Excited at the prospect of these ATS Geolanders and see how well this XT can puttraction down. With center diff on these auto's and the rear limited slip I have a feeling it will be quite good! I was originally planning on doing three months of traveling with my FJ80 but with the sheer number of miles and the threat of record high gas prices this summer I figured what the heck, and am trying something completely different. We loose outright offroad ability but more than double fuel economy and have the ability to just eat up highway miles when needed. Plus it's just a blast to drive compared to my lumbering cruiser. It's like a happy middle ground between my STI and Cruiser. Well, at least that's what I think...... We will wait and see for sure.

 

[Jay H]

If your going to spend a lot of time on rough roads going down to a 16" rim will smooth out the ride a lot. Not to mention offer more choices. The Geolandar ATS is a good choice thought. Another good choice is Michelin LTX M/S. Mine have have 40,000 miles on them and will probably go to 60,000, this is on a 2004 Toyota Rav4 which is very similar to a forester. They are excellent in snow, and wet surfaces and have handled some rocky and abusive terrain like some death valley roads. They are also super quiet. A very good all around tire with an emphasis on durability and highway use. I think 225 55 17 is the same diameter and width as 225 70 16. With an all wheel drive car traction wont ever stop you but ground clearance certainly will.

 

[carolinasuby]

Right on upcruiser. Let me know what you think of them and if possible, post a pic as I would like to see how they look on that set up.

 

[upcruiser]

Jay, will 16's fit on an XT? I am assuming yes. Would be a good option, would love more sidewall for sure. I am in Europe till mid March then have a couple more weeks of work travel. Come early April we will be setting up the Outback and hitting the road. I will post up pics for sure on our minimalist upgrades. I am curious to see how the RTT affects mileage. Definitely have to drive a bit more conservatively to reduce the effects of added drag. If it works well I might throw the RTT on the STI's for future, shorter excursions. Or just maybe for the sake of doin it. Haha

 

[RealJon]

If your going to spend a lot of time on rough roads going down to a 16" rim will smooth out the ride a lot. Not to mention offer more choices. The Geolandar ATS is a good choice thought. Another good choice is Michelin LTX M/S. Mine have have 40,000 miles on them and will probably go to 60,000, this is on a 2004 Toyota Rav4 which is very similar to a forester. They are excellent in snow, and wet surfaces and have handled some rocky and abusive terrain like some death valley roads. They are also super quiet. A very good all around tire with an emphasis on durability and highway use. I think 225 55 17 is the same diameter and width as 225 70 16. With an all wheel drive car traction wont ever stop you but ground clearance certainly will.

+1 on the 16, I had some LTX M/S on my Trooper when I bought it and they seemed pretty nice, they did well on dirt and very well on road! The Geolanders are good options too!

 

[Marc1904]

Solid ride... wish they still sold a turbo model..
I've got a 2011 Outback 2.5i. It came with the steel 16 inch wheels, which I kept. I ended up comparing every tire I could find in the country in a 225/70/16 AT model. It was everything from the BFG KO to the cheaper Falken High Country... there are a ton of choices in 16" if you can fit them over your rotors. I ended up going with the Hankook Dynapro ATM. Got 5 tires, mounted, including lifetime rotations with TPMS reprogramming each rotation included for a decent amount cheaper than the BFG KO.
http://www.discounttiredirect.com/d...o?pc=10810&typ=Truck/SUV&tmn=DynaPro+ATM+RF10

As far as handling.. I've beaten the crap out of the tires (as much as a Subaru can do) and they've held through everything. Ice, deep sand, rocks, mud, gravel were all taken pretty easily. I've gotten stuck twice, but that was due to the car sitting on it's skidplates. Low noise on the road and handles heavy rains well.

If you end up with the BFGs, Discount Tire gave me an out the door price of $910 for the 5 tires.

 

[Stev0]

MY Foz XT had the 55/17s on and my X has 60/16's on.

The 16 ride better, no doubt. I would up the 55's to 60s on Geolander ATS tires. They are great bang for buck.

If you go 16's you should be able to run 215/70/16's easily, but they wont fit in the spare wheel well.

 

[Papa Tac]

You could always add a 1" spacer lift from Subtle Solutions or Jackson Rally...
$0.02