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Thanks, that's very helpful. I've read mixed reviews about the Serenity - generally quite good on dry and wet, but complaints about poor traction on snow, and I expect decent traction on snow and ice from an all-year tire (decent, not superior). Is the Turanza LS still available? If it is, would you recommend picking it up? Are there any other tires you'd recommend for the Subaru Outback 2000 (16 in. tires)?
I have roughly similar needs to you, except that I would be driving from warm conditions into mountains with snowy/icy conditions, rather than getting hit with freak summer storm. Though I know exactly what you mean - we've been in NY up to now and hike/kayak/x country ski in NH, ME, VT, upstate NY, MA. We've been hit with weather surprises like that in the White Mountains of NH.
Check out my detailed post #52 that compares 2 of the best all-season tires I could find - the Bridgestone Turanza Serenity and the Yokohama Avid TRZ.
Yokohama Avid TRZ 225/60R16 $94 T speed rated4/ - rated for 80,000 miles - rated as a touring tire. Very large number of ratings and very highly rated, both for summer and winter conditions. Considered an excellent mix of quality and value. The Yokohama Avid TRZ also got a very good review in Yahoo Answers.
So far these 2 are looking best - I just want to verify which of the two has better snow/ice handling.
I'm looking to pick up an Outback wagon and someone on Car Talk forums recommended picking up a 2005 or beyond, as some earlier year models had a tendency to have problems with leaking head gaskets.
1) How do you like your 2005?
2) Do you know about how much a 2005 would cost now (I'll check KBB and other sources as well)?
3) What's the difference between the Outback wagon and the Legacy wagon? Is the Outback wagon just a little higher off the ground?
4) Anything in particular to look out for on Outback 2005 and newer?
if you can find any LSs they are probably worth getting though if you lose one in the future you may have trouble finding a replacement!
if you live where it snows one option but a little pricier (though the LS or Serenity aren't cheap either) is to get Nokian WRs which are snow rated but can be used all year round unlike other winter tires. I actually use them all year round on a Tribeca and a Windstar and used the Wrs predecessor, the NRW, as my winter tire on my legacy.
2)No
3) No, there are other diffs. Go to a used Subaru place and check them out!
4) Not that I know. We're pleased with it. Got it used 14 mos. ago.
Hope that helps.
Will be using this subie mostly for work highway/around town during week, and every few weeks a 2-3 hour road trip on good highways and roads in mostly very good weather. In winter, when headed to ski areas, I plan to use our all-year tires and chain up if necessary in the last 10-20 minutes driving toward the resort. It doesn't seem like you need more than that in the Bay Area - for example, for the vast majority of your drive from the Bay Area to Tahoe ski resorts, you're driving in fairly good weather on good roads - winter or snow tires seem overkill except for people who live in Tahoe full time, and have to drive on roads other than ski resort approaches that are not kept as clear.
Also, in very good-excellent condition, what are the WRX rims worth?
In very good-excellent condition, what are the regular rims worth?
what year are your WRX rims, are they 17in or 16in? I got another set of WRX rims from tirerack for about $90 each when I got snowtires for my WRX but I've never seen them that cheap anywhere else or since.
one option instead of dedicated snows is to get Nokian WRs, they are winter rated and you can drive them all year. I use them on a Tribeca and a Windstar all year round and while they are not as good as a multicell blizzak on ice they are as good as any regular snowtire.
Definitely make them pay for em.
-mike
Is your car still under warranty?
This is why I rotate the tires myself. I re-torque them even when a shop installs new tires.
let me first restate that we have a 2006 outback (legacy).
the problem was first seen a few weeks after we bought the car new and went on an extended road trip. when we took the car in for its scheduled service, the mechanic said that he could not rotate the tires due to excessive wear. the wear worsened and, before we got home, we had to stop to get the car looked at as the metal thread was showing through the worn tire. it was diagnosed as being excessively out of alignment. subaru paid for the alignment and, after a struggle, the tires as well. thinking this was it, we were on our way.
this past summer, a few weeks ago, we moved across country. we had our mechanic perform an alignment just to be safe. they installed the trailer hitch and verified that all would be all right (max tongue weight 200 lbs). the same problem occurred as before but while it took near 10,000 miles last time, this time it occurred in less than 4,000. again, the alignment was excessively positive.
i should state that we were well under the 900 lbs max load for the vehicle.
needlesstosay, this problem should not occur with any vehicle when below the max load.
for your information - subaru, in '07, issued a service bulletin with new alignment specifications and tire pressure guidelines (upping the pressure to 40 psi under load).
today, after 2 weeks, subaru said that they'd give us $500 towards a new car. naturally, due to the meager sum and lack of care, we declined and are looking into legal action.
the last mechanic said that he has seen this problem - has anyone experienced anything like this? any excessive tire wear? that is the first sign - you may not know it is due to faulty alignment (although you probably do, as it would continue to happen without repair). has anyone had to get many alignments done on their car?
sadly, we are in the process of getting rid of our subaru. we thought this was a car for the outdoorsman but if it the alignment fails under normal loads, something is severely wrong.
i would be happy to discuss this more with anyone - just contact me via the forum.
wishing you the best.. ~ari
You had the problem in 06 for the first 10k miles.
How many miles are on the car now?
Is there 14k miles on it now (10k then new tires and alignment + 4k on 2nd alignment)?
Also did the same shop do the alignment on your car both times?
I have an 05 LGT, no alignment issues, except after I hit an apex too tight on-track and put a wheel into a big pothole at 50+ mph, then it needed a new alignment!
-mike
Motorsports and Modifications Host
I usually suggest the Sumitommo HTR+ for good all-seasons at a great price with good dry and wet handling. Not sure how they would do off road though.
-mike
I have always liked the Pirelli Scorpion tires. I just put the STRs on my Dad's Trooper.
-mike
I took the car to the dealer and said that the tires were wearing prematurely and there must be something wrong with the alignment or some other problem with the car. He said that it was my fault for improper inflation, in that the wear patterns indicated under-inflation. I told him I know how to keep my tires properly inflated but got nowhere. I foolishly agreed to let him replace all tires with new Potenzas. They also did a balance and alignment.
20k miles later with regular rotation and proper inflation, I am seeing the exact same wear pattern as before. (see photos below). I am steeling myself to go back and argue with the dealer, even though I know it's not going to do me any good. Regardless, I would like to have this problem fixed. Does anyone have ideas about what might be causing this excessive and uneven wear?
thanks for your help
Rear tires:
Fronts:
You do need 4 new tires, though. The rears are totally spent and the front won't last another winter. Shop now.
I can't help you with the details of the TSB as you need to subscribe (pay) to download them from subaru.com, but your dealer and/or /Subaru Customer Service might be able to enlighten you.
Juice is correct in your needing four new tires, but also see if your rear alignment needs correction as per the TSB.
I suspect that the original alignment values and tire pressures resulted in the outside edges wearing too quickly. Have you been carrying heavy loads?
I noticed no oddities on my 2008 Outback's tires, and I had a heavy load (probably more than the rated capacity, to be honest) in it for the first 5500 miles of its life. Maybe they had the issue corrected by then.
Have you not had the 4-wheel alignment reset? If the tires are wearing unevenly, that would be a good place to start.
The Potenza are probably not overly reliable as a test tire, as they wear very quickly anyway. General reports seem to give them a lifespan of 20-30,000 miles.
The tire pressure stamped on the side of the tire is the maximum cold pressure the tire should ever be at. that is usually a lot higher than what the vehicle manufacturer stamps on that little plate on your car which they think will give you the best ride for that vehicle
Did you get it worked out?
I've gone thru two sets of RE-92s and I'm on my second set of Conti Extreme Contacts and will probably go with a third set when these need replacing. I always get an alignment after new tires are installed.
Thank you for your comments
-mike
Subaru Guru and Track Instructor
-C.R.
Stock is 205/70R15.
The tire size calculators indicate that the sidewall and circumference aren't much different. You'd think they'd be the same since the first number indicates section width but go figure.
My all-seasons are getting older and I can score a deal on some almost new Yokos. But I may want to stick with a skinnier tire for my snowboard trips -- maybe I won't notice the half inch extra (ok, .393 inch wider).
thanks, Steve, visiting host
Stock is 205/70R15.
215/70 may rub the rear struts. IIRC, there is very little clearance between the tire and rear strut w/ the stock 205/70. It's basically YMMV since the same size tire can vary across manufacturers.
P.S. Pretty sure it's OK to put 215/70 on the stock wheels.
I agree that it is *possible* that the strut towers might rub, but the increased width is less than 0.2" on each side of the rim, so there is a good chance you will have sufficient clearance. You should probably measure the current clearance to verify that, though!
I also agree that the tire will fit on the rims themselves with no problem. Even a 225 would fit just fine on the rims.
Yeah, not much clearance in the wheel wells. It iced up bad the one trip I did with studs.
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My husband and neighbors love the TOYO open country A/T tires, but I only see the size 225 70R16 in these. Will this work?
Thanks for any help!
I really like the OB and this is my 1st Subaru!!
. Anyway they put on a set of H rated 17" FUZION all season radials. They have an aggressive tread, but are really quiet on the road....Not bad in the snow either! They give a very smooth ride, especially for a "cheap" tire"!
My tire dealer told me they are "back door Firestones") and they seem to be wearing very well at factory recommended PSI, especially for a "cheap tire" (under $100 each) w/o mounting and balancing or tax. He buys them from Tirerack when he gets calls for them, which apparently have been increasing.
So far I would recommend them for all season! I have also heard good things about Hancock brand" if one is not out to spend a bunch of Moolah!
JMHO.
Going with a narrower tire is not a bad idea at all (such as a 215 as was suggested above). A 215/65R16 is as close to an exact match as you're going to find, and that size will fit the stock rim no problem.
I use this same size tire on my '10 Forester with some Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice (winter, not all-season) tires, and they're simply unstoppable - really fantastic tires for ice, snow, mud, etc. The stock size on that car is 225/55R17 - of course, I use a 16" rim for the winter tires!
Here's a link to an easy-to-use tire calculator: http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html
In general, keep any alternate tire size to within 3% of the stock size and you should be fine. I wouldn't go wider (such as 235) than stock.