[denverericj]

I was wondering if any of the forum members or dealers can comment on the tire brand/model you are seeing. Are they the same on the Limited/Touring and the Premium/Base outside of the size difference? Are they the same regardless of where in the country they are going? It would be nice if Subaru put more solid all season on tires going to the northern locations vs those going to FLA, etc. As I mentioned before, the OEM tires on my 2016 Outback were junk all season tires that felt unsafe in an inch of snow. Subaru builds a brand around experiencing the outside and then cheaps out on the tires.

 

[meyeracer06]

I was wondering if any of the forum members or dealers can comment on the tire brand/model you are seeing. Are they the same on the Limited/Touring and the Premium/Base outside of the size difference? Are they the same regardless of where in the country they are going? It would be nice if Subaru put more solid all season on tires going to the northern locations vs those going to FLA, etc. As I mentioned before, the OEM tires on my 2016 Outback were junk all season tires that felt unsafe in an inch of snow. Subaru builds a brand around experiencing the outside and then cheaps out on the tires.

I believe all trims have the same Falken Ziex ZE001 All-Season tires - 245/60R18 for the Base and Premium, 245/50R20 for the Limited and Touring. Tires will be the same from the manufacturer regardless of the location of shipment. Read link for the initial press release from Falken. FALKEN TIRES PROUD TO BE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT SUPPLIER TO BRAND NEW SUBARU ASCENT LAUNCHED AT LA AUTO SHOW | Falken Tire

Subaru tends to choose fairly low rolling resistance lightweight tires as OEM on it's non-performance vehicles, likely to help with MPG ratings. I agree, it would be nice if the OEM tire choices would be more performance oriented /outdoor capable. Tires are fairly easy to replace however, and serious off-road or performance buyers tend to purchase at least another set of wheels as well.

 

[Trey T]

They basically selected the tires based on the #1 compact SUV seller, the Nissan Rogue (per Falken's website).

If you want the best tire you just have to buy new ones that fits your area. Both Ford Explorer and Toyota Highlander both offers same tire design, all-season tires. Obviously, all-season tires are best at nothing, and decent in different weather scenarios (generally speaking).

There's a balancing act for folks that have winter season w/ 4mo+/yr. You don't want winter tires because they wear out faster when it's hot, which becomes a nuisance to car owners. The next best thing is this all-season tires.

In terms of tire performance, it's better to live in the southern area of US. In the south, we just have to worry about the material on the road (water), but in the north, you have to worry about the temp and material on the road (water or snow)

 

[denverericj]

Thanks for the replies. I just wish they would put something decent on their cars from the get go. Maybe the Falkans will be ok. The Bridgestones that came with the Outback were terrible. Tracked poorly in little snow and didn't hold up.
I didn't even get 20,000 miles out of them.

I did have a warranty issue with the front axle and Subaru credited me the original tire cost toward a new set of 4 which supported my love of this company. I added a little $ and got Yokohama Avid Ascend for another $40 a tire on the recommendation of the local Subaru shop. They are so much better. Similar to the Michelin's we run on our Pilot. While another set of tires for snow would be nice I really find that the Michelin LTX are great all year tires. I took my Outback on the Yoko's up skiing about 10 times. Tracked nicely on the winding switchbacks over Berthoud Pass in the snow. If I lived in the mountains I would have another set of pure snow tires but in Denver it is mostly dry all year and the occasional snowfall melts off quick. Lets home the Falkans are good.