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Best tires for the Subaru Outback

Top picks across four categories for the Subaru Outback, anchored to the current-generation OEM size 225/65R17. Every recommendation is selected from our 22,000-tire catalog by ranking on UTQG treadwear, mileage warranty, cabin-noise rating, and season class; no commission-weighted reordering.

By Mark Bishop · Last verified 2026-10-07

Daily driver

Best all-season touring

Long warranty, low noise, balanced ride. The one-tire compromise that works for 80% of owners.

Lowest cost per mile

Best budget

Best price-per-warranty-mile in this size. Trade-off is shorter warranty vs premium options, not safety.

Lowest cabin noise

Best quiet

Tread patterns engineered to break up the harmonic peaks that cause highway droning. Pick this if you commute long highway distances daily.

Cold-weather grip

Best winter

Dedicated winter or all-weather compounds that stay pliable below 7 °C. Necessary for >5 snow days a year.

Side-by-side

Pick the trade-off that matches your driving

All-season
BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2
Best budget
Goodyear Assurance MaxLife
Best quiet
Bridgestone Turanza QuietTrack
Best winter
Bridgestone Blizzak WS90
UTQG treadwear-820800-
Mileage warranty50,000 mi85,000 mi80,000 mi-
Cabin noise75 dB70 dB68 dB71 dB
Season classall-seasonall-seasonall-seasonwinter
Typetruck-suvtouringtouringpassenger

OEM tire sizes by year

What size does the subaru outback use?

Recommendations on this page are anchored to the latest model-year's OEM size. Confirm yours against the driver-door placard before purchase.

YearOEM size
1995–1996205/70R15Year-specific fitment →
1997–2000205/60R15Year-specific fitment →
2001–2004225/60R16Year-specific fitment →
2005–2007225/55R17Year-specific fitment →
2008225/60R16Year-specific fitment →
2009225/55R17Year-specific fitment →
2010–2014225/60R17Year-specific fitment →
2015–2021225/60R18Year-specific fitment →
2022–2026225/65R17Year-specific fitment →

How we ranked these tires for the subaru outback

We started with the latest model-year's OEM tire size; 225/65R17; and filtered our catalog of 22,000+ tires to those offered in that exact size. From there, four parallel rankings:

SUV-specific tire models (CrossClimate, CrossContact, Defender LTX) have reinforced sidewalls designed for the chassis mass and often a wider tread for better wet traction at higher curb weight. Use the side-by-side comparison above to weigh the trade-offs against your specific driving; highway-heavy, winter-state, performance-oriented, or budget-constrained.

NHTSA-reported issues for subaru outback

2
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Top issue category: Tires (General)

Reported across: 2026 – 2026 (1 year)

What owners described

Sidewall failure appears in 23% of these reports; about 1.5× as often as across all tire complaints. Percentages are shares of the 87 reports covering every model year of the Subaru Outback that include a written account; a single report can describe more than one problem, so they do not total 100%.

Reported problemThis subjectAll tire complaintsRelative
Sidewall failure 23% 15% 1.5×
Blowout or sudden deflation 20% 20% 1.0×
Loss of control, rollover or collision 8% 8% 1.0×
Bubble or bulge in the tire 5% 6% 0.8×
Tread or belt separation 3% 13% 0.3×
Cracking or dry rot 3% 9% 0.4×

Mileage at failure

38 of these reports state an odometer reading. The middle report is at 12,000 miles, with 8 in 10 falling between 1,500 and 65,000 miles.

In owners' own words

Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA about Subaru Outback. Reports are published by NHTSA as filed and are lightly cleaned here only to remove intake codes.

YOUR MANDATE FOR THE USE OF TPMS IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF GOVERNMENT GOOD INTENTIONS RESULTING IN LITTLE BENEFIT AND UNNECESSARY COST TO CONSUMERS. I WANT TO RUN WINTER TIRES ON OUR SUBARU AND PLANNED TO PURCHASE THE TIRES ON WHEELS EQUIPPED WITH TPMS SENSORS. HOWEVER, THE ONLY WAY TO RE-SET THE SENSORS IS TO TAKE THE CAR TO THE SUBARU DEALER AND PAY $90 IN THE FALL WHEN THE WINTER SET GOES ON AND TO PAY ANOTHER $90 IN THE SPRING WHEN THE ALL-SEASON TIRE GO BACK ON THE CAR. THE WINTER TIRES ARE EXPECTED TO ADD A SIGNIFICANT MARGIN OF SAFETY IN SNOW/ICE CONDITIONS. THE ANNUAL COST OF RE-SETTING THE TPMS SENSOR WILL LIKELY KEEP ME FROM RUNNING WINTER TIRES. WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF HAVING A TPMS SYSTEM THAT CANNOT BE EASILY RE-SET BY THE VEHICLE OWNER?

NHTSA complaint 1007264 · 2013 vehicle

THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 SUBARU OUTBACK EQUIPPED WITH FOUR BRIDGESTONE DUELER HP SPORT AS TIRES, SIZE: 225/60/R18 (NA). WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE VIBRATED AND THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL POPPING NOISE. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT. ADDITIONALLY, THERE WERE LINES FROM THE BEAD TO THE THREAD. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE POLICE ARRIVED ON THE SCENE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE TIRE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE TIRE WAS REPLACED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 16,927 AND THE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA complaint 1591638 · 2018 vehicle

Continental Pro Contact P 225/ 60 R 17 Driver side tire sidewall formed large bubble. Purchased in November 2021 and had dealer install 4 tires. Noticed large sidewall bubble on sidewall in January 2022. Only three thousand miles on tire. Worried that this is a lifethreatening safety issue. We brought the car back to the dealer. We were told they have not seen anything like it on a Subaru Outback before. But other complaints on this site and others show that sidewall bubbles on the Continental Pro Contact series of tires is a known issue and should be addressed before someone is seriously injured.

NHTSA complaint 1799563 · 2011 vehicle

Tires worn to wear bar 2/32 to 4/32 in in 28,000 miles. At severe risk for hydroplaning and possible accident related to all tires with premature wear. This is second full set of Michelin tires that have worn prematurely. The tires have been inspected by Costco tires which is the purchasing dealer. I have called the manufacture also Aug 18, 2022. They have started a warranty but was told it would be toward purchase of new set of Michelin. I do not wish to purchase their tires in the near future. I have been a customer with Michelin for many years and have always been very satisfied but recently the tires are very poor quality.

NHTSA complaint 1834199 · 2017 vehicle

Complaints are voluntarily submitted to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation and are not verified by NHTSA; they represent owner-reported problems, not proven defects. Counts can be useful as a relative quality signal across comparable tires or vehicles.

FAQ

What's the best all-season tire for the Subaru Outback?
The all-season touring slate above ranks the top options for the 225/65R17 OEM size. The leader is selected by matching subaru-segment fitment, all-season compound class, and premium-brand quality bonus. For most Subaru Outback owners, the all-season touring pick is the best one-tire compromise; long warranty, low noise, reasonable cost per mile.
Should I get a cheaper tire for my Subaru Outback?
The budget slate above ranks tires by cost-per-warranty-mile, ignoring brand premium. The budget pick is genuinely competitive on durability metrics; the trade-off is shorter warranty and slightly higher cabin noise, not actual safety risk. If you drive less than 15,000 miles a year, the budget pick will outlast your replacement window regardless.
Does the Subaru Outback need winter tires?
If you see more than 5 snow days a year or drive at sustained temperatures below 7 °C, yes; winter compounds stay pliable in cold where all-season rubber hardens, which translates directly to shorter braking distances. The winter pick above is 3PMSF severe-snow rated and works for the 225/65R17 OEM fitment. Storage cost is real (4 extra tires somewhere), but the safety margin in winter conditions is substantial.
Can I run a different tire size on my Subaru Outback?
Plus-size and minus-size alternatives within ±3% overall diameter are typically safe per the ETRTO standard. See the 225/65R17 upsize options for the full categorised alternatives table with verdicts.
Where can I buy these tires?
Each tire links to its detail page with live pricing from our online retailer partners. Out-the-door cost (including mount, balance, TPMS service, and disposal) varies by state; use the install cost calculator for a realistic estimate.

Last verified 2026-10-07.