The Subaru Crosstrek is a great SUV designed for drivers who value safety above all else. Central to this is Subaru’s legendary all-wheel-drive system that makes handling the Crosstrek easy, even when facing adverse weather conditions.
However, its sophisticated AWD system also makes many drivers wonder which tires are ideal for their Crosstrek. In this article, we will answer that question.
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Subaru Crosstrek Tire Size Overview
Contrary to what some drivers think, tire size is vital to the proper functioning of the automatic transmission and the AWD system. For this reason, it is important to respect the size recommended by Subaru depending on the generation of your Crosstrek.
- OEM Tire Size:
- Front/Rear: 225/55R17
- OEM Tires: Yokahama Geolander G91F, Falken Ziex ZE001 A/S
- Trims: XV, Hybrid
- OEM Tire Sizes:
- Front/Rear: 225/55R18, 225/60R17
- OEM Tires: Yokahama Geolander G91F, Falken Ziex ZE001 A/S
- Trims: XV, Hybrid
Choosing New Subaru Crosstrek Tires
While the Subaru Crosstrek is widely used as a daily driving vehicle, its amazing traction system allows it to hit dirt roads without a hitch. For this reason, you may wonder what factors to consider when buying tires for your Crosstrek.
What’s Your Weather Like?
Weather is definitely a crucial aspect when choosing your next set of tires. Do you live in an area where it rains a lot? How harsh is winter? These questions are important since not all tires are prepared to handle low temperatures and rain in the same way, even if they are marked as all-season. As a general rule, if you live in an area with adverse weather conditions, it is best to prefer tires with high resistance to hydroplaning and excellent traction on snow/ice.
What Do You Use Your Subaru Crosstrek For?
Are you planning to use your Crosstrek only in the city, or will you also venture onto dirt, snow, or ice roads? Keep in mind that most all-season tires are not designed for off-road use. Moreover, its internal construction is not designed to withstand potholes in the road or stones. In these cases, it is advisable to use all-terrain tires.
Comfort, Performance, Budget. Pick Two.
When you choose tires, keep in mind that you must align your expectations with the capabilities of the tire. There’s no point expecting an all-terrain tire to be as quiet as an all-season tire designed for the city. It also doesn’t make sense to expect an economy tire to give you the same durability as a premium tire. Always seek a balance between the aspects that are most important to you. In the next section, you will find tires for different use cases of your Crosstrek.
Comparison of the Best Tires for Subaru Crosstrek
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The Best Tires for Subaru Crosstrek
Achieving the perfect balance that we discussed in the previous section is not an easy task. For that reason, we have done the hard work for you selecting the best tires for your Subaru Crosstrek according to what you intend to use it for.
Best Overall Tires for Subaru CrossTrek
Continental CrossContact LX25
Ratings (out of 5)
Dry Performance: 4.60 / 5
Wet Performance: 4.60 / 5
Overall Comfort: 4.45 / 5
Treadwear: 4.60 / 5
Snow/Ice Performance: 4.25 / 5
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The reasons for choosing the Continental CrossContact LX25 as the best overall tire for your Subaru Crosstrek are many. This tire combines excellent performance in dry, wet, and snow with a smooth driving experience and tread longevity unsurpassed in its class. All of this is possible thanks to exclusive technologies such as Comfort Ride Technology, EcoPlus+ Technology, and Traction Grooves with special biting teeth. These technologies give you amazing grip and stopping power without compromising ride quality.
All in all, this is the ideal choice for demanding drivers who require a tire for their Crosstrek with few tradeoffs.
Other Specifications
UTQG Rating: 740 A A
Directional: No
TireRack Road Hazard Protection: Yes
Treadlife Warranty: 6 Years / 70K Miles
Price Range: $175 to $179 per tire
Best All Terrain Tires for Subaru Crosstrek
Continental TerrainContact A/T
Ratings (out of 5)
Dry Performance: 4.60 / 5
Wet Performance: 4.55 / 5
Overall Comfort: 4.50 / 5
Treadwear: 4.35 / 5
Snow/Ice Performance: 3.90 / 5
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If you are looking for the best all-terrain tire for your Crosstrek, then the Continental TerrainContact A/T is for you.
This tire combines extraordinary on-/off-road performance for SUVs like the Crosstrek. Continental’s exclusive all-season +Silane compound molded into a mild all-terrain tread pattern gives TerrainContact A/T excellent off-road traction without compromising dry and wet performance when driving in the city or highway. Moreover, unlike many all-terrain tires, the TerrainContact A/T gives you an extraordinary ride quality, making it an ideal tire for multi-purpose vehicles.
In terms of tread warranty, Continental backs this tire with a 6-year / 60k-mile warranty which speaks volumes about its durability. Possibly the only weakness of this tire is its performance in snow/ice; however, this should not be a problem for those who require a winter tire anyway.
Other Specifications
UTQG Rating: 680 A B
Directional: No
TireRack Road Hazard Protection: Yes
Treadlife Warranty: 6 Years / 60K Miles
Price Range: $189 per tire
Best Cheap Tires for Subaru Crosstrek
Kumho Crugen HP71
Ratings (out of 5)
Dry Performance: 4.45 / 5
Wet Performance: 4.20 / 5
Overall Comfort: 4.30 / 5
Treadwear: 4.00 / 5
Snow/Ice Performance: 3.80 / 5
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You may not use your Crosstrek as a daily vehicle, so you are interested in affordable and reliable tires. If so, the Kumho Crugen HP71 is a good option. These tires give you a good level of wet and dry traction, a 6 year or 65k mile warranty, and overall comfort of 4.30 / 5 which is not bad at all.
Disadvantages? The Kumho Crugen HP71 is not the tire you want to use on roads with more than an inch of snow, as its grip in winter is barely adequate for traveling at low speeds. However, the same comment that we made with the Continental TerrainContact A / T applies here; its poor performance in snow/ice is an acceptable tradeoff for drivers who still need a winter tire.
In short, the Crugen HP71 is a durable and safe tire, ideal for Crosstrek owners who do not travel long distances and are on a budget.
Other Specifications
UTQG Rating: 640 A A
Directional: No
TireRack Road Hazard Protection: Yes
Treadlife Warranty: 6 Years / 65K Miles
Price Range: $133 to $159 per tire
Best All-Season Tires for Subaru Crosstrek
Yokohama Geolandar G055
Ratings (out of 5)
Dry Performance: 4.25 / 5
Wet Performance: 3.70 / 5
Overall Comfort: 4.05 / 5
Treadwear: 3.80 / 5
Snow/Ice Performance: 4.25 / 5
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You may be wondering why we include a tire like the Yokohama Geolandar G055 on this list. To answer this question, it is necessary to understand that the Geolandar G055 is not an ordinary tire, it is an ecologically friendly tire with low rolling resistance. As a result, it helps you reduce the fuel consumption of your Crosstrek while helping the environment.
The special compound used by Yokohama for this purpose explains its relatively poor performance in the wet. However, this is offset by its excellent ice/snow traction which makes it a good alternative for drivers looking for a premium all-season tire. All in all, its generous 6 Years / 65K miles warranty and good overall comfort make this tire an excellent alternative for environmentally conscious drivers.
Other Specifications
UTQG Rating: 740 A A
Directional: No
TireRack Road Hazard Protection: Yes
Treadlife Warranty: 6 Years / 65K Miles
Price Range: $191 per tire
Best Snow Tires for Subaru Crosstrek
Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2
Ratings (out of 5)
Dry Performance: 4.30 / 5
Wet Performance: 4.60 / 5
Overall Comfort: 4.40 / 5
Treadwear: 4.15 / 5
Snow/Ice Performance: 4.70 / 5
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We have already mentioned that depending on where you live; you may require special winter tires. If so, few tires will give you the benefits of the Blizzak DM-V2. Bridgestone used the most advanced technology to make the Blizzak DM-V2 the most reliable tire even during the harshest winters.
Its tread pattern and its adaptive NanoPro Tech Multicell compound allow the Blizzak DM-V2 to give you safe braking, high resistance to hydroplaning, and a firm grip at very low temperatures. In short, this tire will provide your Subaru Crosstrek with the necessary driving safety, even on deep snow roads.
Other Specifications
UTQG Rating: None
Directional: No
TireRack Road Hazard Protection: Yes
Treadlife Warranty: 5 Years / Prorated until 2/32″ remaining depth
Price Range: $154 to $182 per tire
Conclusion
In this review, you have seen how there are multiple tire alternatives for your Crosstrek. Which one is best will depend a lot on how you use your SUV, the type of climate in your area, and your expectations in terms of durability and performance, as well as your budget.
People Also Ask
Have more questions about the tires for your Crosstrek? Then this section is for you. Here we will answer the most searched questions on Google.
Depending on the generation and trim of your Crosstrek, it may come equipped with 225/55R17, 225/55R18, or 225/60R17 tires.
Subaru generally uses Yokahama and Falken as OEM tire suppliers. However, this does not prevent you from using other prestigious brands such as Michelin, Bridgestone, or Kumho.
The durability of the Subaru Crosstrek tire tread depends on various factors such as driving style, tire brand, weather, and others. That said, a tire like the Continental CrossContact LX25 can easily last you more than 70k miles.
Unlike most SUVs in its class, the Subaru Crosstrek uses a sophisticated all-wheel-drive (AWD) system. In other words, all wheels suffer wear due to the traction they exert on the road. For this reason, it is advisable to change all four tires since otherwise, you may suffer a significant loss of grip on old tires.
Yes, the 2021 Subaru Crosstrek comes from the factory with a compact spare tire.