Opinions about the "best" replacement tires for a 2000 Outback SW?

Take a little trip to Canada and pick up some Motomaster Touring 160s at Canadian Tire. Great tire for a price that can't be beat. Anything is better than the Wilderness which were a poor tire choice for the Outback to begin with!

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Ron

I really like the Goodyear Regatta II's currently on my OBW. Had BFG Precepts before that, which were good, but I like the Regattas better. Triple-treads are great, but you could save a few bucks with the the Regattas and still be happy.

I have put 10,000 miles on the Goodyear Tripletread and can sum them up in one word: WOW! What a difference. With my old tires, I had to turn up the stereo once I got on the freeway. I don't even touch the dial now. You will not believe how quiet these tires are. I used to think the reason I felt every crack in a road was the Outback's stiffer suspension. The difference with these tires is incredible. I took a tight circle freeway offramp with a

20 mph speed limit at 40 mph and the car took the turn better than going 20 mph with the old tires. Where I used to get a side lean in a corner, these tires hold solid and make cornering effortless. I was driving down the freeway going from dry road to heavy showers and could feel no difference - and the traction was solid.

I also tried them up in the mountains. While I was there I got to try the tires in snow, ice and combo of slush and ice. I was amazed how well these tires griped in all these conditions. I was deep in the mountains on logging roads and really tested these tires. They exceeded my expectations!

Sears has the Tripletread "on Sale" right now. They get $115.69 each (plus a rebate coupon for $50) but their total adds up ti $622! That means they must charge a really high installation/balancing amount along with a high disposal charge for the old tires. This price also includes 6% PA stste tax.

Tire rack has them for $96 each plus $33 shipping and a local authorized (by Tire Rack) repair service/installer gets $10/$15 each and a $2 each disposal fee. That would make the out money less than $500 - a big difference!

Thanks Dan (and others) for your advice and especially for confirming my thoughts on the Triple Tread by Goodyear.

I am going to the local dealer today to get more details (his yellow pages adv has a Tire Rack logo in it).

I will also call my order in so that I can see if Tire Rack has info about the $50 coupon.

Thanks again.

Warren

I've been running Toyo 800s on my 98 OBW since 2001. They are quiet, handle well and have lasted well over 100K miles.

Just found out that there is a current $40 coupon (rebate) for the TripleTread tire for my outback (and others).

This, along with the $96 TireRack price, (which my local dealer will match) and mu dealer's pre-Memorial Day special on mounting and balancing ($12.99 each) brings my final tire cost down to $105.57 each (after I get the rebate).

Looks like I should jump at this deal!

Warren

That is an excellent deal. I got mine from Discount Tires. The total I paid, including mounting and balancing, was $450. Since buying mine, I have seen a rebate offer from them for $50 at two different times.

Good luck... you are going to love them!

What kind of tire does the Tripletred aim to be? I think I'm willing to sacrifice handling if I can get a little more ride comfort. Durability is not a concern for me.

In reading the write-ups on them, talking to tire experts, reading reviews and putting over 10,000 miles on them... I really think the aim is to be the best all around tire without having any area that you have to sacrifice in. The tire has improved my car's handling, performed excellent in torrential down pours and surprised me with its ability in snow both on and off road (see my earlier post in this thread). One thing that really stands out is how much better these tires performs in all categories, including in the snow, from my old Michelin XW4. Also, the drop in road noise was also unreal.

That TripleTred has been appealing to me, except for some reports of high rolling resistance, and resultant lower gas mileage. Also, it's a T-rated tire, unlike the H-rated OEM Yokohamas. A T is good to 118 MPH. I've only had my Forester XT up to 100, very briefly, once. So I suppose the T is no problem. Nevertheless, I'm also considering a couple of Yokohamas, the AVS dB S2, and the Avid H4s. Anyone with experience with those? They look real good on TireRack.

Another concern: the TripleTred weighs 27 lbs., versus the two Yokos weight of 23 lbs. More unsprung weight.

HW

I have put 5000 miles on my triple treads (on my forester). I love them! I paid around $420 installed (After $40 rebate). I also have not noticed any drop in mileage. They are quieter than the stock Yokos that came with the car, and MUCH better in wintery conditions and handling. They seem to stick better to the dry pavement as well. The TTs have an 80,000 miles treadwear warranty.

I love driving my car even more with these tires.

On my 2nd car (a 97 saturn), I have the good year regatta2 on. That too, is a pretty good tire. But leans more toward comfort than performance, and is not as good in the wintery weather, but I have never gotten stuck either. The regattas also have a high treadwear warranty as well.

If you can afford the extra $100 or so - get the triple treads.

Dom

Is there an online source of authoritative information about the rolling resistance of different tires? I'll need a new set on my 98 Outback soon and in view of the amount of highway driving I do, it could be a material issue.

All the driving I do is highway - 37 miles each way (2 miles of that is rural side road). I haven't noticed any drop in mileage. I have been consistenly averaging 28 mpg in my forester between the original Yoko tires and the new triple treads. Other than effecting mileage, why is there a concern for rolling resistance? If there is any increase in resistance in the TTs, it must be minimal because I havent seen any effect on my mileage. :)

Dom

My interest is mileage. I drive about 35K per year, mostly on highways. The less I spend on gas, the better. I also equate, perhaps mistakenly, a smooth-rolling tire with low noise level. Comments from the more knowledgeable?

Well as far as noise level, the TTs are quieter than the stock Yokos that came with my forester (not 100% quieter - but definitely quieter). I can say that much. Dom