USA Forester XT Tire pressure question

Oct 01, 2005 3 Replies

USA Forester XT 2005 Can anyone advise a good (safe)tire pressure to maximize gas mileage? I know what Subaru advises, but suspect that that is to maximize ride comfort. Tires are the original Geolanders. I want to increase gas mileage, but not take a chance on irregular treadwear due to overinflation. Car is driven primarily 85/15 ( % city/highway). Climate is hot, though cooling somewhat (daytime to 95°F in the Las Vegas NV area). Thanks


I think the recommemded PSI on the door jam is 28 PSI for the front and

27 PSI for the rear... I find that too low and I'm happy with 35 front / 34 rear PSI. I've been using 35/34 PSI since I bought my 05 X and rotates every 6k miles. No unusual wear at 13k miles. I've heard that if you use the recommended PSI, the outer edges wear out first. Check out
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forums.

Higher pressure (to a reasonable point) reduces hydroplaning though. Everything is a balancing act between wet/dry braking, steering response, fuel economy, etc. The Tirerack has some interesting pictures of the tire footprint of the same tire at 25, 30, and

35 PSI.

Also - a good tire pressure should be tire dependent. Some tires just work better at higher pressure than you see in the door jamb.

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