Best Tires for a Subaru Crosstrek

1.Toyo Tires Open Country A/T III

Ride Quality: 7 Noise Comfort: 6 Handling: 7 Traction: 8

One of the few all-terrain tires that are fully suitable for the Subaru Crosstrek. Toyo Tires developed an interesting tire with the Open Country A/T III, managing to merge off-roading performance with composed asphalt behavior. This was possible thanks to some clever engineering on part of Toyo Tires.

The tire is quite tough, thanks to the usage of two plies when the sidewall was constructed. This provides a good feeling on gravel and asphalt, along with extra puncture protection. Despite this, the tire is still compliant enough to be used on asphalt without breaking your back, assisted by the tire blocks themselves which absorb a few shocks. You’re also receiving a 65,000-mi tread life warranty, which isn’t too shabby in the slightest.

A significant contact patch is apparent, although significantly hampered by the thick grooves and channels that compose the tread pattern. The sipes here are better designed at assisting with tire flex, and not local water evacuation, which is something to bear in mind. Snow performance should be quite good, as proven by the 3PMSF certification. This was possible thanks to the meaty channels, along with the highly angular tire blocks and channels. Overall, a strong tire, capable of off-roading and driving during Fall and Winter.

Where the tire doesn’t shine that bright is in really tough winters or warm temperatures. Asphalt performance is only adequate, which is emphasized by its poor aquaplaning resistance and its mediocre abilities in the wet. There’s also plenty of noise allowed inside the cabin, along with a somewhat tough ride. This means that this tire is very suitable for someone who wants to venture off-road and avoid highways. Used locally, for shorter distances, or at lower speeds, this tire is capable enough on asphalt, and on gravel or dirt.

1.Michelin CrossClimate 2

Ride Quality: 9 Noise Comfort: 7 Handling: 8 Traction: 10

There aren’t many tires out there that can make the Subaru Crosstrek even more capable than it already is. One of those is the Michelin CrossClimate 2, giving this humble Subaru the ability to drive in most climates the U.S.A. will throw at it. There have been many tests done to prove this claim, and the CrossClimate 2 came out on top of other dedicated, albeit mediocre, tires.

This tire gives a very composed and refined experience, being just soft enough to absorb most bumps while being harsh enough not to become a squirmy mess. This translates into good traction across the board, without significant sliding in most weather conditions. Its winter performance is certified by its 3PMSF certification, along with the myriad of tests you can find online. This tire also features a 60,000 mi tread life warranty, so it should last you a few solid years at a minimum.

Michelin tried to make the tread pattern capable of most stuff out there, giving the tire a little bit of everything. Its traction in dry, wet, and snowy conditions is remarkable. This was possible thanks to its V-type tread pattern, cleverly implemented zigzag sipes, and its split shoulders. Overall, this is a tire without major weaknesses and a good contender for someone with a Subaru Crosstrek who doesn’t want to be bothered too much with tire switching whenever the cold season comes.

Its faults aren’t many, the most significant probably being price. It’s one of the most expensive tires on the market today, but for good reason. Breaking on wet asphalt could be better, the tire performing quite mediocrely in that regard. Its last worth mentioning issue is noise, having a fair bit of noise generated by the tire.

2.Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady

Ride Quality: 7 Noise Comfort: 7 Handling: 9 Traction: 9

Some people experience climates that are more heavily biased towards cold, but they don’t necessarily require a dedicated winter tire. For those people, the engineers over at Goodyear designed the Assurance WeatherReady, aimed at bridging the gap between a dedicated winter tire and an all-season tire. Most Subaru Crosstrek drivers will find the Assurance WeatherReady to be more than enough in tough winter conditions.

The sidewalls are quite stiff, to keep it composed in drier climates. After all, it’s still an all-weather tire and not a winter tire. For an all-around comfort loss, you’re getting decent performance across all the seasons. Its winter performance is certified by its 3PMSF certification, along with some clever usage of compounds and tread patterns. Also, the tire is quite durable, sporting a 60,000-mi tread life warranty, many people being able to reach that kind of distance.

Its winter performance is heavily assisted by many zigzag sipes along with some cleverly shaped tire blocks found on the outside of the tire. This allows the tire to remain highly flexible, even in temperatures below freezing. The Assurance WeatherReady’s summer and dry performance come from its decently sized contact patch and the other two sets of tire blocks. They provide the tire good on-center feel, along with significant traction, without feeling overly squirmy thanks to some smart thinking done on their part.

Overall comfort is its only major downside, with the known caveat that the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady is better for slightly colder climates and not slightly warmer ones. This tire is both somewhat noisy and somewhat stiff, but nothing too bad. Also, there’s the problem of price. This tire is in the grand scheme of things a premium tire.

1.Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season Plus II

Ride Quality: 8 Noise Comfort: 8 Handling: 9 Traction: 8

Pirelli transformed the regular High-Performance Summer Tire into a strong touring tire with the Cinturato P7 All Season Plus. They took the Cinturato P7 grip levels and noise suppression and added all-season capability with a more pronounced focus on comfort. As such, a very capable tire for the Subaru Crosstrek owner who wants to cruise up and about in comfort and refinement.

Sidewalls are slightly biased towards comfort and softness. They didn’t sacrifice overall performance by doing so, the tire still showed good performance when pushed hard. A 70,000 mi tread-life warranty is supplied by Pirelli, as a sign of good faith regarding its wear resistance, which according to owners is nothing short of impressive. Bump and noise absorption is quite good, with nothing bad worth mentioning in this regard.

Its wet performance is showcased by a lot of small sipes, along with generous center grooves and significant outside grooves. The tire is quite safe and understeer prone, relying heavily on keeping contact with the asphalt regardless of how hard it’s pushed into corners. Indeed, it’s quite responsive and playful, all while having the ability to keep high levels of comfort. A recipe not many tires out there have discovered yet.

The most noticeable issue is regarding winter performance and abilities. Don’t take this tire out when it’s snowing or a light dusting of snow has fallen recently. You will slide all over the place thanks to a summer-biased rubber compound. In other areas, the on-center feel is rather strong, which some people will find appealing while others, who want a carefree experience, might find it annoying. Wet performance could also be somewhat better, performing marginally better overall than other similar tires.

2.Goodyear Assurance MaxLife

Ride Quality: 9 Noise Comfort: 7 Handling: 8 Traction: 9

While some enjoy quietness and comfort, others enjoy a dependable no-fuss tire that will last them forever. For them, we have the Goodyear Assurance MaxLife, a tire that was designed with wear resistance in mind. This feature is proven by an 85,000 mi tread life warranty, one of the largest in its class. Not only that, but you’re also getting a clever way of keeping track of the tire’s wear thanks to Goodyear’s Wear Gauge, which is a nice quality of life. This tire caters heavily to the Subaru Crosstrek owners who don’t care too much about tires, and just want to buy a set and forget about them.

The sidewalls are soft, providing the users with decent comfort levels and bump absorption characteristics. When looking at the tire blocks, we’re seeing that they are quite tall, assisting the already cushioned ride. For such resistant tires, they feel quite comfortable, having no issues with handling hundreds of miles a week.

Goodyear used a very simple tread pattern for the Assurance MaxLife. While analyzing all its features, we can see that the tire is capable in dry and wet conditions, giving your AWD Subaru Crosstrek all the grip it would ever need. The center rib gives the driver a good on-center feel, and its driving demeanor is straight and true. Thanks to some broad shoulders, the contact patch is also quite substantial, thanks to some adequately sized grooves and channels. 

Snow performance is, however, just as poor as Pirelli’s in this case. Not only that, but Goodyear traded some substantial noise suppression performance for longer tread life, and it shows. Thanks to the tall tire blocks, the ride is also somewhat squirmy, something that’s very apparent when pushed hard.

3.Yokohama Avid Ascend LX

Ride Quality: 10 Noise Comfort: 8 Handling: 7 Traction: 7

Basically a sister tire to the Goodyear Assurance MaxLife, but from another mother. The Yokohama Avid Ascend LX aims to provide good tread life, but they decided to trade a bit of dry traction for wet traction. As such, if there’s a Subaru Crosstrek owner who simply can’t use the Goodyear Assurance MaxLife due to an overly damp environment, then you have the Yokohama Avid Ascend LX to fill in.

Comfort-wise, the Yokohama is somewhat softer than most tires in its class, most considering it even overly plush. Bump absorption and noise suppression are good, especially for such a durable tire. I haven’t called it the MaxLife’s sister tire for nothing. The Yokohama Avid Ascend LX gives their owners an 85,000 mi warranty, which should be enough for a few years at least.

The tread pattern is quite interesting and is apparent from the get-go that it’s indeed very focused on wet performance. It has many sipes, many tire blocks split by short channels, a confident center rib for overall feel and traction that’s cut across by small sipes as well. The shoulders are broad, making for a substantial contact patch. Simply put, very capable in wet conditions and strong in dry ones.

The faults are basically the same. Snow performance is poor, albeit slightly better than MaxLife’s. Noise generated is somewhat better, while comfort is somewhat worse, being classified by some as too soft. The tire’s also too squishy and unsure if driven hard. A good alternative for Subaru Crosstrek owners who don’t see really warm summers and have really damp Falls.

1.Sumitomo HTR A/S P03

Ride Quality: 8 Noise Comfort: 7 Handling: 9 Traction: 9

Now, an Ultra-High-Performance tire doesn’t necessarily mean that’s a semi-slick or something. Some Ultra High-Performance tires can be easily classified as particularly grippy 2-season tires. That’s the case for the Sumitomo HTR A/S P03, which respects that pattern to a T. This tire is fantastic for the Subaru Outback owner who has warmer summers and doesn’t want to sacrifice performance nor comfort. 

In a typical Ultra-High-Performance fashion, the Sumitomo HTR A/S P03 leans on the tougher side. Despite all this, however, the tire is still quite compliant and decently comfortable and quiet. You’re also getting a 65,000 mi tread life warranty, making it dependable enough. The sidewall durability should also be quite good thanks to its two-ply construction, protecting against deep potholes.

The tread pattern is highly specialized, thanks to a few interesting bits of engineering done to the tire. On the one hand, we have 3 center ribs, one which looks quite simple while the other two feature an intricate design aimed at water evacuation, snow retention for snow-to-snow traction, and a fantastic feel in corners. The shoulders should assist in grip substantially, thanks to their overall width, especially the outside ones. As such, understeer should be at a minimum.

As far as faults are concerned, one worth noting is noise generation according to most users. They aren’t the quietest tires out there. Snow performance isn’t all that great, but still capable in a light dusting of snow. An issue that can be more subjective is their on-center feel, which isn’t the strongest out there.