Like for a great many other vehicles, all-season tires are undoubtedly the best option tires for Subaru Forester. While a number of other options are also available today, all-season tires can allow the vehicle to maneuver through all sorts of weather conditions, without compromising stability and safety. This makes them the most widely recommended and sought after tires for Subaru Forester. These tires are engineered to be largely versatile i.e. they function in both hot and cold temperatures, provide a good hydroplaning resistance and hold some form of light snow traction ability. It is a strong option for anyone who seeks a good performance all year around.
Top 5 best all-season tires for Subaru Forester
If you are looking for the best all-season tires for your Subaru Forester, worry no more! Here is a list of the best options available in the market today.
Best replacement options for stock wheels:
- Michelin Premier LTX All Season Radial Tire 225/65R17 102H (Editor’s choice)
- GOODYEAR Assurance MaxLife all_ Season Radial Tire-225/60R17 99H
- General AltiMAX RT43 Radial Tire – 225/55R17 97T
Best tires for after-market premium model wheels:
- Falken Wildpeak AT3W All_ Season Radial Tire | 275/70R18 125S
- Michelin Defender T + H All Season Radial Tire 205/55R16 91H
1. Michelin Premier LTX All Season Radial Tire 225/65R17 102H (Editor’s choice)
The best all-season tire for Subaru Forester, in our opinion…
This 17-inch radial tire is our top recommendation if you are hunting for the best all-season tire for your Subaru Forester. This magnificent tire is as good in performance as it is in appearance. It has a unique and specialized tread pattern that has the ability to adapt to the road condition and provide maximum control to the driver. The tread compound of this tire is chosen for its ability to survive in challenging conditions. It is reinforced with functional elastomers and silica, the ideal materials for amplified wet traction, superior grip and better handling. Overall, these features add up to make this tire an excellent all-season choice for Subaru Forester. The cost of using premium quality materials, however, is quite high and makes for an expensive option.
To ensure safety in wet conditions, this Michelin tire has specialized rain grooves that open and expand when the tire comes in contact with water. The water is channeled away by these grooves, providing amazing grip and allowing safe and adequate wet braking. It is also capable of dealing effectively with light snow, thanks to the advanced sipes present in its tread which is not commonly seen among all-season tires.
This tire can be regarded as the most user-friendly option available in the market. If a quiet and comfortable ride is your major goal, this Michelin tire is the go-to for your Subaru Forester. However, the diminished tread life continues to be a great concern for this tire.
Pros:
- All-season performance
- Superior quality
- Strong grip
- Quiet and comfortable
- Backed by warranty
Cons:
- Expensive
- Compromised tread life
2. GOODYEAR Assurance MaxLife all_ Season Radial Tire-225/60R17 99H
The most durable all-season tire for your Forester…
Fast wearing tread can be one of the most frustrating things about a tire, especially if you intend to drive your Subaru Forester over long distances. In that case, this 17-inch Goodyear MaxLife tire is your best bet. It beats all other all-season tires in terms of tread mileage, lasting for a long time and saving your bucks. This tire is backed by an unheard of 85,000 miles treadwear warranty.
All thanks to the longitudinal grooves and block edges, this tire is capable of effectively resisting hydroplaning. Its specialized tread pattern and grooves are designed in a way to evacuate large amounts of water, so that sufficient wet traction is provided. This means that the tire can drive through heavy rain without even the slightest compromise on its grip, stability and braking system. Moreover, it can also survive light snow, owing to its all-season compound and biting edges. These allow for increased snow retention. However, the performance of this tire on heavy snow is, predictably, not as satisfactory as other conditions, so care has to be taken on tough winter terrains to prevent slipping.
The tire features continuous center rib and semi closed shoulders, which are innovative ideas meant for maximizing the contact of the tire with the road. This accounts for greatly magnified control and grip, and results in a smooth and comfortable ride. These specialized features make this tire a top choice when both dry and wet tractions are considered. Furthermore, the directional tread design results in even wearing, making the tread of this tire last for a long time.
Pros:
- Long tread life
- Excellent wet and dry traction
- All season performance
- Comfortable
- Fuel efficient
Cons:
- Might slip during heavy snow
3. General AltiMAX RT43 Radial Tire – 225/55R17 97T
The best all-season tire for those on a budget…
This 17-inch tire by General is another great all-season tire for Subaru Forester which stands out due to its low price. It offers a quality ride in all seasons, without being a burden on the pocket.
The tread of this tire is specialized in order to be compatible with all seasons. It has a symmetrical tread pattern, which is ideal for wet roads as it provides ample traction. To add to the wet traction, it has four deep circumferential grooves that evacuate water from the tread. The dual tread compound with silica makes this tire extremely sturdy, allowing it to withstand harsh weather conditions. However, at very high speeds this tire might vibrate noticeably.
This tire by General has the ability to tackle arid, rocky conditions without any significant hindrance due to uneven ground. Thanks to its tread design, it can effectively deal with any stones or gruels that might get stuck in the tread. Moreover, its tread has sipes, which are specialized biting edges for providing traction in snow. The ride provided by this tire is quiet and comfortable. So overall, it is an excellent all-season tire for Subaru Forester.
Pros:
- Compatible with all seasons
- Inexpensive
- Strong tread
- Amazing wet traction
- Quiet
Cons:
- Might vibrate at high speeds
- Not always available
4. Falken Wildpeak AT3W All_ Season Radial Tire | 275/70R18 125S
The most capable one among the pack…
This 18-inch rugged tire can be a game changer for your Subaru Forester, transforming its appearance to a much more aggressive one. It has a tough and rigid construction, allowing it to thrive in all sorts of terrains during all seasons. The tread blocks are massive and widely spaced, which means that the traction on dry, muddy, rocky, wet and snowy terrain is equally tremendous. Water and snow can be cleared off easily and the chances of any stones or gruels sticking into the voids is minimal. Cherry on top, this construction allows for self-cleaning in most cases, and maintenance of this tire is surprisingly easy.
This Falken tire has a specialized construction which accounts for a comfortable ride. The tread pattern is capable of resisting any hindrance to the drive by stones or debris. Furthermore, the tread features deep grooves and sipes, which are meant to hold onto the ground tightly and prevent the vehicle from slipping, even in heavy snow. This tire is probably the only all-season tire out there for which we can say so. Also, the grip of this tire remains uncompromised no matter how challenging the terrain is. Adding together, these features make this tire one of the top all-season choices for Subaru Forester.
This tire has certain protective features installed in order to ensure its survival in very rough conditions. The tread compound contains silica, which not only imparts strength but also contributes to the fuel efficiency of this tire. The sidewall is made of sturdy material, and has the ability to dissipate heat to the surroundings. This protects the sensitive components of the tire. These protective features, however, add considerably to the weight of the tire which can make balancing tricky without the assistance of an expert.
Pros:
- Excellent all season performance
- Rugged appearance
- Superb wet traction
- Can self-clean
- Strong
- Fuel efficient
Cons:
- Heavy
5. Michelin Defender T + H All Season Radial Tire 205/55R16 91H
Quiet, comfortable and luxurious…
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This 16-inch tire by Michelin is another all-season tire for a Subaru Forester. It has a sleek and elegant finish coupled with innovative features that make it a superb choice.
The construction of this tire is done using top quality materials. This accounts for better performance under all sorts of conditions. The tread design on this tire is meant to maximize the area of contact between the tire and road. This provides the tire with the advantage of being highly stable and maintaining sufficient grip to prevent slipping in rain and snow. To further enhance its performance in snow, the tread of this tire has multiple sipes that hold onto the ground firmly and provide ample control to the driver. This also makes driving around sharp turns and corners safe. To deal with wet and rainy conditions, this tire has specialized rain channels. These work by clearing water from the tread, preventing any hindrance to the maneuverability of the vehicle.
In the manufacturing of this Michelin tire, the comfort of the driver has been given utmost importance. The tread pattern, shoulder design and a number of other features combine to provide a smooth ride, even if the driving conditions are poor. The noise production of this tire is also minimal. All this feeling of comfort and luxury will be further exaggerated since you’ll be going for a smaller rim size than stock which automatically translates to better ride quality. Surprisingly, however, the tread life of this tire is quite less compared to what is claimed.
Pros:
- Performs well in all seasons
- Aesthetically pleasant
- Excellent traction in rain and snow
- Quiet
- Smooth ride
Cons:
- Shorter tread life
How to buy the best all-season tires for the Subaru Forester?
When looking for suitable tires for your Subaru Forester, we want you to keep these two things in mind:
1. Tread
It is a no-brainer that Subaru Forester is going to be used on the road for most people, most of the times. As such, the most suitable tire would be the all-season one. They help you effectively tackle the biggest threat you can face while being on the highway: rain. Also these tires, generally, do not need to be switched with another set during a specific period of the year until and unless you face some really harsh conditions. Unless you regularly take your Forester off-road, we would advice you against investing in dedicated mud-terrain or even all-terrain tires.
The tread could either be direction or non-directional, each with its own advantages. To see which one fits your requirements better, read the complete discussion here: Are All-Season Tires Directional?
2. Size
The stock rim size is 17 inches for the regular models which is what most people would be running. If you are running stock rims you’ll obviously have to go for 17 inch tires as well. If you own a premium model or have upgraded to 18 inch wheels, some terrific options and extremely capable ones are available in this size category. You will, however, have to compromise on ride quality dues to a thinner sidewall and a more aggressive tread design.
On the other hand, opting for a smaller rims size is basically trading aesthetics for comfort and reliability since a bigger sidewall will protect your car’s suspension much better. Opting for a 16 inch tire would be a great decision if you go for downsizing.
Read our similar article: Best All Season tires for Subaru Outback
