Hello: It's time to replace my original tires. I've had recommendations from a couple of places (including dealer) for the following, and would appreciate feedback from anyone familiar with them. They are: General Altimax RT43; Continental TrueContact Tour; Firestone Destination LE3; Michelin Defender. Looking for a mid-grade all-weather tire that will perform adequately in upper Midwest winters, and are not horribly noisy (and I assume I am looking for all-weather, not all-season -- I understand there is a difference). Don't want to buy the cheapest but don't need top of the line either. Thanks.
2019 - Replacement tires?
('19+)
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I’m happy with Falken Wildpeak A/T. Noise wise, they are exactly the same as the stock tires as measured with a dB meter. With the OE tires, I was removing nails/repairing tires about every 2 months... I have yet to pick up a nail after about 20,000 miles with the wildpeaks. They seem to perform very well in the snow (I spend my winters in the mountains).
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Personally, a dealer would be one of the last places I would look for recommendations regarding which tires I should buy. If you don't have a trusted tire shop, you can always do some research online. Tire Rack is a good source for general and even detailed information about tires. Here's a link to their Tech Center that answers a lot of different questions you may have regarding terminology, tire sizes, ratings and so on:
They also have tire reviews so even if you don't buy tires from them, you can still get an idea of what type or even model that will work best for you.
As for "all-weather" vs. "all-season", the terms are a little misleading as it seems they would be one in the same. I don't go by that terminology myself but I'm guessing all-season means those with M+S (mud & snow) ratings while all-weather might be those with the 3PMS certification. .....or "3 peak, mountain snowflake". The latter is simply more capable in snow, etc. and I'll wager it's what you are looking for. Most M+S / all-season tires I've had were really just "3 season" tires good for dry, wet and maybe a little bit of slush, etc.
The Wildpeak @Cddelta mentioned is a popular choice right now and worth a look. It also carries the 3PMS rating.
They also have tire reviews so even if you don't buy tires from them, you can still get an idea of what type or even model that will work best for you.
As for "all-weather" vs. "all-season", the terms are a little misleading as it seems they would be one in the same. I don't go by that terminology myself but I'm guessing all-season means those with M+S (mud & snow) ratings while all-weather might be those with the 3PMS certification. .....or "3 peak, mountain snowflake". The latter is simply more capable in snow, etc. and I'll wager it's what you are looking for. Most M+S / all-season tires I've had were really just "3 season" tires good for dry, wet and maybe a little bit of slush, etc.
The Wildpeak @Cddelta mentioned is a popular choice right now and worth a look. It also carries the 3PMS rating.
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I hd the General RT 43 AltiTrax (different General tire?) on my 2003 Forester AND my 2015 Outback and loved them. Good in snow AND dry, heavy rain and pretty quiet, reasonably priced, no significant decrease in MPGs...........when my 2019 Touring Forrie is due (if I don't upgrade to the newest Sube Forrie at that point), I'll be getting Generals again.......I got mine from Tire Rack.....
I purchased the Falken Wildpeak All-Terrains about 4000 miles ago and freaking love them. Like mentioned above, no louder than the original tires on the road, but much better traction on and def off the pavement.
+1 for the Wildpeaks
+2 for the Wildpeak Trails, but the OP is looking for an All-Weather Tire, not an All-Terrain tire.
Continental True Contact on mine for summers. Nice quiet tires that enhance the suspension while providing good grip in most conditions. I like the fact they are non-directional, and that you can easily rotate them. They are very similar to the Yokohama Geolandars that were originally on my 2011.
I put Michelin Defenders on my 2014 Legacy; frankly, they're the best tires I've ever purchased. I would up putting Goodyear Assurance Weatherready's on my 2018 Forester, only because the Michelin's weren't readily available. The Goodyear is a good tire and rock-solid in snow, though my mileage has suffered somewhat.
I've spent the last 6 years switching between all season and winter tires every year. I've gotten tired of doing that and have decided that next winter, I'm going to switch to an all weather tire with the 3PMS symbol. I've seen lots of good reviews on the Michelin Cross Climate 2's and will be buying a set of those.
I replaced the OEM tires on my '16 Forester base with Continental True Contact tires. They were a huge improvement over the stock Bridgestone tires in rain & lasted longer.
I had the True Contact Tours put on my '17 a couple of weeks ago. I've had the car a little over a month. There was a fairly new set of Geosquealer G91s put on by the previous owner not long before she traded it, but they were living up to their noisy reputation even with 90+% tread left on them.
We've had two sets of Contis on our '05 and they've been great. Got 70K out of the first set and have about 50K on the current ones. We have the Pure Contacts on the '05, but unfortunately Continental doesn't make that one in 225/60-17. Got the next best thing in the True Contact. So far so good. Rain here in KC today and they did great. Looking forward to snow.
We've had two sets of Contis on our '05 and they've been great. Got 70K out of the first set and have about 50K on the current ones. We have the Pure Contacts on the '05, but unfortunately Continental doesn't make that one in 225/60-17. Got the next best thing in the True Contact. So far so good. Rain here in KC today and they did great. Looking forward to snow.
I run General Altimax RT43's on my 2016 Forester. I'm very happy with them. They're better on snow and ice than any all-season tire I have run. If I didn't go with these Generals... I would probably go with a much more expensive tire... like the Nokian G4.
General Altimax RT43 is pretty good, also take a look at Cooper Evolution HT which is a quieter ride than Altimax. Both tires will do fine in Upper Midwest.
If you are looking for an All Weather Tire that will work well in winter snow and where ambient temperatures are mostly well below 40 degrees Fahrenheit through the Fall and Winter months then you should select a dedicated Winter Tire, which by default meets the "severe snow service" standard and will have the Three Mountain Peak Snow Flake (3MPSF) symbol molded in the sidewall - or- at the very least, a "winter bias" All season / All Weather Tire that also meets the "severe snow service" standard. By the way such tires meeting the "severe snow service" standard, as denoted by the 3MPSF symbol, are now required by law in Utah, for example, and have been required in Quebec and elsewhere for a number of years now during designated winter months.
Tire Rack has a selection of such tires. I have long preferred Contis, but because they don't have a size that fits my VW Alltrack, I went with Vredestein's Quatrac 5 which has been replaced with the Quatrac Pro in some sizes at Tire Rack, though Vredestein US still lists it as a current tire. I fitted the Quatrac 5 to not only my Alltrack, but my wife's Fiat 500 and daughter's Forester.
Vredestein:
Tire Rack has good reviews, but I prefer those from Tyre Reviews UK:
Summer All Season All Weather Winter Nordic and Studded Tyres - Tyre Reviews and Tests
Winter tyre buying can be a confusing challenge, as there are now six types of tyre you can realistically fit to your car. But which is best? To find out, I test summer, all season, all weather, ...
www.tyrereviews.com
2020 Tyre Reviews All Season Tyre Test - Tyre Reviews and Tests
With the promise of one tyre to work in all conditions, all season tyres are a rapidly growing market segment. To find out which of these all season tyres is best, and whether they can match a ...
www.tyrereviews.com
Note: On my wife's Mini she got after we moved from the West Coast to New York, I ran BMW approved Conti winter tires on the car year round as it was used just as a "city car". We replaced it with a Fiat 500 after seven years. I got excellent tire life and service from those winter Contis on the Mini.
I recommend the Falken Wildpeak AT as well. I just put them on my 2021 forester. an excellent tire that seems to be designed for the Subaru.
I love my continentals. I have the Continental True Contact tires on my forester, my Wife's Honda, and my Brothers Caliber. I also just recently put Continentals on my Pickup and Mini Van. TrainContact A/T for the Truck and CrossContact LX25 on the Mini Van. They have all been great for everything I have put them in. I live in the central valley of California so not exactly sure about snow performance but they tested very well on Tire Rack for snow as well. Rain and dry the vehicles feel like they are on rails.
The Forester and Honda have had them for over 4 years and no complaints at all.
The Forester and Honda have had them for over 4 years and no complaints at all.
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