Ranger83

I had the benefit of comparing them to the HydroEdge on my old OBW on the same day in the same conditions. "They're not only merely bad, they're really most sincerely bad." We don't have any problems with the RE92A's now that they're on the minivan, either. But the OB is now much more stable on high speed turns on bumpy roads, and in wet cornering and braking with the Goodyear F1 GS D3's. I wouldn't get those tires if you have an H4: but if you have an H6 or XT, I recommend them as a summer tire.

Most Subaru MT versions are faster than the automatic versions, all theoretical advantages aside. My H6 (250 hp rating - 243 for 2007) has roughly 175 hp at the wheels. According to the dyno operator, most 2.5 turbos have more like 200 hp at the wheels. A number like 100-110 whp for a N/A 2.5 would not be surprising. The dyno operator (TDC Tuning in Concord, NH) has never done one so he didn't know.

Because they were taken or don't allow short names or because forgot which was which. If you go to legacygt.com, you will find over 200 threads about these tires - including one where the guy was picking up his car while it was snowing and nearly crashed leaving the parking lot! In the tirerack user surveys, they rank 20th out of 21 "High Performance All Season" tires. See http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=HPAS In my case, I was reluctant to blame the tires, as only a poor workman blames his tools. But my eyes were opened when my 97 Outback with Michelin HydroEdge and 45,000 miles on them did not hydroplane in one stretch of highway - and my brand new 2006 Outback 3.0R (with 225/55r17 Bridgestone Potenza RE92A's) did, on the same highway, at the same place, in the same conditions. In the rain they feel greasy and do not provide linear feedback - better rain tires have much more gradual and communicative break-away. The question of what to replace them with is not so simple. I have Goodyear F1 GS D3's now for summer, but that would be overkill on an H4 and they are helpless in snow and ice. I use Nokian RSI's in the winter but may get a third set of wheels with Nokian WR's to try over winter to see how they compare. The Yokohama Advan series seems to be a A/S popular replacement, but I've never tried them.

On other Subaru forums like legacygt you will find many threads complaining about the performance of these tires in rain, snow, and ice. They are quiet and have a smooth ride and low rolling resistance. I was reluctant to fault the tires but after switching to dedicated summer and winter tires I have to say - life is too short. Sell them on eBay, give them away - or put them on a company minivan like I did - but get better tires! Is it worth driving aruond for a couple of years on the tire rated 22nd out of 23 A/S tires when you can replace them for $6-800 and be happy and safe? What I don't understand is why someone goes out and spends $22,000 to $33,000 on a new Subaru and then drives around on the Potenzas until they wear out!

Maybe the XT, not the H6. Stock XT's down around 14 seconds flat in the quarter are not unheard of.

Nope, just about any Civic Si could dust the H6 as well.

Bottom line - don't race anyone in a Subaru unless it's snowing....

Apparently you didn't see the SEMA Forester XT Sport - which apparently will be produced. Tons of Foresters here in Boston and other urban snowbelt cities - lots of room for a short, easily parked vehicle. From autoblog:

Very good advice!

2005+ Outbacks and Legacys are a big step up design and refinement wise. Beware of used WRX's which are sometimes the victim of inexperienced drivers who think 0-60 acceleration is their reason for being. Buy one from an old guy.....They are also very expensive to insure.

It says they're run to SCCA Solo II [autocross] rules so you can look them up online - like at: http://www.moutons.org/sccasolo/Rules/stock.html#s134 Wider wheels take you out of Stock.

Ultimate Outback speaker thread: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=7141

On another site Brucey posted the key - a 1" spacer between the rear subframe and body....

1. Folks have retrofit the Subaru system by buying the bezel and other components and integrating it with an aftermarket screen. But there is almost no reason to do so, since aftermarket systems can be integrated with the audio and have larger screens (if desired). I just bought a Garmin Nuvi 660 and the screen is about the same size - and it cost $750.... The Nuvi also fits into the glove box in the center of the dash (where the nav goes) which is handy. 2. It is wierd, the dealer should adjust the suspension to center it. 3. My car does not tick. 1,000 miles is still very new. 4. Gas mileage on the first few tanks is always bad. My worst mileage of any tank was the third - 16.5 mpg. As you don't give any #'s I can't tell you whetehr it is good or bad for the vehicle. I log all fuel use and it is clear that the average improves during breakin - the first 20,000 miles.... 5. No. Some dealers (like mine) say it interferes with the variable valve timing. But I have run Mobil I from the first change and seem to have comparable mileage and performance as those who do not. Oddly, it used about 1/2 quart in 5,000 miles on the first change, but none since. A caveat on mileage - I live in the city, drive a fair amount in city traffic, and my commutes are on fairly crowded highways. Whenever we get a chance to take a "pure" highway trip, we average 25-26 mpg for the tank, driving 75 or so. Most folks could do better. Changing the stock Bridgestone RE92A's (if yours is so equipped - some 07's seem to have Yokohamas) will make it a much better driving car. I put on Goodyear F1 GS D3's for summer tires. They're phenomenal in dry and rain.

There was an 8 page thread here with detailed instructions and lots of feedback on speakers and vendors. But you can only search a year bak, so it maty be gone. I bought speakers from another site that was 30% less than Crutchfield - who gave me bad advice. If you have speakers in the rear doors, there is a plastic shield over top. If you cut the lip of the shield off, almost any speaker will fit. I replaced the fronts with speakers with built-in tweeters and disconnected the ones by the mirrors (if you have them). I bought a double DIN AM/FM/WB/CD/Cassette unit from a newer Subaru on eBay, brand new $160. Plenty are being yanked out of WRX's so you can get them even less as takeouts.

Why don't you call the dealership? It's roughly 20 miles and a 75 cent tolll.

I put 225/55r17 Nokian RSI's on my 06 3.0R. No clearance problems. The X-Ice is available in 225/55r17. Narrower tires usually work better in snow and not as well on ice or dry roads. When buying dedicated snows I usually optimize on ice traction/stopping and wet road handling as snow traction is seldom a problem for an Outback. It's the black ice in a corner that makes the hair stand up on the back of my hands. We have X-Ice on one of our minivans. They are a little quieter on the highway than the RSI's but the dealer (who sells both) says the Nokians last longer. For high mileage drivers and lots of highway driving on bare roads, a lot of folks are starting to use the Nokian WR, which isn't quite as capable as the X-Ice or RSI, but has a 50,000 mile treadwear warranty - the only passenger all-season with the Severe Duty snow rating.

http://www.cars101.com/subaru/tiresandwheels.html

You think that's bad compared to the Tribeca? Really? With the [now discontinued] grille known in some circles as the "Winged Mangina"? The faithful descendent of the SAAB 96? Or the chromed shark tooth grille of the Morono? An AWD vehicle that costs several thousand less than an H6 Outback and has a 265 hp V6 doesn't appeal to you? What did you buy instead? SEMA is next week and I bet there are half a dozen aftermarket grilles available before the Edge hits showrooms. And they wont cost the $350+ that it costs to replace the Outback grille with the JDM mesh grille.

We have an 05 Nissan Quest and the Nissan V6 is a great engine, and happily burns regular. But the H6 is an outstanding engine as well. The Tribeca weighs almost 400lbs more than a Murano (and more than 600lbs more than an Outback wagon). Perhaps the CVT helps make it more responsive than the 5EAT of the Tribeca.

If you don't live where there's a lot of snow and can't have dedicated snows, the WR is not for you. The WR has a thicker tread than most tires when new. If you'd kept them a month, and inflated them properly, you would have had a different experience. They were developed for European drivers who drive down the Autobahns at high speed then must negotiate Alpine passes where ice and snow is common. Here's a review: http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/hl/nokian.htm The contact patch on the GT isn't any larger (there's no room) - they just did the "+1" and put lower aspect ratio tires on taller rims. As the car isn't very powerful anyway, and older cars aren't usually pushed very hard, most drivers would not notice the slower acceleration and slower suspension response that comes from such tires. the same things was done on the 06 Outbacks, that went to 17" rims from 16. The BBS rims I replaced the stock 5 spokes with weigh 4lbs less per rim. The TripleTred is not a Severe duty Snow rated tire. The WR is. In fact, the WR is often tested versus dedicated snows - with no treadwear rating. The TripleTred is not the best handling all season nor the best in ice and snow. It is a compromise like any other all-season, and has a cool looking assymetrical tread. You get tread life with harder compounds. Harder compounds do not stick as well as softer compunds. The Tripletred attempts to solve this problem with three different compounds. It will be interesting to see how people like them once they get 40,000 miles plus on them.

Videos of an H6 Outback wagon circulating an autocross track at Lime Rock http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYKJIVajAIE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuSng8n_BSo Note BMW Z4 not gaining on it..... Ford Edge is likely to seriously dent the sales of Murano and Tribeca, since people don't usually drive gag-me-with-a-spoon cars if they have other choices.

http://www.snowtire.info.

We put them on our Mazda MPV. I have Nokian RSI's on our Subaru. My wife doesn't drive enough to warrant two sets of wheels and tires; Boston doesn't get all that much snow; but we live on a hill so we need above average traction. The WR seems perfect for our use. I found many people on legacyGT.com who use them. Many people use them as dedicated snows as well. In German auto club (ADAC) tests, they performed quite well against many dedicated snows. They are quieter and have a treadwear warranty. And they look like this: While the dedicated snow, no UTCQ rating RSI looks like this:

http://www.cars101.com/subaru/tiresandwheels.html