Ranger83

...And having a full-size spare adding 20 lbs to the trunk doesn't make sense to people pondering how to rotate five tires on an AWD car that has a .25" circumference spec. It's a waste of money, space, and curb weight. And easily remedied if you don't like it. What 2006 car has a full-size spare as standard equipment?

A full-size spare fits. You have to take the foam tray out but there is room under the cargo cover. Find a new dealer as it takes about 30 seconds to verify this. You don't even need a tape measure - a stick or piece of stringwill allow you to prove it to yourself. The Outback is not an off-road vehicle. It's an excellent bad-road vehicle, though, and world-beating on gravel. But there are probably many other reasons not to buy one.

I bought my Subaru in NH, which does not follow the stricter emissions standards followed by the states bordering. I could do so because the 06 Subaru met all state standards.

Rain, snow and ice are all different requirements. The Michelin Pilot A/S is the best performance all-season, most likely. But once you add longevity, you're probably looking at the Goodyear TripleTred versus the Michelin HydroEdge. Couple of comparison tests (but without any snow testing) at: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/gy_assurance_c.jsp The HydroEdge on my 97 had over 6/32nd tread depth when the car was sold - with 67,000 miles on them. Here's the CR report. Please note that CR does not give consumers the raw data - just their scores. Amazing that magazines that take advertising publish the raw data, but "consumer oriented" CR will not, isn't it?

You have to run the tires 500 miles or so to really learn how they'll perform. New tires often have mold release on them and seem squirrely until broken in. Worn tires have the most responsive steering and dry grip, so most new tires seem a little unprecise. We've never bought Blizzaks because I didn't like the idea of having a different tread compound once they've worn down. We have Nokian RSI's on a V6 Accord and 06 Outback. We use Michelin X-Ice on our other van. A little known fact - Bridgestone owns Nokian. Here's what the Nokian RSI tread looks like.

If you live North or West of Manchester, there is only one passenger All Season tire that has the Mountain/Snowflake designation: the Nokian WR. I had Michelin Hydroedge on my 97 OBW, which in the CR All Season test were one of two top rated tires for ice and snow. The Goodyear TripleTred performed poorly on ice, according to CR (whose tires reviews in general are kind of lame). That said, most All Seasons are OK in snow the first season. We put WR's on our Mazda MPV for year-round use. In the Norwegian Motor magazine tire test, the WR did not do as well as the top-rated Nokian RSI or the 2nd place Michelin X-Ice, but it was within 20% - and it has a 50,000 warranty. We buy Nokians at Johns & Sons Tires in Manchester. Reviews: http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/hl/nokian.htm http://www.snowtire.info/TireReviews/2nd%20Annual.html I also posted a thread on LGT and the people who have them like them. Some are using them strictly as winter tires, to maintain good handling on dry roads. Much better choice than the popular all-seasons, at about the same price or a little more than Tripletreds or HydroEdge.

Hmm, still no affirmative word from dmanaenk on his tire selections......

Let me guess. If you read the fine print, it has words to the effect that you must present the coupon when you come to the dealership? In other words, you identify the lead source for them, and before starting price negotiations. $750 off a Baja is about 1/5th the discount they usually sell for - at least. The Subaru website is showing 0% financing [24 months] or $500 "Customer Cash" and most dealers would be happy to sell one at invoice, I'd guess.

No tires on your Legacy?

I've driven my 06 16,000 miles in 9 months and don't have any problems. The seats are different in the 06 according to Katzkin. Don't know about the 07's.

So, what exactly are you using for tires and what is your experience with them? You are deriding claims of others, so by all means post your own experiences.

If you are considering an XT better to post at Legacygt.com. More of them post there.

1. Huh? 2. Describe your choices and experience. The Michelin X has a 740 treadwear UTQG, and an 80,000 mile warranty. I just checked the Michelin X's on one of our minivans. They have 31,000 miles on them and have 8/32nd tread left. New is 11/32nd. The OEM Michelins on our 97 OBW's lasted 57,000 and 55,000 miles and were not worn out when replaced (Winter was coming). That's as much as double what people have gotten wit hthe Gen II and Gen III OEM tires. The Michelin X and X One replacements were replaced with 5/32nd tread remaining after 60,000 miles. The Michelin HydroEdge we replaced those with at 120,000 miles still had over 6/32nd tread remaining when the car was traded in - with 66,000 miles on them. So my experience belies yours. Michelin doesn't always make the best tire in any market category, but they seem to be the most reliable manufacturer for good dry and wet handling and long tread life. I guess that's why they cost more.....

Do some figure 8's in a parking lot and see if the noise increases on one side. That helps isolate the problem.

Most folks buy the H6 for towing. Or the turbo with automatic. The H4 is not fast to begin with. An auxiliary transmission cooler is a good idea if you are towing far. As an OBW weighs about 2X what you are towing you shouldn't have any worries. They are reliable and durable cars. The biggest complaint is poor wet road and snow traction with the stock Bridgestone Potenza RE92/RE92A tires. But they may have already been replaced on a used one.

Michelin X is still available in both the US and Canada. It is sold at Costco and Sam's Club if not other dealers. Michelin sometimes adds a name to a tire to prevent the chains and independent dealers from competing directly. For example, the Michelin X One and X Plus were the same tire. http://www.michelinman.com/overview/x_radial_dt/1722.html

There are a lot of simplifactions here for a phenomena that everyone has experienced. NTB will give you a tire depth gage, or you can buy one for about a dollar. Most new tire treads are 10/32 or 11/32nd when new. When they are worn down to the wear bars, they have 2/32nds. Some other rules exist in other countries: for example, some countries in the Alps specify that a snow tire with less than 5/32nds tread is no longer legally considered a snow tire. Tread depth is one factor in determining the speed at which you hydroplane. When tires are worn down to 5/32nd or 6/32, while they are still "legal" their ability to evacuate water is diminished. The issue with the RE92's is that they feel a little greasy in the wet, and their breakaway is abrupt. The best rain tires break away very gradually, giving you plenty of feedback as you approach the limit of adhesion. Why Subaru chose a tire that is ranked near the bottom of All Seasons for rain and snow traction for the newest generation Outback is a mystery. Especially considering the OEM Michelins that came on many Gen I cars. How bad is their reputation? I listed my OEM RE92A take-offs (with 500 miles on them - essentially new) on eBay in two auctions of two with a $50 Reserve price - and neither pair sold. They cost about $175 each new....... From: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/rulings/TPMS_FMVSS_No138/part5.6.html

We had them on one of our 97 OBW's. Excellent all-around tire and surprisingly good in snow.

Out of curiousity, what will CARFAX tell you about the car that would influence your buying decision?

I had a 97 and now have an 06 OB with H6. The H6 has more wheel horsepower on a dyno than the rated hp of the older H4 - at least on the dyno I used. And it has a five speed auto with sportshift. There's an immense difference. Our Nissan Quest minivan is faster than an H4 Outback - so is our Mazda MPV minivan, for that matter. BTW, I did my dyno run with Regular fuel, not Premium - Subaru "Recommends" Premium but does not require it and I can't tell the difference. The folks who bought H6's tend to drive a lot. So you're starting to see used ones from 2002 or so starting to show up with well over 100,000 miles, and no issues to speak of. The complaints are mostly the cost of used ones - not many were sold and they had lots of options, so they're hard to find and seem expensive compared to the H4's. Most are LLBeans with leather seats, sunroofs, and all of them are automatics. In 2006 they added variable valve timing, went to a nylon intake manifold, and boosted the hp rating to 250. The H6 in the older OB's is nicer looking though as you can see the cast intake manifold through the cover. This one is not pretty - but it's a great engine.

http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19790

What's better about it?

Speed rated tires are not specified by the manufacturer in the US market because they expect you to go out and drive at that speed all day. They are usually specified because the sidewall and other handling characteristics best meet the manufacturer's specifications. So, one would expect a factory certified car to meet their own specs. I would speak to the dealer. The S speed rating isn't unsafe - it's just not what Subaru specified.

I have an 06 3.0 and ditto - it runs fine on regular. I alternated back and forth between premium and regular and mpg and everything else seemed to stay the same. Even ran it on a dyno.

Looking at the dyno results, it appears the variations are well within those typical between runs.