What's it like running all-terrain tires on a Subaru? 

While negotiating a new Rubicon, the sales manger was trying to upsell a $200 nitrogen charge. I said " but if going off-road, I'll air down, then air back up when done." He looked at me like I had I had 2 heads. 😂

Props to you for making this balanced, and talking about unsprung weight and use case!

"I'm far from an expert" yet you have given more information then all of the experts I have spoken to over my past 3 weeks of tyre searching combined.

Toyo Open Country AT3 are my favorite. Its lightweight, not too pricey, 3 peak snow rated, great sidewall tread, and performs well on wet pavement.

I’m on my second set of K02’s. Before those I enjoyed the K0’s as well. I’ve had many different All Terrain tires over the years, on different vehicles, but I’ve found these to be the best in all conditions except maybe mud. (In mud they’re still pretty good) And they are definitely the quietest all terrains I’ve ever owned. Listening to my music (instead of my tires) is important to me, on the way out to the trails.

Brilliant! I'm researching tyres and lift options for my 2003 Legacy Outback H6 3.0. This vid has been really helpful.

Thanks for the info. And as an aside, you’re beguilingly zen in your delivery. Many thanks for the relaxation that I can now equate with the complex koan of trying to figure out the ideal tires and wheels for my new machine.

side by side comparison was nice to see puts everything in perspective

What an amazingly useful and informative video! You are basically having the rig I'm planning to have relatively soon and it`s totally awesome to get so much information upfront. The tire size comparison and explanation was the best I`ve seen so far. Tire wise I think the Cooper AT3 4s will be my weapon of choice, though it seems to be impossible to find street legal 15" rims here in Europe... or I'm looking in the wrong places... Also: Fantastic, almost Mythbuster worthy slow-mo ^^ Keep up the nice videos- much appreciated! Greetings from Austria love

Love your videos dude, thank you for taking the time to make this. Car looks great.

I bought a 2013 Outback last year. You have no idea how helpful the info on the tires and rims have been. I've been hoping to see a vid like this for hours. Thanks sir and keep up the awesome videos!

I did alot of research and then settled on the Falken wildpeak Trail tire 225/60r/17. P rating they have been a Great tire so far and my gas milage has stayed about the same. Thank you for your info on +15 off set that helped me on rims.

I have been running the Cooper Discoverer AT3s on my '13 Outback 3.6 for two years. I have taken them to the beach, the desert and the mountains. Love the added capability and aggressive look of all terrains on my Soob. Downside is reduced economy and road noise. The road noise was negligible when the tires were new but has increase with wear and age. The tire wear of the Coopers has been great though. 45k miles and they don't even look worn

Keep in mind a taller tire might be a little heavier, but what you also have to consider is a taller tire also raises the final drive gear, so it will seem less peppy.

Great video! Really helpful especially with clearance concerns! Been looking at getting the K02s for my 18 Crosstrek and I’m more excited to get them now

I just came across your channel and am I sure am glad I did. So much useful info in a straightforward way, interspersed with beautiful scenery. Now I understand what “softroading” means. Many ideas for my current 2018 Crosstrek and a future Forester. Thanks for what you do.

We've got the Cooper Discoverer AT3's on our SH Forester, stock 16" wheels. 225/70/16 and they've made such a huge difference. We haven't fitted a lift yet and they scrubbed a few spots so I had to trim the inner poly guards a bit but since doing so I haven't had any noise at anything other than full compression or extension. Massive difference to the desert trail driving in Central Australia where we live. Nice vid man!

Yeah, I went with the Cooper A/T 235/65/R17 on my 2019 Rav 4 Adventure at 29.2" they have the same O.D as the stock tires were, the tires were 6 pounds heavier but going with the 17" American Racing wheels 893 were 6# lighter, I'm having no lose in MPG's....Great tires.

The balloon demonstration was super cool! Thanks for sharing that!

I love your channel brother! So much great info, budget friendly as much as possible, and all about networking! Outstanding work! 🇺🇸💯

My Kumho Crugen HT51's have been a good choice for my Forester's use as an all-weather highway commuter that frequently sees logging roads and occasionally offroad. They're the most all-terrain like all-season I could find. Most of my Subi's miles are commuting miles, so having a tire that handles that well was top priority. I was thankful that a tire exists that could handle that well while still giving better offroad service at the same time.

Great video, thanks! While not a Subaru guy, I very much admire streak for adventure, and love seeing any vehicles capabilities fully exploited..plus, I’ve been a huge Ko2 fan myself for three years now. I’ve had the chance to personally see how they wear compared to a few other off road tires, and there’s no comparison. After running them myself, I came to the exact same conclusion. Noticeable weight, although not much noise for me..and expensive...but well worth it.

Very nice to watch. looking to get back into an outlook after being away for a while. THanks

Great demonstration about importance of airing down tires before off-roading.

Informative as always! Thanks for the feature :)

Thank you for running this channel and creating fantastic content. I'm just getting into overlanding, and it's difficult to find good information regarding the use of crossovers. Even though I'm not in a Subaru, most of your videos are equally informative for crossovers in general. (Though I remain jealous of the aftermarket support for Subies)

A great video - thanks for sharing. I’m looking to get either KM3 or KO2 - this was really helpful !

Really helpful and well-made video! Thanks for putting together and posting.

I've been looking for a video that explains certain things like this! I have a 2008 Forester running 215/65/r16 Falken Wildpeaks and always wondered if I needed to get offset wheels to make them stick out some like yours. Your comment about the +15 offset helped me plan for the future!! :)

Great video @softroadingthewest and useful Roo info for the AT rooers out there! I ran BFGs AT/KOs (old gen BFG AT) on my legacy for 55K miles (uber bald at that point). NA Ej22 in BD 95 legacy sedan 5mt 3.90 axle ratio on OB strut lift. They were heavy and of course taller and severely under-geared that drivetrain. I've since swapped to an OB then AUDM DR 5mt (aka, both 4.11 FD), which effectively re-geared the drive-train for the tire size (27.5" vs stock 24"). I've run 2 sets of General Grabber AT2s. I LOVED them for their mountain snowflake rating (they're studdable) and slightly more open tread pattern (better snow and mud shedding) when compared to the BFG AT/KO. The grabbers are also a softer compound (quieter) and so are more compliant on rock and sandstone (but questionably wear faster) and far superior in wet and particularly snow (when compared to older BFG AT/KO). BUT (and this is an important metric to discuss) the grabbers are 2-ply sidewall vs BFG's 3-ply. One can nerd out endlessly on tires and I've had lengthy conversations about tire carcass construction with friends. "Ply" rating is an antiquated metric, but a useful comparison and "descriptor" for comparing (with modern LT or all terrain) tires. It gives info on sidewall and tread patch strength. It is also important to know carcass construction of p-metric tires vs true LT (not just LT treaded) tires, and load range makes a difference in tire durability and strength when airing down. NOT ALL TIRES SHOULD BE AIRED DOWN EQUALLY, and dont expect similar performance from dissimilar tires when aired down. With subarus (as light-duty off road use), heavier load range tires (LR D and certainly LR E) may be TOO much for a roo, BUT a subaru's weight is also too low for such a burly tire (particularly LRE...which is probably not available in roo sizes anyway). At any rate an argument can be made that LR C tires are comparable to same-sized p-metrics BUT, the carcass construction of a true LT is arguably different from a p-metric. LTs retain strength when aired down and p-metrics (maybe less so on roos) can be hazardous and fragile when aired down for trail use (speaking of SUV use and experience here). Subys being relatively light vehicles, from 32 PSI to 25 could be considered adequate airing down on an oversized tire subaru (let's assume a LR C BFG AT/KO2... a light truck tire) whereas going from 35 to 18 is considered airing down in other heavier SUV and other 4 wheel drive vehicles. So, to recap, you make good points, @softroadingthewest, and I'll compliment by noting tire carcass construction is important as this can support confidence in airing down and how far you can confidently air down. REAL light truck tires, not just LT tread pattern (3-ply sidewall and 6-10-ply tread is common, vs 2-ply sidewall and 4-ply tread for passenger car tires). I had a cooper discoverer tire which had the LT tread and looked great, BUT it was a passenger car tire @ 2-ply sidewall and 4-ply tread. The grabbers were LT LR C tires, but only 2-ply sidewall (it's actually pretty hard to find 3-ply sides... even in the SUV real LT market, there are fewer than one would hope) but 6-ply tread, so good for airing down but fragile on the sides.... I sidewall punctured one, de-beaded another and pinch-flatted yet a third grabber AT2. Airing down dramatically increases contact patch (length, not width) and SIGNIFICANTLY improves traction while also softening the ride quality. Taller sidewalls will give you more 'room' to air down as well as provide greater ground clearance gains. Be careful of tire width and not just height. Depending on your rim's offset (factory @ 55), you may not have the lateral room for a significantly wider tire (the tire can contact the strut shaft on stock suby rim offsets if you go too wide with a tire... Aftermarket rims are great here (blessed methods!), also wheel spacers can give you that breathing room...but you may run into wheel well contact at full lock.... there are fixes for this issues however.

That was a nice presentation, it all start from the driver's needs, airing down is very important and more rubber than metal makes any offroader more efficient, now to maintain the same acceleration as the OEM tires setup either maintain the same tire diameter or lower the final ratio, my 2015 Forester came with 225/60R 17, I replaced them with 235/55R 17, a little wider but the same diameter, OK2 tires are exactly rated as you mentioned, I had them on my Land Rover Camel trophy, tough go anywhere tires. I will wait for your next video, Good job.

Most excellent video. I have been running KO2 tires on both my Tacoma and GMC 3/4 ton for several years and while not perfect, as tires are about compromise, they have done me well. Now that we also just purchased a 2021 Outback, looking to upgrade the oem tires supplied as we live in the mountains and this will be my wife’s daily driver. Narrowed down to Falken Trail, Bridgestone Blizzak, and Michelin Crossclimate2 as she is not going offroad

Very useful information. Thank you!

I’m a land cruiser guy but drove my Mom’s Subaru Baja this past weekend and have been watching your videos. You have great content keep up the good work!

Yes, I have been researching A/T tires for my 93 Legacy wagon AWD. Thanks for the reminder to air down for off road. Thumb up. ;-)

Thanks Donald. great informations about tires and KO2

Nice review and info, you are really using the car off road! I have the KO2s on our 2005 Sequoia and they are great, I think 1 of the best AT tires available, significantly better than Falken AT3W. I think your increased diameter is probably much of the reason for your decreased acceleration, plus increased rolling resistance.

just got a 2016 forester, looking forward to this

Thanks for sharing! Informative and answered questions that came to mind whilst watching. 👍

I had them on my 92 L series that I had lifted 2" and fitted an injected EJ20 to. Was a fair beast but was definitely a wild ride when the road was wet with the factory gearbox being front wheel drive when not in 4wd!

Excellent info covering all the questions one has on lifting and tire options... Airing down is important, and comfy... really love my Yoko Geo go15's @ 215/75r15...have a 4 1/2" adf lift with ~3" subframe drop... have beaten the heck out of these tires down in Baja, only aired down for the beach, didn't get stuck once, thankfully... thank you for a great video... I will surely relay... 👊🏼🙏🏼🤙🏼

I am on my second set of the KO2's on my '04 Land Rover Discovery. They are worth every penny. You are so right about road noise, though.

This is great info. I'm picking up an 04 Forester on Friday and it has the K02 on bbn it. 215/65/16, and it looks GREAT

Thanks for the tips and Sharing your knowledge and experience, appreciate it.

Lighter tires you can get in that size,are the toyos at2. 26lbs vs 32lbs for the ko2.They are also available in 215/80/15 which gives you 1/2'' more height-ground clearance.

as a subaru forester 2009 ovner . it a perfect video. thank you for the explanations

That balloon demonstration is probably the best explanation for someone that is new to the off road stuff I’ve ever seen,good job man.just found your channel 👍🏿👍🏿 also not sure about the size exactly but Milestar makes a bunch of good priced AT tires a lot of Jeep guys Rock them I’ve had the Milestar Patagonia’s on couple of my rides and had really good luck.

Thank you for the advice and products you showed on your video. Went to Great Basin National Park and deflated my PSI to 25 abs went over miles of gravel flawlessly

This important info, thanks for sharing. I dig the set up, For me I wouldn't mind the noise so long as it performs well while on the trail. 🤙

Great video, thanks for sharing this information and opinion. I got a '15 Forester Touring Edition - this comes with 18s, the only AT option for this wheel size is the Geolander AT that comes in two mileage ratings. Though I rushed into purchasing the higher mileage version a bit and didn't take/have the time/money to consider getting smaller diameter wheels and thicker sidewall tires (needed something ASAP for a job in a remote location), after about a year of use I've been really pleased with these. They're a bit louder on the road, MPGs have been good and they've gotten me through what I've thrown at them (mud, wet clingy clay, some rocks). Once these wear more, I'll go to a smaller wheel size and thicker sidewall tire but as most my miles are paved/gravel roads, I'll air down as needed and work with these until then.

Awesome vid. answered a lot of my questions without having to spend a lot of money. mahalos brother. Keep the vids coming. Love the Frontier too

Great vid. Quite an advocate/ambassador for All Terrain tires. You covered well the subject.

Look for C or D rated LT tires for off-road use with small SUVs. Don't use bigger that are much heavier than stock, it only reduces your gear ratio and taxes your bearings and rotors (so C rated LT is ideal). The best idea is to fit the smallest wheels possible (ie, 15" instead of 16"), and then match the stock diameter as closely as possible. For example, 215/75/15 (27.7") is an idea swap for 215/70/16 (27.9"). Don't use (much) wider tires either; the extra sidewall has more offroad value than extra width. 225 for 215 is ok, or 235 for 225, but don't get extreme or it just bogs down your rig with extra rolling resistance, weight, and also shorter gears with taller tires.

Like your channel. Great vids. Thanks. I learned a lot from this particular video. Brand new on the market as of this post are Falken AT Trail tires. Might be worth a look for the Subaru crowd.

Thanks brother !! I am brand new to this type of vehicle and I found your tips very helpful. I am searching for a Volvo XC70 crosscountry and am hoping to get some beefy tires without a lift. Much love

Subscribed while watching this video. Thanks for some real, helpful info & perspective.

I just installed some Falken Wildpeak AT3Ws on my crosstrek and I freaking love them! I thought my car could go cool places before... now all my Jeep friends are trying to keep up haha Thanks for the tips man, I love your stuff!

Great Video.... I’m running 225/60R 17 Continental Terrain Contact A/T’s on my stock 2014 Forester Limited and I couldn’t be happier. On-road in heavy rain and snow they have been great and off-road they been phenomenal. They have run really well on the forest roads of Northern California but where they really shined was off-road in Death Valley. After they did really well on Titus Canyon I decided to run the notorious tire destroying rocky road out to the racetrack and back. This road is 25 miles of talus and relentless washboards that almost made me turn around. After almost an hour and a half, I made it to the playa. Heading back out, I went much faster and actually passed a couple of Tacomas. The tires and the Subaru preformed flawlessly. They’ve been on the car for 18 months now and 20k miles and they still look new...I’ve had BFG All-Terrains on a Land Cruiser and Isuzu Trooper I’ve owned and honestly, I like the Continentals better.

You explained all the details very well. Thank you.

Detailed videos and no bias reviews also have some good advice as well nice

I currently run Yokohama Geolandar G015's and they're amazing. Definitely saw a dip in my mileage but outstanding performance! I do bolt on a different set of winter tires too, but the G015's are so good. Great review btw!

the recommendation for the tire calculator really helped me. I just bought an 08 Grand vitara that I am lifting and fitting AT's too. Thanks

I love the BF Goodrich KO2s. I'm running 225/65 R17 KO2 on a stock 2014 2.5 Outback. My 62 year old mom drives it everyday on the dirt roads and she said it was a little louder and not as smooth vs the street tires but well worth it.

Running the Yokohama G015 on my ‘15 Forester right now and they are performing very well. I like the Touring package 18” wheels and the Yokos were the only ones that would fit. They look great, too.

Nice! I’ve been wanting to add some of these on my Subaru ascent with a 2” lift kit.!

I'm not sure, I'm skeptical about airing down my tires ~~watches balloon demonstration~~ well I'm convinced

Thank you so much for posting this. You really did cover all the things!

Youre right about the K02s being heavy. But they are an excellent choice for offroad or horrendous conditions. I had solid service from them through blizzards, desert sand dunes, rocky roads, floods and at speed on the interstates.

I love my Grabber A/T 2's on my Trek. Lighter, cheaper, and quieter than the KO2's. My only issue with my Grabbers is they slide more than I'd like on greasy road surface(after a rain as the oils in the road seep up to coat the top of the road). They do quite well in active and even heavy rain storms. I drove roughly 5 hours home with a very heavy rain storm pacing us the entire way and I never felt any concern with the tires.

i put toyo open countrys on my 18 crosstrek, 215, 65, 17R and they fit great. Not much road noise and they don't look to bad with the stock wheels

LOVED the SLO MO Balloon fun.. GREAT VIDEO !!

2011 Forester XT I don't run all terrain tires yet. My all season choice is Michellin LTX M/S. These tires go thru water and snow like a champ. Definitely recommend for light off road use as well.

I run Yokohama Geolander ATs on my forester stock wheels and love it!

I'm running Coopers ATT on my outback. Best decision I've made. 215/65r16

I've been running the General Grabber AT2's on 2 vehicles for 7 or 8 years now, and love them. I used to use BFG T/A's and like them too, but the Grabbers are a better price, wear well, and are always reviewed positively. I'll be sticking with them. I'm especially happy with their snow driving performance. It's worth noting that airing down a tire increases it's internal friction, and thus heat. In warmer weather this will cause premature wearing of your tire at least, and possibly cause a tire failure over time. This is something overlander's in larger rigs need to consider regularly.

Great video! Lots of good info, well shot and edited. The air down part is very helpful. I recently purchased a 2020 Outback base model and paid to have it lifted (2"). Got Method wheels and BF Goodrich KO2s 245/65 17R D rating. Love, love, love it!!!

Running a 16 SJ 2.5 stock hight with 225/65/17 Geolander G015 on stock rims. I do alot of highway and havent lossed much milage when running a 35psi for harder tires of street. Then air down for trail.

I think I’ll stick up Michelin all season tires. Very informative.

This is as all reviews should be. It was honest, human, not overproduced, and very useful. I've put a cattle gate front bumper as well as 3/8" armor under on my 17 Outback and am putting on a wench (behind the front fascia) as well as a 2" lift with stiffer springs, a roof top tent and am trying to decide on a wheel/tire combo. It is unfortunate that a 17 Limited comes with 18 x 7 wheels as there are few choices for A/T tires on this wheel, plus as stated in the video the 15/16/17 inch tires have more sidewall which is desirable for many reasons. Thanks!

Super cool video. I have a 2022 Outback. I am using the Falken Wildpeak 245/75r/17. Put a 2 inch lift. Wonderful ride.

I've got General Grabber AT2'S on my 2012 Forester and I love them!

It’s so tempting to get those all terrain tires sothat I can accommodate the look of a car. Although most of my driving are city.

Thanks for all the information, I will be watching this many times as a reference.

I bought a 4x4 truck a while back that had a set of Hankook iPike studless snow tires, not expecting much. They absolutely blew me away with the off-road traction on literally every surface imaginable. They relentlessly claw through snow, slush, sand, dirt, mud, gravel, even wet clay doesn’t phase them. When I got my Subaru (basic outback, nothing fancy) It needed new tires, so I went with the Hankook iPike, as they are priced almost parallel with generic street tires, but have significantly better traction and toughness than street tires. They have been very impressive on the Subaru as well, I have not had any slippage, other than intentional drifting on gravel roads. Honestly, the toughness and traction features of their design makes them akin to “poor man’s rally tires,” and they function as such very nicely. All terrain tires are not readily available in the stock size for some Subaru’s, but usually the Hankooks are, as was my case.

Awesome video and some fantastic points made. One I would like to point out however is larger tyres throw out the speedometer and reduce the crawling ability. 215/75r15 is one of the best tyre sizes for the off-road subies in my opinion as it gives a good balance of low speed ability and extra ground clearance

I have AT2’s on my cross trek and I absolutely love the versatility they give me!! Any terrain any weather my car goes!! I am so confident and happy with it that I am actually giving the car to my 16 year old daughter!! I know it’s safe and capable!!!

Just bought a 22 Forester Wilderness on Saturday. It came with the Geolanders already on it. Quiet and comfortable on pavement, and did well in loose dirt. I'm going to have so much fun with this car.

Thanks very helpful since I am just started the planning phase.

i am still so new to all things subaru. this video was just what i needed. Thanks so much for the education and lowering my IQ (my ignorance quotient!!)

I run the Yokohama Geolander AT/S which are a better road tyre than most dedicated road tyres and fantastic on the sand. The K02 look much better suited to tacking trails than the AT/S but probably wouldnt be the greatest option if you spend alot of time on the road.

Although my vehicle is a '16 Jeep Compass the info you've provided should be very helpful in my wheel and tire selection. Presently my wheels and tires are stock and perform extremely well on the highway but I would like to get another full set for off roading. I'll consult with the guys at 4Wheel on whether or not a lift will be advantageous or not. Great video! Thank you!

I run general grabbers at3 all-terrain no road noise what so ever great off road

Although i dont have a subaru i have KO2s on my tacoma. Theyre great tires the one down side to them is the lack of traction on wet pavement. Theyre amazing in snow and off road.

very informative and you were well spoken. good job

This is a very informative video; thank you for sharing!

Fantastic video! Very informative and perfect timing! I've been looking for AT tires and the choices are mind-numbing. I'd like to get new, smaller diameter wheels so I can have more sidewall, but I wonder if I should match my General Altimax Artic 215/60R17 snow tires, so I can use them as a spare? They are unstoppable in the snow and only a little bit taller than stock at 27.2" but they ride and corner great. Thanks so much for sharing your wealth of information. Excellent video! Keep up the great work!

Thanks for sharing that you can run AT’s on stock foresters

I run continental Terrain contacts on my stock height 2016 Forester and I have been extremely pleased with them In the time that ive had them. I just got back from an overlanding trip in Colorado and they far exceeded my expectations.

2000 Outback with King Raiser springs (which hold the car 1" higher). I don't go offroad but have used the car for extended trips on a lot of gravel roads and have to deal with snow and ice in winter. Been using GT Radial Savero AT Plus on 15" rims. Maybe not the toughest tyre available but relatively cheap and light and grip is excellent on gravel roads. Only had one puncture on gravel roads in several years of use (I run higher-than-recommended pressures and never air down). Like all AT tyres their handling isn't great on sealed roads in good conditions so I swap back to the OEM 16" rims for summer (fitted with Bridgestone Adrenalin RE003's, sensational combined with aftermarket sway bars).

Put this tire on my '04 forester st. Best damn combination ever. That forester did things you would say impossible.