Subaru Impreza isn’t your average compact car. Mainly because your average car doesn’t come with a symmetrical all-wheel-drive system. The AWD system has equipped the Impreza with excellent stability and agile handling, especially on slippery surfaces.
Another feature that distinguishes the Impreza from its fellow cars is its excellent drive on gravel and dirt. See, many compact sedans and hatchbacks can hold their own over snow, ice, and slush. But unlike the Impreza, they struggle for traction on the high road.
To take advantage of its distinctive features, it’s imperative that you pair the Impreza with tires that can enhance its qualities. Doing that is easier said than done, since almost every tire manufacturer under the sun claims that its models are god’s gift for this car.
To help you see through the smokescreen, we’ve listed and reviewed the top 10 best tires for Subaru Impreza on the market. The range of tires we have picked is so broad that it’s impossible that there isn’t a tire in this list that won’t meet your requirements.
#1. Michelin Defender T+H – Best Overall
The Michelin Defender T+H is the best all-season tire for Subaru Impreza, regardless of whether you’re driving this car’s sedan or hatchback version.
An all-season tread compound does just what its name makes you think it would: making this tire and, by extension, your car a reliable performer 365 days a year. Even on light snow, you can count on the Defender T+H to safely carry you from point A to point B.
Michelin’s exclusive Comfort Control Technology ensures that whatever vibrations and road noise this tire encounters on the road are dissipated before they can reach the cabin. If you have heard but never experienced a noise-free ride, try out the Defender T+H.
An asymmetric tread pattern enables this tire to offer enhanced road grip in dry and wet conditions, improving your Impreza’s high-speed handling. Multiple grooves ensure quick and effective water evacuation to resist hydroplaning and enhance wet traction.
Michelin’s IntelliSipe Technology helps this model take full advantage of the extra grip brought about by the asymmetric tread pattern. This technology locks the Defender T+H’s otherwise disparate blocks as you press the accelerator to keep this tire from wobbling.
Pros
- Excellent treadwear warranty (80,000 miles)
- Performs reliably in light wintry conditions
- Offers a comfortable and quiet riding experience
Cons
- Doesn’t come cheap
#2. Michelin Premier A/S – Best Touring
The Michelin Premier A/S has almost everything that distinguishes the best touring tires from the also-rans. Equally importantly for Impreza drivers, this model is available in all of this car’s tire sizes, meaning you can install it on any Impreza trim.
A sunflower oil and silica tread compound helps this model justify its all-season credentials. Sunflower oil gives it the firmness tires need to thrive in summer conditions. Silica, meanwhile, gives it the flexibility required to perform reliably on wet roads.
Speaking of wet roads, that’s where you’d see this tire’s built-in rain grooves starting to expand, increasing this model’s wet traction. Just beneath the rain grooves are a pair of water channels, which make it their mission never to let this model hydroplane.
Michelin has also equipped the Defender T+H with its Comfort Control Technology. So you can count on this model to offer a silent and plush ride on the highway. Various biting edges (sipes) on the tread area make it a capable performer on light snow and ice.
Unfortunately, there is one area where this tire disappoints. Its 60,000-mile warranty pales compared to the next touring tire on our list, which is backed for 80,000 miles. Which is surprising, given that the Premier A/S is the more expensive of the two.
Pros
- Offers a comfortable and quiet ride
- Provides excellent traction on wet surfaces
- Can handle mild wintry conditions with ease
Cons
- Relatively small treadwear warranty for a premium touring tire
#3. Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring – Best Budget Touring
Let there be no doubt about this: the Michelin Premier A/S is currently one of the best touring tires on the market. If you can afford to pay its asking price, do it. But if you are unable or unwilling to do that, the Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring must be on your list.
Thanks to Cooper’s exclusive StabiliEdge Technology, the CS5 Ultra Touring is every bit as comfortable and quiet as the Premier A/S. This technology also sees to it that anyone who has driven the Premier A/S before can find no faults in the CS5’s high-speed stability.
Wet traction is another area where this model can compete with rivals costing twice as much. An M+S rating means it has the ability to hold its own in light snow, something we cannot say about most touring tires, especially the ones that don’t come with this emblem.
Inboard and outboard shoulder blocks ensure short braking distances in the rain. Plus, a rugged internal construction (two steel belts wrapped in nylon aramid fiber) reduces the risk of premature deformation. It also helps stabilize the tire’s shape when driving at high speeds.
All of this is not to say that this model is faultless. The reason we’re saying that is because some sizes of this tire come with a meager 50,000-mile treadwear warranty. Though, to be fair to Cooper, other models of the CS5 Ultra Touring are backed for 75,000 miles.
Pros
- Available at a pocket-friendly price
- Above average dry and wet handling
- Very good light snow performance for a touring tire
Cons
- Smaller treadwear warranty (50,000 miles) for V- and H-rated tires
#4. Goodyear Eagle Sport All Season – Best High-Performance
The Goodyear Eagle Sport All-Season ticks severe boxes for enthusiast drivers. This model offers excellent high-speed stability, cornering performance, and steering feedback. At the same time, it offers the ride comfort you usually get from an A/S tire.
With an equal mix of firmness and flexibility, its all-season tread compound strikes an optimal balance between ride comfort and performance. This makes this tire’s ride a bit firm than standard all-season tires but still a few levels below that of premium HP models.
An aggressive tread design is to credit for this model’s above-average cornering performance, high-speed stability, and steering feedback, with a sturdy internal construction protecting this tire from premature deformation, a familiar foe of many UHP tires
Throw its 50,000-mile treadwear warranty into the mix, and it would seem that nothing is wrong with this tire. Which isn’t true. The Eagle Sport All-Season has the annoying tendency to get loud at high speeds, making you wary about pushing it to its limits.
However, if you can bear the loud road noise, we see no reason why you might want to decide against installing the Eagle Sport All-Season on your Impreza.
Pros
- 50,000-mile treadwear warranty
- Comes with industry-standard treadwear indicators
- Offers excellent steering responsiveness
Cons
- Gets loud at high speed
#5. General Altimax RT43 – Best Value for Money
Excellent road manners? Check. Extended treadwear warranty? Present. Decent dry and wet traction? Check. Competitive asking price? Yup. All these qualities explain why the General Altimax RT43 is one of those tires that provide excellent value for your money.
A dual-layer tread compound is the force behind this tire’s excellent road manners. Or, to be more precise, the tread compound’s bottom layer (which soaks up vibrations and deflects road noise) is the reason why the RT43 keeps things quiet and comfortable on the highway.
Yet the tread compound isn’t alone. General’s ‘Sound Wave Suppression Technology’ also plays its part in ensuring a hushed highway ride. On the other side of the spectrum, the tread compound’s upper layer (which is slightly firm) helps enhance the tire’s handling.
As if to belie the myth that mid-range tires are mid-range because they have cut corners to keep the asking price reasonable, General has supplanted the tire with maintenance indicators. These include Visual Alignment Indicators and Treadwear Indicators.
This tire’s 75,000-mile treadwear warranty will also go a long way in proving that pocket-friendly tires can also last several years before needing replacement.
Pros
- Comes at an affordable price
- Backed with a 75,000-mile treadwear warranty
- Has Sound Wave Suppression technology
Cons
- Lackluster performance on snow and ice
#6. Bridgestone Turanza QuietTrack – Best Grand-Touring Tires
The Bridgestone Turanza QuietTrack is an excellent option if the area where you live/drive doesn’t receive a lot of snow. This model’s lackluster snow and ice performance is the only fault we can find in what is otherwise one of the best grand touring tires.
Thanks to Bridgestone’s QuietTrack Technology (from which it gets its name), this model doesn’t let as much as a squeak at speeds on which its rivals growl. Four circumferential grooves reduce the risk of hydroplaning, thereby enhancing its wet traction.
Comfort Cruise Technology has optimized the rubber used in this tire’s construction. The result is a model that can absorb road vibrations with effortless ease. The technology also helps the contact patch expand for better road contact and improved fuel economy.
To further sweeten the deal, Bridgestone has provided this tire with an excellent 80,000-mile tread life warranty. Such an extended treadwear warranty means you can easily get 6 or 7 years out of this tire, or even more, provided you don’t regularly push it to its limits.
Bear in mind, though, that poor snow and ice performance isn’t the only thing that could keep you from purchasing this grand touring tire. Its astronomical asking price may also prove to be a deal-breaker, especially if you’re on a tight budget.
Pros
- Excellent treadwear warranty (80,000 miles)
- Quiet and comfortable handling in most conditions
- Boosts best-in-class wet traction
Cons
- Snow performance is quite limited
#7. Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 – Best Summer Performance
The Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 is a must-have for two types of Subaru Impreza drivers. These include those who regularly push this car to its limits as well as others who own the Sport and/or Limited trims of this car, both of which are designed to be pushed hard.
As you may expect from a summer performance tire, the Indy 500 offers unrivaled steering response and feedback. The cornering grip is also exemplary, giving you the confidence to attack turns and bends at full speed, especially on roads with no hint of water.
Speaking of water, Firestone’s Pulse Groove Technology gives this model the kind of traction needed for reliable performance in wet conditions. Sure, this tire cannot replicate its dry roads’ exploits on wet surfaces. But the Indy 500 isn’t useless in the rain, either.
A 65,000-mile treadwear warranty distinguishes it from fellow summer performance tires, most of which receive no such backing from their manufacturer. On top of that, Firestone provides this tire with a 2/32-inch tread warranty and a workmanship defects guarantee.
Bear in mind, though, that this model’s traction and grip will take a visible hit in inclement weather. If you live in an area with long winters, it’s recommended to replace the Indy 500 with a dedicated winter tire (recommended below) during the snow and ice season.
Pros
- Highly responsive
- Usable in rainy conditions
- 65,000-mile treadlife warranty
Cons
- Unreliable in wintry conditions
#8. BFGoodrich g-Force Sport Comp-2 – Best Summer Performance
If for some reason you cannot bring your mind to trust the Firehawk Indy 500, the BFG g-Force Sport Comp-2 has the qualities to earn your trust. Bear in mind, though, that this model is nowhere near as pocket friendly as its above summer performance counterpart.
BFG has provided this tire with a silica tread compound, an internal ‘Performance Racing Core’ and inner steel belts wrapped with nylon aramid fiber. The benefits? Much safer driving in wet conditions than what you get from your average ultra-high-performance tires.
The trio of ‘g-Control’ sidewall, ‘g-Hooks’ and outboard shoulder blocks have enhanced this tire’s cornering grip vis-à-vis competition. The result is improved performance, not only in the corners, but also when you’re going full throttle in a straight line.
An ‘Equal Tension Containment System’ enables this model to wear evenly, raising hopes that it would last multiple years before needing replacement. However, as with other UHP tires, the amount of time this model eventually lasts depends on how hard you push it.
Pros
- Delivers added feedback at the steering
- Offers decent wet traction for a UHP tire
- Provides superior traction at high speeds
Cons
- Ride is a bit firm
#9. Pirelli Cinturato P7 – Best Fuel-Efficient
The Pirelli Cinturato P7 offers outstanding fuel economy, an excellent treadlife, and superb wet performance. Despite all these qualities, this model comes at a budget price point. This means the Cinturato P7 won’t weigh heavily on your pocket in the short- and long-term.
Per Pirelli’s own estimates, this tire has a 20% lower rolling resistance than competitors, a feature that translates into a 4% reduced fuel consumption. The reduction in rolling resistance also means a decrease in CO2 emissions, as your car’s engine will have to output less power.
Road manners are also excellent, thanks to the computer-optimized tread pattern, which deflects road noise and absorbs vibrations. A quartet of circumferential grooves helps with water evacuation and a 70,000-mile treadwear warranty guarantees at least 5 years of road life.
Yet there are areas on which this model could have done better. Even if pushed to its limits, this model won’t give you the kind of feedback that would send chills down your spine. Also, you must think twice before pushing it too hard. Otherwise, be ready for uneven and quick wear.
Pros
- Available in a budget price point
- Backed with a 70,000-mile treadlife warranty
- Offers outstanding fuel economy
Cons
Wears pretty quickly if pushed too hard
#10. Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 – Best Winter Tire
Thanks to its symmetrical all-wheel-drive system, the Subaru Impreza is a much more reliable vehicle in snowy conditions than your average sedan. Pair this car with the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90, and you’d be able to take its snow performance to the next level.
The Blizzak WS90 offers multiple winter-specific features that are hard to beat. A super-flexible tread compound has what it takes to withstand sub-zero temperatures. Multiple grooves help with water evacuation, and innumerable sipes help it plow through snow and ice.
MultiCell Technology traps snow and ice within the tread to enhance this model’s traction in wintry conditions. Plus, EdgePerformance Technology widens the contact patch every time this tire encounters snow, making sure it has zero trouble gripping the road.
For some people, the Michelin X-Ice-Xi3 tires might seem a better pick, especially because those tires come with a 40,000-mile treadwear warranty. Yet, as far as snow and ice performance is concerned, very few tires can rival the Blizzak WS90.
Pros
- Offers excellent traction on snow and ice
- Comes with the 3PMSF symbol
- Doesn’t require you to insert metal studs
Cons
- MultiCell Technology covers only 55% of the tread depth
Best Tires for Subaru Impreza
Touring Tires
Ask yourself this question: what is it that motivated you to buy the Subaru Impreza? If you’re like most people, this car’s fuel efficiency, excellent road manners, and all-season reliability might have been the motivating factors behind the purchase.
Touring tires will enhance all these qualities, that too at a price that won’t blow your budget. A good set of touring tires will make the Impreza one of the best cars you have ever owned for everyday driving, regardless of road and weather conditions.
Also, in contrast to their predecessors, the best touring tires of 2022 can hold their own for highway and normal street driving. These models also possess enough traction for wet and light wintry conditions. Plus, their high tread life warranties mean you can easily get 4 to 5 years out of them.
High-Performance Tires
If you are the sort of driver who pushes their Impreza to its limits, pairing your car with a set of high-performance tires is a non-negotiable requirement. These tires are designed to offer you the kind of performance that will send chills down your spine.
Not only do high-performance tires love being pushed around corners, they also offer enhanced steering feedback and responsiveness. They are also incredibly quick to respond to steering inputs. Plus, these models’ braking distances are extremely short.
Please note that high-performance tires won’t last as long as touring models. Sure, there are HP and UHP tires that are backed for 40,000 miles or above, but such tires are rare. If you regularly exploit their qualities, don’t expect them to last longer than 20,000 miles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What tires should I buy for my Subaru Impreza?
Touring tires are the best option for the average Subaru Impreza driver who has no intention of pushing this car to its limits. However, if you’re the sort of driver who wants to get the maximum performance out of this car, don’t settle for anything less than a set of premium high-performance tires.
What are the best snow tires for Subaru Impreza?
Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 and Michelin X-Ice Xi3 are the best snow tires for the Subaru Impreza. Both these tires come with features that enable them to help your Impreza plow through snow and ice. That too, without requiring you to install any metal studs.
How long are Subaru tires good for?
It depends on the type of tires you have installed. For instance, the best touring tires can last anywhere between 50,000 to 70,000 miles, or even longer if you don’t abuse them. In contrast, you’d be lucky to get more than 30,000 miles from a set of performance tires regularly pushed to their limits.
Conclusion
The Subaru Impreza is an incredibly capable sedan. To take advantage of all the qualities that distinguish it from its rivals, it’s imperative that you pair this car with the right set of tires. The best tires for Subaru Impreza will be those that will enhance its qualities and play down its shortcomings.
