Searching for the best tires for your Subaru Legacy? Pay special attention to three factors as you move forward in your search. These include the Legacy trim you’re driving, the road and weather conditions you regularly drive in, and your driving style.
Begin with the trim you’re driving. Subaru Legacy is available in multiple models, including the base (Legacy), mid-tier (Premium and Limited) and sporty (Sport, Limited XT, Touring XT). All three trims have qualities only the right set of tires can enhance.
Unless you intend to push them to their limits, the base and mid-tier trims are ideal candidates for touring or grand-touring tires. However, that is not the case with the pricier trims, which will perform at their best if you pair them with a set of performance tires.
Next comes the road and weather conditions you regularly drive in. Make sure the tires you pick are designed for the surfaces (paved, unpaved, off-road) and weather you’ll mostly be using them in. Plus, they must complement the way you usually drive.
In this article, we’ll review the top 9 best tires for Subaru Legacy. Almost all the models listed below come in all of this sedan’s tire sizes. In addition, they are backed by excellent treadwear warranties and the confidence of Legacy drivers like yourself.
#1. General Altimax RT43 – Best All-Season
The General Altimax RT43 is one of the best all-season tires for Subaru Legacy. This model offers excellent road manners, is incredibly stable at high speeds, and offers year-round traction. Plus, it’s backed by an extended treadwear warranty and comes at an affordable price.
A dual-layer tread compound is to credit for the RT43’s superb road manners. The compound’s bottom layer (which soaks up vibrations) and the upper layer (which resists premature deformation) provide this tire with a perfect mix of comfortable driving and agile handling.
Sound Wave Suppression Technology does what its name makes you think it would do. It suppresses road noise to let you drive with the windows rolled all the way down (if that’s what you want).
General has also supplanted the RT43 with multiple maintenance indicators. These include Visual Alignment Indicators (which let you check your wheels’ alignment status at home) and Treadwear Indicators (that let you gauge how much treadlife is remaining).
A 75,000-mile treadwear warranty is the 2nd highest of any model in this review. Which is a welcome surprise since the RT43 costs nowhere near as much as some of the tires discussed below.
Still, a few corners have been cut to keep the asking price low. For instance, unlike premium all-season tires, this model isn’t reliable on light snow and ice. As such, it’s recommended to replace it with a set of dedicated winter tires (discussed below) when there’s snow on the roads.
Pros
- Comes at an affordable price
- Backed with a 75,000-mile treadwear warranty
- Has Sound Wave Suppression technology
- Twin cushion silica tread compound absorbs road vibrations
Cons
- Lackluster performance on snow and ice
#2. Continental TrueContact Tour – Best All-Season
If you regularly drive on wet roads and want nothing but top-notch traction on slippery surfaces, the Altimax RT43 will be a better option. However, if fuel economy or treadlife is your main concern, you might want to go for the TrueContact Tour.
Continental’s EcoPlus Technology has slashed this model’s weight to bring down its rolling resistance. The result is lower rolling resistance for an improved fuel economy. The slashing of rolling resistance also means that this tire will enhance your Legacy’s ‘pick’.
That is something that wouldn’t have been possible if this model lacked in road grip. An asymmetric pattern makes sure that it stays glued to the road whatever the driving speed, with the resulting road contact translating into better steering feedback and high response time.
Treadwear warranty is another area where this model outshines the RT43. The TrueContact Tour is backed to last for an almost unbelievable 80,000 miles, 5,000 miles longer than the RT43. In theory, the difference points to an extra 6-month road life for this model.
Pros
- 80,000-mile treadwear warranty
- Enhanced steering response and handling
- Excellent fuel economy and acceleration
Cons
- Wet traction could have been better
#3. Michelin Premier A/S – Best Touring All-Season
The Michelin Premier A/S shows why most Legacy drivers gravitate towards touring tires. This model has a comfortable and quiet ride backing its stylish looks and supreme wet performance. Plus, it has the flexibility needed to perform reliably in inclement weather.
Start with its comfortable drive. Two Michelin technologies (Ever Grip and Comfort Control) are in joint action to ensure a hushed highway ride. Their coming together has also improved this model’s wet traction, making it a reliable performer on slippery surfaces.
Yet the technologies aren’t alone to credit for the way this model handles dry and wet weather. The Premier A/S’s sunflower oil and silica tread compound is also responsible for this tire’s excellent year-round performance, including in mild wintry conditions.
What’s more, unlike most touring tires you see on the market, the Premier A/S won’t suffer from a dangerous loss of traction in its last few days on the road. A pair of ‘Expanding Rain Grooves’ will keep the braking distances as short on the 1st day as on the 1,000th.
Yet there are areas where this model disappoints. Michelin has been unable to back this tire’s above-average asking price with an equally good treadwear warranty, with this model backed with a 10,000-mile lower treadwear warranty than the Cinturato P7.
Pros
- Comfortable and quiet ride
- Excellent traction on wet surfaces
- Can handle mild wintry conditions
Cons
- Treadwear warranty could have been better
#4. Pirelli Cinturato P7 – Best Touring All-Season
The Pirelli Cinturato P7 is one of the best touring all-season tires on the market. This is the tire that must be atop your wish list if you want low noise, high road comfort, and massive fuel savings. That too at an asking price that won’t blow a hole in your pocket.
According to Pirelli, the P7 has 20% lower rolling resistance than rivals, a feature that should make this touring tire more fuel efficient than most of its competitors. An additional benefit is a reduction in CO2 emissions, great news for the environmentally conscious.
A computer-optimized tread pattern will deflect most noise this tire will encounter on the road, helping things stay quiet in your Legacy’s cabin. However, the tread pattern won’t deliver the most feedback, so you must expect the steering response to be a bit muted.
Wet traction is another area where this model shines. A quartet of wide circumferential grooves quickly and effectively eliminates water to reduce the risk of hydroplaning. In doing so, they help keep the contact patch dry, not letting this tire slip on slippery surfaces.
Throw its 70,000-mile treadwear warranty and affordable asking price into the mix, and it gets easier to see why the Cinturato P7 is our top touring tire pick for Subaru Legacy.
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 to limits
#5. Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 – Best High-Performance
The Continental ExtremeContact DWDS06 isn’t your average high-performance tire. That is because your average performance tire doesn’t offer the kind of performance, treadlife and fuel economy this model delivers at a price that won’t blow your budget.
An all-season tread compound has been molded into an asymmetric tread design, with traction grooves and chamfered edges added on top. The result? Enhanced steering response with the kind of cornering performance you expect to get from premium HP tires.
X-Sipe Technology and Traction grooves enhance this model’s wet traction while also making it useful in mild-to-moderate wintry conditions. These two features are the reason why you can count on this model to keep you safe on slippery and/or dicey roads.
A 30,000-mile warranty might not look good on paper, especially now that you’ve seen the extended backings touring tires receive from their manufacturers. Yet, it is still 30,000 miles longer than the warranty you get on most high-performance tires.
Pros
- Available in 87 sizes ranging from 16-20-inches
- Backed with an excellent 30,000-mile warranty
- Exceptional dry, wet and light snow performance
Cons
- Doesn’t come cheap
#6. Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric – Best High-Performance
The Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric one of the brand’s flagship high-performance tires. This model is controllable at the limit, offers decent traction and grip, and is highly responsive. All in all, it has everything you may expect from a premium high-performance tire.
An advanced tread compound made of heavy-weight polymers has given this tire the best of both worlds. It has enhanced this model’s steering feedback, so more response at the wheel. Cornering performance has also been enhanced to let you attack turns at speed.
Aside from that, firm outer shoulders and rigid center rib improve its grip and traction, resulting in even pressure distribution for a comfortable ride. That said, it would be best if you don’t expect this model’s ride quality to be as comfortable as that of a touring tire.
This tire’s internal construction inspires confidence about its ability to last a long time. Two steel belts, which are reinforced with a spiral polyamide cord, ensure better tread stability. They shield the tread from uneven wear, helping the tire last longer than the competition.
Does that mean this model doesn’t have any flaws? Unfortunately, that isn’t the case. Its availability in a limited number of sizes means the F1 Asymmetric won’t fit all trims of the Legacy. For this reason, it’s recommended to check the tire sizes available beforehand.
Pros
- Gives great control to the driver
- Offers a comfortable riding experience
- Low fuel consumption than average HP tires
Cons
- Available in a limited number of sizes
#7. Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 – Best Summer Performance
Most summer performance tires cost you an arm and a leg. They also perform poorly in wet and wintry conditions and have lackluster tread lives. Luckily for you, the Firehawk Indy 500 is different. That too while lacking the attributes of a premium summer performance tire.
As you might expect from a summer performance tire, the Indy 500 is super-responsive. There is no delay between the flick of the steering wheel and the tire’s response. Steering feedback is excellent, too, giving you all the information about what the tire is facing down there.
Grip and traction are equally outstanding too, regardless of whether the road is as dry as a bone or covered with layers of water. Many drivers who have used the Indy 500 insist they’re yet to face the hair-raising scenario of this model spinning out of control in any situation.
Multiple grooves in the tread area perform an excellent job of evacuating water from the tread area, reducing the risk of hydroplaning and improving this tire’s wet traction. Furthermore, Firestone’s Pulse Groove Technology enhances grip in wet conditions.
To further sweeten the deal, Firestone has backed this model with a 65,000-mile warranty. This factor alone should convince your mind in favor of this model because most summer performance tires cannot offer half of this warranty, let alone compete with it.
Pros
- 65,000-mile treadlife warranty
- Usable in rainy conditions
- Is highly responsive
Cons
- Not suitable for wintry conditions
#8. Bridgestone Potenza RE760 Sport – Best Summer Performance
The Bridgestone Potenza RE760 Sport has almost everything. Exceptional cornering performance, outstanding high-speed stability, and protection against accidental curb damage – this tire have all the features that define a premium summer performance tire.
An asymmetric tread design and 3D center block enhance this model’s contact with the road to ensure high-speed stability. As a result, no matter which side of the speed limit you usually drive on, the RE760 Sport would keep this tire glued to the tarmac underneath.
A semi-slick shoulder design comes in handy to let you attack turns with a vengeance. The shoulder design is the reason why this model doesn’t wobble as you enter and exit corners at speed. Plus, it also keeps premature wear at bay, enhancing the model’s treadlife.
Bridgestone has also made arrangements to protect this tire against curb damage. Wide straight grooves form the tire’s water evacuation system and are thus responsible for resisting hydroplaning. They are also the main force behind this model’s excellent wet traction.
However, as you might expect from a summer performance tire, the RE760 Sport is as good as useless in wintry conditions. Furthermore, this model comes in a limited number of sizes, meaning you’d do well to compare tire sizes before purchasing it.
Pros
- Excellent wet surfaces grip
- Low road noises and rides comfortably
- Enhanced cornering performance
Cons
- Not reliable in wintry conditions
#9. Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 – Best Winter Tire
The Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 has everything to safely carry your Subaru Legacy from point A to point B in harsh wintry conditions. A soft and flexible tread compound, winter-specific technologies, and 3PMSF symbol all but guarantee a safe driving experience on snow.
Start with the soft tread compound. The compound has the ability to withstand low temperatures without stiffening up, a key requirement for dedicated winter tires. This, in turn, enables it to plow through snow and ice while keeping the vehicle on which it’s installed stable.
MultiCell Technology takes this model’s snow performance to the next level, trapping snow and ice without the tread area to enhance this model’s snow traction. Another technology, titled EdgePerformance, widens the contact patch for better road grip.
Still have doubts about the tire’s snow credentials? The Three Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMSF) emblem on the tread area should erase them. This logo only comes on tires that have met the rater’s strict criteria for performance in moderate-to-harsh wintry conditions.
Bear in mind, though, that this model doesn’t come with a treadwear warranty.
Pros
- 3-Peak Mountain Snowflake rating
- Offer excellent traction on snow and ice
- Comes with tread wear indicators and winter wear bars
Cons
Doesn’t come with a treadwear warranty
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All-Season Touring
All-season touring tires are the ideal option for the average Subaru Legacy driver. These tires offer excellent road manners, with a combination of hushed road noise and low vibrations. They also offer good high-speed stability and come with extended treadwear warranties.
Touring tires also ensure excellent road contact, reducing rolling resistance and enhancing fuel economy. Which is a double benefit once you consider that these models cost low up front, so you’d end up enjoying money savings in the short as well as long term. The good news continues.
A set of premium touring tires come with warranties ranging between 60,000- to 80,000 miles, meaning 4 to 5 years of road life. All in all, if you use your Subaru Legacy for everyday driving on the highway or in the city, a set of touring or grand touring tires will be ideal for you.
High-Performance
Do you want superb high-speed stability? Have the habit of attacking corners with a vengeance? If so, a set of high-performance tires might be what you’re looking for. These models have the construction and technologies to offer just what enthusiast drivers want in a set of tires.
What is more, the myth about all high-performance tires being expensive is just that, a myth. Sure, models from the top three (Michelin, Bridgestone, Continental) cost an arm and a leg. But there are brands (Firestone and Goodyear) that offer performance on a budget.
Regardless of the initial asking price, performance tires have their way of being pricey in the long run. These models have short tread lives and even shorter treadwear warranties, meaning the money you might save up front will be consumed in buying a replacement.
Winter Tires
All-season tires would be more than enough in mild wintry conditions. However, if the area where you drive receives more than its fair share of snow, a pair of dedicated winter tires will be needed to safely carry you and your vehicle from point A to point B.
When shopping for winter tires, you’ll have two options: studded and studless. Make sure to go for studless tires as you can use them anywhere and anytime you want. That isn’t the case with studded models, which are banned entry on some public roads in the US.
What’s more, the absence of studs won’t make studless tires any less reliable in harsh wintry conditions. As these tires have flexible tread compounds and high-end technologies to enhance their solid performance. That, too, without the danger of being denied entry on public roads.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of tires are on Subaru Legacy?
Some models of the 2022 Subaru come with the Yokohama Avid Ascend GT. These grand touring tires might have their fair share of qualities, but they cannot compete with their rivals from Michelin, Bridgestone, or Continental. As such, it’s recommended to replace them.
How long do Subaru Legacy tires last?
It depends on the tires you have installed, how you drive, and your driving conditions. For instance, a pair of premium touring or grand touring tires might last as many as 5 to 6 years if you only use them on the highway or in city traffic (or on paved roads).
Conclusion
Subaru Legacy is a feature-rich sedan with a spacious interior and comfortable ride quality. However, unless you install a set of premium tires on this car, its best qualities might not come to the fore. So, stay away from cheap tires.
