snow tires for new subaru???

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morning! thanks to ALL for all your help!! with your help, my son just got a new, 2012 subaru outback. very nice. all wheel drive

question: should i buy him snow tires for it? we live in massachusetts, real winters, and he will take his 2 dogs hiking in vermont, new hampshire, etc.

thanks
bob
 
The OEM tires will be fine. My wife's '06 Outback is almost unstoppable even with regular all season tires.
 
thanks!! a good way for me to save money!! his girlfriend's prius slides all over in the snow, i may get her snow tires!! ha!

do you like your 2006 outback? any suggestions how we should take care of it? this is his first nice car! i suggested to wax it now, change oil often with mobil one, check tire pressure each week, check engine oil level.

any ideas?

best

bob
 
Originally Posted By: Robertslowpoke
...my son just got a new, 2012 subaru outback. very nice. all wheel drive

all new subarus are AWD.
 
A new Subaru will be okay in the snow with good all-seasons. AWD does a lot of good there.

If you want to make doubly sure he can get anywhere in the winter, then spring for snow tires. An Outback with snow tires would be about the best winter vehicle, practically unstoppable in anything short of a Blizzard of 93 type of snow.
 
Originally Posted By: sciphi
A new Subaru will be okay in the snow with good all-seasons. AWD does a lot of good there.

If you want to make doubly sure he can get anywhere in the winter, then spring for snow tires. An Outback with snow tires would be about the best winter vehicle, practically unstoppable in anything short of a Blizzard of 93 type of snow.


AWD does do alot of good but not for braking. I would rather stop faster than accelerate faster. I vote dedicated winters with rims so you can switch them out easy.
 
Originally Posted By: abycat
AWD does do alot of good but not for braking. I would rather stop faster than accelerate faster. I vote dedicated winters with rims so you can switch them out easy.


+1
 
Originally Posted By: F23A4
Originally Posted By: abycat
AWD does do alot of good but not for braking. I would rather stop faster than accelerate faster.


+1


This is why so many 4x4 and AWD vehicles seem to slide off the roads first.
 
Originally Posted By: dparm
Snow tires will be much better than the best all-seasons when the snow hits. Absolutely get them.


+1 - seen several Subarus in ditches or crashes in Northern VT. All were owned by "flatlanders" (from MA or CT) who thought that AWD somehow helped you stop...or turn...and found out differently. The best was giving a ride to a flatlander (from Mass...second home owner in Stowe) who wiped out his brand new Subaru right in front of me. We continued on up the same steep, winding, snow covered hill on which he lost control in my old RWD Volvo wagon...equipped with 4 Nokian Hakapellittas...

Get your son the snow tires.
 
The bridgestone tires on our 09 forester were horrendous, My tiny yaris with firestone winterforce snows out drove it in the winter. The Subaru has very intrusive VDC/ASR. What tires came on the outback? I might assume the Outback has better tire than a base forester.
 
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thank you everyone!! i am starting to believe in snow tires!! next up: get them for wife's 2002 lexus es300. front drive, bad in snow.

well, i guess I better get them for everybody!! ha!!

thanks

bob
 
it's cheaper to pay for snow tires than a new car or a few body panels.
 
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Originally Posted By: Astro14
+1 - seen several Subarus in ditches or crashes in Northern VT.


How many of them were STIs, the owners of which somehow thought that their semi-slick, pure MAX performance summer, OEM B-stones were going to get them through the winter because of their AWD, and various other 'nannies'?
crackmeup2.gif
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A fellow ski instructor totaled his Sube (with so-called All Season tires) when he crashed on a downhill road into a tree that had fallen across the road. AWD didn't help his braking a bit.....
smirk.gif
He said that the air bags tasted horrible.
 
I like winter tires for their ability to get me thru the snow.
I LOVE winter tires for their ability stop and turn in snow and especially on ice.

Who cares if you can go, if you can't stop.

I also like the directional ones with lots of voids that cut thru the slush on the roads as well.
 
Originally Posted By: Ken2
He said that the air bags tasted horrible.


You know, the first time I ever had an airbag go off in my face, the first thing that registered in my head was the smell...
 
Originally Posted By: WishIhadatruck
I like winter tires for their ability to get me thru the snow.
I LOVE winter tires for their ability stop and turn in snow and especially on ice.

Who cares if you can go, if you can't stop.

I also like the directional ones with lots of voids that cut thru the slush on the roads as well.


+1 I also like ones that arent loud and obnoxious (firestone winterforce and worse--cooper wintermaster+)

With modern snow tires you can have as good or better traction without the obnoxious-ness of the above mentioned tires.

example.. general altimax arctics are every bit as good or better than firestone winterforce's but WAY easier to live with.
 
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Originally Posted By: dailydriver
Originally Posted By: Astro14
+1 - seen several Subarus in ditches or crashes in Northern VT.


How many of them were STIs, the owners of which somehow thought that their semi-slick, pure MAX performance summer, OEM B-stones were going to get them through the winter because of their AWD, and various other 'nannies'?
crackmeup2.gif
31.gif



Generally plain-jane Outbacks and Legacys...and yeah...looked like the OEM All-seasons. The issue with Vermont (or Finland where Nokian produces great snow tires) is the variety of precip, particularly near freezing. Snow, slush, ice, freezing rain and combinations thereof make for some very low traction and really treacherous driving...That's where the snows really shine; slush/ice/freezing.

Never saw one Subie wipe out with snow tires on it...of course, all the subies with green plates had snows on them. Subies are all over Vermont...might as well make it the state car...like the state flower, or state bird...they are perfectly suited to that environment...but even Subies need 4 snows to stop or turn...

I am going to be in Germany next week. German rules require snow tires on cars from 01 Nov to 01 Apr. So Avis (from whom I am renting this time) ensures that EVERY car they rent during that period has 4 (not 2...4) snow tires on it.

The Germans legislate common sense it seems...and their climate is no worse than New England.
 
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