Best Tires for Subaru Ascent

The Subaru Ascent is built to go pretty much anywhere and take everyone (and everything) along for the ride. The brand’s flagship SUV, it’s got three rows of seating, plenty of ground clearance and the brand’s patented symmetrical all-wheel drive to get you through.

So if you need the best replacement tires, off-road tires, winter tires, or just some good cheap tires, we’ve got some of our top picks for you below.

Subaru Ascent Tire Sizes

Depending on which trim level of the Ascent you have it comes with one of two different tire sizes from the factory.

  • 245/60/18
  • 245/50/20

Best Tire for Subaru Ascent

Bridgestone Dueler HL Alenza Plus

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better replacement tire for your Ascent than the Bridgestone Dueler HL Alenza Plus. This all-season tire s build specifically for SUVs and trucks and is designed to hold up to rough treatment, over years of work and on different types of surfaces.

A robust tire, it’s large center rib gives a great on-center riving feel and quick response in initial cornering. Grip in both the wet and dry are first rate, plus it’s quiet and comfortable too.

The tire’s internal construction was designed to withstand plenty of abuse, while the external tread is custom made to wear evenly even when used regularly on different surfaces, so you can rest assured that if your Ascent sees some off-road trails on a regular basis it will still live up to its very impressive 80,000 mile tread life warranty.

   


Best Winter Tire for Subaru Ascent

Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8 SUV

Would you trust a company from Finland to make world-class winter tires? Of course you would.

One of the tire industry’s best kept secrets, Nokian has been making amazingly good winter tires for decades. It’s what they do.

And if you’re looking to take your Subaru to the next-level of winter grip, the Hakkapeliitta 8 SUV tire is the one to do it. It’s unique tread design delivers shockingly good grip on snow, while the “saw-tooth” tread block pattern helps in slush.

The tread compound itself resists freezing in temperatures as low as 45 degrees, while internal construction is more robust to help support the added weight of an SUV over years of driving.

There are even Aramid-reinforced sidewalls to help prevent against cuts and slashes.

Of note, this tire is studdable, meaning you can add studs to it, but it’s not required. Nokian also sells a version that comes studded from the factory.

98% of drivers will never need that version and 100% of drivers will be amazed at how a winter tire this good has remained such a secret.


Best All -Terrain Tire for Subaru Ascent

Toyo Open Country AT III

One of the newest all-terrain tires on the market, the Open Country AT III represent the next generation of Toyo’s off-road engineering. The tire is a big departure from the AT II, which featured five circumferential tread rows. The AT III has curved tread blocks that hook round each other, offering superior off-road grip on different surfaces. There’s also more void space between the treads, allowing for it to dig in deeper in lose surfaces.

Along with more obvious features like stone ejectors built into the tread and sidewalls that feature additional traction areas, there’s increased siping and a new tread compound that now allows it to be certified for true winter weather.

All that and it gets a 65,000 mile tread life warranty.

   


Best Budget Tire for Subaru Ascent

Kumho Crugen HP71

An all-season tire that delivers what you need at a very reasonable price point, the Kumho Crugen HP71 might not win any awards, unless that award is for value.

We often recommend the very best tires in each category, but that always comes at a price. And usually a steep price.

The Crugen HP71 is a versatile all-season tire that offers above average on-road grip in the dry and wet. It’s not designed for great cornering capability, but we’re not sure under regular driving there’s much need for anything more.

And with advancements in modern tire technology making their way throughout the industry, even budget tires like these are both quiet and comfortable.

It comes with a very reasonable 65,000 mile tread life warranty, which sounds even better for the price.

   

Cheapest Tire for Subaru Ascent

Laufenn S Fit AS

There are some cheaper options out there but none that we’d recommend.

Laufenn is a sub-brand of Hankook. Now Hankook is known for offering some impressive value in its tires, Laufenn goes a step further, saving you more money – though at the expense of certain criteria. But if you know what you’re getting into, they can be a smart buy.

These tires are a unique option for the Ascent as they are ultra high performance all-season tires. They prioritize driving dynamics and summer grip with mostly solid tread ribs for optimal braking, acceleration and turn-in response, while reinforced shoulder blocks help in the corners.

Solid in the dry and wet, grip falls off pretty quickly in the cold.

The tread life is also quite short at roughly 45,000 miles. Pricing, however, is extremely attractive.

 

Best Four-Season Tire for Subaru Ascent

Michelin CrossClimate2

Michelin CrossClimate 2 Review

A unique type of tire that might just be perfect for a lot of Subaru drivers. The Michelin CrossClimate2 is part of a growing segment of all-weather (not all-season) tires.

What that means is these tires are proper all-seasons that are also certified for true winter use (and wear the three peak mountain snowflake logo on their sidewall as proof). In that respect, they’re a lot like a Subaru.

Summer traction is good due to extra widetread blocks that form a v-pattern. This same design helps easily push away water – and slush when the weather turns.

Winter grip is excellent thanks to sipes between the long tread blocks that trap snow against the tread and use it as a traction surface.

We also recommend the Hankook Kinergy 4S2 X, which does very similar things for less money. You can read our review here.

   

What Tires Come on the Subaru Ascent?

From the factory, all versions of the Subaru Ascent come equipped with Falken Ziex ZE001A A/S tires.

How Long do Subaru Ascent Tires Last?

The factory Falken tires do not come with a manufacturer suggested tread life warranty. We anticipate a set will last roughly 55,000 miles.

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