Yokohama Geolandar g015 A/t tires! Is there a better choice for your lifted Subaru?
Welcome to #modmonday, home of countless Subaru part reviews installed on my two Subarus. This week we catch back up with my Yokohama Geolandar G015s that are installed on my Forester.
First time in the dirt/mud, very pleased with their abilities.
After you have decided to lift your Subaru the next quandary to ruin your brain is likely on tire size, style, brand etc... Of course you are likely heading into the all terrain territory but how wild are you going..? I spoke a little bit about this in my P metric vs LT all terrain tire discussion and I recommend reading that for a little more insight on the differences. Back to the thought at hand.. tires and which..? I personally knew that no matter how much I wanted to spend all day exploring the roads and trails less traveled that wasn't reality and my tire choice needed to reflect this. Which immediately booted LT tires from the list and left P metric as the correct choice in my mind.
Plenty of snow and ice fell this Winter and these made life easy. Guess there really isn’t a reason for snow tires anymore.
Having tested many of Subarus with almost every brand of A/t tire and my knowledge of tires through working in the automotive industry I had come to the decision which was the Yokohama Geolandar G015s. I honestly wasn't very impressed by these tires original and even had pushed them out of my mind for what I thought were better choices. But then I happened to take a set on a test drive and I was pretty impressed by the on road manners. Visually they have decent off road look to them especially coming from my old Firestone but what really impressed me was the ride quality, soft, smooth and quiet wasn't what I expected from these tires. I assumed like most other A/t tires they would be a bit rough on the road and less civilized but these were nothing like that.
Unique and aggressive tread takes care of business.
Another key feature I was looking for when switching tires was less weight. We all know that upsizing tires is going to increase weight but adding the least amount of weight will help the effectiveness of our braking and accelerating which everyone wants more of! These Yokos weighed less than any other equivalent sized A/t tire. And I have felt the weight difference and it has truly made my Forester that more enjoyable to drive.
So far the new wheel and tire setup has been everything I wanted. Reducing unsprung weight while still getting around in whatever the conditions bring.
-I have been lucky to live in the Midwest and experience all four seasons of weather within the last three months and can tell you how truly impressive the Yokos have been. These are a 3 peak tire and they show it in the snow.. they have been an absolute blast to tear through the snow in. While I drove to work in the snow one day I didn't think it was very slippery outside, until I test drove a used car with standard all season tires and slipped at the slightest tap of the brakes. In the rain they have shown better cornering prowess than my old tires in the dry. Driving a lifted Forester quickly around corners isn't a something I think or do to much about but having the ability to do so is just another bonus these tires bring.
Splish splash.
I've only had the chance to put them on dirt and decent sized puddle so far but once again my expectations were exceeded. I did my best to take the list optimal line while stopping unnecessarily and then spinning the tires to sink it in. But nothing I did seemed like it would stop these tires. Certainly not the most comprehensive test but with how they performed in all the other elements I am pretty confident that they will take anything I dish out at them.
I am certainly more pleased than I ever expected with this setup.
If you are looking for a proper all terrain tire for your lifted or not so lifted Subaru I would give these a real hard look. The combination of capabilities in inclement weather and on road characteristics make them a perfect fit for any Subaru in my mind.