Best sealed road A/T tyres for 2012 Outback

[Josh]

Hi,

My Outback needs new tyres, please can I ask for advice.

Type of Travel:
95%+ city and highway driving (on the M1 from Sydney to Gosford/Newcastle).
I'd be going once a month off-road on camping trips - small rocks, bumpy dirt roads, dawn and dusk driving on country roads, occasional sand and mud.


Most recently I went to Ourimbah state forest and stuck to the main track like Morgan did (there are 3 videos here of the track).
https://www.subyclub.com/topic/6802-ourimbah-state-forest-first-time-offroad-in-the-xt/




TYRES:
Currently running on the stock Yoko H/T. Tyre size 225/60 R17. My priority is more towards fuel efficiency and low noise as I drive 95%+ sealed roads.
All Terrain Options:
1) Yokohama Geolandar G012 (my first choice, the tyre guy said they're the least chunky A/T)
2) Brigestone Dueller 697's (very popular)
3) Coopers Discoverer A/T3 (will 235/60R17 fit my vehicle?)
4) Federal Couragia A/T (lower quality than the others?)

Which tyre will be most economical and least noisy, but also good for the dirt and puncture resistance?
Do people buy another rim to carry a spare (if so, where from cheap?) currently I only have the "max 80km/hr" spare.

Thanks very much

 

[Rally]

Get road tyres. I have never had a puncture in my Subaru when running road tyres, and when I did run AT's that is when I got all my punctures. I run Bridgestone Potenzas. They offer far more grip than any AT on road and one day your life may need that grip. A wet M1 can be a slippery place and AT's just won't give the you the grip the Potenzas will.

 

[Kevin]

If you do go AT then the 697s have a good reputation and they're not too aggressive.

 

[ateday]

I ran two sets of Pirelli Scorpion STR without dramas.
Would recommend them and back up Rally`s comments re road tyres being generally ok.