Most automakers fit cheap tires to keep costs down and fuel economy up, but these original equipment (OE) tires are compromises—replacing them will have many benefits.
Most automakers fit inexpensive low-rolling resistance tires to their new vehicles. While this decision effectively keeps assembly costs down and fuel economy up, original equipment (OE) tires may comprise ultimate handling, traction, braking, and wear. Thankfully, fitting a replacement set of higher-performance tires will drastically improve the way your vehicle drives and increase safety.
Proving that tires—the only part of a vehicle in contact with the road—are the single most essential performance upgrade you can make to any vehicle, I replaced the worn OE tires on my daughter’s car with a set of premium replacement tires.
My daughter drives a 2021 Subaru Crosstrek, a subcompact crossover with a four-cylinder engine and full-time all-wheel drive. It’s an entry-level vehicle engineered to be practical and comfortable, so Subaru fits it with Falken ZIEX ZE001 A/S tires from the factory. Even though the crossover drove just fine, the OE tires were uninspiring in the wet, lacked cornering grip, and were noisy. Most frustratingly, they wore out in less than 29,000 miles—a dismally short service life. (The OE Falken “Crossover/SUV Touring All-Season” tire earns a dismal ‘Fair’ recommendation rating from online tire retailer Tire Rack reviewers and a low 6.2 average in five subjective categories.)
I wanted a replacement tire that was innovative and advanced, and it needed to have high-performance engineering objectives.
