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We replaced our 2011 Subaru Outback with a 2013 Toyota Highlander. I'm wondering if my old snow tires can be used on the new car.

The size of the tires on the new car is: 245/55 R19

The size of the existing snow tires is: 225/60 R17

TireRack.com says recommends the 17 inch radius snow tires, but just wondering if the 245 vs 225 width will matter, or the 55 vs 60 for tire profile.

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3 Answers 3

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The wheel bolt pattern is different between the 2011 Outback and the 2013 Highlander (5-100 vs. 5-114), so if your old snow tires are mounted on wheels, you cannot use those wheels on the Highlander.

Furthermore, the overall diameter of the wheels and tires is considerably larger on the new car (245/55 R19 is approximately 29.6in in diameter, 93in in circumference) than on the old car (225/60 R17 is approximately 27.6in in diameter, 87in in circumference), so even if you mounted your old tires to appropriate 17 inch wheels for the new car, your speedometer and odometer would not read correctly, and your fuel economy would suffer because the engine would be turning faster at a given road speed.

Time for new snow tires.

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    +1 The diameter difference is a big deal. Narrower tires are better for snow traction as long as load and tire pressure are calculated to compensate, but with 2 inches of diameter difference you really are better off buying a whole new set. At minimum you have to buy a new set of wheels anyway; you may as well do it right.
    – NL - Apologize to Monica
    Dec 11, 2013 at 17:26
  • Do you know how I can tell on what other cars these tires/wheels may fit?
    – Scott
    Jan 23, 2014 at 18:20
  • @Scott I'm not aware of a reverse-lookup for wheel and tire fitments. There may be such a tool. However, I expect the reason you're asking is you're now looking to get rid of your old wheels and tires. In this case, just list their sizes and specifications in an ad in the local classifieds. There are plenty of folks shopping who know what they're looking for. I'd try "used snow tires mounted on (steel? alloy?) wheels. 255/60-R17 on 17" wheels with 5x100 bolt pattern. came off of 2001 outback, but may fit other vehicles"
    – mac
    Jan 24, 2014 at 16:59
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Do your snow tire wheels fit correctly on the new vehicle? The wheel offset might cause issues with the suspension or fenders.

Otherwise, Tirerack is just recommending something with the original diameter. The change in width and side ratio are not a big difference.

However, tires do age--especially if they've been sitting for a while and can become prone to failure. So you might want to keep that in mind.

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A spare set of winter tyres for your vehicle would be the preferred solution. It all depends on how often you get snow, and how much.

Tyre life on a vehicle is around six years, and a spare tyre around ten. This sort of criteria is rarely used on most vehicle as the tyres are usually worn out and replaced before it becomes a real consideration.

You can tell the age of a tyre by it's DOT code on the tyre wall.

Here in the UK snowing normally only adds up to a couple of days inconvenience when it happens.

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    this does not address the question as stated by the author
    – mac
    Dec 11, 2013 at 14:10

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