The best summer tire for the WRX is the Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02, and the best all-season is the Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 Plus. In the 245/40R18 size most WRXs use, they cost $225.99 and $197.99 a tire at Tire Rack in October 2026.
Pick the type before the brand. The 2022-on WRX came on summer tires, and all-wheel drive doesn't help a summer tire brake or turn in the cold. Still choosing a car? Read WRX vs BRZ.
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How we picked
Every tire here was sold in 245/40R18 at Tire Rack on October 14, 2026. That size fits the VB Premium, Limited and GT, and the 2016–21 VA Premium and Limited. We noted each tire's UTQG treadwear grade, treadwear warranty and price. Where Tire Rack had tested the tire, we used the test numbers.
We left out closeouts and run-flats. Base 17-inch and 19-inch cars get a short table further down.
The picks at a glance
Tire | Type | Best for | UTQG | Treadwear warranty | Per tire | Set of 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02 | Summer | Best summer tire | 340 AA A | $225.99 | $903.96 | |
Michelin Pilot Sport 4S | Summer | Benchmark | 300 AA A | $253.99 | $1,015.96 | |
Falken Azenis FK510 | Summer | Value summer | 300 AA A | $234.00 | $936.00 | |
Falken Azenis RT660+ | Summer, 200TW | Autocross | 200 A A | $286.51 | $1,146.04 | |
Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 Plus | All-season | Best all-season | 560 AA A | $197.99 | $791.96 | |
Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 | All-season | Light snow | 540 AA A | $228.99 | $915.96 | |
Pirelli P Zero AS Plus 3 | All-season | Test winner | 560 AA A | 50,000 miles | $230.33 | $921.32 |
Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS+ | All-season | Lowest price | 500 AA A | 50,000 miles | $175.51 | $702.04 |
Michelin CrossClimate2 | All-weather | Snow states | 640 B A | $295.99 | $1,183.96 |
Prices are Tire Rack's, October 14, 2026, before rebates and fitting. Set price is four times the per-tire price: 4 x $225.99 = $903.96 for the Continental summer tire.
WRX tire sizes by year and trim
Most WRXs use 245/40R18, on both the VA and the VB. Base cars and every 2015 WRX use 235/45R17, and the TR, tS and 2018-on STI use 245/35R19.
Car | Size |
|---|---|
2015 VA WRX, all trims | 235/45R17 |
2016–21 VA WRX, base | 235/45R17 |
2016–21 VA WRX Premium, Limited | 245/40R18 |
2015–17 WRX STI | 245/40R18 |
2018–21 WRX STI | 245/35R19 |
2022+ VB WRX, base | 235/45R17 97W XL |
2022+ VB WRX Premium, Limited, GT | 245/40R18 97Y XL |
2024 WRX TR, 2025 WRX tS | 245/35R19 |
VA sizes are from TireSize.com for 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. VB sizes are from SimpleTire and TireSize.com for 2024 and 2025. So a 2015 Premium or Limited is on 17s, and a 2016-on one is on 18s.
What the WRX comes with from the factory
Both generations came on Dunlop summer tires. The 2015 WRX and STI launched on the Dunlop Sport Maxx RT (Tyrepress). For the VB, SimpleTire's factory-fitment listing names the Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT600 on every 2022 trim (SimpleTire). We couldn't find Subaru or Dunlop confirming it, so read your sidewall.
Tire Rack sells the SP Sport Maxx GT600 A in exactly the VB sizes, 235/45R17 97W and 245/40R18 97Y. It's listed as Max Performance Summer with no treadwear warranty, and "not intended to be driven in near-freezing temperatures, through snow or on ice" (Tire Rack).
Summer or all-season?
Buy summer tires if the WRX sits out the winter or you have a winter set. Buy all-seasons if it's your only car and the temperature drops near freezing.
AWD gets you moving in the cold. It doesn't help you stop or corner. That comes down to the rubber, and summer compounds harden in the cold. Our Pilot Sport 4S vs Pilot Sport All Season 4 guide explains the temperature rule.
245/40R18 | ExtremeContact Sport 02 | DWS06 Plus | CrossClimate2 |
|---|---|---|---|
Type | Summer | All-season | All-weather |
Speed rating | Y | Y | V |
Treadwear warranty | 30,000 miles | 50,000 miles | 60,000 miles |
Tire Rack survey, dry / wet | 9.4 / 8.9 | 9.3 / 9.1 | 9.4 / 9.4 |
Tire Rack survey, winter/snow | Not rated | 7.5 | 8.8 |
Severe snow (3PMSF) | No | No | Yes |
Survey scores are owner ratings out of 10 from Tire Rack, not test results. We found no independent test with all three. We call the CrossClimate2 all-weather because of its snowflake rating; Tire Rack files it as Grand Touring All-Season.
Best summer tire for the WRX: Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02
The ExtremeContact Sport 02 is the lowest-priced summer tire here, and it has the best test record. In Tire Rack's 2025 summer test it set the fastest dry lap and the strongest 60-0 mph wet stop, scoring 7.79 out of 10 to the Pilot Sport 4S's 7.39 (Tire Rack). It also has a 30,000-mile warranty and the highest treadwear grade of the summer group, 340.
The drawback: the test was on a BMW M2 in 275/35R19, not a WRX. And like any summer tire, it isn't for snow or freezing weather.
Check sizes and prices for the Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02 at Tire Rack
Also good: Michelin Pilot Sport 4S and Falken Azenis FK510
The Pilot Sport 4S has the same 30,000-mile warranty but costs $28 more per tire. Tire Rack listed a Michelin offer of an $80 Visa Reward Card, claimed online, on a set of four, valid September 3 to November 30, 2026, which brings the set to $935.96 ($1,015.96 minus $80). In the same 2025 test it stopped 4.3 m (about 14 feet) further from 60 mph in the wet (Tyre Reviews). Our Pilot Sport 4S vs ExtremeContact Sport 02 comparison has the full numbers.
Check sizes and prices for the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S at Tire Rack
The FK510 had the best 60-0 braking of the Ultra High Performance tires in that test. Its drawback is that it has no treadwear warranty, and at $234.00 it costs $8 more than the Continental in this size.
Check sizes and prices for the Falken Azenis FK510 at Tire Rack
For autocross: Falken Azenis RT660+
The RT660+ is a 200-treadwear Extreme Performance Summer tire, $286.51 in 245/40ZR18 97W (Tire Rack). It's for events, not commuting.
The drawbacks: no treadwear warranty, and Tire Rack warns not to store or drive it near freezing because the compound can crack. Read 200-treadwear tires explained first.
Check sizes and prices for the Falken Azenis RT660+ at Tire Rack
Best all-season tire for the WRX: Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 Plus
The DWS06 Plus is here because it ranked higher than the Michelin in testing and costs less. It placed 2nd of 9 in Tire Rack's 2024 UHP all-season test on a 2024 BMW 330i xDrive, against 4th for the Pilot Sport All Season 4 (Tire-Reviews). It also had the shortest ice stop of the three tires in the table below. At $197.99 it's $31 a tire, or $124 a set, under the Michelin, with 5,000 more warranty miles.
The drawback is braking on most surfaces. The Michelin stopped shorter in the dry, wet and snow.
2024 Tire Rack UHP all-season test | DWS06 Plus | Pilot Sport All Season 4 | P Zero AS Plus 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
Dry braking | 35.36 m | 34.44 m | 34.75 m |
Wet braking | 42.37 m | 39.62 m | 41.45 m |
Snow braking | 27.41 m | 25.24 m | 29.58 m |
Ice braking | 13.17 m | 14.23 m | 13.84 m |
Overall position | 2nd | 4th | 1st |
Figures compiled by Tyre Reviews.
Check sizes and prices for the Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 Plus at Tire Rack
Other all-seasons worth a look
The Pilot Sport All Season 4 is the one for light snow. It had the shortest snow stop of the three in the test table above, 25.24 m, and the same $80 Visa Reward Card offer brings a set to $835.96 (Tire Rack). The Pirelli P Zero AS Plus 3 won the test overall but was weakest of the three in snow. The Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS+ is the lowest-priced set, $702.04, or $622.04 after a rebate Tire Rack's size listing showed on October 14, 2026. We found no test of it to quote.
Check sizes and prices for the Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 at Tire Rack
If you get real snow: Michelin CrossClimate2
The CrossClimate2 carries the three-peak mountain snowflake for severe snow, which neither all-season above does (Tire Rack). It also has a 60,000-mile warranty.
The drawbacks: a V speed rating against the factory Y, and the highest price here, $295.99 a tire. The Michelin $80 card offer brings the set to $1,103.96. See all-season vs all-weather tires, and can you run winter tires year round if you're thinking of a winter set instead.
Check sizes and prices for the Michelin CrossClimate2 at Tire Rack
Base 17-inch and 19-inch cars
Prices are Tire Rack's, October 14, 2026.
Size | Tire | Load / speed | Per tire | Set of 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
235/45R17 | Michelin Pilot Sport 4S | 97Y XL | $255.99 | $1,023.96 |
235/45R17 | Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 | 97Y XL | $222.99 | $891.96 |
235/45R17 | Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS+ | 97W XL | $178.48 | $713.92 |
235/45R17 | Continental DWS06 Plus | 94W | $195.99 | $783.96 |
245/35R19 | Michelin Pilot Sport 4S | 93Y XL | $338.99 | $1,355.96 |
245/35R19 | Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02 | 93Y XL | $297.99 | $1,191.96 |
From Tire Rack's 235/45R17 listing, the PS4S 245/35ZR19 page, the PS4S 235/45ZR17 page and the ECS02 245/35ZR19 page, where the price was marked "Special".
Watch the load index on 17s. The VB base car's factory size is 235/45R17 97W XL (SimpleTire). Both Continental picks drop to 94W in 235/45ZR17: the DWS06 Plus (listing above) and the ExtremeContact Sport 02 (Tire Rack). That's below the VB's 97, so on a VB base car pick the Pilot Sport All Season 4 or RE980AS+ for all-season, or the Pilot Sport 4S for summer. We couldn't confirm the VA base car's load index, so check your placard. Thinking of moving up a wheel size? Check the diameter change with our tire size calculator.
Replace all four at once
Fit tires as a set of four on a WRX. A new pair with two worn tires means the front and rear roll at slightly different speeds, which the AWD system has to absorb. We couldn't confirm Subaru's tread-depth tolerance, so check your owner's manual before replacing only two.
How to check this on your own car
Photograph the door-jamb tire placard for your size and pressures. Then photograph a sidewall and note the full code, such as 245/40R18 97Y XL, plus the brand and model.
Read the DOT date code too (how to read it). Measure tread depth at all four corners with a gauge, and log the mileage.
What to do today
- Read your door placard: 235/45R17, 245/40R18 or 245/35R19.
- Decide on one set or two. One all-year set means all-season or all-weather; summer tires need a winter plan.
- Match or beat the factory load index (97 on a VB) when you order.
- Price all four tires from one store and check for rebates.
- Get an alignment after fitting. See how much a wheel alignment costs.
Common questions
Can I run different tires front and rear on a WRX?
No. Every WRX trim above uses one size on all four corners, and the car is AWD. Keep the same tire, size and wear on all four.
Are the factory Dunlops summer tires?
Yes. Tire Rack lists the SP Sport Maxx GT600 A, sold in the VB's factory sizes, as Max Performance Summer and says not to drive it near freezing (Tire Rack).
Is 245/40R18 the same on VA and VB WRX?
Yes, the size is the same. On the VB it's specified as 97Y XL (SimpleTire). Every 245/40R18 tire in our table is a 97. Buy 97 or higher, and confirm against your door placard.
Sources are linked in the text. Main references: Tire Rack, Tyre Reviews, SimpleTire and TireSize.com.
Featured image: Subaru WRX (2022) by Charles, CC BY 2.0. Source
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