Where you buy your tires is an important decision when you’re shopping for tires. You may enjoy supporting a local small business. But they often can’t provide some benefits that larger, corporate locations can.
If you’re wondering where you can buy the best tires, you’re in luck. Today’s article is for you!
We’re looking at the best places to buy tires and why you might want to consider them for your next tire purchase.
Let’s get started!
Does It Matter What Brand of Tires You Buy?
If you’ve ever made the mistake of trying to save a few bucks by purchasing a pair of cheap shoes, you know that brand matters. Maybe the shoes looked like they could get the job done when you saw them in the store. However, you quickly could feel the difference after a couple of hours on your feet at work. Saving a few bucks on your tires is no different.
Unfortunately, besides the price, there are plenty of differences between the cheapest and the most expensive tires. Many premium brands come with longer lifespans and a better performance reputation. Reduced chances of defects and minimal levels of road noise are a couple of the major benefits of choosing a quality brand over a generic tire.
However, depending on your needs, the cheapest tire can sometimes be the best solution. If you’re struggling to keep your vehicle running and only use it for cruising around town, there’s no need to spend big bucks on the tires. If you do, you could spend more money on tires than your vehicle is worth.
What Company Sells the Best Tires?
You’ll see a few different names when you search for the best company that makes tires. However, Michelin Tires frequently topped the list on many of these lists. That’s because they’ve been in business since 1889 and know how to do business.
They have a positive reputation in the industry, especially with consumers. While you may pay a premium for these tires, the performance and longevity you get from them are worth it.
Where Can You Buy the Best Tires?
You can’t trust just any shop to sell the best tires and deliver quality service. Here are some popular shops selling the best tires if you need to purchase tires.
Discount Tire
Depending on where you are in the country, Discount Tire either goes by “Discount Tire” or “America’s Tire Shop.” They’re an online brick-and-mortar retailer selling some of the best tires in the industry.
You can purchase your tires online and schedule an appointment to install them on your vehicle. Their online shopping software, Treadwell, helps ensure you get the right tires for your vehicle.
One reason to consider Discount Tire is that they have 1,000+ locations across 35 states. If you purchase your tires and warranty through them, any of these locations will honor it. You don’t have to be left hanging high and dry or waste money on a useless warranty.
Costco
If you’re a Costco member, you have access to more than 700 stores all over the country. However, not all Costco locations offer tire sales and installation. You’ll want to check with your local Costco to see if they do.
The locations that do provide tire services, they often are typically very competitively priced. They’ll often run deals on brands and installations. They sell some leading names in the tire industry, including Goodyear, Michelin, Firestone, and Bridgestone.
Many consumers choose Costco for their tires because they offer a five-year road hazard warranty with their tires. While this is an additional purchase, many drivers find it’s worth it. What’s not extra is the free lifetime balancing, rotating, and flat tire repair for your tires. In addition, they’ll also check your tire pressure and repair rubber valves and stems for free.
Pro Tip: Does Costco offer cheaper gas?
Sam’s Club
Another big-box retailer that requires a membership is Sam’s Club. Walmart owns this warehouse-style retailer, and membership here comes with a long list of perks, including buying tires from them. Many of their 600+ locations offer tire services.
Like many other large retailers on our list, you can purchase your tires online through Sam’s Club. Their handy search engine lets you input information about your vehicle to help narrow your search for the perfect tire. Once your tires arrive, you can schedule your installation appointment and head on over when the time comes.
Sam’s Club offers almost all of the big names in the tire industry. If you’re looking for any of the best tire brands, there’s a good chance they have them on hand. If not, you can order them online, and they’ll likely arrive in a few short days.
Some of the benefits of choosing Sam’s Club are not having to worry about balancing, rotating, flat tire repair, or checks of your air pressure, rubber valve, and stems for the life of your tire. Sam’s Club does its best to keep you and your vehicle safe while on the road without breaking the bank.
National Tire and Battery
Some consider National Tire and Battery (NTB) the best place to buy tires. There are more than 600 NTB stores in 26 states, primarily in the South and Southeast. They sell all major tire brands, including Goodyear, Bridgestone, and Firestone Tires, at their physical locations and online store.
Their online search features can help you to pinpoint the nearest location. Once you locate the nearest store, you can input your vehicle year, make, and model to find matching tires for your vehicle. You’ll find a variety of tires, but as we said, they sell some of the best names in the industry.
Buying your tires from NTB and having them install them provides you with a few different warranties and benefits. They’re one of the few retailers offering a 30-day ride guarantee. They allow you to cruise around on the tires for 30 days and, if you’re not satisfied, will give you the full value of the tires towards selecting another tire.
Goodyear Tire
Goodyear Tire does more than produce tires; they install them too. They’re one of the world’s largest tire brands and have more than 1,100 locations across the United States. However, don’t expect to find other popular brands at these auto centers. They only sell brands that are part of the Goodyear Tire family. In addition to Goodyear tires, you’ll find Dunlop and Kelly, both owned by Goodyear.
Using their online tire search feature makes it simple to find the perfect tires to fit your vehicle. Once you locate the possibilities for your vehicle, you can narrow down the search based on what you want out of your tires. Whether you need maximum performance, all-season tires, or beefy off-road tires, you can indicate your preferences and eliminate any tires that don’t fit your needs.
Goodyear Tire offers many of the same benefits as other tire installers when it comes to warranties, including a 30-day grace period. However, they offer a unique no-contact mobile installation for tires purchased through them. Costs for this service are the same as if you had them installed in one of their tire centers.
Firestone Complete Auto Care
Firestone Complete Auto Care has more than 2,200 stores across the country. These brick-and-mortar locations further the partnership between Firestone and Bridgestone. You won’t find any tires that aren’t members of their business family. Brands sold at these locations and online are Bridgestone, Firestone, Primewell, and Fuzion.
You can buy your tires in person or online and schedule your installation. Bridgestone does offer mobile installation at no additional charge, but it’s only available in Nashville, TN. If you’re not in the Music City, you’ll need to take your vehicle to one of their installers.
They’re one of the few companies that provide an incredible 90-day “try and buy” guarantee on their tires. If you buy four tires from them, you have up to 90 days to decide whether you want to keep them. In addition, various warranties cover the tires, including a three-year “Gold Pledge” warranty that covers the tires for three years from any manufacturer defects.
How Much Should 4 New Tires Cost?
The cost of four new tires can vary greatly depending on the vehicle. If you’re driving a tiny compact car or SUV, the tires will be much cheaper than if you’re looking for big, beefy mudding tires for your 4×4 truck. Depending on your needs, a new set of tires can range anywhere from $250 to $1500+.
Buying a complete set of new tires for a vehicle isn’t an exciting purchase for most drivers, but it’s necessary. While it may be tempting to try to save a few bucks, you often get what you pay for when it comes to tires. You may save a few bucks by buying cheap tires, but they’re often noisier, have more potential for defects, and have a shorter lifespan.
If you have to replace your cheap tires more often and have a worse driving experience with them, spending a few extra bucks may not be a bad idea.
Where Can I Find the Best Prices for Tires?
You’ll typically find the best prices for tires at places like Costco, Sam’s Club, and even Walmart. Their tires typically are very competitively priced with one another. In addition, don’t underestimate online retailers like Tire Rack or Discount Tire Direct. You may have to pay a few bucks to a local shop to install them, but the savings can be worth it.
Is It Better to Buy Tires Online or at a Tire Shop?
Whether you buy your tires online or in a local tire shop will depend on your needs. Buying your tires online is a great way to save some cash and access a larger inventory of tires. However, shopping online isn’t always an option in every situation.
Online retailers like Amazon have spoiled shoppers and destroyed our expectations concerning shipping. Most online tire retailers cannot provide shipping as fast as Amazon does. As a result, you will be waiting several days for your tires to arrive. This means those drivers who need a tire quickly will need to shop locally instead of online.
How Do You Know When to Buy New Tires?
Like most things in life, tires only last for so long. It is dangerous to drive around on tires that have reached or are nearing the end of their lifespan. You need to measure the tread depth to know when the tires have worn down and need replacing. Tires need at least 2/32” of the tread to be safe for the road. While most tire shops will measure the tread depth during routine maintenance, you can test it yourself at home using a penny.
All you need to do is turn the penny so President Lincoln’s head points down into the tread and towards the tire. If your tire has more than the minimum requirement for tread, the top of his head should disappear.
However, if you can see his entire head, it’s, unfortunately, time to replace your tires. Luckily, now you know where you can buy the best tires for your vehicle.
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