If you own a car, it’s safe to say you’ve had to replace tires and know how much they cost. When you try to find the best places to buy tires, it can become dizzying. Stores sell different styles, and each store offers different tire deals.
It’s nothing to spend at least $150 per tire when replacing tires, and then you have to deal with fees that drive up the cost.
It quickly gets expensive.
Buying tires is unavoidable when you own a car. However, with a little due diligence, you can save money when purchasing a new set of wheels.
What are the Best Places Buy Tires?
Consumer Reports surveyed 50,000 subscribers who recently bought tires and compiled a list of businesses that provide the best and worst tire change services.
We researched that report to create a list of retailers who offer the best service, which is highlighted by Tire Rack, Costco, and Goodyear.
However, there are several others that qualify as the best places to buy and have tires installed.
The prices below are a median price per tire, assuming you purchase four tires. Several of the retailers are internet-only so installation will vary depending on where you install them.
1. Discount Tire
As the name implies, Discount Tire focuses on offering excellent deals on tires. In fact, they’re my favorite place to shop.
According to reviews on multiple websites, customers are happy to find that store associates are helpful, kind, and love to talk about tires.
In some reviews, people even expressed that Discount Tire offered to patch or fix a tire before replacing it, free of charge.
When it comes to tire selection, Discount Tire has over 100 different brands, sizes, and styles. You’re bound to find either an exact match to the tires you have now or something close (or even better).
Also, if they don’t have your choice in stock, they’ll place a special order for no additional charge.
Discount Tire will also install your tires for you. It’s better if you book an appointment in advance, but they do offer walk-in services, like winter tire change or tire rotation.
The retailer also offers a payment plan, if you need one.
2. Tire Rack
Tire Rack built their own track to test product options. That’s how serious they are about selling the best ones to customers.
Beyond that, they will also ship both your tires and your wheels to you, and they offer some of the best tire deals online.
If you work on your own car, you can install Tire Rack tires yourself. Or, you can work with one of their thousands of independent contractors who will install the tires for you.
They even have some contractors who will come to your home so you don’t have to go to a store.
Tire Rack carries hundreds of tire and wheel options so you should have no trouble finding what you’re looking for. If you live near a Tire Rack distribution center, you’re also eligible for a discount by picking up your tires directly from them.
Tire Rack occasionally offers Visa cash cards to customers as a way to increase savings.
3. SimpleTire
SimpleTire is an easy way to replace your car tires whether you need specialty, commercial, farm, or regular car tires.
Their online catalog has over 55 million tires from over 300 brands to find the tires that are right for your vehicle.
After making your selection SimpleTire will ship the tires free to your home or a nearby shop.
They have a nationwide network of more than 20,000 local tire installers allowing you to schedule an installation appointment at a time that’s convenient for you.
SimpleTire has sales, rebates, and installation deals to save you money on new tire purchases. For instance, you can sign up for their emails and text alerts to receive up to 20 percent off when you buy new tires.
Their prices are all-inclusive and they offer the convenience of paying online. They also offer military discounts.
You can return unmounted tires within 30 days of delivery minus a $15 per tire handling fee.
4. TireBuyer
TireBuyer is an excellent resource to purchase tires on the internet. They have a smart guide that helps you select a perfect set of tires.
This is a terrific tool for those who aren’t sure what tires are best for their car and area (think climate, road conditions, etc).
The second great thing about TireBuyer is you can order your selected tires and have them shipped to the place you want them installed.
Shipping is free and shipments usually arrive in two business days or less.
TireBuyer also partners with tire installers so they can give you the TireBuyer Installation Advantage. This means that your installation rate is guaranteed.
The retailer bases its recommendation on over 100 different characteristics, including customer reviews and mileage warranty information.
If you have any issues and the tires aren’t exactly what you’re looking, you can have them returned for free (if going through a TireBuyer installer).
TireBuyer regularly offers promotions to help increase savings.
5. PriorityTire
Do you like to install your own tires? PriorityTire is an excellent option to buy tires online. It offers tires for a wide variety of vehicles, from passenger to all terrain and trailer.
You can find tires from numerous brands, including:
- BFGoodrich
- Bridgestone
- Continental
- Firestone
- Goodyear
- Toyo
PriorityTire claims to offer savings of up to 55 percent off what you will find at other retailers. All pricing includes free shipping via FedEx unless you live in Alaska, Hawaii, or Puerto Rico.
If you place your order by 1:00 P.M. EST, your order will ship same day. If you place an order after 1:00 P.M. EST, or on the weekend, your order ships the following business day.
6. Goodyear
Goodyear is one of the most recognized tire brands. The retailer has sold tires, and other auto-related products for over a century.
If you need higher end or performance tires, Goodyear is a solid choice.
The tire giant has over 4,000 nationwide retail locations. You can purchase tires online and have them shipped to your home.
If you prefer to have an experienced installer place the new tires on your car, Goodyear can ship them to one of their locations for free.
If you can’t get to one of their locations, Goodyear has a mobile installation option. This service allows you to stay at home or work and get your tires installed at no added cost.
While Goodyear is typically higher in price, they offer a price match guarantee when you purchase tires from the site and often offer rebates.
If you find a better price within 14 days of purchase, they refund the difference.
Additionally, Goodyear provides you 30 days to decide if you like a new set of tires. If you choose not to keep the ones you purchase, you have 30 days to exchange them for another set.
7. Amazon Tires
Amazon sells everything, including tires. The best thing about buying tires from Amazon is you get to take advantage of Prime and discounts.
If you’ve ever had doubts about buying tires online, Amazon offers solid deals that make them worth considering.
Amazon carries hundreds of affordable tire options. They even have tires for RVs, tractors, and motorcycles — just in case you need more than one style.
Amazon makes it convenient to buy tires. With thousands of reviews, hundreds of products, and the ability to get two-day shipping, you could find the exact tires you’re looking for in less time.
However, it can be overwhelming to search through their inventory.
If you’re a DIY installer, Amazon is worth considering.
8. TireMart.com
Buying used tires may sound unsafe, or an unwise way to save money. Wouldn’t you put yourself at risk or not have a long tread life?
TireMart.com, formerly BestUsedTires.com, doesn’t sell used tires, but blemished tires that have minor cosmetic imperfections.
They have never been installed on a car, and have the same tread life and performance capacity as a new set of wheels, but at a discount of up to 65 percent off retail.
The tires can’t legally be sold as new, but only differ on looks. The site carries over 50,000 brand name tires. You can find any of the following manufacturers on the site:
- BFGoodrich
- Bridgestone
- Continental
- Firestone
- Goodyear
All tires come with a 90-day money-back guarantee and ship for free via FedEx
9. Costco
If you’re wondering, ‘where can I get the best tire deals near me?’ Costco is one of the best places to buy a set of wheels.
Costco won’t work for everyone, but if you have a membership, it’s a good way to save money.
The best time to get your tires from Costco is when they have their yearly “buy four tires” deal. When you buy four tires, you’ll receive a discount, plus each tire costs only one penny to install.
*Related: Do you like Sam’s Club? Read our review of Costco vs. Sam’s Club to see which is best for you.*
Costco fills their tires with nitrogen instead of air to help with fuel economy. They also have a five-year road hazard warranty, which means if your tires are damaged, they will repair or replace them.
If you buy your tires through Costco, you also have lifetime of the tire benefits like balancing, pressure checks, rotations, and flat tire repairs.
Costco usually doesn’t offer the widest selection, but they offer some of the best tire deals in the market.
10. Big O Tires
Big O Tires is similar to Discount Tire Direct. You can order your tires online or in-store and have them installed.
If your tires aren’t in stock, you can order them and set an appointment for a day and time that works for you.
*Related: Do you need to replace a key? Read our guide on the best places to get car keys made near me for cheap.*
Based on initial research, Big O Tires doesn’t have the highest ratings for customer service, mainly for one specific issue: their installation time.
Many customers say that it took Big O Tires around three to four hours to install tires.
However, this doesn’t mean it would actually take them that long to complete every installation. To make sure this doesn’t happen to you, get a time quote and try to go when it isn’t too busy.
Big O Tires has multiple options to choose from, many of which are affordable. The retailer also offers payment plans.
Quite a few people on review threads and websites mentioned Big O Tires having the best tire deals online. Don’t forget to check out their coupons, as they offer deals every month.
The tire retailer is one of the largest in the space with over 450 locations, according to their site, so you should be able to find one near you.
11. Tire Barn
Tire Barn boasts millions of installations a year, and the retailer is an excellent option for cheap tires. It also carries all of the major brand names.
Tire Barn offers two different types of installation services – standard and premium. Standard installation includes the usual services like an alignment check and inspection.
*Related: Want to sell your car via private party? Read our guide on how to sell a car on Craigslist to learn how to get top dollar.*
The premium installation package includes everything from the standard installation, plus lifetime rotations and balances, and tire repairs.
Tire Barn also includes a 30-day or 500 mile guarantee. If you don’t like the tires and are within those parameters, you can return them, free of charge. That’s a great way to test tires if they aren’t your usual brand or type.
What to Look for When Searching for Tire Places
There are several things to keep in mind when looking for the best tire deals, such as:
- Estimated lifetime
- Installation costs
- Auto manufacturer recommendation
- Tire size needed
You should also consider if you even need new tires.
Each of the above directly impacts cost, and you want to ensure you select the right set of tires for your vehicle. For further information on what to look for, consult the Consumer Reports guide on how to find the best tires for your needs.
How to Save Money When Buying Tires
Buying tires can get expensive, but there are several ways to find the best tire deals and ensure safety.
Price
Price is an important factor when replacing your tires. While you don’t want to be too cheap with car maintenance, costs add up. Do your research before you step foot in the tire store.
This lets you buy with confidence and not overspend.
Keep in mind that if you need specific tires (larger wheel diameter, snow tires, etc), they are more costly. But you can still score a good deal; you’ll just have to look a little harder.
If you’re a member of AAA, don’t overlook discount opportunities available through the club. Read our guide to determine if the AAA membership cost is worth the potential savings found through it.
Picking the Right Tire Store
While this doesn’t have to do with the tires themselves, it’s nice to receive perks. When looking at tire places, see if they offer any benefits when you purchase from them.
Ask yourself some of the following questions:
- Do they offer warranties?
- Do they offer balancing, mounting, and rotation?
- Is there a discount for buying a set of four?
These are all terrific benefits, and you never know if you get them unless you ask. The store may also offer oil change coupons if you buy from them.
When you purchase your tires, ask what discounts they have to offer.
Practice Proper Maintenance
Proper car maintenance begins with picking the right set of tires for your car, but it’s more than that.
You want to keep your tires properly inflated, as well as regularly rotated to maintain safety and save money.
Frequently Asked Questions
Car maintenance is expensive. Here are some common questions people have when replacing tires.
Is it Okay to Buy Tires Online?
It may seem odd to buy online, but using the internet is a legitimate way to save money on your purchase. Not only does it allow you to comparison shop and read reviews, it often lets you find the best tire prices.
Many local mechanics will install what you buy from online retailers. Just include that cost in your overall price.
What is the Best Month to Buy Tires?
Like other items, there is a good time to buy tires. The best month to buy tires is either April or October.
This aligns with the change in seasons, and it’s common to find the best deals during these months.
Where Can I Get the Best Deal on Tires?
Car maintenance is a big business. Retailers know this, and it’s not uncommon to find rebates or deals to buy tires.
Make sure you look for savings options before spending more than you need to.
The average cost of a set of tires costs between $100 – $300 per tire for a moderately- priced tire, according to TireBuyer. Finding a rebate is a great way to knock down that price.
Each of the above best places to buy tires actively work to help put you in a good set of tires. They wouldn’t be rated as highly if they didn’t.
If you find a retailer unwilling to help you with any of the above issues, it’s best to look elsewhere for your purchase.
Summary
Buying tires is expensive. Not only must you purchase the wheels, you often must also pay installation costs.
It pays to do your due diligence to find an affordable set of tires that work well for car and have a good safety rating. Don’t be afraid to haggle with the retailer to see if they can offer you a deal on your purchase.
What retailers would you add to our list?
