Buying tires

[RAE]

OK, here is the situation. I need 4 new tires for my pickup truck. I went online, found the tires that I want, and priced them out at several places (Amazon, Tire Rack, a couple others). Amazon had the best price.......about $650 for a set of 4 (free shipping). If I buy them online, I will have to have them mounted and balanced by my local garage (cost unknown at this point). The other option is to just order the tires through the local garage, and have them take care of everything (which is easier). So, I get a price quote on the 4 tires I want from the local garage, plus mounting and balancing - $950. Now, I don't mind paying a reasonable amount for the mounting and balancing, but this doesn't this seem way out of line to those of you that are familiar with auto maintenance? I mean, if I can get the tires for $650 from Amazon, I would think that the garage can get them for about the same price (or less), no? And if so, $300 for mounting and balancing 4 tires seems a bit ridiculous to me. I like to do business locally whenever possible, but I just can't justify $300 for mounting and balancing 4 tires. My next step is to ask the local garage what they would charge for just mounting and balancing the 4 tires (that I buy elsewhere).......it will be interesting to see what they say about that.

I'd be interested to hear from others who have bought tires lately - how you went about it, and what your experience was.

 

[user5027]

I buy the tires online, usually at Tirerack, and have them shipped directly to a local garage (a mechanic I've worked with for 38 years). I drop the vehicle off and he mounts and balances the tires and disposes of the old tires. Two years ago he charged me $120 for four tires on a Saab.

 

[Nunthewiser]

You should have a used tire shop somewhere around you. He should be able to mount and balance them cheaply.

Me, I do my own... buy 'em at the junkyard for $10 each on Sundays...

 

[rbmrtn]

I bought from discount tire direct. raised the car, took the wheels and new tires to a tire shop for mount/balance then put them back on the car. I had a coupon for the shop otherwise probably would have used walmart.

Tirerack has partner shops like firestone. You can ship directly to firestone store and they give a discount for tirerack.

Also check for tire rebates.

 

[ERD50]

I buy the tires online, usually at Tirerack, and have them shipped directly to a local garage (a mechanic I've worked with for 38 years). I drop the vehicle off and he mounts and balances the tires and disposes of the old tires. Two years ago he charged me $120 for four tires on a Saab.

+1

Though I had the tires shipped to me, but TireRack lists local shops that they work with, so I felt pretty comfortable taking them there. EZ-peasy, and a reasonable price for mounting/balancing. Of course, I give that shop my follow up work, so it was a win for them anyhow.

I know someone with a fleet for their business, they do all their expensive truck tires through TireRack.

So I'm not sure you get that dealer connection through Amazon - is the TireRack-Amazon delta very much? If not, I'd go with TireRack.

OK, sorry if that sounds like an ad, but I've had good response and prices from them (I had to ask once, because I was looking for direct replacement, and it kept pushing another tire on me - they got back to me and said that tire was a direct replacement for my discontinued model). No affiliation whatsoever, other than happy customer. Also, their 'tire wizard' thing actually works! I was skeptical, but surprised - it really took me to the best tire choice for my needs.

-ERD50

 

[RAE]

+1


So I'm not sure you get that dealer connection through Amazon - is the TireRack-Amazon delta very much? If not, I'd go with TireRack.



-ERD50

Yes, the difference between Amazon and Tire Rack is significant for the Michelin tires I am looking at...........about $200 (for 4 tires). Tire Rack charges about $30 per tire for shipping, and Amazon will ship for no added charge, so that is a big part of the difference.

You are right that the dealer connection is missing when ordering through Amazon, and that is a bit of a concern. I'm not sure that the garage I usually do business with will want to mount and balance the tires if I just buy them myself and bring them to them, so I might have to go to another place for that, if I go the Amazon route. Still not sure what I will do.

 

[Bamaman]

I read TireRack.com for tire tests and customer ratings. Then I compare their prices to DiscountTireDirect.com and TreadDepot.com delivered prices (including sales taxes.) I order them online from the cheapest and often get overnight or 2 day delivery.

In the last 30 months, I've bought well over two dozen tires and paid the local tire store $50 per set of four to balance and mount them.

My last set of truck tires were Michelins bought at Costco reasonably. They do have a Michelin tire that's just sold at Costco and Walmart for pickups that's especially good value in a top quality tire and often comes with a rebate removed at the cash register.

 

[NanoSour]

I pay $70 to have my snow tires put on every winter. I'm pretty sure they also check to make sure they are balanced after they swap the tires out. Same when they put the regular tires back on in the spring. What if this is when you take in some new tires instead of the old ones? Should still be about $70 I would assume. I'll plan to do this when it's time for new tires.

 

[stepford]

I've gotten tires from Discount Tire and Tirerack. Depending on whatever current rebate/sale may be going on either one may be cheaper than the other. When I go that route I've found the local Walmart has the best deal for mounting and balancing - something like $12.50 per wheel.

Most recently though I priced out a couple of different new tire options on Tirerack and DT then went to my local tire store, told them the prices I'd found and asked what they could do to sell me some tires. While they couldn't match the deal on one size/brand they beat it by about $40 on another. Letting the local shop sell me tires just bore additional fruit last week. I got a nail in one and it turns out they fix leeks for free in tires they sell. Score.

Short summary: Do your research beforehand to find good prices on a few options online, but give your local tire store a chance to do better. Worst case you can always buy online and go to Walmart for mounting/balancing. Best case you can save money, support a local business and maybe get better follow on service.

 

[Midpack]

I live close enough that I usually drive to TireRack and have them install them. Huge facility near South Bend IN.

IME $300 to mount & balance 4 tires, as the OP noted, is absolutely crazy.

 

[soupcxan]

I agree $300 sounds steep.


When I've priced tirerack, after shipping and installation they were no cheaper than Costco, so I just get my tires at Costco.


Or you could ask the place that gave you the $950 quote if they will match the tirerack price.

 

[Tom52]

Last month I like to purchased a set of four tires from a Discount Tire store. I have been using them for about 10 years as they have always given me first class customer service. From the invoice....
4 Michelin Defender tires $620
waste tire disposal $12
road hazard warranty for 4 tires $94
installation and lifetime spin balancing, includes lifetime rotation and repairs $64.00


I qualified for a $70 Michelin mail-in rebate which would lower the tire cost from $620 down to $550. Sure I could have saved the $94 on the road hazard warranty but I think this insurance is well worth the cost.

 

[VaCollector]

Not a do-it-yourselfer and so wanted to see if you'd priced Costco for the Michelins? I've bought 3 different sets there and found them to be priced right (although I've never thought of buying them online before).

 

[Car-Guy]

I don't buy tires on-line since to me the savings is just not worth the hassle. (although $300 sounds like a lot). I assume for that price it included tire break down and mounting, TPMS maintenance, balancing, tire disposal fees, etc. Even with that it sounds like too much.

When I need tires (very often in my case) I use a company like Discount Tires. They almost always have want I want in stock, I can make an appointment on-line and usually I'm in and out of their shop in about an hour. Most of the time, they have some sort of discount special and I can save $70 to $100 or more on a set of tires off of the advertised price.

I haven't had problems with any tires that I have bought in years, but if I did, I would much rather deal with a company like Discount Tires or NTW than some "on-line" dealer. I guess it also depends on the specific tires too, but I've found that companies like Tire Rack are not always cheaper, for the "exact same type of tire".

 

[BBQ-Nut]

Just got a set of 4 tires for the Honda Accord.

Shopped local tire shops and well here in SD it was about $15 to install/mount each tire.

I got a $60 rebate for Coopers that were on special this month.

Plus, the tires were on sale for 'employee rate' at Express Tire.

Done and done in 90 minutes at $356 OTD for all 4.(that includes the rebate)

Dealing with delivery, hauling the tires to a shop doesn't appeal to me.

 

[Midpack]

If you just want cheap tires, local is probably easiest. I've always chosen tires very carefully (tread wear, winter performance and road noise are usually priorities for us) and liked Tire Rack for the incomparable selection/inventory and price - and because they are within easy driving distance. But we just joined Costco about a year ago, so we'll give them a look next time.

 

[BBQ-Nut]

If you just want cheap tires, local is probably easiest. I've always chosen tires very carefully (tread wear, winter performance and road noise are usually priorities for us) and liked Tire Rack for the incomparable selection/inventory and price - and because they are within easy driving distance. But we just joined Costco about a year ago, so we'll give them a look next time.

I checked out Costco online here as well. The stock was only for 'premium' type tires (Michelin) and were more expensive than the Coopers for total cost (tax, mounting, rebate, etc).

So, it does pay to shop around. I used to be a believer in all things Costco (as always being cheapest/best buy), but sometimes they are not.

 

[MBAustin]

Another Discount Tire fan here - they have gone above and beyond for me several times and their prices are usually OK (not the lowest but not the highest). So they get my tire business.

 

[RAE]

Not a do-it-yourselfer and so wanted to see if you'd priced Costco for the Michelins? I've bought 3 different sets there and found them to be priced right (although I've never thought of buying them online before).

No Costcos within 100+ miles of me (we live in a rural area). I've priced the Michelins at all of the online tires places mentioned in this thread so far, though, and Amazon is by FAR the cheapest (not even close). There is no way my local garage would come close to matching the price I can get the tires for at Amazon. Now, I'm not a huge Amazon fan, and would prefer to buy locally, but that is the situation.

 

[Midpack]

So, it does pay to shop around. I used to be a believer in all things Costco (as always being cheapest/best buy), but sometimes they are not.

+1. Costco is worth membership IME, but they're not always the best price/value. We shop conscientiously too.

 

[pb4uski]

I have frequently bought tires online through TireRack and had them mounted and balanced locally.

$300 difference is outrageous. Ask them what they charge to mount and balance tires and do a 4-wheel alignment. Around here, to mount and balance 4 tires runs from $30-70 depending on the shop and a 4-wheel alignment runs $80-100. DS had 4 tires we bought from TireRack mounted and balanced at our local garage for $60 a month ago.

A couple times I have found that a local shop was comparable to the all-in cost of buying tires online and having them mounted locally but the results have been mixed.

 

[Lakewood90712]

Have a zillion local and chain tire stores nearby, plus Costco and Sams Club. I have been most satisfied with cost and service at Sams Club. You can order online with tires shipped to the store, buy from stock at the store, or have the store tire center order. The later has many tires available for order that are not listed on the sams website.

Brother usually does tire rack, with a local shop to install. Works ok, unless there is a problem with the new tire, then gets complicated. He likes complicated

To me , tires online and shipped is something I would not do, unless you are in a rural area with limited choices , or retailers who gouge, because they can.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

To me, Michelin sells more sizzle than steak. Yeah, the tread lasts forever, but I've found that the rubber compound they use delivers less-than-ideal traction in wet, cold weather once they've worn in a bit. Granted, my experience was with a high-torque rear-wheel-drive car ('95 BMW 540i, with Energy MXV4s). But after 50K miles I was fed up with them.

BTW, my MXV4s also developed cracking where the tread meets the sidewall. Looked like this (not my tires, but this is what they looked like):

 

[Lakewood90712]

To the OP, Amazon may pay about the same wholesale cost for the, but is selling on a razor thin margin,or even a loss, to build market share , and quash all competitors.

The fair cost comparison would be calling a retailer in the nearest large city, and compare to your local garage price for tires with install as a package.

Local will be higher, but what has Amazon or tire Rack done to employ folks or pay business taxes in your community ?

 

[ERD50]

Yes, the difference between Amazon and Tire Rack is significant for the Michelin tires I am looking at...........about $200 (for 4 tires). Tire Rack charges about $30 per tire for shipping, and Amazon will ship for no added charge, so that is a big part of the difference.

You are right that the dealer connection is missing when ordering through Amazon, and that is a bit of a concern. I'm not sure that the garage I usually do business with will want to mount and balance the tires if I just buy them myself and bring them to them, so I might have to go to another place for that, if I go the Amazon route. Still not sure what I will do.

You could check which tire shops in your area are on TireRack's recommended list, and then take your Amazon tires to that shop. I really don't think the shop would care where the tires come from, I think that being on that list just means they are open to doing the work on tires you supply.

I don't buy tires on-line since to me the savings is just not worth the hassle. ...

What hassle? I often find that on-line places are easier to deal with than many B&M stores, that might feel you are a somewhat captive audience. But whatever works for you.

-ERD50