So, what’s the best place to shop for tires? There are three different segments where you can find great car tires online. These are tire brands, online stores and physical stores with an online shopping option. Below we’ve listed a few places to buy tires online.
Where to buy tires online
- Dan the Tire Man (online)
- Amazon (online)
- Tire Rack (tire brand)
- Goodyear (tire brand)
- Walmart (online)
- NTB Store (online)
- Discount Tire Direct (online)
Many people still buy cars the old way. That is going to a super huge retailer or tire expert in your local area. Although this method still works, this is not ideal. Here are a few reasons to buy locally, but purchasing online gives you much better options. You can get amazing deals and specific guidance on how to know what tires to buy.
Here are five reasons to buy from an online website compared to a local tire shop. The reasons are better price, customer service, selection, information, and faster shipping.
- Price – Many people based their decision off of price. Most of the time, you can find cheap tires online. Online shops usually cost $50 less than local tire stores. However, it’s not always easy to find. We have found a 13-inch radial tire that is precisely made of the 1965 Corvair. This came at a steal of a price considering the balance and price of the mount. Some online retailers will even give you the option for a payment plan for tires.
When it comes to popular brands, most of the prices will remain the same, but there are still hidden gems out there.
- Variety – There is one crucial factor where online sites really beat the physical stores. For example, let’s say you’re looking to buy winter tires for your car. You like the Pirelli and Michelin tires, but the reviews are saying to buy the Nokian Hakkapeliitta is tire. The big issue is that you reside in Jackman, Maine, and you’ll have to travel 85 miles outside to buy a Nokian because they aren’t available at big physical retailers. With online sites, you’ll find a wider variety and a much better selection of tires.
- Customer Support – Nowadays, online customer service is incredibly superior to local shops. With online, you can get a lot of answers to typical questions using FAQ pages. Online sites also have a live chat function to get answers immediately. They also have phone support to talk to a specialist on weekdays or some even on weekends.
- Fast Shipping – One of the best parts about online shopping is the fast shipping nowadays. You don’t have to leave your house to buy it, and it takes only a quick search and click on the buy button. No more having to scan a store and ask for help to find what you’re looking for. Get it to your house within a few days.
In our experience with Tire Rack, they shipped out the Michelin X-Ice winter tires immediately mounted on aluminum wheels. We were so surprised that it arrived at our doorsteps in just one day! It was incredible to receive such fast shipping times from Tire Rack. And then, within an hour, I put on the new wheels and tires, and we were ready to drive on our road trip with our new winter tires.
- Fantastic Information – Since you’re buying online, you have access to a plethora of information to make an informed decision. Just by having the make, model and year of your vehicle, you can find the right tire for you. You can find optimal tire placements, the original materials, reviews from other customers, winter tires, specifications, and more. With the local store, you won’t get unbiased reviews from the customers. By sifting through online information, you will understand how to know what tires to buy. You will also find recommendations on other auto topics like driver alliances to help you with everything you need.
Why Our List of Online Retailers is the Best
Personally, we have a lot of experience when it comes to buying tires from old cheap cars to extravagant sports cars. I’ve tried buying tires from every sort of place, such as the towing company and gas station around the corner.
But online has a bunch of review sites that recommend this list, including the Better Business Bureau. There are a lot of scammers online or unpleasant ones, but Google does a great job of showing us honest reviews. Here is the list of best online stores for tires.
We scanned through and weighed many factors such as the information given to us, price, how easy it is to use, and the delivery time. We also checked whether or not you can get your new skins mounted through a local shop that’s connected to the online store.
Best Place to Buy Tires Online
1. Dan The Tire Man – If you’re looking for the best place to buy tires online, then a good place to start is Dan The Tire Man. Whether you are looking to buy tires at full price or save a few bucks, this would be the place to go. Dan The Tire Man offers rebates and coupons to help you save some extra money when you need to. If you can’t seem to afford the tires at full price, you can apply for their no credit check leasing option they have available to help you out. Don’t forget to use the wheel visualizer to find the right size tires before you buy.
2. Tire Rack – Tire Rack provides fast service with a smile which has been their motto since the beginning. It all began in Indianapolis, where they sold tires through mail orders by placing multiple pages of ads in various car enthusiast magazines. As the internet exploded, Tire Rack was one of the first stores to hop on and take advantage of e-commerce and online sales. I remember getting winter tires from Tire Rack back in 2000, and they have always provided me with amazing tires.
3. Amazon – Many people don’t view Amazon as a place to buy tires, but it’s rapidly getting more and more attention in the tire industry. One of the big advantages of Amazon is the Amazon Prime membership. This means you’ll get free shipping on tires. For many online stores, they charge a hefty price for shipping. Usually, they’ll even raise their prices to account for shipping costs. Amazon is also known to have an amazing selection from name brands to off brands you’ve never heard of.
4. Goodyear – Goodyear is a different tire brand since you can order online and have it shipped to your house. Or you may have the tires shipped to a Goodyear location near you. Goodyear has an amazing reputation for the quality of tires and auto products. According to many reviews, Goodyear will ship out your product immediately, and your tire is mounted onto your car within two days. However, Goodyear doesn’t have a huge selection as other sites would, which is one downside.
5. National Tire and Battery or NTB – NTB is formerly associated with Sears, but now is its own brand. They sell only big named brands and do not sell any obscure off-brand tires. You can order them online and have them delivered to your home or have it shipped to any of their service centers around the country. At their centers, you can have their mount and balance your tires onto your car. Furthermore, they’ll also get rid of your old tires for you.
6. Walmart – For decades, Walmart has been a huge staple with tires. They typically would sell them at larger stores with a garage so that they can help you balance and mount your new tires. However, now they also sell them online. You may have the tires shipped to your home now or shipped to a Walmart location with a garage to have them help you set the tires up. They also have a wide selection of big-name brands and also more under the radar ones as well.
7. Discount Tire Direct – You may think of this store as one of the main competitors to Tire Rack. This store usually can provide you with a direct tire discount. This site is similar to Tire Rack, where they started doing mail orders through magazine ads. But they started later than Tire Rack did. They offer a broader selection of tire brands from all of the household brands to unknown brands. The one big advantage of Discount Tire Direct over Tire Rack is that it has online and local shops conveniently located around the country. This is so customers can have the mounting and balancing tasks done for their car. This is an excellent shop to potentially buy tires at wholesale price as well.
FAQ’s for Purchasing Tires Online
Question: Where to find cheap tires online?
Answer: This can change every week. You need to factor all the expenses like the cost of tires, to mount, balancing, and shipping. You can also check for special incentives or rebates that the store may offer. For instance, you may buy a buy two get two free tires deal. You may also join a driver’s alliance to learn more about under the radar tire deals.
Question: How much is shipping?
Answer: On many sites, shipping is free. With Amazon, you’ll have to buy Amazon Prime membership, which most consumers already have. With other stores, it may cost a steep price for shipping it to your house.
Question: How fast is shipping?
For most online retailers, they take about 36 hours to get to your house. For those that live in the metro area, there are many shipping distribution centers around. Also, if you order a popular model, and size, you will likely get your tires within two days.
Question: How do I have my tires installed?
Answer: Some online shops such as Tire Rack have arrangements with shops around the country to have them done, where you may pay a fee. Other shops such as NTB or Walmart have their own centers to get them done for you at their own rates.
Question: What’s the cost of installing a tire?
Answer: For most balancing and mounting services, they usually cost $40 per tire. Some service centers may cost more if you have a 35 or 40 aspect ratio because it’s harder to mount. If you need disposal, that will cost $5 per tire and $1 per tire for any valve stems.
Question: When I change out tires, should I replace tire pressure monitor sensors?
Answer: When changing tires, you should not replace tire pressure monitor sensors. If your sensors are working, you don’t need to change them. If they aren’t working properly, the tire service centers won’t be able to switch out your tires without changing the sensors. Nowadays, these sensors are much less expensive to have replaced than before.
Question: Can an online shop help me with winter tires?
Answer: Yes, they can help you. This is because reviews are super helpful in determining the quality of tires and services. These reviews will give you an honest look at how good the tires really are and how long they will last you.
Question: Should you buy a tire and wheel package from online?
Answer: We think you should buy a package deal together. When you think you need a change or different aesthetics, you may want to get the package. It’s usually much cheaper to get them as a package together rather than buying them separately. The investments in the wheels will last you at least two years, and you can save more money by mounting the wheels and tires by yourself.
Question: Does online shops offer rebates for tires like local shops do?
Answer: Yes, they do offer rebates. The best way to find them is to search around many different websites to find the best deal possible. You may also look for excellent rated tire manufacturers.
Be the first to post a comment.