Buying tires online

I know it sounds like an impossible concept, but yes, it is possible to buy tires online, and save money.  I’ve actually been doing it for many years, even in pre-internet days via mail order.  Just placed another order today, in fact, exactly two years from the last time I ordered.  It’s easy, it has some beneficial advantages, and yes, it saves some cash in the process.

As a Motor Trend subscriber, I would read the ads from a company called The Tire Rack in the pages of their magazine.  Dozens of new tires, along with a couple pages of new wheels.  While I haven’t been able to afford new wheels yet, I’ve gone through many sets of tires, and all of them were purchased from Tire Rack, going back as far as the early 90s.  Even back then, it was cheaper to do so.  I was into Michelin tires back then, but around 1994-1995 or so, both of our Hondas needed new tires almost at the same time, and I discovered Yokohama tires.  The ones I bought were on clearance, an “OEM” type of replacement tire (A378, actually), and I was impressed by the nice ride and the grip these tires had on the road.

In the years since, I’ve been through many sets of Yokohama tires, and they have been getting better each time.  The last two sets I bought were the Avid TRZ tires.  On the Malibu, they are far quieter than the lousy FIrestone tires they replaced, and the ride is so much better.  Two years later, they still feel food, and have plenty of tread left.  The CR-V needed some suspension repairs and alignment work on and off, so mine did not last as long.  With the repairs out of the way, I’m getting lined up with a new set of TRZs ($12 more than last time, alas), and getting an alignment as well.  Cost:  $69 each, plus shipping.

One reason I like Tire Rack is due to the selection.  Local tire stores only have one or two Yokohama models, if any.  Even among other brands, if you want an affordable tire, you’re stuck with an off-brand.  Or you pay a king’s ransom for a decent well-known brand.  At Tire Rack, you can pick from a few dozen brands, and choose from just about any model made by that tire company.  They have all the major brands, plus a few specialist brands.

Tire shopping is easy: you can compare tires based on your vehicle’s requirements, or browse by size.  The more popular tires are rated by site visitors, and include comments about the tire’s performance over time.  They’re a helpful guide in choosing a tire, and you can avoid tires that have a common problem among different customers.

As mentioned above, another reason I like buying online is because the pricing is better.  Even with shipping, I’m saving a good amount of money buying my tires online.  Their warehouse is close enough that it’s an overnight shipment via UPS Ground, so it’s running me about $36 to get these shipped in.  Last time I compared tire prices two years ago, I got a quote from a couple of local chains.  Going with a comparable tire, my “out the door” price was well over $400 for a set.   The Avid TRZs were $57 each last time, and including shipping and mounting/balancing, I came in under $300.

If you don’t feel like wrestling the tires into your car, you can choose to have them ship to a recommended installer.  Tire Rack has several in most areas of the country.  Some installers have a “price pledge” guarantee, meaning that the prices they post online are what they charge in the shop.  Tire Rack will ship your new tires to the installer, who will call you to make an appointment.  The last installer we used for both sets of tires was up front and honest.  In fact, on the Malibu, we requested a 4-wheel alignment but only got charged for a 2-wheel, since the rears were in spec and did not need adjusting.  Installers are rated by customers on the Tire Rack website, so the public feedback really helps with the confidence level.

The final reason you may prefer shopping online better: you get to make your tire choice at your leisure.  No salesman trying to push the most profitable product to you.  And you’re not locked into just a handful of brands that your local store carries.  The choices may be too many for some, but they give you different options for choosing tires (shop by vehicle, tire size, or a tire chooser where you pick your driving style and road conditions) to make it easier.

Try it out once, like I did, and you might be hooked!