How to Get the Cheapest Tires Possible
I often talk about cars being complex pieces of machinery, and as such, they rely on hundreds or thousands of parts to operate optimally. Some of these parts may outlast the car, while others are considered consumables.
These consumable parts need to be replaced at certain intervals, which will ensure that your car runs as smoothly and as long as possible. Some of these parts are directly related to safety, so it’s crucial for them to be in the best shape possible.
In my opinion, tires are one of the most essential consumables in a car. They’re responsible for accelerating, braking, and turning your car, so you can understand why I’m emphasizing their importance. Throughout the years, as you drive your car, tires age and their tread depth reduce, reaching a point where they’re no longer able to deliver safe performance.
This is the main reason why I recommend changing your tires regularly. Tires aren’t cheap, and the full set can set you back several 100 or well over into the thousands of dollars, which is why some people are looking for ways to get cheaper tires.
With this in mind, in today’s guide, I’ll explain how to get the cheapest tires possible without sacrificing performance. This means that I won’t be recommending any of the cheapest options possible. Instead, I’ll focus on ways you can get tires from the premium or mid-range segment for a lower price.
Before you begin looking for a new set of tires, you should consider two things first. Tire size is the most important aspect, which goes hand in hand with your budget. These two are essential because you will know which category and segment of tires you’ll be looking at and how much you will be able to spend on them.
Plan ahead
Tires have a limited lifespan, meaning they’ll either be too old or too worn out to perform well after a while. As the car owner, it’s your responsibility to keep an eye on the tires and estimate how much more you’ll get out of them.
Doing regular inspections on your tires will help you with this, as you will have a good idea of when you’ll need to replace them. This won’t give you an exact date when you should replace the tires, but it will get you in the ballpark. For example, thanks to my regular inspection routine on my tires, I estimate that I’ll probably need a new set of winter tires next year. And this is where the plan ahead idea comes into play.
I can wait for next season and get a new set then, which is convenient because I won’t have to bother with anything right now. On the other hand, I can start thinking about the new set now, which can help me get the tires I want cheaper.
In the next several months, I can start going through tire retailers and keeping an eye on potential discounts. Since I’m looking for a set of winter tires, some retailers may offer a set in the size I need around spring. This is because, around that time, people start looking into summer tires or all-season ones, depending on their preference or location.
As a result, I may even manage to find a set of premium tires for the price of mid-range ones. There are no guarantees here, but it won’t cost you anything to at least consider this because it can be a good way to get cheaper tires.
Discounts
Even though this is sort of like planning ahead, I still have it in a separate section because it’s a bit different. When I say discount, I mean certain dates or months when we see massive discounts on everything around us.
Take Black Friday, for example. Each year, tire manufacturers and retailers offer discounts on certain models or types of tires, and we often see pretty big discounts. These are a bargain because you are really saving a lot on a new set.
It’s important to mention that you should consider when to start chasing these discounts. If you have at least three years left of life in your tires, then I’d say it’s probably pointless to start looking into a new set. Within those three years, there may be new models or better discounts next year or the year before.
For this, I’d recommend chasing these discounts roughly a year or maybe 2 before you need to replace your tires.
Memberships
Many retailers and tire shops offer some kind of membership to their loyal customers. There are tons of advantages that you’d get with these kinds of memberships, like discounts for rotating or installing tires, free car washes, and a lot more. With some of them, you may have the option to get tires at a discount.
You probably won’t be able to get a new set at half the price, but I’ve seen some pretty solid discounts with certain memberships. Keep in mind that you will need to be a member to utilize this discount. Also, many have certain terms and rules about who can use the discount, meaning that for some, you may need to be an existing member to get the tires for cheaper.
Look around
We all have our favorite tire retailer and feel like going to another one would be cheating. Even if you are a hardcore fan of a certain retailer, looking around at other retailers means you may find your favorite set of tires a bit cheaper.
When we talk about tire prices, it’s important to note that they vary from retailer to retailer. The differences aren’t massive, but the point of this guide is to get cheaper tires, so even if you save a few bucks, the mission is accomplished.
In this regard, I’ll give you an example combining the previous tip. Your favorite tire retailer may not have a discount on the set of tires you want to get, but a competitor may have one. If you ask me, I’d go with the cheaper tires, especially if we’re talking about the same model.
You can do research and compare prices from multiple retailers. With the price of the tires aside, you should also consider the additional expenses, which may include transportation, mounting, balancing, and so on. You should factor in all the expenses and see which would be the cheapest for you. Also, it’s a good idea to consider the amount of effort during the purchasing and mounting process.
An important note I need to make here is to be careful where you get the tires from. There are plenty of retailers, but you may come across some shady ones offering prices much lower than popular options. This can be a one-way street to a scam, so you should stick to popular retailers that are proven legitimate.
Demo tires
In one of my previous guides, I spoke about demo tires and whether you should consider them. If they’re not too worn out or too old and the price is right for you, then a set of demo tires is a good way to save a few bucks.
Theoretically, demo tires sound perfect, but there is a problem. You probably won’t find demo tires just around the corner, meaning patience is key here. My first step about planning ahead works well in this situation because you can always keep an eye on potential demo tires. It means you’ll probably get the set sooner than needed, but it will probably be at a lower price than the standard one.
Rebates
Considering that I’m talking about getting a new set, it implies that I’m talking about driving your old set until they’re no longer performing well. You may get a blowout or damage a tire on a curb, which doesn’t apply to this tip.
Certain tire manufacturers and retailers often offer rebates on a set of tires. Essentially, a rebate is like a cash back for your new set of tires. Initially, you will be paying the full price, but once you do that, you’ll need to fill out a form for the rebate and get some cash back.
Regarding the rebate, it won’t be the same amount of money each time. The amount you’ll be able to get back depends on the manufacturer or the retailer, and there’s always a set of terms to be eligible to get some of that money back.
If you plan on chasing a rebate, I’d recommend checking the terms to see if you would be eligible and if it’s worth going after it.
Coupons
In many ways, coupons are similar to rebates, at least in terms of saving a few dollars when getting a new set of tires. Unlike the rebates, with coupons, you can use them during the purchasing process and get the discount calculated in the price.
There are tons of coupon options, and many websites show active coupons you can use. Some of these coupons come from the tire manufacturers, while others are from the retailers.
At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter where you get the coupon from as long as you get to use it and save on a new set of tires.
Conclusion
Whenever people think about getting cheap tires, their minds always go to the cheapest options, the ones that are the worst performers on the market. This doesn’t have to be the case with you because there are ways of getting good tires at a price lower than the standard one.
To help you with that, I’ve compiled several tips that are a good starting point and should enable you to get those tires cheaper. It’s important to note that the price difference won’t always be the same, and it doesn’t necessarily mean that you can get a set of premium tires at half the price. You should keep your expectations realistic, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to get the tires cheaper.