We all want a bargain, even when it comes to buying something as necessary and important for safety as a new set of tires. One good way to save money on tires is to buy discount tires online from a leading online tire website. Online retailers in general tend to have less overhead and expenses so they are often able to offer the same products you will find at your local store at lower prices. Even with the added cost of shipping and handling, online shopping can really save you some cash. This is definitely true with tires. Many people find that tire prices at online stores simply cannot be beat by local tire shops.
As an example of the kinds of discounts on tires that are available online, I recently did some comparison shopping for a new set of Winter performance tires for a 2000 Nissan Maxima SE. In the northeastern United States and in other parts of the country, Winter driving is often fraught with poor road conditions and real danger so driving around on worn tires or tires not appropriate for driving in snow and ice are simply not acceptable options. I went about checking Goodyear tire prices both online and at a few tire stores near me. The best price I could find locally for the tires I wanted was $195.66 each or $782.64 for the set, with most places charging over $200 and as high as $225.99 per tire. The prices I was quoted from the local stores did not include balancing and mounting. Online, the best price I found for those same exact tires was $142 a piece. Shipping a set of four new tires to me would result in an additional cost of $40.22 bringing the total when buying tires online to $608.22. As you can see, in my case buying discount tires online would result in a savings of $174.42. Unfortunately, I am not made of money nor likely to find $174.42 hidden between the cushions of my couch. So in my circumstances that kind of price difference just cannot be ignored, especially for something like Winter tires which I would pretty much have to buy anyway. Sometimes, tire websites offer rebates or extra incentives as well.
While the savings can be substantial as illustrated above, one should not automatically jump to the conclusion that you should buy discount tires online whenever you need new tires. Firstly, the example above is just an example. It is not my intention to suggest that the savings in the example are guaranteed or even typical. Depending on where you live and the type of tires you are looking for, the savings could be less or nonexistent. Secondly, buying tires online requires that you arrange for delivery and installation, which may or may not be all that convenient. If you need new tires right away, buying tires online may not make sense. Delivery charges and other services such as tire mounting and balancing also add to the cost of your tires thus eating up some of the savings. Lastly, local tire shops may be willing to haggle a little bit to win your business. For example, you might be able to get a discount on tires with installation thrown in for free. Depending on your circumstances, the convenience of getting your tires cheaper than advertised and installed quickly might outweigh the possibility of getting the absolute lowest price possible.
You may be able to save a decent amount of money by finding your new tires for sale online instead of locally. For the sake of convenience, you may not wish to buy discount tires online. Though the tire prices online may be a lot lower versus the cost of tires where you live, you have to account for shipping fees and the cost of other required services. If you are looking to buy tires cheap, you should definitely look for discount tires online and make your purchasing decision according to your budget and your priorities.