Not many people greet the prospect of buying new tires for a car with a whole lot of enthusiasm. Actually, shopping for tires is something most car owners probably dread. Getting new tires can be time consuming, boring and expensive. The fact of the matter is that if you own a car or cars for any substantial length of time, regardless of the climate where you live, you are going to have to buy tires at some point. While there is not much you can do to make the experience super fun and really exciting, you can make the experience efficient and quite painless by knowing where to buy tires and buying the right new tires for your car at a good price you can afford. That process starts with knowing where to buy tires when you need them.
When it comes to where to buy tires, you have a number of choices. You can buy new tires at any number of local tire stores. You can buy tires online. You can buy tires at a local branch of one of the national auto parts chain stores like Pep Boys. You can also buy tires at warehouse clubs and big nation wide retailers with automotive departments like Costco, Sears, or Wal Mart. Local tire stores, buying tires online, chain auto parts stores and big national retailers all have their pros and cons. Where you buy your new tires will depend on a number of different factors such as the options you have available in your area, how urgently you need new tires, how much money you have available to spend, and your priorities.
If price is your number one priority, it may make sense for you to buy tires online. New tire prices are often lowest online. Availability is another advantage of buying tires online. If you have your heart set on a particular make or model of tire that is scarce or just not available locally, chances are you can get that specific tire online. If you do buy new tires online, obviously you are going to have to make arrangements for delivery and installation. The good news is that most online tire sellers will ship your tires to a local garage or mechanic who can put them on your car for you. Tire prices online are often so low that even with shipping and the cost of having the tires installed, you may still save some money over purchasing them at a local brick and mortar tire dealer. You might also want to check eBay as well. Some tire retailers maintain a presence on eBay to supplement their offline sales. When you are comparing prices between local and online tire stores, just make sure you factor in the cost of shipping and installation. If you know exactly what you want, do not need your tires the same day, you want the lowest price period and you are willing to possibly make some additional arrangements, buying tires online may be perfect for you. You should still check prices online even if you plan to buy locally as the savings from buying online may be too good to pass up.
Local independent tire shops often excel at delivering great customer service. You can sometimes haggle a bit on tire prices with local tires stores as well. You are usually, but not always, more likely to encounter knowledgeable, professional and helpful staff at a smaller local tire store than you would at one of the big chain places. Large chains and warehouse clubs can be more likely to suffer from high employee turnover, have employees who lack adequate training, and place an emphasis on selling higher priced tires or extra services. Local tire shops may not always have the widest selection or the absolute lowest prices, but their prices are usually comparable and the most popular sizes and models are usually well represented. If superior customer service or supporting local businesses is important to you, then a new tire purchase from a local tire store might be best for you.
National chain retailers and auto parts stores offer the most convenience. If you are driving around on dangerously worn tires or need new tires urgently, buying tires from the nearby Wal Mart or Sears or other chain store and having them installed while you wait may be a good option for you. The prices at these places are usually pretty good, but if you do not need your new tires right away and you are not too keen on the idea of buying tires online, the big chains often have sales or offer discounts on services like mounting and balancing so you might be able to wait to capitalize on just the right deal. It is also possible to combine your routine shopping with getting new tires so you do not have to make a special trip or sit around waiting too much. You can drop your car off, do your shopping and drive home on your new tires. If you know which tires you need, you can save some additional time if you can purchase your tires from the store website then have them installed when you arrive. You can buy tires from the Wal Mart website for example and arrange for them to be delivered to and installed at the Wal Mart location with a car maintenance center nearest to you.
Knowing where to buy tires is a matter of determining your tire needs, setting a budget, doing your research on tire prices online and locally then choosing the best place to go to make your purchase. It might not be the most fun process, but saving money and getting the right tires at an affordable price can be quite gratifying.