A new set of tires can be quite expensive, but bargains can be found if you know what to look for and understand what tire features are less important to you.
How Much Do New Tires Cost?
The average price for common size new tires typically costs $125 per tire. You can find similar tires for as low as $80 per tire or much more depending your needs.
You should also expect to pay at least $15 per tire for mounting and balancing.
Of course, tires can be less expensive than this, and tires for a sports car or large pickup truck can be significantly more expensive. But for a common compact car or average sedan, this is a fairly common price estimate.
Letโs take a closer look.
How Much Do 4 New Tires Usually Cost?
The cost of tires depends on a lot of different variables. Tire size, vehicle usage, vehicle manufacturer requirements, etc.
Even if your tire size and needs arenโt typical, we think we can provide you with some valuable insight.
How Much Do Tires Cost Atโฆ
The cost of tires varies quite a bit between most shops that offer quality tires. Also, some lesser-known and lesser-expensive brands may only be offered through certain tire shops.
We researched tire prices at several tire shops and found some interesting results. We used one of the most popular tire sizes currently (225/65R17) and compared the prices.
Walmart โ $80-$275
We found that some of the cheapest tires can be found at Walmart. The biggest complaints were the unusually long wait times and poor customer service.
Walmart has unique tire brands they contract with tire manufacturers to produce for them. These are moderately priced tires with corners cut in areas that wonโt be of a big concern to the average Walmart customer.
Walmart does also offer some very inexpensive services as well, however, youโll likely need to expect to suffer through a long and less-than-ideal service experience.
Costco โ $174 โ $275
Costco has gained a reputation as the go-to retailer for the cheapest tires, but we didnโt find that to be true in our research. While there are some good deals to be had, Costco wasnโt the cheapest choice for tires or services.
Due to their large size, they can negotiate deals on select tire brands but they may not have the exact tire size that fits your carโs rim size.
Discount Tire โ $97 โ $321
Having previously worked with Discount Tire in the distant past, I may sound biased, but I am a fan. They arenโt the cheapest choice but they are reasonable and offer many services for free that others require a charge for. Tire rotation is free, and theyโll patch your tire for free even if you didnโt purchase it from them.
Service can be hit or miss. If the tire shop is overwhelmed service will suffer. Although I think itโs fair to say this is true of almost any tire shop you visit.
They offer generous road hazard warranty packages as well if thatโs something youโre interested in purchasing.
Tire Rack โ $122 โ $323
Tire Rack has a great reputation as an online tire retailer where you can find tires from a wide range of tire manufacturers. Their prices are competitive but you will need to visit your local tire shop to have your tires mounted and balanced.
There are alsoย mobile tire servicesย these days that can come to you and mount your new tires for you right in your driveway or place of work.
Other online retailers tend to offer tires for even less and offer a wider selection if youโre looking to save more money.
How Much Should I Spend On Tires?
Tires are a relatively expensive purchase and not one that we necessarily get a lot of joy from, but they are very important. Arguably, they are the most important component regarding the safety of your vehicle.
This doesnโt mean you need to spend all of your money on tires though. You just need to be informed about whatโs important and keep in mind what matters to you personally.
Some features of tires are considered nice-to-haves and others are critical.
Are Expensive Tires Worth It? Are Cheap Tires Bad?
Itโs important to understand that the difference between cheap and expensive tires isnโt black or white and is more like shades of grey. Expensive tires tend to perform well in many areas while cheap tires may do well in some areas and not perform well in others that may be less important to you.
For instance, itโs common for expensive tires to be very quiet and have a better ride quality while also lasting a very long time. Cheaper tires may last just as long or even longer than a tire two or three times as expensive but can be noisy or stiff.
A friend of mine told me his criteria for which tires to buy are to make sure they are round and black. He has fairly low expectations from his tires. Not everyone feels this way though. If youโre pickier, youโll want to spend time reading tire reviews.
What To Look For When Buying New Tires
Weโve created an in-depth article aboutย how to buy tiresย that we recommend you check out, but weโll summarize some key points.
Tire Sizes
Youโll want to meet or exceed the specifications of the tire that your car or truck came with new. Things like speed rating or load capacity for instance. Most tires that fit your vehicle will likely meet these requirements, but some of the cheaper options may have cut corners in some key areas that may be important for use on your car or truck.
Just make sure to match all of the measurements listed on the tire sidewall. Hereโs a diagram that explains each of them.
We donโt have the space in this article to discuss all of the details of tire sizes, but if youโd like to learn more about what each of these measurements means, be sure to check out ourย detailed article about tire sizes.
UTQG
Most tires sold in the United States will have 3 measurements that are known collectively as theย Uniform Tire Quality Grade. These are:
- Treadwear
- Traction
- Temperature
These are government-standardized tests that help give you an apples-to-apples way to compare tires.
- The Treadwear rating can give you an idea of how long the tires will last before wearing out.ย
- The Traction rating can give you an idea of how well the tires grip wet road surfaces
- The Temperature rating can give you an idea of how well they can resist the heat created by highway speeds.
For more information about the importance of these ratings, be sure and check out ourย detailed article about UTQG ratings.
Is It Better To Buy Cheap Or Expensive Tires?
If ride quality, road noise, and high performance are very important to you, youโll probably want to buy more expensive tires.
If you just want tires that will last a while and not break the bank, cheap tires will probably do what you need them to do.
Do More Expensive Tires Last Longer? Do Cheap Tires Wear Faster?
In general, expensive tires tend to last a long time as well as be quite comfortable. Expensive tires will do more things that tires do better than a comparable cheap tire.
It really depends on what the focus of the tire is though. High-performance tires, whether expensive or cheap, donโt usually last very long. All-season tires usually last 50,000 to 60,000 miles while high-performance tires typically last around half as long at 30,000 to 35,000 miles.
I have performance tires on my car and the expensive Michelin tires that are OEM only lasted me 30,000 miles. When it was time to replace them I decided to spend 1/3 the amount that the Michelinโs cost and purchased some inexpensive tires by Falken instead. They should last nearly as long and even if they donโt Iโll still be able to buy more Falkens and still have spent less.
Should I Replace All 4 Tires?
Many will tell you that itโs important to replace all four tires every time you need to replace a tire. This just isnโt true. Even on all-wheel drive cars and trucks where it is more often recommended to do so, it usually isnโt worth spending the money when you only have one tire thatโs damaged and needs to be replaced.
The arguments for replacing all four tires at the same time is to maintain consistent tread depth at every corner to have similar traction characteristics and not have significantly different rolling diameters between any of the tires.
The truth is that you do want to try to keep tire tread depth similar across the same axle, but some differences will always exist.
If all four tires are in poor shape then you should consider replacing them all at the same time. If you only have 1 or 2 tires that are in bad shape, you probably donโt need to replace all 4 tires at the same time.
However, you should always follow the recommendations of your vehicle manufacturer. If they recommend replacing all of your tires at the same time I wonโt argue with them on that point.
Is It OK To Replace Only 2 Tires?
Most people will find that they only need to replace 2 tires. Most cars and trucks will tend to wear tires more on the front or the rear and not evenly across both axles.
If the tread depth on two of your tires is still above 4/32โณ and they have even tread wear, thereโs really no reason to replace them most of the time. Just purchase 2 replacement tires andย mount them on the rear axle. Move the worn tires to the front axle and you should be good to go.
Is It OK To Replace Just 1 Tire?
Sometimes thereโs no reason to buy 2 new tires. If your other tires are in good shape with 7/32โณ or more of reaming tread, it should be fine to simply replace just one tire and keep the other 3 old tires.
A common scenario where you may face this question is with flat tires. If you suffer a flat and tire wear for the others is still good it should be acceptable to just replace one tire. I do recommend trying to match the other tires, however. Purchase a replacement tire that is the same brand and model to try to keep the performance characteristics similar at each corner of your vehicle.
How Much Does It Cost To Mount And Balance 4 Tires?
The cost of the tires isnโt the only consideration. Installation costs shouldnโt be overlooked. Itโs usually quite inexpensive, but if your budget is tight and youโre trying to stretch your dollar, you shouldnโt overlook other costs.
Mounting and balancing costs anywhere from $15 to $30 per tire. This can add up. Especially if the mounting and balancing fees donโt include valve stems or the tire disposal fees.ย
Usually, the more expensive mounting and balancing charges include most of the additional items or services that may also need to be performed.ย
The less expensive shops may simply break out the fees and only charge you for individual services if required, while still being roughly the same amount overall.
Do I Need An Alignment After Replacing My Tires?
Wheel alignment is an important part of tire maintenance but isnโt always required when you purchase a new set of tires. If your old tires were good tires with good tire life and even wear, there probably arenโt any alignment problems that need correction.
We do recommend having an alignment performed every 10,000 miles to correct for suspension system wear and tear that causes your alignment to drift over time. If youโve had an alignment fairly recently and your old tires looked good but are just worn out, you can safely skip this service for now.
Should I Replace TPMS Sensors With New Tires?
TPMS sensors last 5 to 10 years and will need to eventually be replaced. New tire pressure monitoring system sensors usually wonโt break the bank, but they donโt need to be replaced unless your car or truck is nearing the 10-year mark or youโre having communication issues or other warning indications on your dashboard.
Resources
Below are some links you may find helpful when learning about tires
- How to save money when buying replacement tires โ Consumer Reports
- Tire price guide โ How much are tires? โ Discount Tire
Final Thoughts
Tires are an investment in your safety, but paying less doesnโt mean you have to compromise on safety. Just because you didnโt want to pay for the most expensive tires you could fit on your car or truck doesnโt mean youโre putting yourself at risk.
Cheaper tires usually just mean that they donโt perform well in every category. Consider what tire features are important to you and make your choice based on that and not marketing hype.
Good luck and happy motoring.