Where Is The Best Place to Buy Tires?

Yes, you’re reading a blog post that answers a self-serving question: Where is the best place to buy tires? Well, Tire Agent, of course. We’d be skeptical, too, but hang on! If you’ve never bought tires online, the real question is: Should I buy tires online, and why? 

If you’ve never bought tires online, you might hesitate to buy something you can’t see, feel or smell (don’t you just love tires that have that fresh rubbery scent … ). So, what we’re really going to do here is break down the pros and cons of different ways to shop for tires, both in-store and online. 

Independently owned tire stores

According to a Consumer Reports survey from 2021, 24% of tire buyers bought tires from locally owned mechanics and tire installers. We agree: We love supporting local businesses, and that is why we ship to any address in the U.S. for free, including your own local auto shop. Buy tires from Tire Agent, and we’ll ship to your local shop for free. 

Pros of independent tire stores

You probably know the people who own or run the local tire shop; maybe you even went to the same high school or your kids play sports together! But, the two biggest advantages of using a locally owned independent tire store are (1) you support a small business, and (2) you get hands-on, expert advice from someone who knows you (possibly), knows your local roads, and knows your vehicle.  

Cons of independent tires stores

One of the biggest downsides to buying from any locally owned business is that small businesses sometimes have a hard time taking advantage of economies of scale. In other words, they aren’t able to buy in large quantities and pass those savings on to their customers. Similarly, smaller tire stores might not have as large of an inventory from which to choose, so your options may be limited. And, as you know, good local mechanics are busy, which means you may need to wait to have your tires installed. Again, this is where Tire Agent can be a great option for both you and your local auto shop. Buy from us, we’ll ship to them, and y’all get to live happily ever after.

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Buying tires from car dealerships

The same CR survey from 2021 found that 16% of tire buyers purchased tires from dealerships.

Pros of car dealerships

Dealerships likely have very good inventories and options for your vehicle, both OEM replacement tires and comparable ones. Dealerships might also be able to offer more discounts on tires, because they can buy in bulk and pass the savings on to their customers (still, you should compare prices that the dealership offers against Tire Agent’s prices online). Because they generally have fully staffed service departments, they’re also likely to be able to tend to your needs quicker. 

Cons of car dealerships for tires

Although you might be able to save on tires by buying from your dealership, you could also potentially pay more. In fact, Autotrends magazine suggests that dealerships are the most expensive way to buy new tires because they have to cover bigger overhead costs, like location, staffing, longer hours, shuttle services, and loaner vehicles. 

National tire retailers, discounters

National retailers and big-box stores with automotive departments are the third most popular places to buy tires. National tire chains will be able to give you a lot of options for tires within your budget, and they do offer decent prices. Typically, installation is included in their price. Discount chains don’t always install tires, but they will deliver them to your tire installer or to a partner that services vehicles. If you are looking for cheap tires quickly, and aren’t concerned about quality as much as speed and price, the discount retailer could be a next best option. 

Advantages of national chains and big-box stores

The staffs at national tire chains are well-informed and helpful, and they can work with you to give you many options for your budget. National tire chains do tire installation, but some discount chains only sell tires. You may be able to save money by buying from larger retailers, because they buy in larger quantities. When you shop at national tire chains and discount tire sellers, be sure to compare the make and model of tire with Tire Agent, so you can see how much we can save you buy shopping online. We ship in-stock tires anywhere in the US, as quickly as 2 to 4 days. 

Cons of buying tires from national retailers and big-box stores

The retailer might have exclusive contracts with certain tire manufacturers, so that makes comparing prices difficult. For example, Walmart is an exclusive dealer of Douglas Tires, a cheap tire that you won’t find anywhere but there. Because some discount chains only sell tires and do not install them, they will charge you for delivering the tires to a tire installer. 

Buying tires online — Should you?

CR said only 4% of their tire-shopper survey respondents bought tires online. That might seem small, but as more people realize the advantages of shopping for tires online, the trend will continue to grow. And, when online tire sellers like Tire Agent make shopping for tires incredibly convenient, more people will continue to take charge of their tire buying. 

Advantages of buying tires online

Shipping is typically cheaper when you buy tires online. Buy from Tire Agent, and shipping is free (and fast). Shopping online for tires can be done from anywhere — whether you’re at work, at home, on vacation, or at a coffee shop. We bring the tire shopping experience to you. Comparing prices, warranties, tread wear and other features for tires is also easier when you shop online, because there’s no hard sales pressure. We scour the web and work with manufacturers and distributors to find the best prices, deals, rebates, and ways to save. 

Perhaps the biggest advantage of buying online is our enormous selection of tires from over 70 of the world’s best tire manufacturers. Additionally, we offer easy payment plans that can be approved very quickly, without extensive credit checks. Once you find the perfect tire for your vehicle, add them to your cart, and we’ll walk you through the process. If you need help finding a tire installer near you, enter your information during checkout, and we’ll point you in the right direction. 

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Cons of buying tires online

When you shop online, you don’t get the full auto shop experience. You also might think that you need to know what you’re looking for in order to shop for tires online. That is not necessarily true. In fact, try our online tire matching technology now. Enter your vehicle make, model, year and style and we’ll find tires to match your vehicle. You can filter by price, warranty, tread type and more. If you still aren’t sure, or you want to ask questions, you can click to call one of our Tire Agent specialists any time.