I hate tire shopping

[BarkingGhostar]

While I prefer the traditional form of getting new tires (e.g. local retailer), finding someone that has the exact tires I am use to becomes a limited option and a very expensive one as well.

Currently needing a new set of Continental ContiProContact SSR 225/45R18 91V for my 2013 BMW 335i Sedan with M Sport package. The dealership that I usually get service from the past +10 years wants $300/tire installed, plus another $170 for four wheel alignment (needed).

Now, while the wife and I have enjoyed the crap out of this car and these tires there is one conundrum ...

We spent +5 years with this weekend car one the original set of above tires, but that still only equated to <28K miles. I do not know why this tire product has such a wide-varying mileage warranty (http://www.continentaltire.com/product/contiprocontact-22545r18-91v/?) that is strictly dependent on the tire dimensions but for my spec it is only 40K miles warranty.

Since there isn't any obvious time-restriction that I can find, I still doubt the manufacturer will honor any warranty, and not even a pro-rated offering. So, with all of this in mind what would you do to get the same comfort, traction and everything else in your next set of tires. BTW, my wife's true nature comes out in this car. She loves the power.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Hmmm... well, I'mm'a just point out that Michelins are the only tires anybody ever actually seems to get excited about. So, just putting that out there. As to your question:

1) Dealerships mark up tires like they mark up everything else. You obviously know what kind of tires you want, so the cheapest option is usually to buy them online, have them shipped to you, and bring them to a local shop that will mount/balance them for you. (The place that does my oil changes will mount four tires for $50.) Then, finally, bring car to the dealership for alignment.

2) The sizes that tend to go on "sporty" cars will have shorter warranties because people drive aggressively and tear them up. Your wife being a case in point, I suppose. Also, the tires will tend to be more expensive because of rarity - I've been shopping for winter tires for the fall, and honestly, a 225/55R17 instead of the OEM sized 245/50R17 saves me about $400, because the narrower tires fit a lot more cars (minivans and domestic midsize sedans.)

 

[WelshBloke]

I just go in and say "I need new tyres. Make sure they fit" then go elsewhere for a bit.

 

[manly]

Aren't your tires staggered?

Wow, those tires come with roadside assistance. As with all consumer products, it's covered by a "limited warranty." So I wouldn't assume there's no time or other limitations.

I disagree that you don't have options. As Dave said, you can always buy on tirerack.com and have a local shop install. I'm not sure what tires I have, they're the same size and brand as you stated. I still have tread life on mine but from the limited reading I've done, I'll probably switch to BridgeStone DriveGuard run-flats when it's time.

Having the stealership sell and install would probably be my last option. For my previous cars, I've always been pleased with America's Tire (aka Discount Tire) and recommend them to friends.

 

[frozentundra123456]

I have procontacts on my Altima, and while they are decent, continental has newer and better models for similar price. For my Altima, I would go Purecontact, but don't know if they come in your size.

 

[Fenixgoon]

for $300/tire you should be rocking PSSs or similar!

edit: tirerack is your friend.

edit x2: ZII star specs are pretty bomb and easy on the wallet - https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tire...5WR8Z2SS&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes

 

[PowerEngineer]

Yes, I also hate tire shopping. My solution (which you might not like given your credit card grievances) is to buy whatever Michelins Costco has that fit my cars.

 

[snoopy7548]

I always buy mine online. TireRack has great prices and will ship to just about any local tire place or mechanic. Through TireRack I found a great tire place nearby that also does cheap oil changes. I think they charged something like $50 to mount and balance four tires the last time I had some shipped to them.

DiscountTireDirect sometimes has good promos going on - that's where I got my winters from, but I had them shipped to me already mounted on steel rims so I could easily swap them with my all-seasons myself.

 

[rumpleforeskin]

Is there not something similar to https://www.blackcircles.com/ in the USA

Put in the tire size you want, pick a local associated garage and turn up at the arranged time!

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Hmm, Amazon actually beats TireRack on pricing for the same tires I am currently using. I didn't even know they sold tires, but they are Shipped From and Sold Buy Amazon and include free delivery. My problem is finding a reputable local shop to install them for me.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Is there not something similar to https://www.blackcircles.com/ in the USA

Put in the tire size you want, pick a local associated garage and turn up at the arranged time!

Not that I am aware of, but then again that could be my ignorance. Having the means to mount/unmount and high-speed balance and be able to handle OEM TPMs is questionable.

 

[compcons]

I have purchased a lot of tires (currently 3 cars with summer and winter sets). A couple of notes:

1) as stated previously, sizes that aren't popular are more expensive. I bought larger trims so I could buy 20"tires instead of the odd sized 19s on the car. Once I got to the 2nd set, the wheels were paid for.
2) discount tire stores have solid prices and they are negotiable. Do some homework and be reasonable, but you can usually save a fair bit of money. They will definitely Italy try to sell you some cheaper ones to close the deal (including the Discoint Tire Yokohama yk-520 or whatever it is).
3) dealers and oem tires both suck. Even the same model tire is different if it comes on your car from the factory. Check tirerack reviews of the tires and see if the oem versions are not up to the standard.
4) most mechanics/shops will mount and balance for $20 a tire or less. Tirerack has a list of some in your zip code. They are usually cheapest.
5) consider buying a larger wheel/tire combo from tirerack. The total cost may offset mounting costs and rarity of the size.

 

[Greenman]

I just go in and say "I need new tyres. Make sure they fit" then go elsewhere for a bit.

I add "whatever is the best, and I need my truck back in an hour".
The one hour thing has never worked, but hope springs eternal and all that.

 

[Mr.IncrediblyBored]

4) most mechanics/shops will mount and balance for $20 a tire or less. Tirerack has a list of some in your zip code. They are usually cheapest.

This is what I just did with the wife's car. Picked the tires then found a local shop using tire rack's search. About $80-90 installed.

Just make sure you check the tires at the shop before they install them. Make sure its the right model.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Aren't your tires staggered?

Wow, those tires come with roadside assistance. As with all consumer products, it's covered by a "limited warranty." So I wouldn't assume there's no time or other limitations.

I disagree that you don't have options. As Dave said, you can always buy on tirerack.com and have a local shop install. I'm not sure what tires I have, they're the same size and brand as you stated. I still have tread life on mine but from the limited reading I've done, I'll probably switch to BridgeStone DriveGuard run-flats when it's time.

Having the stealership sell and install would probably be my last option. For my previous cars, I've always been pleased with America's Tire (aka Discount Tire) and recommend them to friends.

Nope, I thought they wuld be but apparently I was wrong--or letting my paranoia go unchecked, maybe the dealership stole the originals and swapped in different tires and wheels before taking delivery. This car was an ordered car that took two months to get built and shipped to me.

Anyway, I am shocked that Amazon beats TireRack on pricing. I need to confirm with three or four local places TireRack has verified customer feedback on before moving forward.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Dealerships know that people will shop around for the best price on tires so they really aren’t gouging customers on tires these days. I’ve actually found my Mercedes dealership to be less expensive than places like Discount Tire in some cases.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Every place, both locally and online has the tires and the installation cheaper than my dealership. BMW of Gwinnett wants $250/tire for the tire itself and $50/tire to mount/balance per tire. I left a call with the dealership service department that I've worked with the last ~14 years asking for a best quote but heard nothing from him today. Maybe the dealerships in your area are ... competitive? Atlanta is not an example of the poor south unless you are talk gene pool.

 

[sze5003]

I usually go to tire rack and put in my model and see what's around. With my last car, getting them from tire rack was the least expensive. This was a lancer gts 2011 model. Although watch where you pick to get them delivered and installed. Some places have additional fees and the place I went to didn't do it correctly, didn't offer any alignment. It was NTB actually so I never went back there. Sears installed them one year and they did fine.

For my current car, a 2016 Mazda 6 touring edition, I got the tires done at the dealer because the cost of getting them from tire rack and getting them installed was not any cheaper than getting them at the dealer. I told the dealership I go to about the tire rack prices and they were able to offer me the same tire for a very similar price.

The only downside to tire rack is some places will not help you if you have issues once they are installed..even if there was an issue with the installation or balance, they will try and tell you it's not their fault and since you didn't buy from them, not their problem. Which also sucks if there is a problem with the tires and you have to ship them back to tire rack.

If you have a Costco or Sam's club they have great deals on tires. I really should get one of those memberships just for this in general. They will handle everything if there's any problem since it all goes through the club.

 

[frozentundra123456]

I usually go to tire rack and put in my model and see what's around. With my last car, getting them from tire rack was the least expensive. This was a lancer gts 2011 model. Although watch where you pick to get them delivered and installed. Some places have additional fees and the place I went to didn't do it correctly, didn't offer any alignment. It was NTB actually so I never went back there. Sears installed them one year and they did fine.

For my current car, a 2016 Mazda 6 touring edition, I got the tires done at the dealer because the cost of getting them from tire rack and getting them installed was not any cheaper than getting them at the dealer. I told the dealership I go to about the tire rack prices and they were able to offer me the same tire for a very similar price.

The only downside to tire rack is some places will not help you if you have issues once they are installed..even if there was an issue with the installation or balance, they will try and tell you it's not their fault and since you didn't buy from them, not their problem. Which also sucks if there is a problem with the tires and you have to ship them back to tire rack.

If you have a Costco or Sam's club they have great deals on tires. I really should get one of those memberships just for this in general. They will handle everything if there's any problem since it all goes through the club.

Dont know how good my local Costco is. They had a special on Bridgestones, I think it was, only 1.00 per tire for installation, which is a great deal. I am not a fan of Bridgestone though, so I passed. The only other tire they advertised was Michelin Premier, which is a very good tire, but pricey even at Costco. Their normal install/balance is 15.00 per tire I think, a few dollars cheaper than most local tire shops. I actually would prefer Continental True Contact or Pure Contact, which are only about a hundred dollars a tire at Discount Tire. Does Costco order other brands like Continental?

 

[sze5003]

Dont know how good my local Costco is. They had a special on Bridgestones, I think it was, only 1.00 per tire for installation, which is a great deal. I am not a fan of Bridgestone though, so I passed. The only other tire they advertised was Michelin Premier, which is a very good tire, but pricey even at Costco. Their normal install/balance is 15.00 per tire I think, a few dollars cheaper than most local tire shops. I actually would prefer Continental True Contact or Pure Contact, which are only about a hundred dollars a tire at Discount Tire. Does Costco order other brands like Continental?

It may depend on the Costco in your area but here at mine they have similar brands. Michelin, BF Goodrich, and Bridgestone. If you have a membership you could ask them if they could order Continental ones. I know those are a bit pricey for my car but they are supposed to be great in the snow, specifically the dsw contact ones. Right now I have Yokohoma Advan A/S sport tires on my Mazda and they were great in the snow this winter.

I actually had to spend $800 on one tire and a rim after a pothole in the city screwed the rim up and tire. I went after the city for my money back but they never paid. The rim I could only find from Mazda unless I wanted to change all 4 which would have been more expensive and I would also need new tires but the ones I had on were still pretty new.

 

[sdifox]

It may depend on the Costco in your area but here at mine they have similar brands. Michelin, BF Goodrich, and Bridgestone. If you have a membership you could ask them if they could order Continental ones. I know those are a bit pricey for my car but they are supposed to be great in the snow, specifically the dsw contact ones. Right now I have Yokohoma Advan A/S sport tires on my Mazda and they were great in the snow this winter.

I actually had to spend $800 on one tire and a rim after a pothole in the city screwed the rim up and tire. I went after the city for my money back but they never paid. The rim I could only find from Mazda unless I wanted to change all 4 which would have been more expensive and I would also need new tires but the ones I had on were still pretty new.

Why not a used rim from junkyard or something?

 

[sze5003]

Why not a used rim from junkyard or something?

At the time it happened the car was still fairly new and I didn't have much time to look for the same rim. Driving on it was hazardous as I'd constantly go flat and have to pull off on the side and fill it with air until I got to my destination.

Next time I get another car I will consider not having 19 inch wheels as that does drive the cost up in general, specifically with low profile tires. But knock on wood my Mazda 6 has been great and out of all the cars I've owned, the least with any random occurring issues. By the time it hits 100k miles it will be paid off. But I'm picky with cars as I've only drove manual transmission and that's one of the reasons I chose it because not a lot of other models sell manuals.

Also I noticed junkyards in the city barely have any useful parts when I need them. I had the same issue looking for replacement rims for my brother's 2005 5 series BMW. We ended up changing his rims completely to the standard ones which were a bit cheaper and I personally like how they look now.

If you have discount tire in your area I hear they are great. Not too many of them in the east coast though.

 

[frozentundra123456]

It may depend on the Costco in your area but here at mine they have similar brands. Michelin, BF Goodrich, and Bridgestone. If you have a membership you could ask them if they could order Continental ones. I know those are a bit pricey for my car but they are supposed to be great in the snow, specifically the dsw contact ones. Right now I have Yokohoma Advan A/S sport tires on my Mazda and they were great in the snow this winter.

I actually had to spend $800 on one tire and a rim after a pothole in the city screwed the rim up and tire. I went after the city for my money back but they never paid. The rim I could only find from Mazda unless I wanted to change all 4 which would have been more expensive and I would also need new tires but the ones I had on were still pretty new.

Yea, Bridgestones are OK, but I live in the snow belt and I dont think they are that great in the snow. The Michelin Premier would be good, but like I said, they are quite a bit more expensive than the Continentals.

 

[local]

Fun is looking for the 295/35/18s I have on the back of my Camaro. After two sets I think I am going to just go back to a stock size wheel, it's not like I can't melt the wider tires anyway.

 

[jlee]

Fun is looking for the 295/35/18s I have on the back of my Camaro. After two sets I think I am going to just go back to a stock size wheel, it's not like I can't melt the wider tires anyway.

Just rears should be easy. Matching fronts can be difficult depending on size - I finally managed to find a matching set in stock for my C5 Z06...one tire option from one retailer.