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How do I Find the Best Tire Dealers?

Amy Hunter
Amy Hunter

New tires are a major investment. When you plan to spend a significant amount of money, you want to be sure that you are spending it in the best way possible. There are several ways to find the best tire dealers.

Word of mouth is probably the most effective way to find a tire dealer that you are happy with. Tire dealers rely on happy customers to tell others of their experience. Chances are that if you hear good things from two or three different people, the tire dealer is a good one. It is important to ask the person exactly what about the tire buying experience convinced them that the tire dealer was good. For instance, if the tire dealer volunteered to special order a particular tire that they don’t keep in stock, they may offer good service, but this says little about whether they are competitive on price.

A vehicle tire.
A vehicle tire.

Ask the person specific questions about the dealer, such as how the price compared with other places they shopped and what extra services they offer. Many local tire dealers cannot compete with large, box store style retail shops, but they do offer additional services. Some local tire dealers will offer free tire rotations over the life of the tire, free disposal of tires or free patches if you get a flat, if you buy the tire from them. Box stores, however, may offer a lower price up front, but charge for rotations, patches and disposal of your old tires. When you add all of these charges up, the savings from the larger store may be insignificant.

Tires at a tire dealer.
Tires at a tire dealer.

Another way to find the best tire dealers is by calling the car dealership where you purchased your car. They don’t normally sell tires, so they won’t be tempted to peddle their own products, but will be familiar with tire dealers in the area that sell the brand and style of tire recommended for your car. They will also want to send you to a store where you have a good experience, so that you won’t associate the car dealership with a bad shopping experience.

A variety of tires at a tire dealer.
A variety of tires at a tire dealer.

One final way to find the best tire dealers in your area is through local “best of” listings. Local newspapers often conduct reader surveys that provide insight into the best of everything from Chinese restaurants to hair salons. Tire dealers are often on this list. A top listing here is comparable to a word of mouth recommendation from everyone in your community.

Discussion Comments

Comparables

I have always bought my tires right from the Firestone tire dealers. they have good prices and the quality of their tires is very high. I haven't found better deals and service any where else (I do live in a rural area though).

Georgesplane

@ Istria- I just priced out a set of tires that beat out all the discount new tire dealers. A Ridiculously large new Toyota dealership opened about a week before the recall scandal a few blocks from my house. The dealership has been entertaining crickets ever since the recall so they have been having ridiculous parts and service specials to keep business flowing. They were selling tires for $10 above cost on any tire. They are also offering service specials on all makes and models. I wonder if other Toyota dealerships are doing the same.

istria

I just spent about three weeks shopping around for tires, and I found the best deals for the tires that I wanted were from discount tire dealers. I had two specific tires in mind, so it was all about finding the right price. I priced the set with install at my three different local dealerships and the price was at least $150 more than the discount dealers were. When you are talking about truck tires, any savings matter.

The tire dealers only deal with tires, and they have purchasing power. My tires arrived in three days, and they were installed in 45 minutes. It was an essentially painless experience, and it did not require being pestered by a dealership salesperson who wanted me to trade in my truck while I waited for the tires to be mounted.

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    • A vehicle tire.
      A vehicle tire.
    • Tires at a tire dealer.
      By: Sergfoto
      Tires at a tire dealer.
    • A variety of tires at a tire dealer.
      By: Rodica Nelson
      A variety of tires at a tire dealer.