Where to Buy Discount Tires

(Featured image via Pexels)

Buying new tires isn’t exactly exciting, but it’s a necessity. The challenge lies in finding a good deal without sacrificing quality or ending up buried under a mountain of options. You have to juggle prices, the tire brands you trust, and whether you want the convenience of a local shop or the potential savings of buying online. That’s where online tire retailers have shaken things up, offering a whole new dimension to tire shopping.

Buying Tires Online

Find quality tires for less. Discover the best places to buy tires for cheap. These are the best places to buy tires online!

1. Discount Tire

Discount Tire is one of those names everyone seems to know in the tire world. Interestingly, they started small, selling from magazine ads, and took some time to embrace the online space. 

The good news is they now offer a huge range of tires—you’ll find the familiar, big-name brands and some less common ones that might not be worth the gamble. What sets Discount Tire apart from some online-only options is its vast network of physical stores. 

You can certainly order tires to be shipped to your home or your preferred installer, but the stores do handle mounting, balancing, and all that, too. Plus, it seems like Discount Tire has a pretty flexible return policy, especially if you take advantage of a local store.

2. SimpleTire

SimpleTire might be a newer name in the game, but they’re making their mark fast. Their whole goal seems to be making tire buying as painless as possible. The SimpleTire website is a major part of that—it’s designed to be super easy to use, guiding you to tires that actually fit your vehicle. 

Unlike those massive tire databases, it feels less overwhelming. On top of that, SimpleTire lets you check out in one quick step: pick tires, find and ship to a nearby installer, pay, and you’re done. 

The other unique thing about SimpleTire is that you’ll always speak to a real person when you reach out, whether by phone or online chat. There’s no dealing with frustrating AI or robots.

3. Amazon

It feels like Amazon sells absolutely everything these days, and tires are no exception. This is one of the newer markets for them, but they’re already building up their presence.

Prime members get the obvious perk of free shipping, which is a real deal considering tires can be heavy and bulky (and, thus, very pricey to ship). You’ll find a mix of recognizable tire brands on Amazon, but here’s where you need to be extra cautious. 

There’s a ton of—let’s be honest—junk tires listed with super low prices. Like everything else you find on Amazon, be sure to read reviews and make sure you’re not sacrificing safety for savings.

4. Walmart

Walmart has been in the tire game for ages. They’re famous for their mega-stores, and many of those include auto centers—that’s where the tire shopping comes in. Lately, though, you can easily order tires online through Walmart’s website and get them shipped for free. 

Plus, the option is there to ship directly to a Walmart store for installation, the catch being some smaller stores won’t have an auto center. Otherwise, you can ship anywhere you desire. 

That said, just like when shopping the actual aisles at Walmart, you’ll see both the big brand names you know and a bunch of super-cheap, maybe lesser-known options lurking at the bottom of the price list. Buyer beware on those!

5. NTB (National Tire and Battery)

NTB was once a short-lived Sears-owned company, but Sears ended up selling off NTB decades ago. Now a part of Mavis Tire Supply Co., National Tire and Battery has done rather well since being under new ownership. 

When you look at NTB, you won’t find any of those weird off-brand tires to worry about. They stick to respected names in the tire world. Whether you order online from NTB and have tires shipped to your house or directly to one of their service centers, it’s pretty straightforward—similar to what you’ll find with other shops on this list. 

And if you choose to have NTB install your tires, they’ll not only dispose of your old tires for you, but they also offer oil changes and a number of fluid exchanges.

6. Tire Rack

Tire Rack is all about online tire sales. If that’s a model you’re comfortable with, you’ve got options here. Their advantage is the sheer size of their tire selection—you’ll likely find tires here that your local shop has never even heard of. 

Pricing tends to be competitive with stores like Sam’s Club, and the good news is shipping is usually fast and free. Tire Rack has a whole recommended installer network, so you can ship tires right where they need to go for mounting and balancing. Just be aware the installation itself is a separate cost you’ll need to factor in. 

If you prefer, you can just have them shipped elsewhere. The only real potential downside here is that Tire Rack is 100% online. If you like the option of being able to see someone face-to-face, you might want to look for discount tires elsewhere.

Why Buy Tires Online?

Buying tires online might feel overwhelming, but when you boil it all down, online tire retailers really bring some solid benefits to the table: 

  • Price: Often, you’ll find lower prices online than traditional stores due to less overhead.
  • Selection: Get more choices—from common brands to harder-to-find specialty tires.
  • Excellent Customer Service: Many online retailers have amazing customer service, answering questions quickly and making the process clear.
  • Shipping Speed: You might be surprised how fast tires can arrive on your doorstep!
  • Tire Information and Research Tools: Access tons of info and reviews that can be tricky to find in a store, making informed decisions a breeze. 

Most of us buy everything else online, so why not our tires, too? It’s a new era, and it only makes sense that tires are a part of it.

Bottom Line

So, where should you buy discount tires online? It really comes down to your preferences. Some of us want the cheapest price no matter what, others need a specific brand, while some want their hand held through the whole process. 

Think about your priorities when shopping around—you’ll find the option that makes replacing those worn-out tires a little less painful.