The Cost of Tires
Beyond the models, sizes, type of engine, gearbox, or fuel used, all cars have something in common: tires. Our faithful servant needs good “shoes” to set out on the road. But since nothing is so simple and general, we cannot sweep the subject under the rug so easily. “Shoes” are very different, starting from the price and ending with size, thickness, and type of car. Diversification has brought with it greater specialization and increased ability to respond to customer needs, but it has also made it more difficult to make a decision about purchasing a set of tires for your personal car.
Tires must meet several characteristics related to suspension, direction, speed, weight, and noise, and more than this, they must face external forces exerted on them, such as braking, acceleration, turns, and shocks, while running through potholes, curbs, bumps in the road surface, wet, slippery roads, or roads covered with snow or ice. That is why special attention must be paid to them in order to benefit from their performance and comfort during their entire working life.
How Much Do Tires Cost?
The amount of money you are going to spend on tires depends on the car, quality, size, and brand. For instance, the cost of an all-season tire made for small SUVs and Sedans would be anywhere between $55 and $130. You can find the Michelin Destiny tire at the price of around $120 or the Barum Bravaris 2 tire at the cost of almost $70, at Discount Tire.
The all-season tires made for vans and SUVs are larger and, of course, more expensive. The cost of such tires would be anywhere between $110 and $220 per tire. According to the Belle Tire website, at the lower end of this price range, you will find the tires manufactured by Geostar at the price of $120 per tire, while at the higher end will be the tires made by Goodyear producer, at the cost of almost $210 per tire.
Depending on the brand and size, higher performance and more qualitative tires will come at a higher cost, which is anywhere between $110 and $370 per tire. For example, according to Costco Tire Center, the price of the base model tire of a Jaguar made by Bridgestone is around $210.
Be prepared to spend around $670 to replace all four tires of your car, according to Angie’s List members.
Tires short presentation
The first pneumatic tire was patented by Robert William Thomson, but he was unable to put his invention to fruition. The model consisted of a series of small inflated tubes inside a cylinder. Because it seemed quite complicated, the old methods were still used.
You might also like our articles about the cost of donut tires, run-flat tires, or tire rotation services.
Charles Goodyear made a considerable improvement by discovering the process of vulcanizing rubber. It is said that in 1844, Goodyear dropped a mixture of sulfur and rubber on the kitchen floor, and the resulting material was elastic, whose properties did not change with temperature variations.
It must be said that there are summer tires, tires for the whole year, called all-season, which can also be used during the summer, but also in areas without snow, ice, or frost; and also, winter tires, whose purpose is primarily safety. They somewhat reduce the performance related to driving, cornering, and braking. It is well known that it is not advisable to drive in winter with summer tires because they do not offer safety in wet and snowy conditions. But experts say that even winter tires, those specialized for slippery roads, do not behave well on asphalt roads in the summer. Summer tires don’t have such deep grooves and so more rubber has contact with the road, increasing grip.
Which are the additional expenses?
You may need extra services, like an alignment.
In case you need a new tire for your car because one is flat, then it is also possible that the rim is damaged. Depending on the model, size, and place you buy it from, the cost of a new rim would be anywhere between $15 and $160. Some tire shops may offer free rim sets when purchasing new tires.
Also, there are shops that may charge an environmental tire disposal fee, which can be anywhere between $15 and $20 per tire.
Important things to consider
A tire has an average size of 16 to 18 inches, but there are also tires of up to 20 inches, that are made for trucks.
Tires must be changed when the legal wear limit has been exceeded, i.e. 1.6 mm over the entire tire tread. In addition, if you notice changes in the tire in terms of appearance, rolling resistance, grip on the road, or external noise, we recommend replacing them with new ones.
When buying tires, you must know the full size (example: 205/55/16), consisting of width (example: 205), height (example: 55), and diameter (example: 16). You can find the information in the car identification card if the tires were mounted according to the identity card, or on the side of the tire. In addition, if you want to mount the same type of tire that you currently have, you must know the brand (ex: Pirelli) and the profile (SnowControl).
Tires must be accompanied by a specific label, on which essential information is written. The energy label shows 3 characteristics in the form of sequences of letters from A to C or from A to E, where A represents the upper class and C or E the lower class.
The fuel economy of the tire is expressed in the form of a sequence of letters from A to E, placed on lines of different colors, from green to red. The higher the tire is ranked on the grid; the lower the car’s fuel consumption will be and vice versa. The letter A represents a very low degree of rolling resistance, while the letter E designates a tire that will lead to increased fuel consumption.
How can I save money?
Try to purchase more than one tire at once because most tire shops offer discounts when buying in bulk.
Also, you can buy used tires at a lower price. But even though it may seem like a good idea financially, it may be better for your safety to buy new tires.
Take time and shop around. Ask for quotes from at least three tire shops and compare prices. Also, try to find a mail order company which is specialized in delivering tires to your home. You may be able to save up to 20% this way, even though you will need a mechanic for installing the tires. You shouldn’t have to spend more than $30 for installing a tire.
You may not need to replace all four tires at once. Take into consideration replacing only those that are damaged.
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