Sign up for our newsletter SUBSCRIBE When a set of tires is the only thing connecting your vehicle to the road, you surely want to invest in dependable,. While shopping around for the best deal on tire prices, there are several other factors to consider, such as tire longevity, grip, treading and overall performance. Equally important are the components of the tire installation package available with your purchase. Compared the major national tire service places. Considering a new set of tires?
Besides the tire itself, evaluate the installation package. Warren / Today Does the vendor include an installation fee in the price of the tire or as an add-on? If you buy the tires online, how much does delivery cost and how much more will you shell out at the local auto shop for mounting? You’ll want to note offers for routine tire inflation, multi-point and alignment checks, flat repairs, balancing and rotation, disposal fees (for the old tires), and warranty (based on mileage, road hazards or manufacturer’s defects).
We’ve done the basic homework for you by comparing the packages offered by four of the largest mass-merchandise retailers. We found that the best package comes from, followed by Costco, Walmart, and finally, Sears. Sam's Club sits at the top of the heap for the rich array of included services, coupled with attractive pricing. Can buy a tire installation package for $15 per tire. The deal includes mounting/balancing, new valve stems, lifetime balancing and tire rotation, flat repair, waste tire disposal and road hazard protection. If your vehicle is equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system (TMPS), you’ll also get free resets when the tires are being serviced.
But the star attraction of Sam’s Club tire installation package, and a key reason for its No. 1 ranking, is the 24/7 roadside tire-change service available for three years after the date of purchase., another membership club, is parked a spot behind, owing to a slightly less expansive set of package components. Members can buy tires at a Costco location or online and have them shipped to a local store (shipping and handling costs included).
The installation package is priced at $15 per tire and includes mounting, new rubber valve stems, nitrogen tire inflation (instead of compressed air), and old tire disposal. Additionally, buyers are entitled to rotations over the tire’s lifetime, inflation and pressure checks, flat repairs and a road hazard warranty.
Despite the low installation fee at — $12 per tire — the package lands in third place. The deal is less generous than that offered by its two top rivals.
It includes mounting, valve stems, and lifetime balance and rotation after every 7,500 miles, plus a lug re-torque after the first 50 miles. Another $10 per tire buys the road hazard warranty.
A limited warranty for treadwear is also available for certain tires. Tire purchases at can be paired with an installation package costing $18.49 per tire.
This deal lags the others on price and is far less inclusive, as it covers just mounting, new valve stems, lifetime balancing and tire rotation, and multi-point inspection. Brake evaluation and road hazard warranty can be added at additional cost. None of these tire installation packages includes alignment checks and all are subject to sales tax and state environmental fees; at Walmart and Sears, a tire disposal fee also is assessed. If you don’t live near any of the retailers discussed above, check online discount vendors. Discount Tire Direct offers free shipping with rebate specials and discounts on select brands. Tire Buyer is associated with more than 8,000 tire installation shops.
Will Costco Install Tires Purchased Elsewhere
And Tire Rack offers free shipping and connections to thousands of installers. More from Cheapism.
Many a shopper has walked out of warehouse clubs like Costco and Sam’s Club with a receipt containing at least a few extra zeros. And while you may feel like everything you bought was worth it (half off!), sometimes, despite their reputation for low prices, these warehouse clubs aren’t the best places to be spending your hard-earned loot, experts say.
“Sometimes you can get better deals at other places or you should skip buying some items,” says Matthew Ong, the retail analyst for. However, “what you should buy is a longer list — their reputation holds,” he adds. Ong says that meats, such as bacon and chicken breasts, are often great buys at warehouse clubs (freeze whatever you don’t use), as are some kitchen appliances like toasters and microwaves. Erin Konrad, a spokesperson for, says that car parts like batteries and tires can be had for a very low price. “You can find the same brand tires as automotive stores, but for less, and get them installed while you shop,” explains Jon Lal, CEO and founder of.
Drugs also tend to be a good warehouse-club buy: A 2013 survey by Consumer Reports found that Costo was the cheapest place to buy drugs, while drugstores like CVS and Rite Aid were the. Other to-buy items include alcohol and beach gear like beach chairs, says Lal. Still, experts say, you may want to avoid — or at the very least do a thorough price comparison on the warehouse club vs. Other area stores — on some of the items sold at warehouse clubs. Here are five.
(This story was originally published in October 2014.). Asus. Condiments, sunscreen and other surprising perishables There are probably only a handful of shoppers who haven’t, at least once, bought something perishable at Costco or Sam’s Club, only to see it go to waste. In general, Lal says that you shouldn’t buy the food perishables — “as they will likely be in bulk and there is too great a risk that you won’t consume it in time” — with the exception of items that can be frozen. That, you probably already knew. But Ong points out that some perishable items might surprise you, including condiments, sunscreen and beauty products. “Many condiments go bad after about six months,” he says.
That means unless you have a big family or lots of parties, that six-pack of mustard, ketchup or another condiment might go to waste. You should also watch out for buying things like sunscreen, which may suffer from a similar problem, as well as some beauty products. Laundry detergent While buying laundry detergent in bulk may seem like a good idea (and the prices at warehouse clubs make it tempting), Ong points out that it may not be smart for some consumers because it can lose some of its efficacy fairly quickly, at least compared with some other cleaning products like disinfectant sprays and surface cleaners, which can last for a couple of years. The rough rule of thumb is that detergent may begin to lose some of its effectiveness after about six months to a year on the shelf, though it’s typically still safe to use. Of course, if you have a big family and do a ton of laundry, this may not be a problem (and then, by all means, hit up Costco and Sam’s), but for many people, it may be better not to buy this in bulk.
U581 software update. Scanning live data Reading Freeze Frame Data Testing I/M Reading Status Reading vehicle info Rescanning Data VEHICLE COVERAGE: • GM '96 - Current Year (OBD-II) • Ford '96 - Current Year (OBD-II) • Chrysler '96 - Current Year (OBD-II) • Toyota '96 - Current Year (OBD-II) • Honda '96 - Current Year (OBD-II) • NISSAN '96 - Current Year (OBD-II) • All other Asian and European '96 - Current Year (OBD-II) • All new CAN protocol cars.
Shopping around for the isn't as simple as comparing advertised prices. Most do not include installation, which can easily add from $50 to more than $100 to the 'out the door' cost of new tires.
Prince of tennis: form the strongest team iso. Some vendors include services such as disposal of the old tires, while others charge extra and try to upsell consumers. Watch out for shipping fees from online sellers such as Tire Rack, where prices quoted by local installers vary widely and may not include services or guarantees offered to customers who buy directly from the auto shop. This price comparison focuses on eight nationwide chains that sell and install tires: Walmart; Sears; Sam's Club; Pep Boys; Discount Tire/America's Tire; NTB/Tire King/Merchant's/Big O; Costco; and BJ's. Our winner offers not only an expansive set of services for a low price, but also 24/7 roadside assistance for flat tires - nice peace of mind for drivers who don't already belong to a roadside service club. NTB, Tire Kingdom, Merchant's Tire, and Big O Tires are owned by the same company, and there are more than 1,200 locations in 41 states. At NTB, we were quoted $16.99 per tire for basic installation, which includes mounting, one-time balancing, free lifetime rotation, and valve stems. But if a TPMS kit is needed, the price jumps to about $25 per tire.
Disposal, often included at other tire shops, is an extra $3 per tire. If you want a road hazard warranty, that's an extra $60, and lifetime balancing is another $32.
This parts and services chain says installation can cost as little as $15.73 per tire. However, it's worth noting that we priced out different tires for common vehicles and were quoted around $28 per tire for installation each time. Installation does include disposal, balancing, mounting, and a TPMS kit for vehicles with a tire pressure monitoring system.
(All that comes at an added cost if tires are brought in for installation from another seller - $10 for disposal, $10 for the kit, and $15 for mounting and balancing.) Buying tires onsite also comes with one year of roadside assistance, a courtesy vehicle inspection, free lifetime rotations and air-pressure checks, and a treadwear mileage warranty. Despite a low installation fee of $12 a tire, Walmart's package is less generous than our top tire shops.
It includes mounting, valve stems, and lifetime balance and rotation every 7,500 miles, plus tightening of the lug nuts after the first 50 miles. You'll pay an additional $10 per tire for installation if you didn't purchase your tires directly from Walmart. If you want a road hazard warranty thrown in, installation jumps to $22 a tire. Disposal, quoted by our local store, is an extra $1.50 per tire.
TPMS kits are also extra, and Walmart says costs will vary according to the make and model of the vehicle. Costco members can buy tires at a warehouse club location or online and have them shipped to a local store, shipping and handling included. Installation costs $15 a tire and includes mounting, new rubber valve stems, nitrogen tire inflation (which helps maintain better pressure than compressed air), and old tire disposal. Cars with TPMS systems face an additional $3 service charge per tire.
Buyers are entitled to rotations over the tire's lifetime, inflation and pressure checks, flat repairs, and a five-year road hazard warranty. Sam's Club is our winner for its rich array of included services, coupled with attractive pricing for club members. A $15 tire installation package includes mounting, new valve stems, lifetime balancing and rotation, lifetime flat repair, tire disposal, and road hazard protection. If the vehicle is equipped with TPMS, drivers also get a free reset when the tires are serviced, though a replacement TPMS kit would be extra. But the star attraction of the Sam's Club package is 24/7 roadside tire-change service, available for three years after the date of purchase.
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