Best time to buy tires

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dubsem
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Best time to buy tires

Post by dubsem »

Please share your thoughts or anecdotes on the best month/event to buy a new set of tires.

I researched April and October are popular months for tire deals, but have also heard that Memorial Day weekend is good time to replace tires. I don't replace tires often, so curious if you observe any trends from your experiences.

I'm not so much interested in where to buy (Tire Rack vs. America's vs. Costco), but when to strike on replacing tires. I don't need to urgently change my tires, but should change my tires by the end of next year. Cheers.
Last edited by dubsem on Thu May 13, 2021 5:58 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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bob60014
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Re: Best time to buy tires

Post by bob60014 »

I buy when needed. I don't time the stock market and never timed the tire market either! :)
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windaar
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Re: Best time to buy tires

Post by windaar »

I change when they need to be changed based on tread wear. Driving on balding tires to wait for a sale is not a good idea.
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RickBoglehead
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Re: Best time to buy tires

Post by RickBoglehead »

Discount Tire /America's Tire runs great promos Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day.
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livesoft
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Re: Best time to buy tires

Post by livesoft »

I have bought tires from the local Discount Tire a few times. They are always sending "promotions" e-mail and many of them are "e-mail only", so they may not be generally advertised. Also the tire manufacturers have promotions as well.

That written, I haven't noticed any special deals that make me want to go out and buy tires before old ones are worn down. I guess I am not sensitive to price anymore. I am more into convenience as in, "Can my spouse get tires on her car replaced without me being involved?"
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JoeRetire
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Re: Best time to buy tires

Post by JoeRetire »

dubsem wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 5:50 pm I researched April and October are popular months for tire deals
Yup. Best deals are usually April (due to upcoming vacation travel) and October (due to upcoming winter).
Your mileage may vary...
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Jack FFR1846
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Re: Best time to buy tires

Post by Jack FFR1846 »

Better than any promotions, when a tire company changes the look of the tire or discontinues them, they often go on huge sale. I've bought tires like this for 25% of their original retail price. In case you don't know, tires have "fashion" just like jugs of oil (you knew that, right) and almost everything and when the new and improved look or renaming comes along, they want the old ones cleared out.

You can look for closeouts in most online places like Tire Rack. Sometimes they are only a modest reduction or there can be other makes and models that are cheaper, so look for that.
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Californiastate
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Re: Best time to buy tires

Post by Californiastate »

I’d call up Discount tire and ask about rebates. There’s usually something going on or about to. I’ve never heard of a prime season for tires. I wait with bated breath.
andypanda
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Re: Best time to buy tires

Post by andypanda »

Buy them on sale, they only discount them so much during the year. I've been buying Michelins from Discount Tire the past few years. The first time I went there I asked about Defenders for my 4Runner and the guy called Costco and matched the $75 off and 1 cent per wheel mounting and balancing.

When my wife's Avalon needed tires I had her get a price from Costco for 18" Michelin Premiers and took it to Discount Tire. They matched it. I made the appointment and she took it in and was out in less than an hour.

Costco always took her two or three hours in the past and once hadn't even ordered her new tires. Once they put the wrong tires on.
She picked up a small nail yesterday and lost 5 psi in a few hours. I made an on line appointment for today and she was in and out in 30 minutes - plug the tire, rotate and balance all four. All free. She's sold. Still goes to Costco, but not for tires and service.

Also in my experience, everybody matches Tire Rack. They know their competition. I bought a set of Michelins for a Highlander at a Goodyear store and the manager got within $3 of the total Tire Rack price.
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dubsem
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Re: Best time to buy tires

Post by dubsem »

andypanda wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 6:15 pm Buy them on sale, they only discount them so much during the year. I've been buying Michelins from Discount Tire the past few years. The first time I went there I asked about Defenders for my 4Runner and the guy called Costco and matched the $75 off and 1 cent per wheel mounting and balancing.
Thanks! I never considered trying to price match tire retailers, but will keep this in mind.
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GerryL
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Re: Best time to buy tires

Post by GerryL »

Here in Oregon, February used to be the best time to buy tires at Les Schwab. They had an annual promotion in which you'd get a meat (sausage) platter with each purchase of 2 or 4 replacement tires. I think that ended when Les died. The family-owned business has recently been sold to an investment firm (from what I understand). Community is watching to see if they continue their consumer-friendly traditions.
keith6014
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Re: Best time to buy tires

Post by keith6014 »

Besides, Costco any good reputable tire shops in Jersey? Discount Tire isn't here.
260chrisb
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Re: Best time to buy tires

Post by 260chrisb »

bob60014 wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 5:53 pm I buy when needed. I don't time the stock market and never timed the tire market either! :)
Yes this, but buying them at a great discount and mounting them at the same time can be two different things! I've bought tires in anticipation of need at a discount and had them mounted months later.
johnny
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Re: Best time to buy tires

Post by johnny »

JoeRetire wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 6:05 pm
dubsem wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 5:50 pm I researched April and October are popular months for tire deals
Yup. Best deals are usually April (due to upcoming vacation travel) and October (due to upcoming winter).
Your mileage may vary...
I agree with this timing, in order to catch the rebates. There are other ways to save money, but by planning ahead and ordering online I can get just the tires I want.

Buying when you're tires are at the end of the line will usually result in limited choices and possibly in a dangerous driving situation.
tibbitts
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Re: Best time to buy tires

Post by tibbitts »

It doesn't matter. Just buy tires if you need tires. The way things seem to be going the price will increase by 2x before the next 20% off sale happens.
EdTheYellowJacket
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Re: Best time to buy tires

Post by EdTheYellowJacket »

I usually get mine at Costco when they are running a rebate. Sometimes it is just money off. Sometimes it is free install plus money. Right now they are having money rebate.
mwesty
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Re: Best time to buy tires

Post by mwesty »

Pep Boys has a Black Friday special - buy 2 get 2 free with free installation
VGisforme
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Re: Best time to buy tires

Post by VGisforme »

Generally I’d avoid any buy 2 get 2 free deal unless they were on the tires I wanted. It pays to do some research on Tire Rack where they perform instrumented real world testing as well as anecdotal recommendations from similar vehicle users on Tire Rack or other car focused boards.

Tires are very important and the difference between a decent tire and a top performer can be vast. I concern myself with a good blend of performance and value. I won’t pay 2x to get an extra 3% performance but I also won’t give up 10% in stopping distance in wet to save 20% on the tires.

Do you want the satisfaction of saving $100-200 or the peace of mind knowing you or your SO can stop short in a panic stop or have the grip needed to swerve in a dangerous spot?

Don’t go cheap on tires and do research... don’t just call a ship and ask for a mid range tire god know what you’ll get. There are usually 2-3 top performers in each category.
N10sive
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Re: Best time to buy tires

Post by N10sive »

andypanda wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 6:15 pm Buy them on sale, they only discount them so much during the year. I've been buying Michelins from Discount Tire the past few years. The first time I went there I asked about Defenders for my 4Runner and the guy called Costco and matched the $75 off and 1 cent per wheel mounting and balancing.

When my wife's Avalon needed tires I had her get a price from Costco for 18" Michelin Premiers and took it to Discount Tire. They matched it. I made the appointment and she took it in and was out in less than an hour.

Costco always took her two or three hours in the past and once hadn't even ordered her new tires. Once they put the wrong tires on.
She picked up a small nail yesterday and lost 5 psi in a few hours. I made an on line appointment for today and she was in and out in 30 minutes - plug the tire, rotate and balance all four. All free. She's sold. Still goes to Costco, but not for tires and service.

Also in my experience, everybody matches Tire Rack. They know their competition. I bought a set of Michelins for a Highlander at a Goodyear store and the manager got within $3 of the total Tire Rack price.
I think YMMV at all tire centers depending on their reputation/reviews and workers. I’ve never had issues at Costco but twice Discount Tire has marked up my rims needing replacement and then had to go in three times for them to get my tpms working. I’d go to Costco but they only put on stock tire sizes and mine aren’t stock.

It’s not well known I think but yeah places do price match tire. Costco and tire rack are probably the cheapest and Costco always has rotating buy 3 get 1 free or 1cent installation.
bstewie
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Re: Best time to buy tires

Post by bstewie »

my tires are never (rarely) on sale, i buy them when i need them (every 10-20k miles depending on wear and freeway travel during those miles). i just quote all the local places when i need them and take the cheapest, usually splitting hairs over $10-20
h82goslw
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Re: Best time to buy tires

Post by h82goslw »

bstewie wrote: Fri May 14, 2021 1:47 am my tires are never (rarely) on sale, i buy them when i need them (every 10-20k miles depending on wear and freeway travel during those miles). i just quote all the local places when i need them and take the cheapest, usually splitting hairs over $10-20
10K miles at replacement? What are you driving...a Dodge Hellcat and you’re doing daily burnouts?
Paradise
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Re: Best time to buy tires

Post by Paradise »

It depends. Do you drive a Toyota Corolla or a Porsche? To say that if your tire has a rare fitment, I don’t think that you’ll ever get a sale on it. If it’s not, as mentioned, you can look at discount tires website and check if any of the brands are running a rebate maybe once a month.
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andypanda
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Re: Best time to buy tires

Post by andypanda »

"but twice Discount Tire has marked up my rims"

You haven't seen what my wife can do to her '16 Avalon Touring with those low sidewall 18" wheels. I don't think she sees potholes.

My 4Runner is frequently used to tow a 16' fishing boat offroad to get to lakes with no ramps and I also use it for surf fishing on the Outer Banks. My wheels look better than hers.

No problems so far with Discount Tire.
grok87
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Re: Best time to buy tires

Post by grok87 »

VGisforme wrote: Fri May 14, 2021 12:36 am Generally I’d avoid any buy 2 get 2 free deal unless they were on the tires I wanted. It pays to do some research on Tire Rack where they perform instrumented real world testing as well as anecdotal recommendations from similar vehicle users on Tire Rack or other car focused boards.

Tires are very important and the difference between a decent tire and a top performer can be vast. I concern myself with a good blend of performance and value. I won’t pay 2x to get an extra 3% performance but I also won’t give up 10% in stopping distance in wet to save 20% on the tires.

Do you want the satisfaction of saving $100-200 or the peace of mind knowing you or your SO can stop short in a panic stop or have the grip needed to swerve in a dangerous spot?

Don’t go cheap on tires and do research... don’t just call a ship and ask for a mid range tire god know what you’ll get. There are usually 2-3 top performers in each category.
agree. i always check consumer reports
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jebmke
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Re: Best time to buy tires

Post by jebmke »

I buy them when I need them. Normally there is some kind of rebate program running 2-3 times a year. The difference between the best price and a good price on a per mile basis over 60-70K miles is trivial. If the tires need replacing, replace them.
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anil686
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Re: Best time to buy tires

Post by anil686 »

I used to use Costco for tires because of the pricing but now they rarely carry tires in stock so I have to order a week or so ahead of time and then go have them put on and wait at that time for a couple of hours. I have used Discount Tire for the past several years and have been happy. As others have mentioned - as long as there is an advertised price for the exact tire, they will price match it including installation and the service and speed are great. Their free rotation is also a plus since I don’t have to wait an hour or two at Costco to get that done - instead it is often 10-15 minutes with an appt at Discount tire. JMO though....
shunkman
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Re: Best time to buy tires

Post by shunkman »

I live in a State with winter precipitation so I try to buy my new tires at the beginning of Winter so I have maximum tread for the first snowy months. If you don't drive much then this is probably does not matter.
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Watty
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Re: Best time to buy tires

Post by Watty »

dubsem wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 5:50 pm Best time to buy tires
.....
I don't need to urgently change my tires.......
The best time to buy new tires is long before there is an urgent need to replace them.

If you would replace them today if you could save an extra 10% then it is probably a good idea to go on and replace then even if you cannot find them on sale. It will vary but you are probably only talking about $40 to $50 on most cars compared to a normal good price.

You of course would want to shop and find a good price and good tires but driving on marginal tires is not worth it.
lazydavid
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Re: Best time to buy tires

Post by lazydavid »

I buy tires when the ones I want are $70 off at Costco, with penny installation for Executive members.
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midareff
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Re: Best time to buy tires

Post by midareff »

Prior to the start of rainy season. It's a safety issue, not price.
N10sive
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Re: Best time to buy tires

Post by N10sive »

andypanda wrote: Fri May 14, 2021 7:28 am "but twice Discount Tire has marked up my rims"

You haven't seen what my wife can do to her '16 Avalon Touring with those low sidewall 18" wheels. I don't think she sees potholes.

My 4Runner is frequently used to tow a 16' fishing boat offroad to get to lakes with no ramps and I also use it for surf fishing on the Outer Banks. My wheels look better than hers.

No problems so far with Discount Tire.
Ha understood. When I meant marked up, the tech put the clamps on the spokes of my wheels and dug probably half inch gouges on every spoke. They were aftermarket wheels and probably 300 a pop. Another shop did it with the same with Stock Tacoma wheels. It wasn’t ur typical curb rash.

But yeah YMMV. Discount did always replace them for free or have a steep discount. For what it’s worth. The TPMS thing was annoying though as it took them three trips to get it right.
Big Dog
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Re: Best time to buy tires

Post by Big Dog »

I order exclusively from Costco and they have a $70 off sale practically every other month, so no need to time the market.
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dubsem
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Re: Best time to buy tires

Post by dubsem »

midareff wrote: Fri May 14, 2021 8:30 am Prior to the start of rainy season. It's a safety issue, not price.
I agree that safety is more important than saving dollars.

Since I have many months before needing to replace my tires, I have the luxury to save dollars if I can anticipate a favorable time to buy.

Also, I'm opting for higher quality tires too, so I hope there's more incentives in my price range.
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TheHiker
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Re: Best time to buy tires

Post by TheHiker »

Best time is when Costco has them on sale (which is practically every day).
Don't think timing the market works well with tires unless you want to stockpile them.
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RickBoglehead
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Re: Best time to buy tires

Post by RickBoglehead »

dubsem wrote: Fri May 14, 2021 12:24 pm
midareff wrote: Fri May 14, 2021 8:30 am Prior to the start of rainy season. It's a safety issue, not price.
I agree that safety is more important than saving dollars.

Since I have many months before needing to replace my tires, I have the luxury to save dollars if I can anticipate a favorable time to buy.

Also, I'm opting for higher quality tires too, so I hope there's more incentives in my price range.
Except...

Tires have two things that make them unusable - wear and AGE. Tires start to degrade the day they are made. That's why I always check the date code on new tires, and tires on vehicles I am purchasing, to make sure they're very new.

Starting at 6 years, your tires should be examined at least yearly for signs of dry rot. They may last longer. At 10 years they are recommended to be tossed regardless.

My F-150's tires have the date code 4313, i.e. 43rd week of 2013. 10/20 - 10/26/13. They are 7 years and 7 months old. But they only have 45,000 miles on them. I get them checked annually, and they had enough tread for another winter (this past), and still have enough for the summer and fall. Depending on the amount of driving I do, probably not another winter IF we still are in a winter climate. So, I'll probably replace them during Discount Tire's Labor Day sale.
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bstewie
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Re: Best time to buy tires

Post by bstewie »

h82goslw wrote: Fri May 14, 2021 6:39 am
bstewie wrote: Fri May 14, 2021 1:47 am my tires are never (rarely) on sale, i buy them when i need them (every 10-20k miles depending on wear and freeway travel during those miles). i just quote all the local places when i need them and take the cheapest, usually splitting hairs over $10-20
10K miles at replacement? What are you driving...a Dodge Hellcat and you’re doing daily burnouts?
my tires have a 15k tread life warranty
- couple track days on a set <10k
- lots of spirited canyon driving ~10k
- mostly freeway ~20k

agree with everyone else though - replace before you truly need (safety), and shop around / price match
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midareff
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Re: Best time to buy tires

Post by midareff »

dubsem wrote: Fri May 14, 2021 12:24 pm
midareff wrote: Fri May 14, 2021 8:30 am Prior to the start of rainy season. It's a safety issue, not price.
I agree that safety is more important than saving dollars.

Since I have many months before needing to replace my tires, I have the luxury to save dollars if I can anticipate a favorable time to buy.

Also, I'm opting for higher quality tires too, so I hope there's more incentives in my price range.
Sometimes yes, sometimes NO! If you have a vehicle you have a planned lifetime for (as in model years) and you get 2.5 years to a set of tires and have 2 years left... or have .5 years left, would make a big difference to me. My ride is 3 years old and at present driving has an estimated year left to get to minimum legal tread..... I'll change it out next month if we plan to road trip this summer (rainy season) and plan on making a trade or keep decision before the start of year six.
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