You can thank Charles Goodyear, who figured out how to vulcanize rubber in 1844, for the smooth ride tires lend to your car today. When they’re in good shape, your treads help you avoid skids in the rain, improve your gas mileage, and generally make driving more pleasant.
When you need new tires, we’ve got the scoop on how to pick the right ones, how to maintain them properly, and how to nail the lowest costs from either local or online suppliers.
We found major price differences for four sets of tires among independents, chains, new-car dealers, and online-only outlets, with some outlets charging hundreds of dollars more than others for the exact same set of tires. For example, we found we could pay between $930 to more than $1,400 for a set of four Bridgestone Alenza Sport tires for a Toyota Highlander.
Another way to save is to pick a brand and model of tire that offers good treatwear, traction, and handling, but at a lower price than comparable-quality treads. In Consumer Reports' tests, several tires with top overall quality scores cost less than tires that received low scores.
When shopping for price, specify exactly what you want. If you want mounting, balancing, and valve stems to be included, make sure quoted prices include that. And because there are so many tire models, many with very similar names and specifications, double-check the tire model by comparing its parts number.
