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One of the most asked questions at Les Schwab is about the price of new tires. People want to know what a set of four tires will cost them. The price of a new set of tires depends on the type of vehicle you drive, how much comfort you want, ride quality, noise level, tread durability, and traction features, which can include seasonal tires and tires for specific terrain. Here’s how to understand the cost of your next set of new tires and why the Les Schwab Best Tire Value Promise saves you money with free peace of mind tire protection and a warranty that won’t cost you extra.
Price is a big factor for any purchase. While some online retailers might have the tires you want at a price you like, you run the risk of getting the wrong type of tires for your vehicle and driving needs. Plus, you'll need to find someone to mount them to your wheels, balance them, install them on your vehicle, and dispose of your old tires. This takes more of your time and adds to the overall cost of getting new tires. Then there are tire manufacturer warranties or other premium services to consider.
When you purchase passenger or light truck tires at Les Schwab, we mount them for free, rotate those tires for free, re-balance them for free, offer free flat repair and air-pressure checks, as well as give you a free best-in-the-industry warranty that even includes road hazard protection at no extra charge. More on that warranty in a bit.
On new tires, the price can range greatly. Tire size, which is directly tied to the vehicle you drive, affects the price. You’ll typically need a larger tire for a pickup than you would for a car. Tires are also priced based on the amount of rubber used to manufacture them as well as the manufacturing technology and features.
For example, an electric vehicle (EV) will require performance tires with a higher speed rating and load capacity, which can cost more than a set of standard all-season tires.
As with any purchase with varying levels of price and performance, there are trade-offs to consider. These can include comfort, control and traction, tire life, durability, fuel economy and the cost of a set of tires. You might even consider replacing just two instead of all four tires to save money. However, doing so can impact vehicle safety, performance, and longevity. See our article on replacing all four tires on an AWD vehicle.
If you’re looking for maximum fuel efficiency, we can help with our article on how to choose car tires.
Looking for snow tires? Depending on what you drive, maneuverability in the snow can add to the price of tires. That’s because today’s snow tires are highly engineered and packed with technological breakthroughs designed to keep you and your family safe on the road, whether that’s bare pavement on a well-maintained interstate or a snow-covered, winding motorway through the mountains.
Check out our guide to buying tires for help pinpointing the type and size of tire you need. These can include all-season tires, all-weather tires, winter/snow tires, mud terrain, as well as all-terrain tires, performance tires, highway tires, traction tires, and specialty tires.
Another factor to consider when evaluating the price of a new set of tires is the warranty and other after-purchase services. The tread life on a set of tires can range up to 80,000 miles and beyond. Some places might charge extra for the warranty, but at Les Schwab, that’s part of our Best Tire Value Promise.
Our freebies include a world-class warranty, free lifetime tire and mileage care, and free peace of mind tire protection, including flat repair, rotations, rebalancing, replacement, safety checks, brake inspections, and visual alignment checks at any Les Schwab location. From Colorado and Wyoming to the West Coast, you’re never far from one of our stores – or the road services we deliver.
We even offer free tire disposal when you replace your old tires at Les Schwab.
Many of today’s new vehicles come with run-flat tires. Most of the time, these cars don’t have a spare, making run-flat tires the important difference between being stranded on the side of the road or being able to get to a repair shop. However, they can be more expensive than standard tires.
When you’re ready to shop new tires, our pros are here to help. Stop by your local Les Schwab and we’ll take a look at your current tires, make recommendations for your next set, and show you all the options that best fit your driving needs.
Learn More About Tires
At some point, every car requires new tires. Since you want to budget accordingly, it’s important to know how much does it cost to replace your tires?
In this guide, we cover the varying factors that influence the new tire price.
We also give you a few tips that may help you save some money.
A new set of four tires will usually cost you between $400 and $1500, depending on the type of tire, vehicle, quality and where you get them installed. If you choose cheap tires, you may be able to spend $50 each, but on some vehicle types, you can easily spend $1500 or more on a new set of tires.
Now that we have the quick answer to the general cost of new tires, let’s take a closer look at the factors that affect the cost.
Factors Affecting Cost to Replace Your Tires1. Tire SizeThe biggest factor affecting your expense will be the size of the tire you need. You can find tires in all sizes, meant for a multitude of purposes. If you have a compact car, you will have the cheapest tires available, maybe even $50 each.
Of course, high-performance cars, large pickup trucks, specialty off-road vehicles, and SUVs will naturally cost more.
A good rule of thumb is that the larger the tire is, the more you can expect to pay for it.
There are just as many tire brands as there are sizes. Many tire shops specialize in one budget brand and carry a multitude of name brands.
You will spend far less to go with the no-name brand, but you need to think about the quality. After all, if you save money today by choosing this brand, does it really pay off if you have to replace the tires again prematurely? You may also get a much longer mileage warranty with quality tires, than with inexpensive tires.
If you choose a premium tire brand such as Michelin, Continental, Goodyear, Bridgestone, you will of course pay much more, but you know that you will get quality tires that last a long time and keep your vehicle on the road.
RELATED: 6 Worst Tire Brands to Avoid Buying
3. Installation CostMost tire shops do not make a lot of money on the tire installation.
The job itself doesn’t take long and the price can often be included with the cost of the tires.
On average, you can expect most shops to tack on about $20-$40 per tire for the installation. However, if you visit a warehouse club, that expense could be even less.
4. Tire DisposalYou don’t get to leave your old tires with the shop without paying a price. These shops must pay to have them recycled, so that cost gets passed down to you.
On average, the tire disposal fees will be between $2 and $10 per tire to dispose of them. If you would rather save this money, you can get rid of them yourself.
5. Road Hazard/Warranty ProtectionOn top of the regular price paid for your tires, you may choose to add some extra warranty protection. With road hazard protection, you are covered if your tires get a hole or blow out.
However, you must be careful who you choose to get road hazard through. Not all companies are going to follow through on the agreement, leaving you paying for protection that doesn’t matter when something actually goes wrong.
When your new tires are installed, you will need to get a wheel alignment. Having properly aligned tires ensures that they last as long as possible.
You might pay between $75 and $200 to have the wheels aligned, depending on how many need to be done. However, this money can be seen as an investment, ensuring that your tires continue to provide reliable transportation.
How to Save Money on Tires1. Shop AroundThe most important factor is shopping around. You can call one location and get a price on a particular set of tires and the cost is completely different somewhere else, even though they are the same tires.
When you are shopping around, keep a couple of costs in mind. You will have the cost of the tires, the cost of installation and any fees that the company charges. Ask for the “out the door” price, so you can compare it apples-to-apples.
RELATED: How Much Do Rims Cost?
2.
Watch for SalesYou can get a great deal if you shop during a sale. Of course, it’s not always convenient to wait for the next sale, but if you have some time before the tires need to be changed, this is a great way to save.
Throughout the year, tire shops will offer various sales. You can take advantage of a Buy 3, Get 1 Free deal or enjoy a certain percentage off. Most tire sales correspond with holidays, so you can tell when one might be around the corner.
3. Take Advantage of RebatesTire shops don’t often make a whole lot on the tire, so discounts can be limited. However, the manufacturers are happy to offer rebates throughout the year.
Most of the rebates are through the mail but can be found online. Additionally, the tire shops have the inside scoop on what’s available, so be sure to ask.
4. Ask about TakeoffsIt’s not always wise to purchase used tires, but the takeoff is something entirely different.
These tires were installed brand-new and only used for a couple of days before the customer decided they didn’t want them.
It could be that the client didn’t appreciate the ride or simply decided they wanted something better. Either way, the tire shop will offer the replacement tires at a discounted price, so be sure to ask what’s available, especially if you use a popular tire size.
5. Use All-Season TiresIf you live in a cold climate where a lot of snow falls, you might have two sets of tires. Most people in these regions use summer and winter tires. With two sets of tires, you have a lot more money out, especially every time you need to have them switched.
If you aren’t actually driving in the snow, it might be better to use all-season tires throughout the year. While these aren’t going to get you through deep snow, there’s no sense spending more for something you don’t need. Evaluate your options and see if you can stick to using one set all year long.
RELATED: 10 Best All-Season Tires – Review & Buyer’s Guide
The lifespan of a tire will depend on the type of tire, the type of driving you do, and the climate. Generally, tires last between 50,000 and 80,000 miles and 6 years. If you drive a lot in city traffic and brake a lot or live in a hot climate, your tires may wear out sooner. If you often drive around with low tire pressure or a bad wheel alignment, they may also wear down sooner.
If your tire tread depth is close to 2/32” or under, it’s definitely time to replace them. Most tire manufacturers recommend replacing tires every 6 years, regardless of the number of miles driven. This is because tire rubber degrades over time, even if the tires are not used. Tires that are more than 6 years old should be inspected by a professional to determine if they are safe to use.
If your car is two-wheel-drive, it’s fine to replace two tires on the same axle instead of four, although you need to consider that your car will handle differently with two new tires than with four.
If you are replacing two tires, it is best to put the new or best tires on the rear axle, as this will improve traction and stability.
On many 4WD and AWD cars, however, the diameter of the tires must match, otherwise, you can damage the transmission or the differential. Therefore, it is recommended to replace all four tires on 4WD cars, and it’s a requirement for many car brands like BMW and Audi.
You need to read the tire dimensions on your old tires and take them to the tire shop. You can also call your authorized dealer or check your owner’s manual if the wheels are stock.
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Consumer disputes over the age of tires have not subsided for several seasons. Buyers are excited that the warranty period for tires is limited to 5-6 years according to GOST, and after the expiration of this period, the rubber becomes unusable.
Is this really the case, read this article.
Manufacturers of most brands on their products set Shelf life is 5 years and service life is also 5 years .
The shelf life of a tire is the period during which it retains its performance when properly stored.
The end of this period does not mean that the tires have become unusable . A shelf life of 5 years is given by manufacturers because, by law, they cannot set a shelf life higher than the service life. Tires over 5 years of storage cannot be called damaged or defective, their technical characteristics may be slightly reduced. American researchers argue that the period of storage of "shoes" must be at least 10 years. Experts from Germany are sure that it cannot exceed 6 years.
The expiration date of tires is the warranty period during which the manufacturer is responsible for the quality and condition of the tire if it was used for its intended purpose without violating the operating rules.
According to Russian legislation (GOST 5513, GOST 4754-97) , the service life of tires is 5 years from the date of manufacture.
How can I find out the date of manufacture of tires?
You can find out the age of tires by a special DOT code. Tires manufactured after 2000 in the DOT code contain two pairs of numbers, where the first pair indicates the week number of the year, and the second pair indicates the year. Earlier tires before 2000 have 3 numbers in their composition, where the first two digits are the week number, and the last one is the year (see the transcript in the photo).
Determination of the average shelf life of a tire according to GOST and operating conditions.
- The symbol ZR denotes tires for high-speed cars. They are recommended to be used at speeds over 240 km/h. up to 6 years
- Tires with the H symbol are used at a maximum speed of 210 km/h. within 5 years.
- The sign S symbolizes the maximum permissible speed of 180 km/h. and operational period of 4-5 years.
Most tire manufacturers do not agree that tire life is limited to 5 years. Each company has its own opinion on this matter. We analyzed several of them and the information they posted on their official websites.
Michelin
The French tire manufacturer Michelin has become famous for its active fight against the perception of the rapid aging of tires as a perishable product. Her information campaign "Tires Are Not Bananas" created a lot of noise in the automotive environment. According to the representative office, several test trials were carried out in Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Germany. As a result of testing, no difference was found between new tires and tires stored for 3 years. They were tested for various characteristics such as rolling resistance, high speed durability, etc.
Tires with a year life were approximately equal in performance to 10-year unused tyres.
Michelin focuses the attention of car owners on the fact that tires are not a perishable product, their shelf life is not as important as the service life is important, starting from the date the tires are installed on the rims. It is from this moment that the tire is subjected to all tests: pressure, temperature changes, wear, contact with uneven and sharp coatings, etc.
Continental
On the Russian official website of Continental, we found the following information on the expiration dates of tires.
“When a tire is stored in the correct position and under the recommended conditions, it will not lose its original balanced performance for 5 years from the date of manufacture of the tire.
A properly maintained, unused tire less than 5 years old can be sold as a new tire and used normally.
Continental recommends replacing all tires (including spares) with a sidewall date greater than 10 years.
Nokian
The following information is posted on the Nokian official website:
“Tire life is not defined by law, but tires can only be considered “new” if they have been manufactured within the last five years. The recommended service life of tires is six years and the recommended maximum period is 10 years.
The opinion of our specialists, based on many years of experience, coincides with the opinion of manufacturers: the shelf life is 5 years + the service life is up to 10 years. Moreover, more "adult" tires, in our opinion, are of better quality.
To keep tires as long as possible, they are stored in compliance with all rules and recommendations. The main condition is a cool, ventilated, darkened room away from oils, paints, ozone, and heat sources.
Rubber products tend to lose their performance over the years. To prevent and slow down this process, manufacturers add polymers to the rubber compound. They prevent oxidative processes that occur due to the interaction of protectors with oxygen and ozone.
The following are the main conditions for the proper storage of tires in accordance with GOST 24779-81:
Maintaining a constant regime without sudden jumps, slight temperature fluctuations from -30°С to +35°С are allowed;
Provide a low humidity level of 50-80% in a dry, ventilated cool room;
Avoid direct sunlight, use darkened hangars, shield heat sources;
Keep away from sources of heat;
Tires should not come into contact with corrosive, copper materials.
Avoid kinking, loading or positioning on an uneven surface.
Avoid contact with oils, organic solvents, acids, alkalis, fuels and lubricants on the tire surface.
It is forbidden to lay tires on a wet and dirty surface.
In the warm season, when storing tires outside, they should be covered with light-tight material and raised above ground level to ensure ventilation and prevent the occurrence of the greenhouse effect.
Storage on reflective, light and heat absorbing surfaces is prohibited.
Keep away from chemicals, oils, paints, open flames, electric motors that produce ozone.
Used tires must be washed and dried.
Tires without rims should be stored upright.
The service life depends on many factors: the load on the car, the quality of the roads, the driving style, the distance traveled, tire damage, etc. To increase their service life, follow these rules:
Check tire pressure every 2-3 weeks. With reduced pressure, tire wear increases by the equivalent of a % reduction.
For example, a 15% reduction in pressure can result in a 15% reduction in service life. Inflated tires are less scary.
The wear of the front tires is always significantly higher than the rear ones, so it is recommended to swap them after some time, carefully watching the direction of the tread pattern and the direction of rotation.
Proper alignment of tires in relation to rims. If the direction is not the same, then performance is significantly reduced.
To prevent damage to the sidewalls of tires, avoid close proximity to curbs and high ledges.
Wash off dirt from the surface of the rubber and from deep grooves with special cleaning agents.
Adhere to an even driving style without harsh brakes and quick starts.
Do not overload the car beyond the norm. 20% excess weight leads to a 30% loss of tire life.
Keep the wheels balanced and check the alignment angles annually.
The main condition for a long tire life is:
- high quality products,
- careful operation,
- proper storage of tires in the off-season,
- timely diagnosis.
The age of tires in standard storage is a minor non-determining factor that should not be taken into account when buying them.
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According to manufacturers, car tires should last up to 10 years, but this is the maximum period. The recommended service life of tires is no more than 5-6 years - in practice, after such a time, it is necessary to change the rubber, since it loses its consumer properties. This is very important, as is seasonal replacement, as worn tires greatly increase the risk of an accident, especially on wet or icy roads. Where you can confidently drive at a speed of 70–80 km/h on new tires, it is easy to lose control on worn tires already at 55–60 km/h.
Therefore, every motorist needs to know about the service life of tires so that the operation of the car is not only comfortable, but also safe.
The specified service life of 5–6 years is rather arbitrary. More important is not the date of issue of rubber, but the degree of daily wear and mileage .
The main factor influencing tire life is the vehicle type , which determines its load capacity. We are talking about what the maximum load a car can carry and whether its tires can withstand, which can be understood by their load capacity index.
Overloading the machine by 20% reduces the service life by 30%, so the vehicle must not be allowed to carry loads that exceed its carrying capacity.
In addition to the type of car, the list of factors affecting the service life of tires of any type includes:
The same applies to low-profile tires, which, when driving over bumps, absorb shocks less and negatively affect the disk and the suspension as a whole. It is necessary to control the optimal pressure in the tires of your car during all seasons.
Regarding the correct rearrangement of tires, we prepared a separate and detailed material, which you can read at the link.
Based on the list of influencing factors, we can conclude that reduces the life of tires:
Critical tire wear can be determined by special indicators that are carried out during tire production. These are transverse protrusions (lintels), reaching a height of 1.6 mm.
When the indicators become visible, the tire has begun to wear out.
The location of the indicators is indicated on the sidewall of the tire using the triangle symbols or the letters TWI meaning Tread Wear Indicator.
Critical tire wear is indicated by:
Summer and winter, passenger and truck tires have their own minimum residual tread depth, which is determined by wear indicators. You can measure this value with a special depth gauge: if it is below the set limit, then the rubber needs to be replaced.
Measuring is difficult due to uneven wear. In this case, it is necessary to determine the suitability of rubber in the area where wear is most pronounced . When the tread edge wears out on one side, we can speak of a violation of the toe-in angle . In this case, you need to contact the service station.
Tires also have numbers that wear out as they wear, which also helps to determine its degree.
Learn more about the types of wear and what it can threaten in the article.
The average load capacity of passenger cars is 2 tons , and the tire mileage is about 45 thousand km. Depending on the driving style, the characteristics of the car itself and the season, you can drive on passenger tires from 40 to 70 thousand km .
Summer tires tend to last longer than winter tires because the operating conditions are less severe. All that summer tires can face on the road is high temperatures, hot or wet asphalt. The last to be determined is the safe value of the residual tread depth - for summer tires it is 1.6 mm . With a shallower groove depth, water drainage becomes impossible. Although the behavior of the tire on the road becomes unsafe already at a tread depth of about 3 mm.
Summer tires are more rigid than soft and elastic winter tires. The peculiarity of the composition and less difficult operating conditions explain the longer service life: an average of 5-6 years with careful driving on a flat roadway.
Winter tires are given much less time and almost always fail due to tread wear, because the tread of a new tire is 7-8 mm, and only 3-4 mm of working height remains.
In the case of studded tires, very few metal elements are retained with such wear, so it can no longer provide proper road safety.
Friction (not studded) tires with similar wear also lose most of their performance.
In reality, winter tires have an average mileage of not exceeding 30,000 km .
Some motorists decide to re-roll "bald" tires in the summer, but this is dangerous, because the grip on the heated road surface will be very low.
So, the service life of winter tires differs depending on their type:
You can find detailed recommendations on choosing winter tires for your car here.
The remaining tread depth for winter passenger tires is 4 mm .
The value was chosen taking into account the fact that to ensure safe driving on winter roads: snowy, icy, covered with wet snow. In the latter case, a phenomenon akin to aquaplaning occurs - slashplaning, i.e. sliding on snow slush (slush), which occurs at speeds above 50 km / h. The wheels seem to "float" over the road at high speed.
The tread must have sufficient height to ensure that the slush is quickly removed from the contact area with the road. This is due to the fact that the thickness of the layer of wet snow can be several centimeters. Grooves that are too shallow just won't do the job.
It has also been proven that directional tread tires resist slashplaning better. The direction of rotation is usually indicated by an arrow and the word Rotation.
Light truck tires are designed for light trucks, pickups, buses and light commercial vehicles that have load capacity from 2 to 4 tons . The average mileage of the tires used on them is 60 thousand km .
This is due to the fact that such tires belong to the category of commercial tires with a reinforced structure.
To prolong the life of your light truck tires, we recommend checking the pressure at least once a week, preferably every morning before driving. Measurements must be made on cold tires , i.e. not less than 3 hours after the end of the trip.
The choice of the right tire size depending on the season also helps to increase the resource: appropriate wide models are more suitable for summer, and winter and narrower ones are better in winter.
Trucks have the largest load capacity - more than 4 tons . Accordingly, their rubber has the greatest resource, which is 65–70 thousand km . In this case, the residual tread depth is 1 mm .
Increased wear resistance is due to the fact that truck tires are primarily designed for intensive use, often daily throughout the year.
The decisive role in the service life of such tires is played by:
The issue of service life for such tires is also important because it affects the cost per kilometer (CPC), which is important for evaluating the performance of rubber, optimizing fleet costs and determining the profitability of freight transportation.
Recall that the indicator is calculated according to the following formula:
UPC = (Tire cost + Maintenance costs - Carcass price) ÷ Mileage (km).
From the formula it becomes clear: the greater the mileage of the tires, the lower the UPC, which means that the freight transportation is more profitable. Therefore, companies conducting such activities seek to increase the resource of tires. This is possible by following the basic recommendations that are suitable for all tires:
When choosing truck tires, you need to take into account the operating conditions of the truck and the category of goods transported, depending on what they buy:
It also matters the type of axle where the tires will be installed: trailer tires cannot be placed on the steering axle due to the incorrect operation model and the load calculated by the manufacturer.
These actions can not only significantly reduce the life of the tires, but also be dangerous for driving on the roads.
It is equally important to follow the recommendations for driving, in particular, do not drive at high speed with a heavily loaded car, move smoothly, do not accelerate too quickly.
Tire life is as important for agricultural machinery as for trucks.
The cost of operating rubber here reaches 20% of the total cost of per car. And during the service life of equipment , rubber has to be renewed 3-4 times .
Due to the operation in difficult field conditions, tires for agricultural and special equipment have an increased resource. High wear resistance is provided by a multi-layer construction (6–24 layers) of the sole and sidewalls, reinforced reinforcement, a special tread compound and stiffeners.
But even with a special design, tires for agricultural machinery usually last less than for passenger cars - sometimes is less than 5 seasons , which is explained by difficult operating conditions.
To extend the service life, you must follow a number of rules:
When driving, pay attention to whether the car is pulling to one side. If this happens, then a swap is required.
