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Questions to Ask When Buying Your Next Set of Tires

posted on 9/23/2020 4:56:47 PM

You’ve examined the tread, worked out the math on your mileage, defined your driving style, and considered road and weather conditions...and now you’re ready to buy your next set of tires. But, where do you start? How can you be sure you’re finding the best deals and tire options for your vehicle?

P.S. -- If you’re just joining the conversation, be sure to check out this All About The Car podcast episode that will help you determine if your tires are ready to be replaced.

What Size Tires Fit My Vehicle?

First things first: what size tire does your car take? You can find the specific tire size by looking on the placard located in the driver side door of your vehicle. The series of numbers and letters you see there will help determine the best tire options for your car. For a detailed explanation of tire size, read our recent blog Need New Tires? Here’s Now to Know.

Should I Search for Tires Online?

85% of people start the tire-buying process online, and for good reason. Online resources offer many easy-to-use features to help you find the best set of tires for your vehicle. Remember that placard we mentioned? Well, we know the long series of letters and numbers listed there can be confusing. The good news is you can go online and enter this series into tire databases to find proper tire options for your car. It’s as easy as the click of a button!

Plus, there are many websites that exist to make the tire shopping experience easier...and you don’t even need to deal with the tire size series if you don’t want to. In fact, all you need to know is the year, make, model and subtype of your vehicle. After entering in this information, sites will show you the tire options suitable for your car. You can give this feature a try at HartjeTire.com and shop tires by size and brand, too!

Determine the Best Tire Features for You

Now that you’ve found tires suitable for your vehicle, how do you narrow down the options? One word: features!

Tires can be engineered to have many different features: tire longevity, ride comfort, improved handling, low noise level, snow or ice traction, rain traction, and more. While all these aspects are great, you’ll need to decide which features are most crucial to your driving style. When tires are created, the designers inevitably sacrifice performance in some areas to improve performance in others. For this reason, you’ll have to give up certain features in order to gain those that are important to you. For example, a tire created to provide a soft and quiet drive probably won’t offer the best longevity or snow traction. It is also important to note that the more features in a tire (and thus more engineering and technology put into it), the pricier it will be.

Because you can’t buy the “perfect tire” that performs well in every category, it is best to focus on the qualities that will suit your driving style and the road conditions you encounter most often. While there is no wrong answer, good traction is always an important quality to help keep you safe on the road.

Are Online Reviews and Testing Results Credible?

While you’re online searching for tires, you’re bound to come across consumer reviews and testing results. These pieces of information can be very insightful and help you narrow down your tire search. But, not every post online will be helpful to you. It is important to know where the consumer or testing results come from. Are the weather conditions, temperature and roads comparable to the climate you live in? Are their driving styles and feature needs close to your own? If not, it’s best to disregard the review and look for others that better match your needs.

For instance, a review can rate a great tire poorly if the tire is not what that particular consumer is looking for. It is best to view testing reports and reviews as one piece of the tire-buying puzzle, and not the whole picture. Gather as much information as you can from a variety of sources to help you understand the tire options you are considering. Another great tip is to look for local favorites -- the tires used often by others in your area will most likely perform well for you, too!

Pros and Cons of Snow Tires

As winter approaches, you may be wondering if you should invest in snow tires. We are in Wisconsin after all, where icy, slick, snow-covered roads can definitely be a problem. First, ask yourself if your winter driving habits would benefit from snow tires. If you only drive short distances in town or on well-groomed roads, you probably don’t need them. But, if your winter travels take you on back roads, long trips, and go through all sorts of weather, snow tires could be a great investment. While you’ll have to change your regular tires and snow tires out twice a year, the increased traction and safety in winter conditions is worth the hassle. Find additional information on snow tires here.

Seek the Help of Professionals

After you’ve done your research and have a few great tire options in mind, it’s a good idea to speak to a professional. Head over to your local tire retailer and see which options they carry. Tell them the features you’re looking for, ask about local favorites, and see if they have any suggestions. Who knows, they may bring up a point you hadn’t yet considered. A little help from the pros never hurts!

What to Know Before You Buy

Before sealing the deal on a new set of tires, it is important to know what the retailer and manufacturer will do to protect your tires after they’ve been installed. The services and warranties that come with your purchase can make a huge difference in the care, performance and longevity of your investment. One of the first things to look for is a 30-45 day “Try It, Buy It” type deal. Many manufacturers offer a period of time to test out the tires to see if they work for you. This is a great addition to your tire package as it will help minimize the risk of buying tires you’re not satisfied with.

It is also a good idea to ask about tire rotation and tire balancing services. It is critical to balance and rotate your tires regularly (about every 6,000 miles) to ensure proper care of your new tread. A wheel alignment check is also necessary upon installation to best protect your investment. Some retailers will provide these services free of charge, so be sure to ask!

Tire Installation Packages

The above services and warranties may be part of what is called the Tire Installation Package. This consists of everything that accompanies your tire purchase, and is one of the biggest differences you’ll see between retailers. Of course, the more that comes with the package, the better!

When you purchase tires from Hartje Tire & Service, you’ll enjoy an extensive Tire Installation Package:

30-day trial
Free wheel alignment, tire rotation, and tire balance services
Free tire repair
Road hazard coverage
Proper recycling of old tires

And more! See our full list of tire installation services here.

What About Used Tires?

Purchasing used tires can be a cost-saving, viable option for many drivers. There are a few considerations to keep in mind when purchasing used tires, however.

It is common for the previous owners to have wanted to get as many miles out of the tires as possible. Because of this, is rare to get a full set of usable tires from one vehicle. It is much more common to salvage one or two tires from a car that are in condition for continued use. You should also think about the age of the used tires you’re looking at. Although there is much debate on the age limit of tires, 6-10 years is the typical recommendation. As tires get closer to this age range, the shorter the amount of time they’ll be safe to use on your vehicle.

So, next time you’re in the market for a new set of tires, be sure to do your research. Utilize the many online resources available to you, including tire search sites, testing reports and consumer reviews. Keep your top features in mind and find reputable sources from similar climates as you live in. Don’t forget to consider the local favorites used in your area!

Then, take a trip to your local tire retailer and speak with a professional. Ask for their suggestions and see what is included in the tire installation package. The more that will be done to take care of your tires after the purchase, the better for your investment in new tires. And, if you’d like assistance, the experienced Team at Hartje Tire & Service is happy to help. Give us a call...we’ll help you find the best set of tires for you and your vehicle.

Safe driving!

Categories: Tires 101 | View Count: (41) | Return

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