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Clark Howard is a blog that empowers consumer purchasing decisions on hundreds of subjects. According to him .......”When you’re looking for the best place to buy tires, there’s certainly no shortage of options. But between warehouse clubs, online tire merchants and independent tire retailers, the prices and quality of service can vary quite a bit”
In this article, he covers where to find the most affordable tires, highlights which retailers do it best and cheapest, and a close look at the top six places to buy tires. Research gprices and process of buying new tires at a variety of popular tire retailers to see where you’ll get the best deal and the best customer experience. https://clark.com/cars/best-place-buy-tires/
Follow up Crossfire tire question about run flat tires........
RoadTrack article says......... “Run-flat tires do have downsides. Their stiff sidewalls, which are required to hold the tire up when deflated, tend to make the car ride noticeably harder over rough pavement, but tire tech is continually improving and run-flats aren’t nearly the penalty they were a decade ago. Choice is also more limited than with conventional tires and run-flats are premium-priced. In general, we'd recommend swapping to conventional tires and carrying a spare or mini-spare if possible.
I’m guessing that the odds of being Flat on the side of the road is rare, and most enjoy 25 mile “no charge tows“. Are we giving up ride comfort and a less expensive tire for this ?
is there a thread discussion or reader comments on Run Flats ?
Costco for me. I had let my Costco membership expire and when I needed new tires on my F150 truck (haven't needed new tires yet on my XF). I searched every special and every site I could find and no one could match the installed price for the tires I wanted that Costco offered. I even called the Ford dealer that claims to "match any competitor's price" and told them what I was quoted from Costco and after a few minutes of them searching pricing to match the quite I was disconnected. Nuf said. I paid the $50 to reinstate my membership just for the tires and still saved over $200 from the price anywhere else. Free rotation for life too (although XF tires can't be rotated).
Compare prices online UNLESS you have $ to burn and are always busy. Seriously, the time you put in shopping around can save hundreds on a set you want/like. The choice is yours. Remember, all tires with a DOT cert are generally OK to mount for an advertised service life. Ask a question on the websites you are researching; about the date the tires are manufactured (so they aren't excessively older tires). Treat whatever tires you get well, they will treat you well. Good luck!
Costco for me. I had let my Costco membership expire and when I needed new tires on my F150 truck (haven't needed new tires yet on my XF). I searched every special and every site I could find and no one could match the installed price for the tires I wanted that Costco offered. I even called the Ford dealer that claims to "match any competitor's price" and told them what I was quoted from Costco and after a few minutes of them searching pricing to match the quite I was disconnected. Nuf said. I paid the $50 to reinstate my membership just for the tires and still saved over $200 from the price anywhere else. Free rotation for life too (although XF tires can't be rotated).
Actually, the tires on a Crossfire can be rotated side-to-side, if you purchase either Symmetrical or Asymmetrical tread patterns. Only when you purchase a tire that has a directional tread pattern are you stuck unable to rotate on a Crossfire. (Of course, even tires with a directional tread pattern can be rotated on the Crossfire if you dismount, remount & re-balance before swapping to the other side. And most of us wouldn't go to that effort and/or additional cost every year or so.)
Last edited by dedwards0323; Apr 7, 2022 at 10:31 AM.
I buy tires for my everyday vehicles from Tire Rack online. It's one of Clark Howard's picks. They operate a huge national warehouse distribution operation with a good selection and pricing of quality tires. Their pricing includes a 2 year 100% replacement for road hazards such as cut sidewalls. I have used this warrantee and it works perfect, no questions with a full replacement. Tire Rack does not mount tires they will drop ship them to selected shops in your area. I use a nearby Firestone service center to have my tires mounted and balanced which cost approximately $85 for 4 tires. I live near one of Tire Racks distribution centers which enables me to pick them up and save an additional $40.
I haven't bought any tires for my xfire from them yet but if you search their site you will find them along with a price.
Actually, the tires on a Crossfire can be rotated side-to-side, if you purchase either Symmetrical or Asymmetrical tread patterns. Only when you purchase a tire that has a directional tread pattern are you stuck unable to rotate on a Crossfire. (Of course, even tires with a directional tread pattern can be rotated on the Crossfire if you dismount, remount & re-balance before swapping to the other side. And most of us wouldn't go to that effort and/or additional cost every year or so.)
True. But I've never seen any point to rotating from L to R and R to L on the front and rear tires. If one F or one R tire is wearing more than the other there is something very wrong... Unless one only drives on a NASCAR track and only takes left turns.
I buy tires for my everyday vehicles from Tire Rack online. It's one of Clark Howard's picks. They operate a huge national warehouse distribution operation with a good selection and pricing of quality tires. Their pricing includes a 2 year 100% replacement for road hazards such as cut sidewalls. I have used this warrantee and it works perfect, no questions with a full replacement. Tire Rack does not mount tires they will drop ship them to selected shops in your area. I use a nearby Firestone service center to have my tires mounted and balanced which cost approximately $85 for 4 tires. I live near one of Tire Racks distribution centers which enables me to pick them up and save an additional $40.
I haven't bought any tires for my xfire from them yet but if you search their site you will find them along with a price.
Tire Rack tire cost delivery to any local shop in my area that would then charge to mount and balance them couldn't touch Costco's price on my F150. Again, I've not had to buy tires yet for my XF but I have to assume I can get the tires I want on my XF at Costco. I wanted special tires for my F150 and placed my order with Costco. About a week later I was notified they were in and to schedule my service time.
Here's an example... Costco price installed for some ultra high end Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 summer tires (no specials offered on these!). Want crazy high performance tires? Who can match this price? I won't put them on my car as I prefer AS but these are some crazy mean tires. A search of Tire Rack seems to indicate they don't even have these in stock... But Costco can get them! I can only imagine what my XF could do with a set of these. But as a year-round daily driver, I can't run something like this.
Last edited by Deepsea21; Apr 7, 2022 at 08:15 PM.
Best places to buy tires
Compare prices online UNLESS you have $ to burn and are always busy. Seriously, the time you put in shopping around can save hundreds on a set you want/like. The choice is yours. Remember, all tires with a DOT cert are generally OK to mount for an advertised service life. Ask a question on the websites you are researching; about the date the tires are manufactured (so they aren't excessively older tires). Treat whatever tires you get well, they will treat you well. Good luck! 
