When I bought my car new in 2006 I was unpleasantly surprised to learn that those low profile high performance tires were gonna need to be replaced every 12-18 months due in part to the high mileage I was driving. Worse, the dealer was wanting $1200 for a set of 4! I managed to find a better deal at Firestone for around $950.

However, I found a better deal ... I started buying them from tirerack.com and taking them to Walmart to be balanced and mounted. Today I put my 2nd set from tirerack on my car and will do the same for my wife's car tomorrow. Total cost for tires, shipping, balance, and mount was $625 for my car .... Plus I get a $50 visa gift card and a $75 MIR ... I love tirerack.com

Have bought from them before too.

That's $500. What size tires?

My car : 235/45ZR17 Kumho Ecsta LX Platinum : $524 for 4
Tax : $0
Shipping : $69.36 ($138.78/2 shipped wife's tires too)
Comes w/road hazard warranty
Subtotal : 593.39

Misquoted MIR, was $50/set
Visa Card : $50
Effective Cost : $493.39

My 3rd set of Kumhos on this car ... Kumhos have done well for me

Kumho current $50 visa card deal

Wifes Car : 215/55ZR17 Kumho Ecsta LX Platinum $500/4

[edit]
DOH! MIR is the $50 Visa Deal ... $543.39 effective price

I just bought 4 BFG T/A KO tires for my Silverado 2500 HD this week.
I went with local for "free" rotate and balance, flat repair, etc. for the life of the tires.

I could have gotten them cheaper at Tire Rack or somewhere else, but I wanted to establish a relationship with someone local.

I hate buying tires as much as I hate buying vehicles.

Economy tire here in Albertville beats anybody around.They are local and always great on service and price.I dont doubt that tirerack and some others are great but I WILL STICK WITH THESE GUYS AS LONG AS THEY ARE IN BUSINESS.

You find something that works for ya, you keep doing it that way

Bought some hanooks from tire rack, got a great deal and was cheaper by several hundred than stores in huntsville

This is how I do it too. For me it is worth spending a little extra with the locals. I figure over the 15 years I have lived here that we are probably about even with the lifetime balance/rotate and all the free tires I have gotten through non-prorated road hazards (or very generous prorating).

I've bought about 8 sets of tires from Discounttiredirect.com and recently from Tirebuyer.com Tire rack has always been more expensive on the tires I wanted. I save about $200-300 a set versus buying local. I've never had a problem.

A few years back I bought a lifetime alignment deal and a lifetime balancing deal from Firestone. Forget how mich I paid

BTW Walmart charged me $58 to mount and balance the tires, that includes LIFETIME ROTATION AND BALANCE

I had Wal Mart replace my tires a couple years ago.

A couple of days later I'm riding down Patton Chapel Road in Hoover when my back passenger tire comes completely off my vehicle. Luckily I was able to get the truck off the road safely and didn't injure myself or anyone else.

I called the Wal Mart that installed my tires and told them what happened and told them I was having the truck towed back to them and they were going to get it repaired.

Long story short I had to get involved with Wal Mart's corporate insurance claim people and I will tell you they have to be the coldest people in the world. They basically told me I had no case against them and could never prove they were responsible for the tire coming unbolted. The lady I spoke with literally said for all they know I could have loosened the tire myself .

Since then I met a guy that is a manager at Enterprise Rentals. He told me Wal Mart has an account set up with them just for people whose car they screw up and it's shocking how many people have issues with Wal Mart's automotive department.

Sorry to highjack the thread but I really hate Wal Mart and have made it my life's mission to destroy them

I've never had a problem with them but im no big WM fan either, i may consider having the local Firestone mount and balance next time

I go to a guy off finley blvd in birmingham, Dale's Tires, he gets factory and dealership pull offs and I never pay over 40 bucks for a tire. Most of them are close to new and have full tread.