When it comes to keeping yourself safe on the roads and maintaining a steady driving performance, one of the most important assets that your car has is its tyres, so if you fail to maintain them then you could be putting yourself at considerable risk. Many people tend to overlook the role which the tyres provide for your car, but if it wasn’t for them all the electronic gadgetry in the world couldn’t prevent you from crashing as it is the tyres that control it – they are the only things connected to the ground so everything goes through them.
As such you need to fit your car with a quality set of tyres, but with so many on the market it can be problematic trying to find an appropriate set for your car, but if you know what you are looking for then you will have no problems at all. If you are unsure of what tyre would be best suited to your car, then you can simply refer to the driver’s manual and locate what set is needed.
There are three main ways of buying tyres: from a franchised dealer, from a ‘fast fit’ specialist tyre supplier or an online seller. If you choose to buy from a main dealer, it’s likely they’ll have the right tyres for your car, but they don’t tend to have a wide range, so uncommon sizes can be hard to get. You also pay a premium to buy through a main dealer, as they are often supplied by specialists.
Tyre specialists are probably your best option if you want a tyre on short-notice and they usually have a wider selection. The prices can be quite steep compared to franchised dealers however, but if you are any good at haggling, then you can generally push for a price that’s reasonable.
Online sellers have a very wide selection and prices can be low – but remember, you won’t be able to knock the price down further than what’s quoted and they’re not useful if you need a tyre at short notice - you usually need to make an appointment. Most online sellers will send you to a tyre specialist for fitting, while some will come out to your workplace or home, so they are convenient from that perspective.