Is the tread depth on your tires looking a little skimpy these days? Costco just might be the place to go to save some money on your next set of tires. In this article, I dive into the pricing at Costco along with some handy tire shop “hacks”, along with the warranty they give you. But more importantly, I look at the price of Costco tires and how it stacks up to Walmart, Big O Tires, and America’s Tire Company. (Hint: The savings secret is in the coupon.)

In order to compare “apples to apples”, I’m gonna use my 2004 Chevy Silverado as an example.

I’ll see what 4 new tires would cost me at Costco, then I’ll use the same tire and compare my other options.

I choose a tire from Michelin, specifically the Defender LTX M/S, as it’s a popular worldwide brand that pretty much everybody sells.

What Is The Cost of 4 New Tires at Costco?

So my Chevy truck needs 4 new tires. My first stop is Costco.com to see what it’ll cost me.

After entering my vehicle’s specs, four new Michelin Defender LTX tires will run me $186.49 each.

Add an install fee of $15 per tire, and a $2.99 service fee per tire, and I’m out the door for $817.92. (before tax)

Note: Check out the screenshot above, the $70 coupon for 4 Michelin tires was VERY helpful. Costco almost ALWAYS has a coupon like this.

The coupon might not always be for Michelin. Could be for Goodyear, Pirelli, or BF Goodrich. (More on this later)

Of course you’ll need to be a Costco member to be eligible for their tire deals.

See Also: 7 Ways to Essentially Get a $60 Costco Membership for Free

How Does Costco Compare to the Competition?

With the $817.92 number in-hand, I went out and compared the Costco price to the following local competitors…

Walmart:

The same exact tire at Walmart, the Michelin Defender LTX M/S, sells for $203.99 per tire.

Throw in their basic tire installation of $15 per tire and the total (minus tax) would be $875.96.

For those of you who don’t want to do the math, Costco is over $58 cheaper than Walmart.

Big O Tires:

The same Michelin tire at my local Big O Tires is even more expensive than Walmart and WAY more than Costco.

As you can tell from the screenshot above, I’d be out the door at Big O for $965.

That’s $147 more than my local Costco.

See Also: Are The Prices of Walmart Tires a Better Deal Than Costco?

America’s Tire:

The folks at America’s Tire are also more expensive than Costco.

Four new Michelin tires would run me $816 + $80 install fee + $10 disposal fee = $906.

A little cheaper than Big O Ties, plus they offer a lifetime tire service which gets you free rotations and free flat repair for the life of the tire.

My Conclusion:

Costco tire prices beat the competition quite easily in my scenario.

But surprisingly the only way to consistency get a lower price at Costco is to use one of their current coupons which will get you a discount on a set of 4 new tires.

The key here is to NOT be a “brand specific” tire shopper.

Maximize your savings by taking advantage of whatever coupon they’re currently offering.

With that said, Costco often (if not always) has great tire coupons available for brands like Michelin, Goodyear, BF Goodrich, and Bridgestone.

Take advantage and you’ll save enough money to cover the cost of your annual Costco membership.

By the way, I thought I might find a similar Michelin tire coupon at some of the other retailers that I price-checked, but surprisingly there were NONE to be found.

Current Costco Tire Coupon:

Bridgestone Coupon: Save $60 or $110 OFF a set of 4 Bridgestone tires.

Expires: 12/24/23

Just print out the coupon here and take it with you.

Any Cool Costco Tire “Extras” to Be Aware Of?

Yes, glad you asked.

Every tire you buy from Costco comes with their 5-Year Road Hazard Warranty which you should factor into your buying decision.

This warranty will get you the following:

– Flat Repair: If one of your tires has a flat, Costco will fix it for free.

– Free Tire Rotations – Bring your car in every 5,000 miles for a free tire rotation. This will make your tire tread last much longer.

– Free Pressure & Inflation Checks – If your low tire pressure light comes on you can bring your car back to Costco and they’ll take care of you.

Conversely, the Costco Road Hazard Warranty DOES NOT cover the following:

– Tire Damaged from Certain Situations: These situations include an accident, vandalism, racing, commercial use, off-road use, snow chains, and worn mechanical components.

– Tire Transferred from Another Vehicle – Only the car which the tire was originally installed on is eligible.

The Costco warranty just might sway you when all other things are equal, namely price per tire.

See Also: AutoZone Return Policy: Here’s How It Works

BONUS: 4 Costco Tire Center “Hacks”

1. Always Make an Appointment – Showing up at Costco to get new tires, especially on a weekend, it gonna lead you to a 2-3 hour wait (at least).

Be smart and call ahead to schedule an appointment or do it online.

2. Keep an Eye Out for Penny Installation Deals – A few times per year Costco will roll out their “1 Cent Install Deal” which will save you an easy $60.

3. Costco Offers FREE Tire Rotations and Flat Repairs – When comparing the Costco price to your local competitors be sure to take this into account.

4. Costco Fills Your Tires with Nitrogen – Apparently this helps keep your tire pressure more stable and gives it less temperature swings in extreme weather.

Ask the Reader: Do you buy your tires at Costco? If so, was it an easy process and how much money did you save?

By Kyle James