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How Much Does It Cost To Replace A Tire?
Do you currently have a tire that needs to be replaced? Are you wondering how much does it cost to replace a tire? Maybe you were unfortunate enough to run over a nail or hit a pothole and blow out your tire. Well if you are wondering how much it typically costs to replace a tire then you are in luck.
The cost to replace a tire will vary widely by the tire manufacturer and the individual tire specifications. Low profile tires will typically cost more than normal profile tires. In general the larger the tire the more you can expect it to cost.
If you are in the market for a new tire for your car you may have a lot of questions such as can you buy just one tire? How much does it cost to replace a tire? Do you need to buy a whole new set of tires?
How Much Does It Cost To Replace One Tire?
The cost to replace one tire depends on the type of tire that you have on your vehicle. If you have high performance or low profile tires the cost will typically be more to replace the tire. You would think that having less rubber on low profile tires that the tires would cost less but you would be incorrect. 
Can I Replace Just One Tire On My Car?
You can replace just one tire on your car if you wanted. However, depending on the condition of your other tires you may be better off replacing the whole set or two at a time. It also comes down to where you live and in what conditions you are going to encounter when driving. Having three worn tires and one good tire is not going to help you if you encounter ice and snow even if you have all-wheel or four-wheel drive in your car.
Is It Worth It To Buy Expensive Tires?
How much you spend on tires really comes down to personal preference and your budget. Tire manufacturers will spend money on testing and developing their tire technology. Usually, the more money they spend on developing a tire the more that tire will cost to the consumer.
If you don’t want to spend a ton on new tires then you should at least do some research to find budget or middle of the road tire that would work for you. What I usually do before buying a new set of tires is research what tires are available for my car and then read reviews on what other people have said about them.
The best place that I have found to read reviews and research what tires are available for your vehicle is tirerack.com. On tirerack.com you can plug in what type of vehicle you have and it will give you a list of tires that will fit on your vehicle. Or if you know your specific tire size you can also plug in your specific tire size and it will give you a list of tires that are available in that tire size.
Expensive tires alone will not make your vehicle perform better. However, if your tires are worn down this will definitely affect how well you are able to drive in rain, snow, and ice and will affect how quickly you can bring your car to a stop. Usually, expensive tires are developed to provide some sort of benefits such as increased tread longevity or increased vehicle fuel economy.
Michelin is the biggest tire brand and their tires usually cost the most when compared to other tires. I’m a fan of Continental tires and think that they offer the best performance for the money. Other good tire brands are Goodyear, Pirelli, and Bridgestone.
Should I Put New Tires On Front Or Back?
I always thought that if you had a front-wheel-drive car that you would want to put new tires on the two front wheels as they would be the tires responsible for moving the car. However, most tire shops recommend that you put new tires on the rear of your vehicle to help prevent sliding around corners.
Apparently, if you have good tires on the front of your car and worn tires on the back of your car the back end can slide around in a corner causing you to lose control and potentially causing you to get in a wreck.
Should You Use The Same Brand Of Tire On All Tires?
While using the same brand of tire is not absolutely necessary it is preferred. At the very least if you don’t go with the same brand of tire you should make sure that the tires are somewhat comparable in regards to the tread pattern and tread life.
You wouldn’t want to have one snow tire, one all-season tire, and a summer tire on your vehicle as your car would behave sporadically. If you currently have all-season tires and need to replace one tire then you should replace it with another all-season tire. Ideally, you would want to have the same tire brand and tire model on all four of your wheels.
How Much Does It Cost To Change All 4 Tires?
The cost to replace all 4 tires really comes down to how much each individual tire costs. Sometimes you can get a rebate or discount if you purchase all 4 tires as a set so keep on the lookout for those sorts of deals at your local tire shop.
When I bought my last set of Continental tires they had a deal where they would send you a gift card in the mail if you bought all 4 tires at the same time. Keep an eye out for these sorts of deals as they will dramatically decrease the overall cost to replace your tires.
How Much Does It Cost To Fix A Flat Tire?
Replacing a tire comes down to a number of factors. Do you want to buy the same tire as the other tires on your car? Are your tires low profile tires or performance tires? Do you plan to purchase more than just one tire?
I would suggest inspecting your other tires to see how much tread life they have left to determine if you should replace more than one tire or if you should just replace the one tire. If your other tires are old and the tread is starting to wear down then you should probably replace the whole set or buy a pair of new tires.
I’ve always been told that you should replace your tires in pairs but if you just bought a new set of tires and then have a tire blowout then you would be fine with just replacing the one tire.
It really comes down to how much tread life is left on the other tires. Having one good tire and three worn tires is a recipe for disaster, so if that is the case you are better off replacing all 4 tires
How Long Can You Drive On A Flat Tire?
How long you can drive on a flat tire depends on what type of tire you currently have installed. It’s not smart to drive on a flat tire as you are likely going to bend your wheels or cause damage to the outer rim.
If your tire is not inflated it’s not going to be able to act as a barrier between your wheel and the road. If you continue to drive on a flat tire eventually the tread will start to fall apart and break apart from the rest of the tire tread.
Some tires are designed to be run-flat tires which can be driven on for 50 or 60 miles before they will eventually give way or flatten out. At that point, you will be driving on the rim.
If you don’t have run-flat tires and end up getting a flat tire then you should pull over. If you have a spare tire or a tire repair kit this would be the time where they should be used.
How Much Should You Spend On Tires?
How much should you spend on tires? You should spend what you can afford. Maybe you don’t have a grand to replace your whole set of tires now but if you know that you need to replace your tires down the line then that should be something you save up for. That way you are able to buy a set of tires that you know will perform well and last a long time.
Related Questions:
Should You Have Your Tires Balanced After Installation? Yes, you should have your tires balanced after you have them mounted unless you want to drive around and have your whole car shake.
If your tires are not balanced then you will likely have some shaking that would be transmitted through the car and steering wheel especially at high speeds. You may not notice the shaking as much at low speeds but it would be pronounced during high-speed driving.
What New Tire Technology Is There Today? The new tire technology today is super sticky summer performance tires like you would see on the new Corvette or Hellcat. These tires are designed to offer the best grip on dry surfaces for high horsepower cars that would likely be spinning their wheels without the high-performance summer tires.
Another new tire technology is winter or snow tires. To learn more about winter and snow tires and if they would be beneficial to you then check out my other article snow tires versus all season tires.