When purchasing tires, it is a hard decision to make as the market is replete with tire sellers, including online and offline. The comparison includes the prices, waiting time, installation and maintenance charges, discounts, etc. The process can take a while; you need the proper information to finalize the best tire seller. For your sake, I will compare the two best tire sellers in this post. This article will also let you know which seller you should choose as per your requirements.
What is Discount Tire?
Discount Tire emerged in 1960 in Michigan and has now become the largest independent tire and wheel retailer in the world. It works in more or less 48 states in the United States. It has over 1000 branches, and they are famous for their dealing in popular and unpopular tire brands. In addition, Discount Tire is also renowned for its ‘low price guarantee’ promise and professional customer service.
What is Costco?
It is a subsidiary of Costco wholesale. The model is based in a niche market as it deals with three tire brands, including Michelin, Bridgestone and BFGoodrich. The model of Costco business model is unique since it only helps users who have Costco memberships. Since they are the dealer of the three most famous tire brands, the price tag of the tires is high, but the installation and maintenance cost is reasonable.
Related Post: What Brand of Tires Does Costco Sell?
What are the Benefits of Discount Tire?
Purchasing tires from Discount Tire will offer a lot of advantages. It includes:
- Free Tire rotation and balancing of new tires
- The company has a lot of tire brands to offer, so buyers have more options to select and explore
- It also has financing options
- The tires being sold are available at cheaper prices and provide more value for money.
- You can bypass the waiting time by booking an appointment with them
- Dispatching done sooner than Costco
- No membership is needed to buy a tire or service
What are the Benefits of Costco?
Although it aims at the niche market, the benefits of purchasing from Costco are:
- The tires being sold are from reputed brands, so quality is guaranteed.
- Tires sold by Costco offer a 5-year warranty.
- Tire service/ maintenance is cheaper when compared to Discount Tire, sometimes free
Discount Tire vs Costco: What are the Main Differences?
Price
Winner: Discount Tire
This is the first thing that comes into people’s mind when they buy the tires. The seller with the lower price will carry the day. We cannot do a comparison of each tire model price, an average price would let us know the brand people would consider.
The average cost per tire at Discount Tire remains between the $145 and $150 mark whereas, at Costco, the average price would stay between $160 and $165. Discount Tire clearly has the upper hand here, but maybe not as much as it seems. Costco has a stock of 3 brands and as a result, has limited tire models compared to Discount Tire which has over 50 brands in stock. Whatever you do, Discount Tire is the winner here.
Additionally, Discount Tire also comes with a low match guarantee where if the customers are able to locate the same tire at a lower price elsewhere, they are bound to sell it at a lower price.
Warranty
Winner: Costco
After price, the following point that attracts people when it comes to buying is the warranty offered by the chosen tire. Discount Tire has a 3-year road hazard warranty with a discounted Tire Certificate, other than the warranty from the manufacturer (tire brand’s warranty). But it is a paid service, and if the user does not pay for it, they are only left with the manufacturer’s warranty. Each tire’s warranty price can be as high as $100, which is very high as per our experience. If your tires malfunction in this span of time, you can get a replacement or refund.
Costco company has a 5-year warranty on each tire purchase apart from the manufacturer’s. The 5 year ‘Road Hazard Protection’ gives you five years of relaxation against treadwear damage or tire failures. If one selects a replacement, but the tire is driven massively, Costco will deduct some money for the miles the tire has used and give you the rest of the amount.
We consider Costco’s customer-centric approach ideal as most buyers who try to spend a lot of cash on expensive tires would expect a free warranty in exchange for safety.
You can also check out our post on Costco Tire Warranty to learn about it in detail.
Installation charges and maintenance
Winner: Costco
The tire pricing is the first aspect to take into account, the cost of replacing tires, filling nitrogen or air, tire rotation and balancing, puncture repairs and also the rest of the cost one must consider in the package when purchasing a tire. Discount Tire has some severe cons regarding installation charges per tire of $19, whereas Costco is $14.
Costco has an extra edge in terms of price, but it also serves the following services only to its members:
- Tire rotations
- Lifetime pressure checks
- Puncture repairs
- Tire Balancing
Costco has more costly tires than those sold by Discount Tire, Costco wins the comparison when it comes to offering services as they offer free of cost.
Related: How much does it cost to get tires installed at Costco?
Membership and Financing
Winner: Discount Tire
Costco only prefers its members to sell tires; the membership price is $60 per year. This drawback can lead potential customers to select Discount Tire instead of Costco, as the user will not like to pay a fixed price to get complimentary services. Costco does not give credit to its customers, which could be one of the wrong sides of the brand as it has expensive tires.
Alternatively, Discount Tire is without a membership policy. It will serve anyone who visits their store. A Discount Tire credit card is available for customers if they purchase over $200.
Discount Tire offers more flexibility regarding payments, and non-membership gives new customers a sigh of relief due to its quick, convenient and excellent shopping experience.
Product line
Winner: Discount Tire
As stated in the previous section, Discount Tire stocks more than 50 tire brands that are replete with a variety of tires. It has a lot of inventory to focus on, especially when the user is not confident about what tire to purchase and is willing to opt for different brands. Discount Tire is a winner here due to its larger market size.
Costco only stocks tires from brands such as BF Goodrich, Michelin, and Bridgestone. Though these brands have the best quality tires, it is not the reason to prevent buyers from other options in the market. This restricted policy would only attract loyal customers aware of their needs. Additionally, some reviews show that Costco stores remain out of stock in some cases, unlike Discount Tire.
Shipping
Winner: Discount Tire
Both brands are convenient for shipping their tires to their users when they want to replace them by themselves or get them replaced by a local mechanic.
While the exact shipping duration can be determined by keeping in view the location, Discount Tire, on average, takes 3-4 days to ship tires, so one could expect tires to reach sooner.
In the case of Costco, shipping takes longer than Discount Tire as they dispatch it in 5-7 days. Customers have to wait much longer for the tires to reach them, which can be frustrating.
Get your tires from Discount Tire if…
- You are price-conscious and want a cheap price.
- You want to choose from different brands
- You prefer the manufacturer warranty only
- You want to receive the tires sooner
- You want financing options when purchasing tires
- You do not care about a lifetime membership
Get your tires from Costco if…
- You want to enjoy the membership perks
- You only need the brands that Costco stocks – Michelin, Bridgestone, or BFGoodrich.
- You are looking for lower installation and maintenance charges.
- Tire warranty is a significant concern in your buying decision.
- You can pay a higher price to enjoy quality products and after-sales service.
Final Words
In a nutshell, we would give both Costco and Discount Tire credit as they are reputable sellers in the market. Both are great in their ways, and both handle the tire-selling business. They help you to achieve different segments of tires, so you cannot call them competitors in every aspect.
Costo would be an ideal option if you have a fixed tire choice in mind and prefer a loyalty program that has perks including free maintenance, a free five-year warranty excluding the manufacturer’s warranty, and cheaper installation but are willing to pay a premium price and do not bother about a higher shipping span.
Alternatively, Discount Tire is ideal for those who are looking for a variety of options to select from, looking for the best tire deals, faster shipping, and flexible finance solutions and for those who are not bothered by the paid warranty policy and maintenance charges.
