So my wife managed to ruin one of the front tires on her car, which is the 2004 Toyota Corolla, and the aftermarket radiator in my Daewoo started leaking today after less than 1700 miles. I am obviously going to park the Daewoo and wait until I can get another radiator, so the engine isn’t ruined.
I need to buy two new tires tomorrow, which happens to be Sunday. I can air up the tire with my compressor, even though it’s completely flat, and I assume it will last long enough to get to a tire store. The problem is that most of the places which sell tires are closed tomorrow, and I will be working long hours all week.
Sometimes on this forum, people talk about Costco, and Walmart, which are both open tomorrow. I am a member of Costco, although I have never looked into buying tires there. People here usually speak derisively of Walmart tires, although I assume they sell some decent tires in addition to the cheap junk which I obviously don’t want.
I bought a pair of tires at Walmart for the 1978 Oldsmobile Cutlass I once owned. I found the tires to be satisfactory. I had a tire weight come loose after five years. I had the receipt in the glove compartment which included balancing for the life of the tire. Even though only one tire needed to be rebalanced, both tires were balanced at no cost. This was 20 years ago.
You will need to visit a tire store with a reasonable inventory.
Three years ago, from Costco I ordered a set of Michelin P195/65R15 tires, took 5 days to arrive. 15" tires are no longer popular, the Costco warehouse is less than 1000 square feet, they might not stock the size you need.
Iƒ Costco has your size in stock, I would buy them there. I bought two sets of Goodyear tires at Walmart, one for my PT Cruiser and one for my Town and Country. None of them lasted more than 27000 miles. I found out later they were Chinese made and sold only at Walmart.
A lot of people have cut their hours now due to labor shortage. I would guess Costco over Walmart although I did have a tire fixed at Walmart on the road once. Around here I guess the farm store would be open with a decent inventory so just depends what is closest and open. Call first. Our Goodyear store used to be open Saturday morning but now strickly M-F.
Costco is the only place where I buy tires at this point, because they sell only top-line tires, and at very good prices. The only downsides are the potentially long waiting time on weekends (you can expect it to wait 4-5 hours) and the fact that you are limited to tires that are not of the “bargain” variety.
Most of their tires are Michelins, with a few Bridgestones thrown into the mix plus an occasional BF Goodrich, but based on your penchant for low-cost solutions, I suspect that you would consider their tires to be too pricey. But, as was suggested, you can check their local inventory and pricing online in order to make a decision before venturing there.
I just checked the inventory in that size at my local Costco, and while the BF Goody in that size is out of stock, they have a Bridgestone Ecopia model and two Michelin models, ranging in price from $120-123 each, installed, with a road hazard warranty included.
Well obviously. I need the tires today…not in 3 days, or a week. I did not know you can check the inventory online for Costco, and you are correct, they do have a Bridgestone and two Michelin tires in stock in this size. They open at 10 am, so I will air up the flat tire, and go there.
Good for Costco for getting the job done. I’ve had good tire-purchasing experiences there myself. As mentioned above, the downside of Costco for tires, they may not offer the size you require at all, or not in the brand/model you prefer. More of a problem for older cars.