Best place to buy tyres. 20 January at 3:05PM edited 20 January at 3:09PM in Motoring 78 replies 2.2K views

Belenus

I need 2 new tyres soon for a six year old BMW Series1 116i petrol F20

Bridgestone Potenza S001 RFT 225/45R17 91W

I have used a well established local independent service garage many times in the last ten years for servicing, oil changes and tyres etc and I have always been very satisfied with them.

However their price for the two tyres is £123.69 x 2 = £247.38 + VAT = £296.86

ASDA tyres online price is:

£96.61 each total £193.22

Fully Fitted Price- Includes VAT, delivery, fitting, balancing and disposal charges.

They have fitters within a few miles of my home, closer than my normal garage.

National, Black Circles and others are also cheaper than my garage.

I prefer to use my usual garage but not at an over £100 premium.

Are ASDA and other online tyre sellers safe to use?

Are the fitters likely to do a good and careful job or are they paid so little by ASDA etc they will rush the job.

Last time I had new tyres my garage refitted the existing valves as the car has Tyre Pressure Monitoring. Those valves are presumably the original now 6 year old valves. Might they need replacing?

Anything else I should consider or be wary of?

Thanks

neilmcl

Will your favoured garage fit the tyres if you supply them?

You can get your tyres for £81 each at Camskill.co.uk

FYI, your TPMS valves will not need replacing so makes sure they are refitted and tested.

AdrianC

Have you said to the garage "I'd like to use you, but what can you do about the price?"?

Side questions
1. Do you really want to stick to runflats? Non-RFT will be a chunk cheaper, and will give a far better ride. A can of goop and a compressor in the boot if you're worried about flats - but a spacesaver spare would be an even better option.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/152445125224

2. Have you considered other brands?
A quick look at BlackCircles, and I'd be deciding between the £75 Avons if price was a major factor, £76 Bridgestones if I really didn't want to change brand, £83 Uniroyals if I lived somewhere where wet weather was common, £87 Kleber if I was concerned about winter.

photome

Have you spoken to your garage and ask if they can match the price

Belenus

Thanks for the replies and comments.

I haven't yet asked the price match question but I will. I may also ask if they will fit tyres I buy elsewhere.

I plan to get them to do an oil change and brake fluid change soon so they could do the tyres while they have the car.

I have had the car since it was two months old. I bought it from a BMW dealer and I bought a five year service plan at the same time so BMW have serviced it to date. However the nearest BMW service centre is about 12 miles away and, now the car is 6 years old, and we plan to keep it for many years more, I see BMW service history as unimportant now so I will go back to my local garage 3 miles away that serviced my previous cars.

They are half the price or less than BMW. Their labour charge is £60 per hour.

NBLondon

Always worth looking at Blackcircles in my experience.  The only thing that might beat them is if somebody like KwikFit has a deal on a particular brand if you buy 2 or 4 together.

AdrianC

Belenus said:

I may also ask if they will fit tyres I buy elsewhere.

If they do, they'll charge - probably £10-15/tyre, plus disposal of the old ones (they have to pay).

Flatulentoldgoat

Only ever bothered with £25-30 part worns and never had a single problem. No idea why people waste 100's just so they can brag to their friends.

frost500

In my experience, buy the best tyres you can from the most convenient place for you, always have new valves fitted with every tyre. Keep it simple. Part worns are false economy, you end up spending more TIME in tyre shops, which can never be a good thing.

neilmcl

Flatulentoldgoat said:

Only ever bothered with £25-30 part worns and never had a single problem. No idea why people waste 100's just so they can brag to their friends.

I've never heard any of my friends "bragging" about what tyre they've got on or how much they've spent. What a ridiculous statement.

williamgriffin

Flatulentoldgoat said:

Only ever bothered with £25-30 part worns and never had a single problem. No idea why people waste 100's just so they can brag to their friends.

Do you buy cheap shoes too because the nhs can fix your broken ankle when you slip over.