When Is The Best Time To Buy Tires?

‍Best Time to Buy Tires

Before you go out shopping, you should first consider exactly what kind of tire you want to buy for your vehicle. One of the main reasons for this is that the classification of your tire can determine the best time to buy it. The most common types of tires that we see on the road these days are All-Season tires, which are highly regarded for their dynamic capabilities. These are going to be the most flexible option for most drivers out there, as they have versatility and practicality, which is why they tend to be on sale more often.

However, you may be the type of driver that prefers to have optimal performance out of their vehicle, which implies that you will likely want to change your tires to match the season that you are driving in - with summer and winter tires being your primary two choices. In this situation, you are going to want to go out tire shopping at specific times of the year to save the most money possible. Keep reading to learn more about the best time to buy tires.

April (Summer & All-Season Tires)

One of the most common reasons that people tend to spend more than they want to on their tires is that they do not think ahead and do their tire shopping when it's too late. This is very common for people that are excited about summer driving and only get around to swapping out their tires in June and July.

The key to saving yourself cash on tires is to buy them during the off-season months of the year. For summer driving specifically, we have found that April is the golden month to maximize your savings. Manufacturers and tire shops want to encourage consumers to make a preemptive purchase, which is why April is the best time of year to save yourself money on your summer tires.

As you begin to see the weather get warmer when winter starts winding down, you should keep in mind that tire shopping is going to be ideal. If you live in a part of the country that has an exceptionally mild climate, then throwing on a set of summer tires is something that you could do as early as April. However, if your area stays cold during April with winter conditions lingering on, you can still take care of your summer tire shopping during this time of the year - simply purchase your tires and store them somewhere like your garage until it is appropriate to swap them out.

With that being said, April is also going to be a good time of year to buy All-Season tires. An All-Season tire is reliable for being used in virtually every season and driving condition, which is why they are widely sold throughout the entire year. Tire shops will be stocked with All-Season tires as well as summer tires in April, which implies that it is a good time to take advantage of whatever savings you can get. Even if you feel like your All-Season tires have still got some life in them, you can still purchase your new set around this time and hold on to them until you need to change them.

October (Winter & All-Season Tires)

While April is good for summer tires, October is going to be ideal for winter tires. Manufacturers and tire shops want to give consumers incentive to take care of their winter tire shopping early on, which is why they offer the best sales for winter tires in October.

As you notice summer end with fall in full swing, you should highly consider buying your winter tires. It is all too easy to procrastinate buying your winter tires, as this is something that so many people only start to do when they see the first signs of frost or snow. If that is the case, your opportunity to get the most savings possible on your winter tires will have expired.

This can be particularly tricky for some people that live in regions that get fluctuating winter conditions. In some parts of the country, winters can vary in severity - with some seasons being very mild and others being very intense. This can result in people putting off their tire shopping until it is absolutely necessary.

Although this may be instinctive for some individuals, you should put into perspective that shopping for winter tires is likely going to be inevitable, which is why it is better to get your shopping out of the way when you can save yourself the most cash. October may be too early to throw on winter tires in most parts of the country, but you can still purchase your tires during this month and hold on to them. This way you can take advantage of the off-season sales and be ready for when winter does roll in.

With that being said, much like in April, you will find that All-Season tires are also ideal to purchase in October. You can utilize the off-season savings that are marketed towards winter tires to take care of your All-Season tire shopping. This means that All-Season tires get two times out of the year for deals.

Tread Life & Performance

When it comes to tire shopping, saving yourself some cash is undeniably great and at the end of the day, if that means doing it a couple of months early - so be it. However, it is much more important that you prioritize safety over saving money when tire shopping.

With the off-season savings months in mind, many people often procrastinate changing their tires until the deals arrive. This is certainly not a bad thing to do if your tires are performing correctly and have a reasonable amount of tread life, however, it is not uncommon to find people that push their tires to their limits, which can pose some serious safety risks for you and everyone else on the road.

Before you begin calculating the amount of money that you are going to save in April or October, you should first determine whether your tires are going to perform for that long. To do this, you must check the tread of your tires. The grooves and blocks that can be seen on your tires are what give your vehicle grip and traction to the road, as they enable you to brake and accelerate with accuracy.

If you start to see any signs of balding on the tread of your tires, this is going to imply that you need to get your tires changed as soon as possible - regardless of how much it costs or how much you can save by waiting a few months until the off-season sales. If you are like many drivers, there is a good chance that you are not a professional when it comes to automotive maintenance and may feel uncertain about the health of your tires.

In this situation, you should confirm the expected tread life that your tire manufacturer listed for your specific make and model. For some people, spotting definitive balding can be challenging, which is why it is best to rely on the tread life figure that your tire manufacturer provides. If your tires are past their tread life expectancy, it may be a good time to go get them changed.

Lastly, you should always change your tires if you begin to notice any kind of performance issues with them. Not all tires are made equal and you will find that some low-end manufacturers do not design their tires as well as reputable names in the industry. Whether you are experiencing blatant performance issues or are simply driving out of season - be sure to get your tires changed.