TireTalk

Shopping for tires is often regarded as one of the more tiresome (pun intended) tasks required of a car owner. But it doesn’t have to be. Gone are the days when the only way to purchase a new set of tires was to head to the nearest dealership, big-box store, or local auto body shop. Now, thanks to the rise of online shopping, you can shop for and purchase brand new tires from the comfort of your home. Tire shopping has truly never been easier than it is right now. By shopping for tires online, you have a larger inventory of tires at your disposal than you’ve probably ever had at any one individual car dealership or Costco. Plus, shopping around online allows you to find the best deals possible. That said, we understand that some people can be hesitant to buy tires online simply because they like being able to see the tires in person first. While we understand this desire, the reality is that if you know the exact size of tire your vehicle requires, there’s very little risk with purchasing tires online, especially if you buy them from a credible online retailer like Tire Warehouse. For example, Tire Warehouse makes online tire shopping simple, by allowing you to search for tires by either tire size or the make and model of your vehicle. This ensures that you only get search results that are actually relevant to you and will fit your car. Below, we dive into two of the most popular ways to shop for tires online in Canada, by tire size and by vehicle type, and finish up with a discussion on another factor exclusively associated with online tire shopping: shipping & delivery. By the end of this guide, we’re confident you’ll feel ready to make the switch to online tire shopping for good.

SHOP FOR TIRES BY TIRE SIZE OR VEHICLE

The two most popular ways to shop for tires online are by tire size and vehicle. These two filters will immediately help narrow down your search. Without this key information, you’ll be left to sift through hundreds if not thousands of tire models, which will make the whole online tire shopping experience extremely overwhelming. To find out the size of the tires on your current vehicle, all you have to do is locate the group of numbers embedded on the sidewall of the tire. Alternatively, this information is usually in the owner’s manual of your vehicle or the inside frame of the driver-side door. The key information you’ll need to decode from the combination of numbers and letters you find are the width, aspect ratio, and rim diameter. The first three numbers you see are typically the width, measured in millimetres. The aspect ratio is the two-digit number after the backslash, and the rim diameter or wheel size is the next set of numbers, usually two or three digits. If you can identify these three metrics, you can easily buy tires online in Canada. However, if this is proving difficult, you can also search for tires by entering the year, make, and model of your vehicle. You’ll also need to know the type of tire you want (all-weather, all-season, winter, etc…)

READ CUSTOMER REVIEWS

Reading reviews before making a purchase online is commonplace at this point, but it’s worth noting because it can be extremely valuable. When buying tires online, just as you would if you were buying a laptop or clothing item online, it’s always helpful to read the reviews and ratings of other customers. While such reviews should be taken with a grain of salt, scanning both positive and negative reviews will help you get an idea of what other customers liked and disliked about the product. Reviews may alert you to any potential problems with the tire product or even the seller. If the retailer you’re considering buying tires from doesn’t have many reviews on their website, do some outside research. A simple “tire brand + tire name + reviews” Google search will likely garner tons of results, which will give you a better indication of whether a certain tire model is right for you.

SHIPPING & DELIVERY

In the world of online shopping, shipping is typically considered an annoyance. Not only do some companies charge exorbitant shipping fees, but having to wait for your order to arrive can be downright painful for some shoppers. Depending on where you buy your tires online, shipping can be quite costly. That is why it’s a good idea to find out the shipping costs charged by different retailers before you get too far into your search. Tire Warehouse, for example, is one retailer that does not take advantage of its customers by charging an unreasonably high shipping rate. Instead, our shipping fee is just $5 per tire regardless of whether your order is being shipped to a remote, rural area or a major Canadian city. Further, while some companies will try to charge additional shipping fees for particularly heavy or bulky tire orders, there are no hidden fees with Tire Warehouse.

SHOP FOR TIRES ONLINE AT TIRE WAREHOUSE

Now that you know the easiest ways to buy tires online, it’s time to make your first tire purchase! Tire Warehouse is the best place to buy tires online in Canada and has been meeting the tire needs of Canadians across the country for over 40 years. We’ve managed to develop this reputation owing to our easy-to-navigate website, extensive tire inventory, and knowledgeable customer service representatives. We make online tire shopping a hassle-free experience, allowing customers to filter criteria by tire size and vehicle so they can quickly and easily find the exact tires they need for their car. And if you aren’t sure what you want, our expert staff members are always on hand to provide their insight and advice into our vast tire offerings. From Bridgestone all-season tires to Michelin winter tires, the possibilities are endless at Tire Warehouse. Plus, we understand that inexpensive shipping and fast delivery are two of the top priorities for online shoppers, and we don’t disappoint. Shipping costs a flat rate of $5 per tire and delivery times are roughly 2 to 4 days. We even have a mobile installation service where a professional will install and balance your newly-delivered tires right there on the spot. If a seamless online tire shopping experience is what you’re after, look no further than Tire Warehouse. Contact us today to learn more about our unrivalled inventory of tires.