Tires are key to safety on the road and, as we’ve proven in our tests over the years, can be the difference between whether you get to your destination or not. But they’re also a big expense, and it’s hard to resist the temptation to buy based on prices because of rising costs throughout the economy.
To get the most out of your money on tires, you often involve ringing through multiple stores, when the answer is often ‘how much do you get quoted?’ rather than a price. Now the internet does the job for you and it has never been easier to compare the prices of your chosen tires, plus you can buy them online and arrange for them to be fitted.
However, as we have seen before, not all online retailers are created equal, because of the pressure to make sure customers can see them offering additional services, such as centering. Local assembly center and free wheel adjustment, plus a super attractive price. So, which one should you go for when you need new tyres? We clicked on the 10 biggest names to find out.
How did we test them?
All websites give the option to choose a tire size or enter the car registration to find the right one.
Our testing focused on how fast it was to find, how easy it was to filter and find the tires we were after and how easy it was to choose an assembler.
We scoured each site to find several award-winning options from Auto Express tire tests, and bonus points were awarded to retailers with both availability and competitive pricing.
Identify
It’s another win for Blackcircles.com, once again proving to have the most user-friendly website as well as tire availability. Its price is also one of the lowest in the test. TireLeader impressed us with its price and simplicity, while MyTyres is the only online retailer that offers all of our tires.
- Blackcircles.com
- TireLeader
- MyTyres
Comment
Blackcircles.com
We’ve been recommending Blackcircles.com for years, and it’s still at the top once again thanks to its all-round capabilities. The site is extremely well laid out and user-friendly, while quick and responsive filtering options help narrow down your choices.
We especially like the fact that it offers a first change day at the start of your journey and the tires are backed by a lifetime warranty. It returned 5 of the 6 tires we searched for and offered some of the best prices during our testing.
Buy tires from blackcircles.com
TireLeader
This site had an impressive launch in 2020 and continues to shine. Prices were at their best during testing and tire quantities were widely available, with a useful stock indicator to show availability. It’s a very simple site, but that makes it easy to use, thanks to its quick and simple filtering.
We also like the comparison tool, which lets you compare tires if you’re not sure which one to buy. It’s a great alternative to the winner of our test if you can’t find a suitable tire or a local fitter on their website.
Buy tires from tyreleader.co.uk
MyTyres.co.uk
Another strong performance from MyTyres, the only retailer here that returns results for every tyre. Its availability list is among the best around, which is perhaps not surprising given that it claims to be Europe’s largest online tire retailer.
That said, it’s not our favorite site to use, with its interface below average in both usability and design. The search is a bit confusing and the huge amount of information is not clearly displayed. Prices are competitive, but it’s unclear if they include assembly or just delivery.
Oponeo
- Website: oponeo.co.uk
- Rating: 4 stars
- Type: directly, in accordance with the partner
We always give Oponeo a high score, but it doesn’t often rank well on search engines, which means you may not be able to see the site if you don’t live it. The search function is clear and simple, and the filtering is quick and easy to use.
The color-coded stock indicator is a welcome addition. It returned 5 of the 6 tires we searched for, and despite the competitive price, it’s unclear if it includes mounting.
eTyres
- Website: etyres.co.uk
- Rating: 3.5 stars
- Type: direct, matching partner, mobile
We always give Oponeo a high score, but it doesn’t often rank well on search engines, which means you may not be able to see the site if you don’t live it. The search function is clear and simple, and the filtering is quick and easy to use.
The color-coded stock indicator is a welcome addition. It returned 5 of the 6 tires we searched for, and despite the competitive price, it’s unclear if it includes mounting.
Asda Tires
Asda Tires’ website isn’t too different from eTyres in that it’s a bit overwhelming with colors and graphics that reduce your ability to easily find your tires. The filtering could be better, but with so many offers on offer on the site, you just need to do a little work to make the best of it.
Like some of the competition here, the site offers the earliest purchase date from the get-go, including some in just 24 hours. But it couldn’t go any higher because of the limited number of tires we were looking for.
Buy tires from asdatares.co.uk
Just tires
One of only two national tire retailers to be trialling, Just Tires offers accessories in one of 40 centers across the UK. The site itself is pretty basic but relatively easy to use, although the search function can be more responsive when it comes to filtering options.
There is no stock indicator and availability for the tire we looked for was the worst in our testing. Prices for what we could find, including all accessories and the five-year warranty, were on par with the rest.
Buy tires from justtyres.co.uk
ProTyre
With over 150 centers across the UK, ProTyre is one of the largest tire retailers in the UK. The site allows you to purchase tires and reserve them at a local garage, with the option of same-day fitting if available.
We like the site, because its layout is useful and easy to follow, but the filtering system when searching for specific tires is slow compared to rival sites. We were also very disappointed to find that the number of tires we were looking for was limited.
To help decide which tire to buy, see reviews of the best car tires…
