I know TireRack.com sponsors this, but I was wondering if there are any real advantages to buying wheels and tires from them. When I'm looking at rims online, I can usually find them between $30 and $50 cheaper (per wheel) at other sites. Not to mention, lots of other places have free shipping.

Are there any TireRack perks that are worth spending [sometimes] hundreds more?

They are a decent company.
Hey, I even ordered a set from them once.
Exceptional tires, they were Avons.
Reviews are a nice touch, it is good to see what others are using on your car.
Effortless information gathering is at your finger tips.
I mostly use tire rack for research.
Selection is pretty good on well known brands.
Not much for rare brands, such as Nokian.
Other sites might be cheaper, but they don't have fancy performance charts.
Not all of those guys offer tire warranties though.
Either way, there are always cheaper deals to be had.

I appreciate all the information available on the web site and the personalized help, when needed. Premium service is worth a few more bucks. In addition, in Santa Fe, my Saab mechanic is a tire rack installer . . . so he ends up having to do the tire work on my MINI . . . and when you find a good trustworthy mechanic you are blessed.

As a result of this premium service from tire rack I now have managed to get the tires on my car which do what I want them to do. I keep a set of winter performance tires, Summer performance tires, and commuting tires. What fun I have!

No discounts for NAM members but I have bought several sets of tires from Tire Rack, always with great service.
I have also been lucky to never have an issue with the tires for return or otherwise, but have read enough that others have (including other car forums) that if the price is close I will buy from Tire Rack.
Yes, there may be some lower prices but supporting a good vendor makes a difference to me.

......and there is no guarantee that those wheels you saw for cheaper are not in fact knock-offs.

Our 1st hand testing is extremely valuable. Our service is 2nd to none. Service post sale is an often overlooked value added advantage.

If all things are equal, many would say the lowest price is the best bet. Not all vendors are equal.

Feel free to contact me directly to handle your order, or refence Nam/ Alex294 as your contact.

Alex

I think I've purchased 4 sets of wheels and 5 or 6 sets of tires from TireRack over the years, and the only way I WOULDN'T buy from them is if they just didn't carry what I was looking for (like the Rota RB, which is what I'm leaning toward for my car.)

Service has always been great, and if you are buying both wheels and tires, the free mounting and balancing saves a TON of money.

I ordered a set of tires from TireRack over the 'net, just assuming they'd be OK. I got a call from Alex asking questions about my MINI's suspension. After he determined everything would be OK, the order was processed. I doubt that the "bargain" places would care or know enough to question orders.

I can vouch for TireRack. They answered all my questions as they are extremely well informed, they treat everyone as if they are their best customer and for me, they are they best at shipping stuff across the border.

Also, Alex is correct, their service post sale is the best. I've come across many online/local businesses where once you've picked up your goods, they don't care what happens to you afterwards.

I received 4 Kazera KZ-Js with Bridgestone Potenzas and found one of the four rims had non-matching paint (black vs. grey). I'm in the process now with customer service to see if they'll replace the non-matching one (shipping on them I hope). Stay tuned.

drew,
for me, Tire Rack personnel spend as much time on the phone with me as necessary. I don't get that elsewhere. Their prices are good enough and the selection is excellant. Throw in my first point with the knowledge they share and it works for me.
billie

++ for tire rack.. have bought many tires from there.

I Bought my Blizzaks from them with a set of wheels. Was and still am very satisfied with my purchase and the next set of tires/wheels for the other MINI will come from them this fall. They are a good vendor.

I've had nothing but great experiences with Tire Rack - in product, service, and value.

In fact when a customer asks about wheels & tires, I always refer them to TR.

I'm a loyal and long time customer of the Tire Rack. It might possible to beat their prices sometimes, by only by a very few dollars, but absolutely nobody beats their service.

For example, as embarrassing as this is to admit in a public forum, several years ago I made a mistake ordering tires for my pickup truck. I ordered the wrong size tires. Stupid, right? I called the Tire Rack, explained my faux pas, totally 'fessed up that it was my fault, and they not only shipped out the right set of tires that same day at no charge for shipping, but they issued a call tag to send the wrong tires back to them, at their cost! Talk about making me a customer for life!

I also really appreciate their online tire testing info, and he ability to compare features of various tires. Nobody else offers that service and backs it up with the best customer service in the industry.

It makes sense to support businesses that provide good service, and The Tire Rack is at the top of that list.

i've deal with tirerack a couple of times and will do some more in the future. their service is great imo.

All the tires I've ever bought new came from TR. I've never once had any problems, and being close to one of the warehouses means my order usually comes the next day

Well I guess with all these good reviews, TireRack seems to be the way to go.

I'm leaning towards 17" Motegi SP10's in Hyperblack right now, but I find something new I like everyday! Still, the only downside to TR is that the SP10's are quite a bit more expensive than other places, but like you all pretty much said, if there's a problem, it's probably going to be easily fixed. Plus the having the TPMS and tires mounted by the time they get to my door saves a lot of my time.

I almost hate the fact that there's such a huge selection on rims.

The only other TR question I have is; do the rims come with the hubcentric rings? Or do I have to find them elsewhere? I can't seem to find them on TR.

Thanks everyone!

Last time I bought rims from them, they included the rings at no charge.

While TireRack doesn't carry every brand, they do carry some brands that have very poor distribution and must purchased online by people who live in some regions. Hoosier and Yokohama are the big two that come to mind.

Owners of the original Mini are a captive audience for TireRack, as they are one of the only sources of 10" tires in North America (and usually the cheapest). The 10" Yokohama A008 is the lifeblood of Miniacs everywhere.

Not to pile on, but I've purchased many sets of tires from them (my old honda, my wife's 996 and my mini). Never had a problem (and usually only a few dollars more than the _cheapest_ but unknown place I could find).

They also ship to my super awesome honest & cheap mechanic so I can't really go wrong.

TireRack has always had Good service. But please keep in mind when you order your tires and take them to your local tire guy, It's like taking your own steak to a resturant and asking them to cook it. And alot of time tire shops charge additional amount to mount "your" tires. Ask your tire installer before you order, Our small businesses rely on every sale to stay in business.

Let's see. Immediate shipping, and often immediate delivery. Expert advice. Selection second to none. Good, often great prices. Perfect balancing. No screw-ups....

I ordered Molly's New Shoes on Friday, they will be delivered tomorrow to my place of employment. My Dealer will be installing them on Monday, they had absolutely no problem at all with me buying tires and bringing them in for them to install.

I did have an issue with my order however, my CC was declined due to wrong info. entered, so I got a call on Saturday, for the required info., they called back again and finally we got things worked out. I was impressed that they'd take the time to leave a message for me at home, but find me by calling my Cell too!!

A big for Tire Rack. I've purchased 4 sets of wheels and 6 sets of tires from Tire Rack. I will be using one of their recommended installers for the first time soon, so I can't comment on that aspect yet. Alex has worked with me on most all of my purchases including determining if a set of wheels would clear my BBK. Also, if something is forgotten on an order, just shoot Alex an email and it is shipped. Service is the best.

Kevin