A set of four new tires costs $400 to $1,200 installed for most cars and crossovers. The rubber runs $80-$200 per tire in common 15-18 inch sizes, and the shop adds $100-$200 in labor for mounting, balancing, valves, and disposal. Big wheels, performance compounds, and all-terrain truck sizes change the math fast — those sets land between $1,000 and $2,500. Here's how the price is built and where the money goes.
Three things set the sticker: diameter, category, and tier. Diameter first — a 20-inch tire simply contains more material than a 16-inch one, and low-volume giant sizes carry low-volume pricing. Category second, because compounds differ: a soft performance tread grips harder and costs more than a hard-wearing touring tread from the same brand. Tier third: within one category, the budget-to-premium spread is often two-to-one.
| Wheel size | All-season | Touring | Performance | All-terrain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15"–16" | $70–$150 | $80–$160 | $110–$200 | $130–$260 |
| 17"–18" | $90–$190 | $100–$200 | $140–$290 | $150–$320 |
| 19"–20" | $120–$250 | $130–$270 | $180–$380 | $180–$380 |
| 20"+ / truck | $160–$320 | $170–$350 | $250–$500 | $220–$500 |
These bands line up with what the big retailers publish — Discount Tire pegs common 15-16 inch tires near $80-$150 each and 16-20 inch sizes near $100-$150-plus, with performance and large-diameter tires reaching $200-$500. Your local market and the current rebate calendar move any given quote by 10-20%.
The out-the-door price hides in the labor line. A typical invoice has four pieces:
Add it up and installation runs $100-$200 for a set of four at most shops before any alignment — roughly 15-20% of the total bill on a mid-priced set.
An alignment isn't a required part of a tire purchase, and shops that push it on every car are overselling. But do say yes when the old tires show uneven wear (one edge chewed down), the car pulls, or you've hit a pothole hard enough to remember it. Driving a new set on a misaligned chassis can shave 20-30% off its tread life — on a $900 set, that's throwing away $200-plus to save $125.
Enter wheel size, tire type, and tier to get an itemized installed estimate with cost per mile.
Open the New Tires Cost Calculator →The cheapest set and the longest-lasting set are rarely the same tires, and sticker price hides that. Divide installed cost by expected tread life:
Now the comparison is honest: the performance set costs about $212 more per year to own than the mid-tier set. Grip may well be worth it — just decide it as an annual cost, not a one-time number.
While you're budgeting the maintenance lane: the tire size calculator decodes what's on your car now (and what a plus-size swap does to your speedometer), the wheel alignment cost calculator prices that line item properly, and the car maintenance calculator puts tires in context next to brakes, oil, and everything else the car consumes.
Most drivers pay $400 to $1,200 for four tires installed. Common 15-18 inch all-seasons run $80-$200 per tire, installation adds $100-$200 for the set, and tax applies in most states. Performance tires, 20-inch-plus wheels, and all-terrain truck sizes push a set to $1,400-$2,500.
Larger-diameter tires use more rubber and belting, come in lower-volume sizes, and skew toward performance and truck categories where buyers pay more. Moving from a 16-inch to a 20-inch size can triple the per-tire price even within the same brand and model line.
Yes if the other two have plenty of tread, and it's the standard move after a single unfixable puncture. Put the new pair on the rear axle for wet-traction stability regardless of drive wheels. On some all-wheel-drive vehicles, a large tread-depth difference can strain the drivetrain, so check your owner's manual first.
Most all-season and touring tires last 50,000-65,000 miles; performance tires 30,000-45,000; all-terrains 40,000-60,000. Replace at 4/32 inch of tread for wet safety (2/32 is the legal minimum), and regardless of tread after about six years of age — rubber hardens and grip drops.
No. Sensors last roughly 7-10 years, so most tire changes reuse them with a $3-$15 service kit per wheel. Replace a sensor only when its battery dies or it's damaged during the swap; a new one adds $60-$120 per wheel including programming.