Should I even bother shopping for tyres in Aus?

[ScottyP]

I'm after a set of good brand 235/35/19 tyres and wondering if there's any point at all shopping locally, based on what appears to be huge price disparity. For example, I can get a set of Hankook Ventus V12s from Tirerack for a bit over $1,000, landed, yet the same tyres here are likely to cost me about $1,400 (price based on a quick Google search).

Am I wasting my time shopping locally, or are there still some decent deals to be had if I look hard enough? I'm pretty time poor, which makes the Tirerack option even more compelling.

Cheers,
Scotty

[team_v]

If you wait for hte buy 3 ge tht 4th free deals they are pretty on par with international ones.

Bear in mind tht if the order price comes in at over $1000 you get slugged pretty hard for duty and other fees so it's only really worth going overseas if the price is under 1k before shipping.

[Transporter]

Or you could use the relatives that don't live at the same address, should the tyres be over $1,000.

[gareth_oau]

don't forget to include a local F&B charge if you buy overseas, which would have been included in your local supply quote.

I know that dunlop, goodyear and bridgestone offer the 3 for 4 deals and I recenlty bought my Goodyear Asymms locally as the total price was only marginally more, but so much easier for claims etc in the future

[ScottyP]

Good call on the 4 for 3 deal peeps. If there are any current deals running that you know of, do let me know. I've not seen any promoted lately.

F&B a pair point too. I reckon most tyre shops would charge big to do this with 'supplied' tyres as they know precisely what's gone on!

[Diesel_vert]

Importing is worth it when the local RRP is completely absurd. For example, take the Michelin Pilot Super Sport in 235/35 R19 91Y, assuming parity with the U.S. dollar.

Tire Rack = $1717.88 ($1096 tyres + $54.80 duty + $300 shipping + $145.08 GST + $22 bank wire fee + $100 fitting & balancing)

Local RRP = $3020.00 (I kid you not)


You could even add $300 worth of random customs fees and still be more than $1000 ahead.

Obviously, if the local price isn't as high, then neither will the savings, as you point out with your example of the Hankook Ventus V12.


Are the savings worth it? Do you see value in a set of Michelins that cost $1717 compared to Hankooks that cost $1000?

In both cases, it's a judgement call.

[gareth_oau]

the goodyear one has just expired, but I saw the dunlop and bridgestone adverts within the last few days

[DoggieHowser]

Any Michelin pilot super sports on offer?

[Diesel_vert]

Any Michelin pilot super sports on offer?

Not as far as I'm aware. But with a RRP of $755 each, a 4 for 3 deal would cost you $2265.

So you'd still be ahead with Tire Rack, which shows how cheap Tire Rack is (with the dollar at parity) and how out of kilter the local RRP is.


Maybe you can compensate with some mad bargaining skills or something?

[DoggieHowser]

Not as far as I'm aware. But with a RRP of $755 each, a 4 for 3 deal would cost you $2265.

So you'd still be ahead with Tire Rack, which shows how cheap Tire Rack is (with the dollar at parity) and how out of kilter the local RRP is.


Maybe you can compensate with some mad bargaining skills or something?

If you see what I paid for my Tiguan, you'll realise that mad bargaining skills ain't in my bag of skills

[TSIfan]

bridgestone have a 4 for 3 offer on all potenza tyres.....

[DoggieHowser]

I've found Potenzas to have a really stiff sidewall. Uncomfortable. And I find they aren't progressive in feel at the limits of traction. They hold and hold. And with no warning, they just lose traction. Been caught out a few times.

That's not to say they don't grip well. They do. But where I can feel some other tires losing traction progressively and know how close I am to the limits, I don't have that same confidence when on Potenzas.

This was on the S03s on my Celica, RE050s on a friend's Evo and the "premium" tires on the R35 GTRs at launch.

I ended up preferring Advan AD07s, A048s and the Dunlop respectively.

[walbjj]

if ur time poor, then going down to the local bob jane would be the only answer. if ur just poor, then shopping online is always the answer.
i actually had to chase around for some tyres for a mate, his bmw 335 has been thru about 3 sets of runflats and he has gotten pissed with having to change them out, i kept telling him to just get normal tyres, so he got another flat and i priced him up the goodyear assym 2 from tirerack, $1100, so about aud$1200 all up with fees, etc (in 18"). but there was a delay in getting an answer as to whether the assym 2 was allowed to be sold outside nth america, and they couldnt get me an answer for a few days, then the bstone proo came up, i priced up the bstone re001 and it was about $1700 with a balance and align.
my mate is pretty well off, so the $500 saving wasnt an issue so he just got the tyres locally. i would have bought from tirerack, $500 is $500.

[ScottyP]

Just called three Bridgestone dealers in Sydney at 1:15 on Sat arvo. Not one picked up the phone! Nor did they even have voice mail. Each call just rang out. Do these people actually want business?

Poor service like this is yet another reason why people are flocking online. Price aside, looks like Tirerack wlll be the go regardless.

Cheers,
Scotty

[Transporter]

Don't feel guilty about buying on line. I buy many things online just as many people do. But, it could be interestting situation, when the tyre places will start closing down, we could travel quite far to get these ebay tyres fitted and could even pay premium for that.