Sam's Club vs. Costco: Which Is the Better Option for Buying Tires?

Christy Bieber, The Motley Fool
4 min read
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Both Costco and Sam's Club offer tires for sale in their warehouse clubs. But which store is the better one for this purchase? This head-to-head guide will help you make a choice about where to go the next time you need new tires for your vehicle.

Costco vs. Sam's Club: Tire pricing

Both Costco and Sam's Club have competitive prices on tires. And both regularly offer discounts when you buy a set of four. However, Costco's prices tend to run a little cheaper than Sam's Club -- which is better for your budget.

The table below shows the cost of a set of four Michelin tires for a couple different vehicles from each store, as of April 30, 2024. These prices are just for the tires, not including tax or installation. As you can see, Costco's price is a bit better than what Sam's Club has on offer.

Tire type

Costco price

Sam's Club price

Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 - 275/60R20 116H Tire

$1,135.96

$1,145.96

Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 - 225/45ZR19/XL 96Y Tire

$939.96

$949.96

Data source: Costco.com and SamsClub.com

Costco vs. Sam's Club: Tire service

Costco and Sam's Club will both install your tires as well as allow you to order them. And both offer some perks when you do.

Costco provides:

  • Free installation with a tire purchase

  • A 5-year road hazard warranty for Costco members applicable only to the failed tires. This protects against tread, wear damage, and tire failure

  • Free tire balancing

  • Inflation checks

  • Nitrogen tire installation, which retains tire pressure better over time compared with compressed air

  • Flat repairs

  • New rubber valve stems

Sam's Club offers:

  • Premium tire installation for $20 per tire for the premium package (including for duallies and motor homes)

  • Road hazard protection, which expands the workmanship and materials warranty and provides protection for tire failure on a pro-rata basis.

  • Lifetime tire balance, rotation, and free flat repair

  • Up to four years of emergency roadside assistance as long as you remain an active Sam's Club member. This can include towing, flat tire assistance, fuel lockout services, jump starts, and winching or extraction.

  • New valve stems when the new tires are mounted

  • A tire pressure monitoring system reset

  • Waste tire disposal

As you can see, having tires installed at Sam's Club means getting roadside assistance, while Costco's tire service doesn't offer this as a perk. Costco does offer roadside assistance, but only to Executive members who have purchased auto insurance through Costco's partnership with Connect. And Sam's Club doesn't limit its road hazard warranty to five years; it can stay in effect as long as you're a Sam's Club member.

However, Sam's does charge for its premium tire installation service -- and Costco doesn't. And since Sam's tires are already a little more expensive in many situations, you're paying more for this added protection. It may be worth it, but not if you already have roadside assistance through another source, like your auto insurance policy or AAA.

Ultimately, you may decide to just get your tires at whichever club you happen to have a membership with. But if you're deciding between Costco and Sam's Club and you know a tire purchase is in your near future, Costco has a slight edge over Sam's for those who don't need roadside assistance. For that reason, it may be your better bet.

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We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Christy Bieber has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Sam's Club vs. Costco: Which Is the Better Option for Buying Tires? was originally published by The Motley Fool

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