How A Costco Membership Might Save You Money Over Tire Rack

When shopping for a new set of tires, there's a litany of places you can go. One popular option is ordering from Tire Rack and having it installed by a local shop. Another option is hitting Costco and taking advantage of that membership fee. Which is the better deal? Is it cheaper to go with Tire Rack, or is it cheaper to pay the $65 yearly membership fee and order from Costco?

For our first vehicle, we're going to look at replacement performance tires for a 2023 Honda Civic Type R, that teenage dirtbag. The factory tire size on that vehicle is 265/30/R19. Because our hypothetical owner goes to the occasional track day, we're going to look at a set of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires.

In each of our examples, we're using a standard Costco membership. We're using the default ZIP code of 45219 — Cincinnati, Ohio — as our home base. We're then selecting the Florence, Kentucky, location of Costco. Costco installs the tires on site. For Tire Rack orders, we're using the same ZIP code and selecting the closest certified installer — Michel Tires Plus — from the list. Your results may vary.

Costco's total, with installation and tax, comes to $2,158.66. That includes an $80 instant savings. To get those same tires at Tire Rack, the total amount comes to $2,321.96. An instant savings of $20 has been applied to that order. If you add $65 for the Costco membership, you're still saving $98.30 by shopping at Costco.

Last year, Toyota sold 475,193 RAV4 crossovers in the United States. That made it the most popular SUV sold in the U.S. Its popularity ensures that people are going to need tires, and there is a huge variety of options to choose from. Using a 2020 RAV4 XLE with all-wheel drive and 17-inch wheels as the test vehicle, the factory tire size is 225/65/R17. Costco's tire selection system says the Bridgestone Dueler H/P Sport is an original tire.

For purchase and installation at Costco, the total comes to $1,013.86. That includes an $80 instant savings for buying all four tires. Over at Tire Track, the total comes to just $964.81. It's worth noting that the price includes $100 of instant savings for buying a set.

Before adding in the price of a Costco membership, Tire Rack still has the better offering. When you factor in the membership price, Tire Rack is almost $115 cheaper.

Driving in winter is easier with a solid set of winter tires, so that's the focus of our last scenario. For this example, we're using a new 2025 Subaru BRZ Premium. The original tire size for the BRZ is 215/45/R17. For this example we'll be using Bridgestone's Blizzak winter tire. This is because Costco only offers two brands of winter tires for this configuration, and the Michelin X-Ice was out of stock.

Costco is running a promotion where you can save $60 instantly when you buy four, which brings the cost with installation and tax to $725.54. Tire Rack has no instant savings on these winter tires, bringing the total to $921.00. When you add the Costco membership price, you're still saving $130.46 by shopping there.

With regards to winter tires, you should purchase a set of four even if you have rear-wheel drive. Front tires assist both in steering and in braking, so you should resist the urge to only buy a set for the rears because those are the wheels that move the car. We consider snow tires an unbreakable rule for winter driving.

As always, it pays to shop around. It's also important to take into consideration the entire cost, including fees like installation and sales tax. In some cases, Costco, even with its membership fee, can be the more affordable choice.