If you are in the market for some new tires for your vehicle, it’s not too surprising if you’re considering a new set from Bridgestone. The company produces a range of high-quality, well-liked tires, and the brand ranks quite highly on our ranking of every major tire brand. While it’s great that you’ve selected Bridgestone tires, the question then becomes where exactly are you buying them from? Sure, the tires are going to be the same no matter what retailer you go to, but depending on the particular retailer, you could see a wide range in not only the price of the tires but also the services that come along with those tire purchases.

For people wanting good prices, two places you are sure to look are Costco and Walmart. Both of these stores sell Bridgestone tires, and when you’re looking strictly at the sticker price, Walmart is clearly the winner. Take the Bridgestone Dueler H/T 685 265/70R18 all-season tire. At Costco, one of these will run you $274.99, bringing your overall cost to over $1,000. Meanwhile, Walmart currently sells the same tire for $120 per tire. The standard listed price is still only $162, which is a good deal lower than Costco’s.

Sometimes the savings are more limited, though, such as with the Bridgestone Turanza EL440 215/55R18 tires. Walmart sells these for $220.06 per tire, while Costco has them for $241.99 apiece. Generally, Walmart will either be on par with Costco’s prices or much lower. However, what you are getting beyond the tires themselves with these purchases is quite different.

While those low prices at Walmart will easily capture anyone’s eye and get their attention, those numbers aren’t what most people will end up paying when all is said and done, unless they are perfectly content with getting some loose tires. Chances are, you will want those tires installed on your vehicle when you purchase them. That’s going to cost you extra. For basic tire installation, Walmart charges $18 per tire. A basic installation gets you tire mounting, valve stems/TPMS, lifetime balance and rotation, and 50-mile re-torque. 

If that’s not enough for you, Walmart also offers value installation, which includes everything mentioned earlier, plus a road hazard protection warranty (though it should be noted that this warranty isn’t available in New York). Value installation will cost $28 per tire. So, that Bridgestone Turanza EL440 215/55R18 tire that originally cost $220.06 would actually be $248.06 with the value installation.

Over at Costco, though, you don’t have to worry about any installation fees. One of the great perks of shopping for tires at Costco is that installation is included with the purchase price. Not only that, but you get lifelong balancing and rotations as well, as long as you’re a Costco member. You also get that road hazard warranty, which lasts for five years. Additionally, these specific Bridgestone tires are backed by a 50,000-mile manufacturer’s treadwear warranty, regardless of which retailer you choose. Ultimately, Costco includes everything you would expect from new tires in its price, whereas Walmart requires you to opt in to these additional perks.

If you’re going to purchase your new Bridgestone tires from Costco or Walmart, you are likely to do so online. When you do that, you can schedule an appointment to bring your vehicle to your local store for installation. For Costco, it’s rather simple. You’re buying directly from Costco, and everything mentioned earlier is included in that price. For Walmart, things are a little different.

There are certainly many tires to purchase directly from Walmart, but the Walmart online marketplace is much larger than just Walmart. The company includes a number of third-party sellers online, and you have to look closely to know exactly who you’re buying from. These sellers are all approved by Walmart, so the quality of the tires is not necessarily in question. What you are potentially losing with these third-party sellers is the lower prices and Walmart’s perks.

Returning to the aforementioned Bridgestone Dueler H/T 685 265/70R18 tires that Walmart sells for $120 apiece, your best bet would be to simply add four of those to your cart. However, there’s also a listing for a set of four of these tires. That’s actually from a third-party seller, Tire Finder. It’s a good deal more expensive, costing $953.62 for all four. Not only that, but there’s no option for Walmart to install these tires. There’s not even an option to pick them up from the store. They’ll be shipped to your home, and you have to figure out the installation. Walmart tire shopping can be great, but you need to make sure you know what you’re getting.