Price comparison
The same tyre can cost £50 more per corner depending only on where you buy it. This is the price spread for one reference tyre across every UK seller type, plus the five checks that keep a comparison honest.
Same tyre, every seller
Benchmark: a mid-range tyre in 205/55 R16 (Britain's most common size), all-in fitted including balancing, valve and disposal. Sorted cheapest first.
| Seller | Type | Fitted, per tyre | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independent garage | Local | £65-100 | Often negotiable, quality varies, hard to compare upfront. |
| Asda Tyres | Online + mobile | £70-90 | Mobile fitting from about £6/tyre extra. |
| Tyre Shopper | Online | £72-92 | All-inclusive headline pricing, frequent promotions. |
| Blackcircles | Online | £75-95 | Largest online range, transparent fitter reviews. |
| National Tyres | High street | £80-110 | Competitive local service, smaller online presence. |
| Costco | Warehouse club | £80-130 | Needs a £42/year membership; cheapest on premium brands. |
| Mobile fitter | Mobile | £80-120 | £5-15/tyre convenience premium, fits at home or work. |
| Halfords Autocentres | High street | £85-110 | Price-match policy, reliable centre quality. |
| Kwik Fit | High street | £90-120 | Largest network (600+), typically the dearest chain. |
Indicative UK averages for a mid-range 205/55 R16, all-in fitted, 2026. Actual prices vary by exact model, location and promotion. The same figures underpin our retailer register. Online bands cross-checked against live Blackcircles fully-fitted listings, July 2026.
Worked example
The same mid-range 205/55 R16, four corners, fitted. Same size, same tier, same all-in job — only the seller changes.
Cheapest online, 4 x £70
£280
Dearest chain, 4 x £120
£480
Spread on the same tyre
£200
That £200 buys nothing extra on the tyre itself. It pays for same-day availability, the largest centre network and the convenience of walking in without booking. If you know your size and can wait a day or two for a partner-garage slot, the online route keeps the £200.
Compare like-for-like
A cheaper quote is only a saving if it is the same tyre doing the same job. Change any one of these and you are comparing two different products.
01
205/55 R16 91V is not the same tyre as 205/55 R16 94H. The load index (91 vs 94) and speed rating (V vs H) change the price and the legality for your car. Compare the exact code on your existing sidewall or in the door jamb.
Prices by size →02
Online sellers usually bundle fitting, balancing, a new valve and disposal into the headline price. High-street chains often quote the tyre alone and add £8-15 per tyre for the same work. Always compare the number you actually pay at the counter.
Full fitting breakdown →03
A cheaper tyre with a worse wet-grip class is not a like-for-like saving. An A-rated tyre stops up to 18 metres shorter than an E-rated one from 50mph. Compare tyres in the same wet-grip and fuel band, or price the safety difference in.
EU labels explained →04
Budget, mid-range and premium are different products, not the same tyre at different prices. Comparing a Nankang against a Michelin tells you nothing useful. Pick a tier first, then compare like models across sellers.
Brand comparison →05
Summer, all-season, winter, run-flat and EV-specific tyres each carry a different price for the same size. Run-flats run 40-60% above standard; EV tyres 30-50% above ICE equivalents. Compare the same construction.
Specialist tyres →Compare across tiers
Shopping around a chain saves you tens of pounds. Choosing the right tier saves you hundreds. Per tyre, fitted, in 2026:
Budget
£40-70[market avg]
The cheapest fully fitted 205/55 R16 online is a budget brand at about £48. Wet grip C to E, 15,000-20,000 mile life.
Mid-range
£70-130[market avg]
The reference tyre in the spread table above. Wet grip B to C, 25,000-35,000 mile life. Best cost-per-mile for most drivers.
Premium
£100-250[market avg]
Popular sizes dip just under £100 online (a Michelin Primacy 5 in 205/55 R16 fits at about £95). Wet grip A to B, up to 50,000 mile life.
FAQ
A lot, for the same tyre. A mid-range 205/55 R16 fitted ranges from about £70 at the cheapest online sellers (Asda Tyres, Tyre Shopper) to around £120 at the most expensive high-street chain (Kwik Fit). That is a spread of up to £50 per tyre, or roughly £200 across a set of four, for an identical size and tier. Online sellers typically undercut high-street chains by 15 to 30 percent because they carry warehouse rather than retail-centre overheads.
Match five things: the full size code including load index and speed rating (205/55 R16 91V, not just the width), the all-in fitted total including balancing, valve and disposal rather than the headline tyre price, the EU label wet-grip rating, the brand tier (budget, mid-range or premium), and the seasonal build. Change any one of those and you are no longer comparing the same product.
Generally yes, by roughly 15 to 30 percent for the same tyre. Online retailers such as Blackcircles, Tyre Shopper and Asda Tyres bundle delivery, fitting, balancing and disposal into one headline price and send you to a local partner garage for the job. A chain is worth the premium when you need same-day fitting or face-to-face advice.
For budget and mid-range tyres, online sellers with local fitting are usually cheapest. The lowest fully fitted 205/55 R16 online starts around £48 for a budget brand. For premium brands, Costco often beats everyone if you have the £42/year membership and live near one of its 29 UK warehouses. Independent garages can match online prices but you have to ring round to find out.
Usually yes. Blackcircles, Tyre Shopper and Asda Tyres quote a fully fitted price that covers delivery to a partner garage, fitting, wheel balancing, a new rubber valve and disposal of the old tyre. High-street chains more often quote the tyre alone and add those on the invoice, so always confirm what the headline figure covers before comparing.
Keep comparing
Full retailer register
Every major UK seller, what each includes, and who is cheapest.
Prices by tyre size
Find your exact size code and its 2026 fitted price band.
Brand comparison
Budget, mid-range and premium brands side by side.
Costco tyres
Often cheapest on premium brands if you have membership.
Fitting costs
Every line that turns a headline tyre price into the total.
EU tyre label explained
Why a cheaper tyre with a worse rating is not a saving.