"How much are tyres?" has no single answer, because the range is enormous, a small budget tyre and a large premium one can differ several times over. But there are realistic bands to work from, and a clear sense of what moves the figure.
Rough price bands
As an approximate guide for a common car size, fitted:
- Budget: roughly £45 to £70 each
- Mid-range: roughly £70 to £110 each
- Premium: roughly £100 to £200 each, and beyond
These are starting points, not promises. They climb quickly for larger wheels, performance, SUV and EV tyres, which can run well past £200 apiece. A full set ranges from around £180 for four budget tyres on a small car to £600 or more for premium rubber on a bigger one.
Why the range is so wide
Three things move the price more than anything, covered fully in the things that affect a tyre's price:
- Size: a bigger tyre uses more material and costs more
- Tier: budget, mid-range or premium brand
- Type: performance, winter, run-flat and EV tyres carry a premium
This is why a quote for one car tells you little about another. The figure that matters is the one for the specific size and tyre.
Compare the real price
The trap is comparing a bare tyre price against someone else's fully-fitted one. The real cost includes fitting, balancing, a new valve and disposal, so the only fair comparison is fully-fitted to fully-fitted. Buying online makes this easy: a registration or size search at a tyre retailer like Tyres.co.uk brings up a fitted price from budget to premium for the exact car, which turns a vague "how much are tyres" into a real figure to compare.
Getting value, not just a price
The cheapest tyre is not always the best value, since a longer-lasting tyre can cost less per mile. The sensible aim is the right tyre at a fair fitted price, which is where saving money on tyres sensibly comes in.
Turn a price range into a budget for your car
Read the full tyre specification from the car and approved vehicle information, then obtain quotes for the number of tyres required. Multiply a per-tyre fitted price only after checking whether there are booking-level fees. A mobile call-out fee, for example, may apply once to the visit rather than once to each tyre.
Compare a suitable budget, mid-range and premium option in the same specification. These are market categories, not fixed price brackets or performance guarantees. An unusual size can cost more in a budget brand than a common size does in a premium range.
A worked example
Suppose an illustrative quote is £95 per tyre fitted and you need a pair. That is £190. If an optional £60 alignment service is separately authorised, the total becomes £250. Do not add balancing or disposal again if they are already included. These figures are arithmetic examples, not current quotes.
Before accepting a higher bill
Ask what changed. A required TPMS part, damaged wheel or seized nut is different from an optional upgrade. Request the explanation and additional price before authorising work. If tyres are damaged rather than worn out, inspection may establish whether a permitted repair is possible, which changes the buying decision entirely.
Common questions
How much does a car tyre cost in the UK?+
As a rough guide, budget tyres start around £45 to £70 fitted, mid-range run roughly £70 to £110, and premium tyres from about £100 to £200 or more each. Larger, performance, SUV and EV tyres sit higher. Size and type swing the figure more than anything, so prices vary widely.
Why are some tyres so much more expensive than others?+
Mostly size, brand tier and type. A large or performance tyre uses more material and advanced compounds, and premium brands spend more on research. The same car can face very different prices depending on the wheel size and whether budget or premium rubber is chosen.
How much does it cost to replace all four tyres?+
Anywhere from around £180 for four budget tyres on a small car to £600 or more for premium tyres on a larger one, fitted. It depends entirely on size and tier, so the only accurate figure comes from a quote for the specific car and tyre.
Does the fitted price include everything?+
A fully-fitted price should include fitting, balancing, a new valve and disposal. Always check, because a headline tyre price without those is not the real cost. Comparing fully-fitted prices is the only fair way to judge what tyres will actually cost.