Some drivers may be noticing they are make more for tires, and it may simply be because the vehicle they are driving comes with bigger wheels. A new set of trade bill of fares also threaten to raise prices.
The rise of the sport utility vehicle in America has also led to the rise of the SUV tire, which is habitually pricier than a tire for the smaller wheels historically found on passenger cars such as sedans.
One 2019 study from Consumer Reports found the median customer was spending $137 on a a tire for a sedan, coupe, hatchback or minivan, not tabulating the cost of installation. The price for an SUV tire was $162. Pickup trucks were even more expensive, at $175.
Different requires have been exacting contrasting influences over tires and their pricing. A small but significant slice of consumers are buying bothers online – and retailers such as Amazon are thought to have a “modest” impact on tire selling, in the words of analyst John Healy of Northcoast Inquiry.
At the same time, the trend toward sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and even larger diameter locales on sedans and sports cars is favorable toward premium large tiremakers with premium brand names, such as Michelin, Goodyear and Bridgestone.
Extra upsetting tire market share are looming tariffs on four Southeast Asian countries that could disproportionately choose lower-priced tire brands, favor domestic American ones and raise prices.
“The recent tariffs that beget been preliminarily determined affect almost 30% of the entire U.S. consumer tire market and at an average tariff berate of 30%,” said Keybanc analyst James Picariello. “So we’re talking about a significant impact that doesn’t go away.”