Airplanes, railway locomotives and even space shuttles have them. The earliest ones designed for automobiles where hand-cranked, then later vacuum-powered. Today they can be heated, set to operate at a variety of fixed speeds or only intermittently. Some even use optical sensors that activate them automatically and regulate their speed based on the amount of water on your windshield. No other feature of today’s automobiles, other than the headlamps and brake system, is credited with helping drivers avoid more accidents than your car’s windshield wiper system. That’s why experts recommend you clean your wiper blades every time you fill your...

These days, you can shop for just about anything online including wheels and tires. But like any other online purchase, you need to be sure just what that online price includes.  Online-only as well as traditional tire stores have websites that make it fairly easy to choose the type of tires and wheels you want (all you really need to know is the make and model of your vehicle), but they vary wildly in what they include with the price you see listed. Online-Only Stores Online-only stores have some of the lowest list prices you are liable to come across.  But keep...

By now everyone knows that you can save fuel and minimize tire wear by keeping them properly inflated and rotating them regularly. But to make the next big leap in fuel efficiency, drivers can take advantage of next-generation energy efficient tires being rolled out by several industry leaders including Michelin, Goodyear, Continental and Toyo. How much can you save? Goodyear advertises their Assurance FuelMax tires will provide up to 4 percent more fuel efficiency than standard tires. This could very well be a conservative estimate when you consider a story on iStockAnalyst.com. It chronicled how economy driving champions, Helen and John...

Tire store coupons can add up to big savings, especially in today’s tight economy. In fact, with just a click of a mouse, online coupons can help you save up to 50% compared to what you might pay at a domestic or import auto dealership. Add the“$20 Off Any Purchase” coupons some tire stores are now offering and you can save nearly 75%. In a recent mystery shop, a brand name replacement tire for a domestic SUV was $155 at a dealership but only $115 at a local tire store. With a “20 Off Any” coupon the price dropped to...

If money is tight, and time is money, your local no appointment necessary, service while you wait tire discounter or auto service center is the place to go when you need new replacement tires, light service repairs and a whole lot more. Most offer low competitive prices on name brand tires, and some also offer unique customer benefits, services and programs that really can help you stretch your buying power. Money-Saving Tire Coupons Many tire discounters and auto service centers offer money-saving tire coupons on their web sites. During a recent cyber shopping adventure, I found money-savings coupons available for tires,...