Even if you've never had to buy tires for a car before, you can do so like an expert with just a little bit of research. You should spend some time looking at tire reviews and safety ratings online to help you determine the best ones to buy. You will also need to check a few things on your car before making your purchase. You should be regularly checking your tires not just to make sure they are properly inflated, but to find any cracks, bulging, or other damage. Discolored tires or those with a worn tread should definitely be replaced. Any serious damage that can't be easily patched is also an indication that you need new tires. As you note the visible wear, you want to assess if it is uneven. Check both the inside and outside of the tires and make sure the wear is even. If it's not, you may have a problem with the alignment of your vehicle . Uneven tread may also indicate a problem with the suspension system. Make sure you get those problems fixed or your new tires will wear out just as quickly. The most important thing to check is the size of the tires. It is perfectly fine to buy cheap truck tires rather than the most expensive set. As long as they are properly sized for your vehicle, you will get good use out of them. There are two places on the vehicle to find this information. The first place is the existing tires. They will have a series of numbers indicating the correct size and type of tire for your vehicle. If you don't trust that the dealer or previous owner used the factory recommended size, you can look inside the door on the drivers side of the car. There should be a manufacturer plate that gives the specifications. Once you know what size tires you need and have taken care of any system problems in your vehicle that can affect tire performance, it's just a matter of getting the best deal you can find for the tires you want.