Car rims are common and many people add custom rims to their cars. But how much do rims cost, and does the price vary depending on the type of car?
Car rims can cost $80-$700 per wheel and added customizations add to the cost. Rims are largely considered to be custom and luxury items which means auto body shops can charge more for their rim services. The cost of rims varies on the size of the tire it is made for rather than the type of car.
Now that you know a little bit about what rims cost and one of the reasons why they are so expensive, you may be wondering what other things influence the price of rims and how much rims cost for different types of cars.
Average Cost of Car Rims
Based on my research, the cost of car rims widely varies. While there are many factors that play a part in price, let’s take a look at the average price of rims by vehicle type.
| Type of Car | Average Base Cost of Rims (Per rim) |
| Trucks | $515 |
| Sports Cars | $85 |
| Sedans | $160 |
| SUVs | $260 |
Once again, this is quite a large range in cost!
To get a better understanding of the cost variance, let’s take a look at the other factors that impact the cost of car rims.
What Factors Impact the Cost of Car Rims?
There are many factors that influence the cost of car rims including the size of the tire, the material the rims are made of, the fact that they are considered to be a luxury item, and the labor costs that the auto body shop charges.
#1 Material of the Rims
The materials that the rims are made out of heavily influence the cost of the rims. The most common metal types that are used to make rims are steel, aluminum, and chrome.
Each metal type has different benefits, but they also cost very different prices because of the availability of the metal and how much work it takes to manipulate each type of metal.
The rims on a car can influence the brake system, gas mileage, and speeds of your car. If the rims on your car are made out of heavy metal, then your car will have to work harder in order to increase the speed and its gas mileage will be lower.
#2 Size of the Tire
The size of the tire that the rim will be put on heavily influences the cost of the rims. If you have very large tires on your car, then the rims for those tires will cost a lot more than the rims that will go onto a car with smaller tires, like a sedan.
If you have large tires on your car, especially if you have a truck, expect the rims to cost a lot of money to install.
#3 Considered to be a Luxury Item
Rims are considered to be a custom item, especially because if they are installed on a car that has already left the lot, they are typically custom-made or added as a featured item to make the car look cooler.
This means that auto body shops can charge more for their rim manufacturing and designing services.
They know that the people who come to them for custom rims generally have a lot of money and are prepared to spend a large chunk of change.
#4 Auto Body Shop Rates
Each auto body shop has different rates for its various services, and its rim manufacturing services are no exception. The price of the rims you choose to go on your car will vary depending on the rates of the auto body shop that you choose to go to.
Most people will meet with a rim designer or engineer and tell them what they want their rims to look like, and the engineer or designer needs to be paid for their services, which will add to the price of the rims.
The experience of the rim designer or technician will also influence the price of the rims. The more experienced the rim designer or technician is, the higher their rates will be, and the more your rims will cost.
#5 Shape
Car rims have to be perfectly round because tires have to be perfectly round, and they have to fit snugly into the tires that are put onto the rims.
This means that the measurements of the rims have to be perfect, and technology is required in order to ensure the rims are perfectly round and perfectly sized. Technology costs money, so auto body shops charge more money for rims than you may expect!
The last thing you want is slightly misshapen rims on your vehicle as that will lead to a very bumpy drive whenever you are in your car.
#6 Customizations
Car rims are highly customizable, so people add whatever they want to. However, these customizations cost money to do, so they cost the customer more money. Many people who have custom rims paint or coat them in bright colors, although many people do add a black coating to their vehicle’s rims.
Many people add a holographic film to their rims because they like the look. However, these rim films cost money, and only very experienced auto body technicians know how to put the film on correctly in a way that looks smooth and perfect when you look at the rims up close.
These films have to be cut very precisely after they are installed in order to look good, and that perfect cut takes time to master. Because the auto body technician has a lot of experience doing this service, their rates will likely be high and add to the cost of the rim installation.
#7 Time
The amount of time that it takes to perfect the rims that you have designed or chosen will influence the cost of the rims.
If it took you a long time to approve the designs of the rims, the cost of your rims will be slightly higher than you may expect.
The longer it takes to add the customizations to the rims you have chosen, the more expensive the end cost will be.
Now that you know the average cost of rims and what factors influence the cost, it is up to you to decide whether or not you want to add rims to your vehicle.
If you do want to add rims to your vehicle, it is up to you what type of metal they are made out of and what you want them to look like.
