Is putting nitrogen in your tires really worth the cost?

Racing teams use it. Dealers charge extra for it. Costco offers it as a free benefit to paid members. But a question remains: Is putting nitrogen in your tires really worth it?

Funny thing is, you already are. Ambient air is 78% nitrogen. But the theory behind putting purer nitrogen in your tires is that they will deflate more slowly and somehow perform better.

NHTSA found no impact on performance and Consumer Reports discovered that tires with nitrogen retain just 1.8 extra psi after a year.

So unless it’s free, nitrogen isn’t worth it. Plain ol’ air is just fine.

– Chris Butsch, The Arizona 100