I need new tires soon. I currently have the Goodyear runflats but would like to go with a sportier tire and also save a little on the tire cost.

I did a few searches but could not find a definitive answer. My car is leased and if I decided to turn it in next year do I need to turn it in with runflats since the car came with them? Or so long as the car has tires in good shape I will not be hassled about non-runflats?

thanks

edit: looking for actual experience turning in a lease. This is my first lease and I don't want to get stuck buying another set of tires just to turn it in. I know I can read the agreement and contact the dealer but the canned response will be to return it with the same tire/size/etc... you walked out of here with.

 

Read your lease, call your dealer, or go to the Mini site, where I'm sure they have information on lease return requirements. It won't be a hard question to answer.

 

It should be returned with the same tires as when you bought them. BMW allows Conti's, Michelin, Good Year tires however, not sure how many of them make sizes for the MINI. On the other hand the lease return manager can be very laid back and not make an issue of it.

 

just save the rf and put them back on when you give the car back

 

Yea it doesn't matter how warn they are, they usually don't give you problems with the kind of tire but considering the MCS doesn't have a spare they probably require it to have RFT's if/when you return it. Just store the tires you take off and put them back on, they shouldn't give you any issues if they are worn at return.

 

check miniusa.com

they have a lease return guide portion of the website which tells you what is and is not acceptable

the car must be returned with runflats, similar type to what came with the vehicle, and they must have a minimum tread depth (i believe 2/32" but you need to check website or contact your dealer)

some dealers can be flexible on this, especially if you are getting another vehicle at turn-in, but I wouldn't expect to have this issue simply waived, you are talking about $600-$700 for all new tires, and the dealer isn't going to simply overlook to be a nice guy, unless again you are getting a new car, etc...

one other thing to think about, you may be better off buying tires on your own, because the dealer might charge you more because of their bogus markup on tires

 

check and see, but Im 100% positive y'll have to return it with OEM runflat tires, or they bust you up to $1200 to replace, because the car will be sold as a certitified used. My suggestion is to get some Continental Pro-contacts (like that are on my 09 S), for runflats they're pretty reasonable compared to the goodyears and dunlops of the world. Discount quoted me $160/ea plus tax and warranties, you wont need those.

when I worked lease returns at the car delaership many moons ago I told people just go to discount or pepboys and put on 4 new cheapies before the return, that way they wouldnt get busted for returning a car with worn tires.

 

 

I discussed this very issue with the dealer when I leased my car. He said if tires are too worn i would be on the hook for new tires at $1200. I bought the lease return insurance policy for $600 which says I can turn in the car with worn out tires. It covers up to $5000 of damage/tires/etc. that i may be on the hook for when I turn it in. I have a 3 year, 30K mile lease and that would be about when i would need tires so this saves me money (I hope).

 

i just returned a chevy on lease. there was a minimum tread that was expected. i dont remember exactly, usually, about 60 days before your lease is up, you will get a packet that will break down exactly what you are on the hook for.

 

my experience has been that you must return it with the same oem tire or a tire on the list of approved tires. this differs by car makers. thus you must return the car with run flats if that is what came on the car. however, you maybe able to just buy a cheap set that is slightly used and just mount those before turning in the car.

 

OEM style RFs are about $250 at TireRack. You can get RFs like Contis for about $160-170. I'd see if your tread is good enough to turn it in with and get nonRFs to drive on until then for maybe $110, you'll like them better anyway.

 

I am at the wear marks now on all four tires. I got 22k miles on the OEM Goodyears so I guess I should be happy. Had I thought about it I would have bought a set of tires a few months ago and saved the runflats to put back before I turn it in.

I'm on the fence about buying it out at the end of the lease. I think I'll need tires before I decide on buying it.

 

Quiksilver. I picked up my PW MCS today and tomorrow the damn Bridgestone E300 runflats are coming off the car hopefully at the dealer but if necessary at WHeel Works. I cannot stand them and I don't remember the Conti's being this bad when I tes drove the car months back. The MINIUSA.com configurator has a no cost option to swap the runflats for regular all-sean tires. DOn't know if that's an error in the website or not. I believe I've heard before that cars without a spare must be runflats, but not sure. Anyway one way or another those POS are history. Anyone with experience running 205/55x16 Michelin Exalto PE's?

 

Oh, BTW if I have to go to a tireshop, my RFs will be available at a significantly discounted price even though they have only 100 miles on them.
How does 100 each sound? Are you in the California area, Quiksilver?

 

The all seasons are run flats as well, and really horrible, lacking any grip at all. I accidentally got all seasons for Quentin and that put me off runflats for life.They get away with it in Europe, they supply the "MINI mobility kit", which is a can of slime and a compressor. In the US, they don't dare do anything which might get them sued.I go for 205/50-16, that seems to be the most common alternate 16" size. My next set may be some Michellin PE2s, they sound good in theory.

 

Thanks BTWYX for all the good info. Well that makes me feel a little better not to have shot myself in the head by missing out on a chance to get real tires. So I presume that my dealer is not gonna go for a swap for legal reasons. Well, look for an ad here or Craigslist for the MFing RFs soon!

Hey, BTW, I didn't hit the SPORT button this a.m. and noticed the ride being significantly better though still not good. I thought the button only had effect on the throttle and maybe an alternative mapping of the profile of the engine and turbo parameters. How could it possibly have an effect on the suspension without having magnetic-rheo shocks? Am I getting senile faster than predicted or what?

 

Am I getting senile faster than predicted or what?

You might look into that. The sport button also increases the steering resistance. No effect on the suspension (I wish).

 

I don't know exactly about Mini LEASE's or end, but I just returned my 2005 Mazda 3 GT and this is MY experience FWIW.

I had Wear Care up to 3500.00 for items like a few scratches, dents, tires burn holes, etc.

They did not look at brakes, suspension etc. But the tires had to be of the same type and size and quality that was on it as originally delivered.

My car had tinted windows that the dealer put on when I got it. There was a scratch on it, so they adjusted it for all window tint removal!!!! This was the leasing company agent and my dealer (likely Mini dealer too) didn't give a rats A#! on what needed to be done or not. It was all based on this inspection by an independant company that MAZDA CANADA CREDIT employed.

Now with all this and since my normal wear and tear and EXTRA's fell within the wear care limit, I didn't have to pay anything extra. Drop the keys and say so long!!!! If my mileage was over my limits that was a seperate charge not part of the wear care!!!
Oh and if my vehicle was involved in an accident and the cost of repair was over 1000 I was responsible to have my insurance repair it as wear care would not cover this!!!

Now this is MY experience. You should as others already suggested check with your local dealer you purchased it from and check your lease agreement (hope you kept it?). Also contact there lease department at Mini USA I would guess?
The main thing is that you need to be prepared a month before lease return so there is NO surprises. And the tires HAVE to meet minimum road requirements where you are for a safety standard that has always been in my leases. And I would doubt wheather Mini would be any different.

Sometimes the dealership will eat the repair cost estimates to get you into a NEW car. In most cases however the Company, simply wholesales the car. My brothers car (month older) had about 1800.00 of items to charge him. But they did nothing with the car and wholesaled it to a private used car dealer who put it on his lot AS IS....nothing done at all!!!

Just so you know...

Good Luck.

Regards

Scott.

 

Anybody with an official word on this? Time to replace my tires and still have about a year left on my lease but I have called the dealer 3 times and keep getting the runaround on what would be ok. Thanks in advance.

 

Just replace them with either the exact same Tire, or at least the same Size, Speed Rating, and Performance Type...if they are giving you the run around, Document...Document...Document...each and every call!!

It's no Fun when dealing with the End of Lease procedures...I had to do this with my now Husband who just had to have a Honda Accord that he couldn't afford in the 1st Place, nice car mind you, but he Drove 100+mi. per Day and thought nothing of the Extra $$ we had to shell out in the End!! I don't mean he enjoyed having to hand over $3200, if I remember right, he just didn't realize how Screwed he'd gotten!!

 

You will receive a very complete and detailed guide to how your car must be turned in; what constitutes ordinary wear & tear vs. what's damage, what you'll be charged, etc. Ask you dealer for the kit now, or at least see if you can look through it; they must have one around. There is a specific tread depth for tires requirement that unfortunately I can't remember now, but it is less than that of brand-new tires. If you have run-flats, the car must be turned back in with run-flats. I bought a set of new oem Contis from the Tire Rack and threw them in the back of the car for the dealer to swap and that was fine. You will get some consideration on lease-end charges if you're getting another car. I was told that I ordinarily would be charged for a new windshield, but since I was getting another Mini, they let it go.

 

What I did:
as soon as I took over the lease (from previous owner, thanks to Leasebusters), I took off ALL OEM runflats/16" rims and put MY 17" rims and (non RF) tires... I have 2 sets (one winter, one summer). All Yokohama. I have little less than 2 years on the lease left.
When the time comes, if I decide to return the car I will mount back OEM wheels/RF tires (10K KM on them) or if I decide to buy out the car I will sell the OEM set and keep what I have on the car now...

 

Yup, have a new lease, one month old, and the first thing I did was get rid of those (expletive-deleted) run flats and their midget wheels. They're now up on wheel hangers in the garage and won't come down for three years. That way I'm covered at lease-end and can actually enjoy driving the car on real tires.

 

Check NAM Market Place...everybody is trying to get rid of their RFs at good prices.