[overkill1125]

Just a question about lease returns.
Do I have to return the lease car with run flat tires or will they accept non-run flat tires?

Asking is because I want new wheels and tires but my new f30 and planning to sell the oem tires to help fund the new setup.

When I return the lease, I'll just get some 2nd hand tires but they might not be run flats. Would that be a problem or is it a must to return the car with run flats.

Please let me know about your experience so I can decide if I could sell. I find it would be a waste to store the new tires for 4yrs until I return the car.

[Dan_335i]

im pretty sure they want the oem rims/wheels back

[SCBimmerKid]

It says in the lease agreement that the car must be returned with Run flats. If not they'll charge you to replace them.

[jddssc121]

need to be run flats, and need to have the BMW star on them

[phx08]

They want the car as it was when they gave it to you...item-wise.

Source: Worked for CFS and many people thought they could return modified vehicles only to get charged to have the car "fixed"

[avantix]

Originally Posted by overkill1125

Just a question about lease returns.
Do I have to return the lease car with run flat tires or will they accept non-run flat tires?

Asking is because I want new wheels and tires but my new f30 and planning to sell the oem tires to help fund the new setup.

When I return the lease, I'll just get some 2nd hand tires but they might not be run flats. Would that be a problem or is it a must to return the car with run flats.

Please let me know about your experience so I can decide if I could sell. I find it would be a waste to store the new tires for 4yrs until I return the car.

I am in the EXACT position you are in sir. My car is going back in 2 weeks and I can categorically tell you that you have to have runflats on the vehicle and the size has to match what is written on the tag that is located on the inside of the driver's door near the lock catch. Furthermore BMW Canada will only accept 5 brands of tires and they must again be runflat. Bridgestone, Michelin, Pirelli, Goodyear and one more that I can't remember now.

[drob23]

Hmm my guess is the only way to work this is find a local BMW owner with the same setup. Then sell them the new tires and exchange for their worn down used ones. Probably won't get too much (also factoring the mounting) but at least something rather than letting brand new tires rot away in your garage.

[Mako]

Because of this I am getting some non RF tires now (OEMs have 2,000 miles on them) and will put the RFs back on before turning in the lease.

I havea 36K mile lease and even though I also use winter tires, the RFs will not last until the end of the lease, so I would rather drive on my prefered summer non RF tire now and give them back their OEM tires rather than having to buy new Run Flats (which run about $400 more per set).

[drob23]

Originally Posted by Mako

Because of this I am getting some non RF tires now (OEMs have 2,000 miles on them) and will put the RFs back on before turning in the lease.

I havea 36K mile lease and even though I also use winter tires, the RFs will not last until the end of the lease, so I would rather drive on my prefered summer non RF tire now and give them back their OEM tires rather than having to buy new Run Flats (which run about $400 more per set).

Wait, you don't think the RF's on the car will go 36k miles if you are running snow tires for ~4 months of the year? Assuming equal driving miles/mnth that's only 24k miles on the tires.

Even though they're RF's, they've got to be nice ones? I'd just try and trade them with someone else and at least get *something*. This seems like another reason why leasing isn't great.

[Steve33]

With some dealers this may just go over their head and won't notice... it's worth a try. If they don't take them, head to a NTB and get some put on (For a NTB discount, see this post from another forum). Still worked as of a few months ago

[mntbiker]

Originally Posted by drob23

Wait, you don't think the RF's on the car will go 36k miles if you are running snow tires for ~4 months of the year? Assuming equal driving miles/mnth that's only 24k miles on the tires.

Even though they're RF's, they've got to be nice ones? I'd just try and trade them with someone else and at least get *something*. This seems like another reason why leasing isn't great.

FWIW, the rear RFTs on my car wore out in about 8k miles. Because of the M sport staggered setup on my car, I can't rotate them so they wear out a lot faster. I swapped out all 4 tires for non-RFTs and put 22k miles on those rears! (Granted, they are a Max Performance All Season Tire vs. Summer.) In a few months i'll put my original front RFTs back on the car with some new rears before turn in.

For my next lease I will definitely swap out my RFTs around 2-3k miles and save them until I need to turn the car in. The Performance tire shop that I went to actually said that many of their BMW customers swap out the RFTs immediately on the new cars and save them.

[infinitigor]

NOT ONLY do they have to be runflats, but they also have to have about 75% or more thread left!

[f80]

Originally Posted by infinitigor

NOT ONLY do they have to be runflats, but they also have to have about 75% or more thread left!

1/8" (4/32) thread

[infinitigor]

Originally Posted by e90im

1/8" (4/32) thread

what would you say that is equivalent too?

20% left, 40% left. etc not sure

i think i got SCREWED royally on my last lease return. Tires had about 50% thread left, and i had to pay for new tires. The lease specialist said it needed to have 75 percent left, wow =[

[citrixscu]

If you financed through BMW, you will definitely need to return your car with RFTs. If you financed through a bank and have to return it to the bank lease guy, you might be able to get away with it.

[f80]

Originally Posted by infinitigor

what would you say that is equivalent too?

20% left, 40% left. etc not sure

i think i got SCREWED royally on my last lease return. Tires had about 50% thread left, and i had to pay for new tires. The lease specialist said it needed to have 75 percent left, wow =[

http://www.bmwusa.com/Standard/Conte...tionFlash.aspx

[drob23]

Originally Posted by mntbiker

FWIW, the rear RFTs on my car wore out in about 8k miles. Because of the M sport staggered setup on my car, I can't rotate them so they wear out a lot faster. I swapped out all 4 tires for non-RFTs and put 22k miles on those rears! (Granted, they are a Max Performance All Season Tire vs. Summer.) In a few months i'll put my original front RFTs back on the car with some new rears before turn in.

For my next lease I will definitely swap out my RFTs around 2-3k miles and save them until I need to turn the car in. The Performance tire shop that I went to actually said that many of their BMW customers swap out the RFTs immediately on the new cars and save them.

Wow...I guess I have no perspective for tire life, that's crazy. Are you chirping tires and drifting turns or that's just everyday driving? I suppose there's a gray area, but still, that's pretty short tire life on a presumably expensive OEM tire.

[drob23]

Originally Posted by citrixscu

If you financed through BMW, you will definitely need to return your car with RFTs. If you financed through a bank and have to return it to the bank lease guy, you might be able to get away with it.

I didn't even realize you could finance a lease through a separate bank. How do they set the residual value? My understanding is that BMWFS heavily subsidizes leasing by means of setting high residuals - which is why BMW's lease so much better than competitors.

[citrixscu]

Originally Posted by drob23

I didn't even realize you could finance a lease through a separate bank. How do they set the residual value? My understanding is that BMWFS heavily subsidizes leasing by means of setting high residuals - which is why BMW's lease so much better than competitors.

I cannot speak for how residuals are set, though in my experience BMWFS's rates were better on the last 2 cars I leased. I think US Bank provided a quote.

[ad78]

Originally Posted by citrixscu

If you financed through BMW, you will definitely need to return your car with RFTs. If you financed through a bank and have to return it to the bank lease guy, you might be able to get away with it.

Not true. Our X5 was financed via bmw and all tired were replaced by a non rft and they did not charge me.

A friend of mine returned his lease without the rft and no charge was taken too.

I believe as long as you are sticking with the wheels you are safe.

[vwvwvw]

Originally Posted by ad78

Not true. Our X5 was financed via bmw and all tired were replaced by a non rft and they did not charge me.

A friend of mine returned his lease without the rft and no charge was taken too.

I believe as long as you are sticking with the wheels you are safe.

Did your X5 and your friend's car have spares in them?

[ad78]

No spare because original setup was rft. My x5 was tradein just this march and I have the F30 now.

this through bmw financing.