I live in New Jersey, sometimes go for a ski trip, and sometimes to Vermont.
I’m thinking about leasing a very nice Audi S4, but it comes with summer tires. (Wheel is upgraded and looks nice though)
My thought process is, I’m getting winter tires for extra safety anyways, and it helps with the summer tire so hopefully I don’t have to buy a new set when returning the vehicle. Does this make sense? Or should I insist on finding an all-season tire one?
If this makes sense, what do you guys usually do in this scenario? Getting a cheap wheel + decent winter tire set, and sell at the end of lease? Or save on the wheels and have the mechanic swap out tires twice a year, potentially damaging the rim?
Check craigslist for separate winter tires… there are always rim/tire deals out there and may even find someone who bought winter tires for a similar Audi that they sold or turned in.
I’m not sure about NJ, but there is a chain up here called Direct Tire and auto. If you purchase tires from them, they do free winter/spring changeovers which saves you a ton of money. That is, changeovers of the tires for free, not just wheels.
Over 3 years, you can save $600 that way (2 changeovers x 3 years).
I highly recommend those tires and seeing if there is a place around you that has a similar price structure.
dont think the audi awd will do anything for you in the snow on summer tires. you still have to stop and turn. its a great idea to use winter tires on a lease if it saves you from having to get new tires shortly before the lease is over. Like the others have said, you can probably find a wheel tire combo used on the audi forums. since you will swap out you should get full studless winter tire like the Michelin x ice.
I always do this with my leased vehicles since I always get 15k/year leases and put a lot of miles on the cars. Safer driving in winter time and you don’t get dinged for worn-out tires at the lease end if you have to return the car…
Yes but with winter tires you get better safety and theoretically use them for the half of the duration of your lease as oppose to buying a new set of tires through the end of your lease and hardly getting to use them
From the Audi website: “…these tires may wear more quickly…” “to avoid tire, rim, or vehicle damage…It is important that inflation pressure is regularly checked” If you lease this car I would definitely take the tire and wheel insurance! Make sure it includes both. If you buy all season tires you may have to buy a different set of rims. (My son lives in Minnesota and had to do that for his Z3 when he leased it.) This is a high performance car with high performance tires probably low profile. I know with BMW some of the run-flats are low profile and some are all season. Find out if you have a choice. You’re talking about an expensive ride; if you’re stretching with your last dime find something else. If its a comfortable range spend the extra and protect yourself.
Let me clarify: BMW offers Performance run flats and All Season run flats on the 430 i convertible x-drive. I use ‘performance’ and ‘low profile’ interchangeably. If I am incorrect, I stand corrected.
When Mercedes put the run flats on the E350 they were good for a dozen tires before the warranty ran out if you drive in pothole hell ie the Belt Parkway in Brooklyn! I’, not a big fan of the ‘extras’ in the F & I office but sometimes it pays.
