Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

Michaell

kyfdx said:

benjaminh said:

Oh your engine is still from the era of timing belts instead of chains. They switched the 4-cylinders iirc to a "life of the engine" timing chain more than ten years ago, but for the 6 cylinders I guess they didn't?

I've never heard of Cooper tires. Do you like them?

I think Coopers are made by Goodyear?

I don't know about that, but I've had Coopers on both VUE's we owned (2005 and 2009) and thought they were pretty good.

stickguy

Not sure but I thought they were still their own company. In any case they are really good tires at a good price.

Honda’s V6 engines have always had timing belts.

benjaminh

I don't know much about tires, but off the top of my head I feel like two of the top brands are Michelin and Pirelli. I've never had a Pirelli, but I've always really liked the Michelins I've had. I like Goodyears too, but I wonder if some of them are maybe a notch down in terms performance and sound quality? Not sure. Just looked it up, and Michelin and Goodyear now both offer tires that might last as long as 80,000 miles. Wow. Of course, you'll pay more for those, and they won't be as good for performance.

In this video from 2016 Consumer Reports, after testing hundreds of tires, picks out some Michelins, a Pirelli, and a Continental as their top tires....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ofmriTaWL8

corvette

My take is that all of Michelin's tires tend to be extremely good within their performance classes. With other brands, it's hit-or-miss depending on the model. Goodyear makes some very good tires, but the Eagles that are (or were) OE on a lot of vehicles tend not to be very good.

The Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenzas on my Tundra are very highly rated and I have no complaints with them so far. There was a Bridgestone Potenza (I think) which was OE on Subarus for years, which is supposed to be terrible and wear poorly.

kyfdx

stickguy said:

Not sure but I thought they were still their own company. In any case they are really good tires at a good price.

Honda’s V6 engines have always had timing belts.

Looks like I’m wrong. Independent Ohio based company

xwesx

corvette said:

My take is that all of Michelin's tires tend to be extremely good within their performance classes. With other brands, it's hit-or-miss depending on the model. Goodyear makes some very good tires, but the Eagles that are (or were) OE on a lot of vehicles tend not to be very good.

The Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenzas on my Tundra are very highly rated and I have no complaints with them so far. There was a Bridgestone Potenza (I think) which was OE on Subarus for years, which is supposed to be terrible and wear poorly.

Oh, yes. The Potenza RE92. What a horrible tire those things are. I mostly hate them due to their nearly non-existent ability to manage winter roads, but I think that's a reasonable criticism for a tire sold as OE on a SUBARU!!! /facepalm

xwesx

I think CR's idea of snow handling and my idea of snow handling differ dramatically. As an all-around winter tire, the X-Ice 3 is decent. It certainly has better tread life than Blizzak, and it does very well on ice, but I think it is really, really not good in deep snow. Enough so that my wife requested that I get her something else for this winter, even though the tires should have been good for another winter.

As such, I just left them on the car this last summer to use up their life before replacing, but they were actually really good tires for the summer months and are still good for at least another summer. I ended up mounting the new winter tires on what were her summer rims. We currently have Yokohama IG51v on both of our daily drivers, and after trying the winter offerings for most major brands, this tire has the best balance of qualities.

ronsteve

stickguy said:

As of yesterday, 59,820.

Damn... didn't take long for me to pass you. I'm just north of 63,900 on my '15.

rayainsw

Tires:
1 data point.
The Michelin Pilot Sport run-flats on my M340i
are MUCH better than the P7 run-flats I had re-installed
on the 340i just before lease turn-in.
- Ray
Very happy with these tires...

Michaell

Just realized I have Coopers on the Outback, as well.

pensfan83

Speaking of timing belts, depending on how long it takes to sell the Prelude I may get that service done. Some of you who are more mechanically inclined can probably let me know if this is overpriced but on the face of it there's a lot the shop includes that I wanted anyway. $725 parts/labor for the basic service, includes all below:

-Timing Belt
-Drive Belt
-Balance Shaft Belt
-Balance Shaft Seals
-Camshaft Seals
-Spark Plug Tube Seals
-Tensioner
-Valve Cover Gasket
-Coolant Change
-Water Pump
-Theromstat

Adding a valve adjustment, oil cooler seal, distributor o ring, and new spark plugs adds ~$330. So for roughly $1,100 that seems like a lot of work to me and addresses just about every major seal on the car, save for the front and rear main seals...the latter of which is best replaced during a clutch replacement.

EDIT: Added water pimp

28firefighter

That seems fair to me. I wonder if it doesn't make sense to refresh the water pump and radiator while you're in there if it hasn't been done before?

explorerx4

Pirelli's must be spotty, too.
I've had 3 sets of Scorpions and they flat spot in the cold very quickly.
My wife has P7's on her MKC and the first set only lasted 45k and got very noisy.

pensfan83

28firefighter said:

That seems fair to me. I wonder if it doesn't make sense to refresh the water pump and radiator while you're in there if it hasn't been done before?

Added the water pump. Radiator is original as far as I know but they aren't known for failing. Worth an ask though.

venture

corvette said:

My take is that all of Michelin's tires tend to be extremely good within their performance classes. With other brands, it's hit-or-miss depending on the model. Goodyear makes some very good tires, but the Eagles that are (or were) OE on a lot of vehicles tend not to be very good.

The Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenzas on my Tundra are very highly rated and I have no complaints with them so far. There was a Bridgestone Potenza (I think) which was OE on Subarus for years, which is supposed to be terrible and wear poorly.

My wifes Ascent has Falken tires.

My Legacy has Goodyear Eagle LS-2's. That's the same tire I had on my Fusion. I didn't like them on the Ford. No problems so far with the Subaru.

28firefighter

We had Pirellia Cinturato RFTs on the X1 that lasted about 23k miles before hitting 3/32 tread - they rode poorly from Day 1. The Goodyear Eagle Sport RFTs that we replaced them with to return the lease were far more palatable, at least as far as RFTs go.

The Outback has Bridgestone Duelers that are pretty good so far - ride well and seem to handle well in the rain. Didn't really get a chance to test them in the snow. If and when they need replacement, it'll get Michelins.

The ZHP came with Bridgestone Potenza high performance tires. They are not my favorite and I'm planning to replace them with Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ when the time comes.

venture

xwesx said:

I think CR's idea of snow handling and my idea of snow handling differ dramatically. As an all-around winter tire, the X-Ice 3 is decent. It certainly has better tread life than Blizzak, and it does very well on ice, but I think it is really, really not good in deep snow. Enough so that my wife requested that I get her something else for this winter, even though the tires should have been good for another winter.

As such, I just left them on the car this last summer to use up their life before replacing, but they were actually really good tires for the summer months and are still good for at least another summer. I ended up mounting the new winter tires on what were her summer rims. We currently have Yokohama IG51v on both of our daily drivers, and after trying the winter offerings for most major brands, this tire has the best balance of qualities.

I had X-ice on my BMW. They were really good - until they were about half worn. Then they didn't grip well at all.

Michaell

28firefighter said:

We had Pirellia Cinturato RFTs on the X1 that lasted about 23k miles before hitting 3/32 tread - they rode poorly from Day 1. The Goodyear Eagle Sport RFTs that we replaced them with to return the lease were far more palatable, at least as far as RFTs go.

The Outback has Bridgestone Duelers that are pretty good so far - ride well and seem to handle well in the rain. Didn't really get a chance to test them in the snow. If and when they need replacement, it'll get Michelins.

The ZHP came with Bridgestone Potenza high performance tires. They are not my favorite and I'm planning to replace them with Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ when the time comes.

We have the Cinruartos RFT on the MINI. I think something like 10-15K on them, so far. No issues, that I'm aware of. Of course, I only drive it to and from the dealer when it needs service.

benjaminh

Any thoughts on Firestone?

roadburner

rayainsw said:

Tires:
1 data point.
The Michelin Pilot Sport run-flats on my M340i
are MUCH better than the P7 run-flats I had re-installed
on the 340i just before lease turn-in.
- Ray
Very happy with these tires...

I put Michelins on my performance cars; the Mini got Vredestein Quatrac 5 tires as the Quatrac 5 is an A/S tire with the 3PMSF winter rating.

ab348

I've had 3 sets of Goodyears - 2 OE Eagles, on the Intrigue and Lacrosse, and a set of Goodyear snow tires bought for the Intrigue. All were just fair to awful (the snows). Until I'm convinced otherwise they would be on the lower end of my list of likely brands. I have had good experiences with every set of Michelins I've ever had. I am wary of Pirelli but might be willing to take a chance on them. I have Bridgestone Potenza summer only performance tires on the ATS (in the summer) and they are not good - noisy and (thankfully) quick to wear out. I was thinking about what to replace them with and it is a crapshoot. My buddy bought a set of Continental performance tires for his Regal GS last summer and really doesn't like them. Noisy and disappointing in his opinion.

kyfdx

28firefighter said:

We had Pirellia Cinturato RFTs on the X1 that lasted about 23k miles before hitting 3/32 tread - they rode poorly from Day 1. The Goodyear Eagle Sport RFTs that we replaced them with to return the lease were far more palatable, at least as far as RFTs go.

The Outback has Bridgestone Duelers that are pretty good so far - ride well and seem to handle well in the rain. Didn't really get a chance to test them in the snow. If and when they need replacement, it'll get Michelins.

The ZHP came with Bridgestone Potenza high performance tires. They are not my favorite and I'm planning to replace them with Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ when the time comes.

The OEM tires on the ZHP in '06 were Potenza S-04s. Incredible grip, but they tramlined like crazy. They would follow a squirrel track. And, $335/ea. in 2010.

The Pilot Sports I put on around 75K miles were the best tires I've ever had... (and, pricey!)

tifighter

Contis came OEM on both of our cars. The X is a known tire eater (heavy + torque), so I'm not expecting a ton of life from the current set. Winters are X-Ice 3 on the Model 3, which have been fine, and the Nokian R3 on the X, which have amazing grip, but are kinda loud.

28firefighter

That’s exactly what’s on there now - whatever the newest version is. And they absolutely tramline like crazy. It’s fine for spirited driving on “perfect” roads, but heaven help you if you drive on the *finest* roads here in WA...

tifighter

Also, this video made me laugh as he's basically drag racing my garage-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCEHY2IftHo
I have the slow ones.

pensfan83

The truck has Goodyear, Acura has Michelin, Honda has Contis, and the ZHP has Firestone. I'll probably switch over to Michelin's for the ZHP as well when the current tires wear out.

benjaminh

Perhaps the earliest poster of what became known in America as the Michelin Man. In his native land of France he's called "Bibendum."

From wikipedia:
While attending the Universal and Colonial Exposition in Lyon in 1894, Édouard and André Michelin noticed a stack of tyres that suggested to Édouard the figure of a man without arms. Four years later, André met French cartoonist Marius Rossillon, popularly known as O'Galop, who showed him a rejected image he had created for a Munich brewery — a large, regal figure holding a huge glass of beer and quoting Horace's phrase "Nunc est bibendum". André immediately suggested replacing the man with a figure made from tyres. Thus O'Galop transformed the earlier image into Michelin's symbol. Today, Bibendum is one of the world's most recognised trademarks, representing Michelin in over 150 countries.

The 1898 poster showed him offering the toast Nunc est bibendum to his scrawny competitors with a glass full of road hazards, with the title and the tag C'est à dire : À votre santé. Le pneu Michelin boit l'obstacle ("That is to say: Here's to your health. The Michelin tyre drinks up obstacles").

stickguy

I have had Michelins on a few cars as OEM. I never paid the extra to have them put on afterwards.

some lasted, but a couple (the Odyssey being the most notable example) they wore out really early. No issues though with performance up to that point (well, until they were going bald). I always look at reviews, including CR, and there are usually cheaper options that perform comparably. That is how I picked the Coopers. The 2nd choice option was the General Altimax RT 43.

with any luck I wont be buying tires again for a good 4-5 years!

tjc78

I know I’ve said it before but I’ve had my best luck with Michelin tires. Both my rides have them currently and I couldn’t be happier.

The Genesis had Dunlop SP sports that were useless in bad weather. $300 a tire too since I had to replace one from a nail in the side wall.

One of my Avalon’s had Bridgestone Turanza EL400. That is a poor excuse for a tire. Bald after 27000 miles and bad in wet weather from day 1.

explorerx4

From what I remember, Michelin says the life of their tires is 6 years(or maybe used to be).
Last set, I had for 6 years and then the sidewalls started splitting.
Replaced them with General's which were very quiet throughout their life.

stickguy

6-7 years, somewhere around there, is what I remember as the acceptable life span of a tire, regardless of tread left on it. Though I am sure that it varies depending on all factors (use, weather conditions, etc.)

nyccarguy

pensfan83 said:

Speaking of timing belts, depending on how long it takes to sell the Prelude I may get that service done. Some of you who are more mechanically inclined can probably let me know if this is overpriced but on the face of it there's a lot the shop includes that I wanted anyway. $725 parts/labor for the basic service, includes all below:

-Timing Belt
-Drive Belt
-Balance Shaft Belt
-Balance Shaft Seals
-Camshaft Seals
-Spark Plug Tube Seals
-Tensioner
-Valve Cover Gasket
-Coolant Change
-Water Pump
-Theromstat

Adding a valve adjustment, oil cooler seal, distributor o ring, and new spark plugs adds ~$330. So for roughly $1,100 that seems like a lot of work to me and addresses just about every major seal on the car, save for the front and rear main seals...the latter of which is best replaced during a clutch replacement.

EDIT: Added water pimp

I remember having the plugs done at around 100K miles. If they have been changed once then I wouldn’t especially since you are planning to sell. I’ve never had a valve adjustment either. If the car still pulls strong, I’d see no reason to do that if you are selling.

corvette

Michaell said:

Just realized I have Coopers on the Outback, as well.

Were those OE, or replacements?

corvette

explorerx4 said:

Pirelli's must be spotty, too.
I've had 3 sets of Scorpions and they flat spot in the cold very quickly.
My wife has P7's on her MKC and the first set only lasted 45k and got very noisy.

45k is decent mileage, especially if that was an OE tire--long life doesn't seem to be a huge criteria for most OEs.

corvette

Ordered a new toy... The lead acid battery in my old tire inflator wasn't holding up so well. I have some Black & Decker 20v tools and bought their inflator from Amazon. Once I figured out how to use it, I was impressed. Set it at 36 psi and it has an automatic shut-off once it hits that mark, which my old one didn't have. Also, it runs off of the 20v lithium-ion battery packs (which I have four of), or 12V DC, or 120V AC, so I shouldn't have any more issues running out of power.

xwesx

venture said:

I had X-ice on my BMW. They were really good - until they were about half worn. Then they didn't grip well at all.

That is about right. IIRC, the XI-3 comes with 12/32" tread depth from new. Once you get to 7/32", they are essentially done for winter use... particularly in terms of the ice benefits. Winter tires tend to have a soft outer tread compound that greatly helps them grip on slick surfaces. However, they are not entirely made of the stuff because it would make the tires feel unstable for driving. Some of these tires (not sure if XI3 is one of them) have a "winter wear band" on them that helps you to tell when they are no longer an effective winter tire.

Mine went from 12/32 to 8/32 after three winters of use, so they still worked well on ice. They just never had any real ability provide good directional stability in deep snow (anything over about 3" of snow). I think they just don't have enough of an open block tread pattern to shed the snow effectively. What makes them work really well on ice works against them in snow.

After using them for the whole summer, they were still very close to 8/32 tread depth, which I found very surprising. Mile for mile, somehow they managed to wear better through the summer months than through the winter. One of those great mysteries in life.

xwesx

explorerx4 said:

From what I remember, Michelin says the life of their tires is 6 years(or maybe used to be).
Last set, I had for 6 years and then the sidewalls started splitting.
Replaced them with General's which were very quiet throughout their life.

That is very true of tires most of the time... particularly if you do not do anything to help preserve them. However, if you put some extra effort into it, they can last much longer.

On my C20, I installed the current tires in July of 1997. They have a few signs of age (mostly just tread-worn from use), but they are still pliable and look really good. On my F250, the plow truck, the tires are from 2005 and they look new in every respect. I generally think of them as "new" tires since I put them on when I first brought the truck home, but it's a little shocking to think how long ago that was. For the E100, the tires I replaced last summer were installed in 1994, and I didn't start putting effort into preserving them until far too late. By last year, they were so very done. But, they still held air and could move the van about... at least at low speeds!

pensfan83

nyccarguy said:

pensfan83 said:

Speaking of timing belts, depending on how long it takes to sell the Prelude I may get that service done. Some of you who are more mechanically inclined can probably let me know if this is overpriced but on the face of it there's a lot the shop includes that I wanted anyway. $725 parts/labor for the basic service, includes all below:

-Timing Belt
-Drive Belt
-Balance Shaft Belt
-Balance Shaft Seals
-Camshaft Seals
-Spark Plug Tube Seals
-Tensioner
-Valve Cover Gasket
-Coolant Change
-Water Pump
-Theromstat

Adding a valve adjustment, oil cooler seal, distributor o ring, and new spark plugs adds ~$330. So for roughly $1,100 that seems like a lot of work to me and addresses just about every major seal on the car, save for the front and rear main seals...the latter of which is best replaced during a clutch replacement.

EDIT: Added water pimp

I remember having the plugs done at around 100K miles. If they have been changed once then I wouldn’t especially since you are planning to sell. I’ve never had a valve adjustment either. If the car still pulls strong, I’d see no reason to do that if you are selling.

You made me go look at the paperwork, haha. It looks like they were replaced in 2014 based on a purchase receipt from Advance, mileage unknown because I'm guessing the PO did it himself. When I was talking with the shop I asked what other recommendations they usually make when getting the t-belt done and they ticked off the valve adjustment, oil cooler seal, distributor o ring and spark plugs. I asked about plug wires but he said unless it's running rough or their otherwise fouled (it's not and they are not) they usually aren't needed. I was already planning on an oil cooler seal so I'll at least get that done. He commented I'm one of only a handful that ask about doing more to the car, many people ask about removing items from their standard timing belt service to save $$$. My almost immediate response is they probably shouldn't drive the car they have then.

benjaminh

stickguy said:

On the RDX I was getting buy and lease quotes since there is a lot more lease cash it seems. But I still can’t come to terms with paying over $500/month for something I just give back at the end. And while a nice car, not like I’m driving a high end Mercedes!

But these days wouldn't a high end Mercedes lease at $600+ a month? The MB 2020 GLB 250 SUV starts at c. $500 a month for a lease without any options, and once you option it up to the level of a RDX Tech SH-AWD I think it would be at least 600, and maybe more.

Your current RDX has one of the greatest luxuries of all—a payment of $0 a month. I can't wait to get there with our CR-V. Just a few more months....

oldfarmer50

benjaminh said:

Oh your engine is still from the era of timing belts instead of chains. They switched the 4-cylinders iirc to a "life of the engine" timing chain more than ten years ago, but for the 6 cylinders I guess they didn't?

I've never heard of Cooper tires. Do you like them?

They’re made by stickguy’s uncle Cooper.

kyfdx

28firefighter said:

That’s exactly what’s on there now - whatever the newest version is. And they absolutely tramline like crazy. It’s fine for spirited driving on “perfect” roads, but heaven help you if you drive on the *finest* roads here in WA...

Why anyone would choose those tires, 15 years later, is a mystery. So many better choices.

kyfdx

pensfan83 said:

The truck has Goodyear, Acura has Michelin, Honda has Contis, and the ZHP has Firestone. I'll probably switch over to Michelin's for the ZHP as well when the current tires wear out.

I'll just mention that those Firestones were $422 out the door...

stickguy

see that doggie on the green background? That is Cooper. It makes me happy to see his name on my tires!

oldfarmer50

pensfan83 said:

Speaking of timing belts, depending on how long it takes to sell the Prelude I may get that service done. Some of you who are more mechanically inclined can probably let me know if this is overpriced but on the face of it there's a lot the shop includes that I wanted anyway. $725 parts/labor for the basic service, includes all below:

-Timing Belt
-Drive Belt
-Balance Shaft Belt
-Balance Shaft Seals
-Camshaft Seals
-Spark Plug Tube Seals
-Tensioner
-Valve Cover Gasket
-Coolant Change
-Water Pump
-Theromstat

Adding a valve adjustment, oil cooler seal, distributor o ring, and new spark plugs adds ~$330. So for roughly $1,100 that seems like a lot of work to me and addresses just about every major seal on the car, save for the front and rear main seals...the latter of which is best replaced during a clutch replacement.

EDIT: Added water pimp

The ball park estimate for just timing belt change on my old Sebring was $1000 so $750 for all that stuff is reasonable. Years ago I had both belt and pump done on an identical engine for $650.

benjaminh

My TLX at this point has almost 25,000 miles, and so if I keep it it'll probably need new tires at 40k, which likely would be in a year and half from now. Here's how much the OEM tires cost at one of my local tire stores:

GOODYEAR EAGLE LS-2 225/55R17 (no mileage warranty)
$566.52 TOTAL INSTALLED PRICE

I like these tires for comfort, performance, and quietness. But if they only last 3 years and c. 40k miles I might go with something else.

Some options....

GOODYEAR ASSURANCE MAXLIFE (supposedly a c.85k tire??)
$642.52 TOTAL INSTALLED PRICE (after $100 rebate)

GOODYEAR ASSURANCE COMFORTRED TOURING (70k warranty)
508.52 TOTAL INSTALLED PRICE (after $250 rebate)

MICHELIN PILOT SPORT A/S 3+ (45k--and so doesn't get longer life, but better handling)
$822.52 TOTAL INSTALLED PRICE

MICHELIN DEFENDER T+H (80k--and so lasts twice as long for the same price as above)
$826.52 TOTAL INSTALLED PRICE

Costco has tires too, and they seem to include in their prices full rotation, balance, and puncture warranty for the price, which must be extra at the tire shop. The Comfortred seems the bargain in this group, but it's the opposite of a performance tire, although it would be quiet and comfortable.

I wonder if the Acura dealer does tires? My Honda dealer used to say they would match the price of the local tire dealers.

kyfdx

@benjaminh In my experience, if Costco offers the tire you want, their price is hard to beat.

They are a stickler for size, etc, though. It's no fun trying to buy tires for an old car, there.

stickguy

I guarantee your Acura dealer does tires. And likely will match local competitor prices.

benjaminh

You're right kyfdx, the Costco prices do seem good—esp. since they include service and a full warranty.

Costco: Michelin - Defender T + H $772 installed. That's $50 less than the discount tire place.

And here's a good deal on a tire, but it's still a name brand
Bridgestone - TURANZA QUIETTRACK $665 installed for an 80k tire.

And Costco says "Our tire installation includes rotation, balancing, nitrogen tire inflation and more. It also includes a warranty for mileage, road hazard and manufacturer's defects."

nyccarguy

benjaminh said:

My TLX at this point has almost 25,000 miles, and so if I keep it it'll probably need new tires at 40k, which likely would be in a year and half from now. Here's how much the OEM tires cost at one of my local tire stores:

GOODYEAR EAGLE LS-2 225/55R17 (no mileage warranty)
$566.52 TOTAL INSTALLED PRICE

I like these tires for comfort, performance, and quietness. But if they only last 3 years and c. 40k miles I might go with something else.

Some options....

GOODYEAR ASSURANCE MAXLIFE (supposedly a c.85k tire??)
$642.52 TOTAL INSTALLED PRICE (after $100 rebate)

GOODYEAR ASSURANCE COMFORTRED TOURING (70k warranty)
508.52 TOTAL INSTALLED PRICE (after $250 rebate)

MICHELIN PILOT SPORT A/S 3+ (45k--and so doesn't get longer life, but better handling)
$822.52 TOTAL INSTALLED PRICE

MICHELIN DEFENDER T+H (80k--and so lasts twice as long for the same price as above)
$826.52 TOTAL INSTALLED PRICE

Costco has tires too, and they seem to include in their prices full rotation, balance, and puncture warranty for the price, which must be extra at the tire shop. The Comfortred seems the bargain in this group, but it's the opposite of a performance tire, although it would be quiet and comfortable.

I wonder if the Acura dealer does tires? My Honda dealer used to say they would match the price of the local tire dealers.

Turn it in when the lease is up or when you get a pull ahead. Don't worry about tires.

benjaminh

nyccarguy said:

Turn it in when the lease is up or when you get a pull ahead. Don't worry about tires.

That might be appealing. But I really like this car. I feel mixed about turbos, and it seems like I'm driving one of the last of the naturally aspirated engines out there in an entry level lux car. Plus the 4-wheel steering, which I'm guessing might not be included in the next TLX. And someday I'd like to get to the point where I don't have a payment. But it's true I'm going to need to figure in at least $700 in tires almost immediately if I don't turn it in.

Do worn out tires count as "damage" for a lease?