Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

pensfan83

Acura gives you a $750 credit for damages/excess wear that gets bumped to $1,500 if you lease or buy a new one.

stickguy

I’m counting on that since I’m not getting my rashes wheel fixed!

breld

All this tire talk is interesting - I tend to be too price driven (within reputable brands) and should pay more attention to specific tire reviews.

That said...I’m stuck on @qbrozen’s post. So you can get out of the lease after a couple months without losing any money on a vehicle that left you stranded recently with poor explanation from the dealer and you can car shop again?

pensfan83

Wait a minute....when's the last time you actually had to buy tires for a car

benjaminh

When my 2008 Accord got to c. 55k miles I replaced the tires, and did an upgrade (to Michelins iirc) that was c. $900 for 4 tires with installation, tax, and road hazard warranty. I could have gotten cheap tires for half the price, but I wanted quality, and I could immediately tell in terms of handling and braking that they were really good tires. The tires made the car more fun to drive. And they were still in pretty good shape when I traded the car in at c.90k miles. It was a bit more trouble to get the tires serviced at the tire place regularly to maintain the warranty as it added an additional stop to my regular service at the dealer.

But I doubt anyone is going to be able to match Costco prices when the time comes.

ab348

kyfdx said:

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

Heck, you pay that much for a full set of most Firestones... :laughing:

jmonroe

benjaminh said:

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."

I sure hope you don't believe you're going to get 80K miles out of any tire. I've said it before and I'll say it again, "I'd whack my favorite goldfish for mileage like that". It just ain't gonna happen. What you will get with a quality tire is good grip, comfortable drive, quiet ride, low noise, etc. But it ain't going to last 80K miles. Especially with the guys that hang out in here that like to do some spirited driving every now and then when they see some open twisty roads, honest.

jmonroe

tjc78

IDK J... the Michelin's on my 2004 MGM had 55K (at least) on them and weren't even half worn. If I kept it I would have had to replace them based on time not wear.

breld

pensfan83 said:

Wait a minute....when's the last time you actually had to buy tires for a car

Well, I did curb my rear wheel in my Q7 to the point where I needed a new tire.

Other than that, I'm starting to understand from these posts that tires wear out eventually?

tjc78

Other than that, I'm starting to understand from these posts that tires wear out eventually?

Cars get oil changes too !

kyfdx

breld said:

pensfan83 said:

Wait a minute....when's the last time you actually had to buy tires for a car

Well, I did curb my rear wheel in my Q7 to the point where I needed a new tire.

Other than that, I'm starting to understand from these posts that tires wear out eventually?

Some cars even get registration and metal plates!

jmonroe

tjc78 said:

IDK J... the Michelin's on my 2004 MGM had 55K (at least) on them and weren't even half worn. If I kept it I would have had to replace them based on time not wear.

My experience with tires is that the last 50% of tread does not last as long as the first 50% and I've found this to be true regardless of brand. I'm still looking forward to getting 55K miles on any tire and I don't buy cheap tires. I'm considering going back to Cooper tires the next time I need tires because, while not cheap, they seem to last just as long as the top of the line Bridgestones that cost more, while giving the same performance for less money as best as I can tell.

jmonroe

benjaminh

jmonroe said:

....I sure hope you don't believe you're going to get 80K miles out of any tire....

Yeah, I don't really believe any tire can go 80k and still be in good shape. But maybe 60-70k?

stickguy

Well 50% tread gone is really 2/3 done, since you replace them at 1/4 of tread. Easy!

Also, the miles rating is not what they say you should get. Just what they take the prorated wear out warranty to. Which in my experience, is rarely going to be worth anything to the owner, and usually gets denied.

stickguy

So, got tlx in to the shop this AM. Good thing, where I thought the fender was pushed in was just bumper popped out. And the bumper is fixable. Mostly just a sand smooth and respray on the plastic. Annoying is it just caught the tip of fender and 1/4” tail of the light. So needs a smidge of touch up paint on the fender, but no actual paint work.

They are going to clean and buff the light, but the writer said based on what the car is, will call to replace it. What’s interesting is he said most likely they will offer a deal. They will repair as best they can, and Geico kicks some $ back to me if I keep it as it is instead of putting a new one on. Had a nice chat about it and he as pretty sure that once done it would not get flagged at lease end, or even be noticeable. So I might get a few bucks for my trouble out of this situation at least.

28firefighter

Get it fixed right. Forego the $$ from Geico. Just my opinion.

stickguy

Oh, this is a Geico affiliate, and enterprise is right on site. Real simple. Drop car off, place deals with everything, and rentals right there. Got a 7,000 mile 2020 Equinox 1LT. Based on ratio of noise to forward motion, a base 4 banger. Not very comfy seats but at least power. Wanders around a bit. Odd controls (took a while to find radio buttons on the back of the steering wheel). Hopefully repair is quick so I don’t need it too long. At least it is free.

stickguy

28firefighter said:

Get it fixed right. Forego the $$ from Geico. Just my opinion.

Depends on what they offer. Hey, it’s a lease, so all that matters is if it will pass end of lease inspection! It really is a small scrape, not even a piece broken off.

tjc78

That's true, you should replace at the wear bars of course. I've never put 80K on any car I've owned, so I'm certainly not going to find out.

I know if I kept the MGM I would have run the tires another 10K and then they would have been too old for me to feel comfortable. That would have been 65K.

benjaminh

My TLX's K24W7 2.4 engine with good maintenance might make it to 200,000 miles. If I keep driving at my current rate of c. 1400 miles a month then 200k would be reached about ten years from now. These K-series engines seem to last pretty well even when subjected to abuse by mods. As the guy in this 6-minute video on the K-series says, naturally aspirated engines from Honda and Acura look like they're on their way out, and so if I feel like staying old school I might want to stick with it.

The other question though is how long will the 8-speed dual clutch transmission with torque converter on the TLX last? I bet those cost a fortune to replace or even repair.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PMscNdksJ0

stickguy

That’s one reason I considered buying out my TLX. But not now after time in the body shop!

jmonroe

stickguy said:

Well 50% tread gone is really 2/3 done, since you replace them at 1/4 of tread. Easy!

Also, the miles rating is not what they say you should get. Just what they take the prorated wear out warranty to. Which in my experience, is rarely going to be worth anything to the owner, and usually gets denied.

To me, if they are going to prorate a tire to 80K miles they are saying it's an 80K mile tire. Although I agree that most of the time people can't collect on the prorated warranty because they didn't get the tires rebalance and rotated in accordance with the fine print. Even when the tire shop does grant the prorated warranty, they are insuring another sale because the cost to the owner to replace their tires is going to be less than if they go elsewhere.

My Firestone store has never denied proration to me becasue I follow the balancing and rotation regimen. When I buy tires I always pay more to get lifetime balancing plus I have payed a little more to get lifetime alignment too because I usually keep my cars for at least 6 or 7 years. If you trade often, this additional expense may not be worth biteing the bullet when you buy tires. For me it's been well worth it. In fact, when the first set of Bridgestones on my '09 Genny, were about worn out but had enough tread to pass the PA state inspection (I reasoned that they would have needed replacment in another 2K miles), I went to the Firestone store and ask for a full proration on those tires. The manager went out and looked at all 4 tires and said he would make the full adjustment because I followed their rules. I remember him saying they don't usually make early adjustments but since I was diligent with the maintenance of the tires he'd do that for me and fight with the Firestone district manager if he had to. That manager isn't there anymore so I don't know what the new guy would do under similar circumstances. But I feel I pay plenty for those top of the line Bridgestones so getting better than average service isn't too much to ask for.

Like we always say in here, "if you don't ask you don't get".

jmonroe

andres3

I had the Michelin Pilot A/S 3+ on the Alltrack, they are a very good tire for general all around all-season use. Still, if you want performance, go Pilot Sport 4S.

corvette

kyfdx said:

breld said:

pensfan83 said:

Wait a minute....when's the last time you actually had to buy tires for a car

Well, I did curb my rear wheel in my Q7 to the point where I needed a new tire.

Other than that, I'm starting to understand from these posts that tires wear out eventually?

Some cars even get registration and metal plates!

Along those lines, I got the inspection done on the Tundra. The sheriff's deputy said they only verify the VIN and don't do a full inspection if the car has under 5,000 miles. FedExed the paperwork back to the dealer.

corvette

benjaminh said:

jmonroe said:

....I sure hope you don't believe you're going to get 80K miles out of any tire....

Yeah, I don't really believe any tire can go 80k and still be in good shape. But maybe 60-70k?

The Michelins on my dad's New Beetle hit 100k in about two years of commuting. They still had good tread, but I think one got a nail or something, and we replaced the whole set due to the number of miles on them. Similar mileage with the OE Uniroyals on a GMC Sonoma.

andres3

benjaminh said:

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?

Kia Finance's rule was 4/32" you are OK, 3/32" you have to replace or be overcharged.

kyfdx

corvette said:

kyfdx said:

breld said:

pensfan83 said:

Wait a minute....when's the last time you actually had to buy tires for a car

Well, I did curb my rear wheel in my Q7 to the point where I needed a new tire.

Other than that, I'm starting to understand from these posts that tires wear out eventually?

Some cars even get registration and metal plates!

Along those lines, I got the inspection done on the Tundra. The sheriff's deputy said they only verify the VIN and don't do a full inspection if the car has under 5,000 miles. FedExed the paperwork back to the dealer.

I don't think out sheriff ever verifies anything but VIN and mileage.

Local glass shop that buffed my headlight cover said they doubted the windshield would pass inspection, but the deputy never even looked at it, and they had to look right through a big chip to see the VIN.

xwesx

kyfdx said:

@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.

When I get tires at Costco for an older vehicle, I just bring in the rims and they have never had an issue putting the new tires on. None of my older vehicles tend to get factory spec tire sizes due to the lack of modern equivalents. However, if I don't bring in the vehicle, then any fitment problems are mine, not theirs.

kyfdx

xwesx said:

kyfdx said:

@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.

When I get tires at Costco for an older vehicle, I just bring in the rims and they have never had an issue putting the new tires on. None of my older vehicles tend to get factory spec tire sizes due to the lack of modern equivalents. However, if I don't bring in the vehicle, then any fitment problems are mine, not theirs.

Did that once... made the mistake of telling them which model it was for. Got the tires mounted, but had to listen to a five minute spiel... 🙄

cdnpinhead

It probably has to do with the liability issues resulting from the Ford Exploder situation from a number of years ago. No one is considered capable of deciding what tires they need, which axle they need to go on (I often only buy two at a time), and how much pressure they should have. I've grown tired of arguing with the Discount Tire store I've dealt with for most of 40 years, so now just bring in the worn tires on rims and have new ones installed.

Now that I run winter tires on a separate set of wheels, it's become much more straightforward. For my wife's Forester, I just bring the car home and adjust the pressures to what it says on the door jamb -- they always overinflate to a fare-thee-well.

stickguy

so, might have figured out why the Rentinox wandered around the road a bit. Was playing with the buttons (what looked like the radio station change was actually for the TC menu) and found the tire pressure readout and one was way out (high). so I just pulled out my pump and gauge, and they were all over the place. sticker said 35 all around. RF was 41. LF was 28, as was RR. LR was pretty close at 33.5. Quite the spread, since I am not running a modified dirt car!

so now they are all between 33.5-35. Close enough for now. The thing must have recently been serviced too, since the oil life reading was a 98%.

tifighter

Everyone is different on the tire subject. Although there are tires out there rated for 60K miles or whatever, my personal switch time is after about 3 years. When I think of all the cold/heat cycles, UV degradation, load and other things that a tire goes through, and how much the rubber compound changes from these things over time, I'd just rather know that the one item that contacts the road is in above average condition at all times. Tires are cheaper than accidents.

tjc78

Things only a car guy would do to a rental...

I've been known to wipe things down if they don't look clean.

Speaking of TPMS that is the one knock I have about the Volvo. It does not give you individual readouts. I think any GM does and even my 21K Elantra had it.

stickguy

I am fine with 5 years or 50K miles if they are still in good shape up to that point.

stickguy

tjc78 said:

Things only a car guy would do to a rental...

I've been known to wipe things down if they don't look clean.

Speaking of TPMS that is the one knock I have about the Volvo. It does not give you individual readouts. I think any GM does and even my 21K Elantra had it.

I remember reading about why Volvo does that (I think on Swedespeed), There is actually a specific reason (not just being cheap) they do it that way but I can't recall what it was. Personally I love having the individual tire readout.

there is something gunked on the windshield too. I think that will be getting cleaned next. Not that I plan to use the thing much over the weekend. The TLX is probably going to be ready monday, but chance of Saturday.

ab348

cdnpinhead said:

Now that I run winter tires on a separate set of wheels, it's become much more straightforward. For my wife's Forester, I just bring the car home and adjust the pressures to what it says on the door jamb -- they always overinflate to a fare-thee-well.

I find that really odd as well. I have a tire shop I use regularly, and I like them - except they cannot ever seem to get tire pressures right. It is uncanny. A few years ago I had the Cutlass in there for some front end work and when I was driving home I thought it felt very different, but not in the way I expected. I didn't think to check pressures right away since they weren't doing anything with the tires. But after driving it again a few days later the light bulb went on and I pulled out the gauge. RF was at 45, LF 41, LR18. WTH? More recently something similar though not as extreme happened with my winter wheels & tires. For a place that will lecture you about various practices relating to tire usage, I just don't get it.

Sandman6472

Working another 6 day week this week it seems. Was taking vehicles out of our West Palm Beach lot all day but for every 10 we took out, 20 more went in! Both sides are nearly completely full, have never seen it so full! Even had us start at 7 am today and same tomorrow. Wouldn't be surprised to see 7 become the new starting time very soon. Only 5 of us are working tomorrow and Saturday as the others just plain refuse!
I am tired and hoping this all will end by month's end. I'm going away April 2nd for four days and will not cancel, no matter what!

explorerx4

If I'm going to have a rental car overnight, at home, I set the tires pressures and wash it if possible.
My wife usually gets between 60-70k on tires, so 45k was a disappointment.

ronsteve

stickguy said:

tjc78 said:

Speaking of TPMS that is the one knock I have about the Volvo. It does not give you individual readouts. I think any GM does and even my 21K Elantra had it.

I remember reading about why Volvo does that (I think on Swedespeed), There is actually a specific reason (not just being cheap) they do it that way but I can't recall what it was. Personally I love having the individual tire readout.

I do like the individual readout myself. Actually first saw that back in '11 on a Dodge Avenger, of all vehicles. My RDX has it, but the wife's Jetta does not.

Trying to remember what I had on the rental Murano that I had a flat with in Tucson... I want to say it didn't give me individual pressures but it did tell me which tire had the problem. Which only became obvious a few min after I got to my destination.

cdnpinhead

I've been spoiled for 13 years with the individual pressure readouts provided by the TSX. Being ignorant of how the law was written back then and how other mfgs chose to do it, it took me a number of years to learn that the only actual requirement was to provide a warning if any tire fell below a minimum level. A real PITA, especially with a rental in Carson City, NV, when I wanted to understand if the light had to do with normal low ambient temperature overnight pressure drop or whether one of the tires truly had an issue.

Live and learn, I guess. That said, I've still got the TSX, and the readouts are still as accurate and helpful as ever (even the ones supplied on the Tire Rack Michelin x-ice tire/wheel combos). I've come to grips with the notion that when the Forester lights up, it's on me to take a gauge around the car and figure out what's what.

Sandman6472

Had a big discussion last night about what else, me getting a new vehicle. Bottom line is that she thinks it's a real waste to swap out the Golf on something brand new considering I'm driving more than 2/3's less than before. Think I'll be lucky if I even drive 3k miles this whole year, if even that. Right now, zero issues with it. Only trip planned is in about 18 days when I go up to the Orlando area for a four day trip. Not sure what we'll be doing this summer or fall as it depends on our work schedule and if the wedding actually happens in October. Bottom line here is the Golf is getting very few miles put on it so might just be prudent to postpone any purchase to a later date. And to be honest, it's probably a smart idea. If something major does happen with the Golf, then things would change depending on what that issue/issues would be.
Bottom line, decided to table the new vehicle for me for the time being. Will still do a few test drives over the next month or two but want to test everything new coming out that'll be under 176"...and then go from there. Seeing how I was putting 13K/year on it up through November, and how maybe I'll be down to 3K, waiting till 2022 could be the time for me to make any move. Seems a long way away and that itch is as strong as ever right now, but, the timing is just a bit off. So...we'll wait and see. But if I find something that really knocks my socks off, like the Golf did back in late 2014, then all bets are off and I'll pull the trigger!

qbrozen

You people and your tire talk gave my wife a flat! Oh, and get this, the X2 does NOT HAVE RUNFLATS! And no can of fix a flat. Nothing. Had it towed home.

jmonroe

qbrozen said:

You people and your tire talk gave my wife a flat! Oh, and get this, the X2 does NOT HAVE RUNFLATS! And no can of fix a flat. Nothing. Had it towed home.

That's why I refuse to brag about cars and appliances that I don't have a problem with.

jmonroe

benjaminh

cdnpinhead said:

I've been spoiled for 13 years with the individual pressure readouts provided by the TSX....

How many miles on your TSX? Did you buy it new? Any repairs beyond regular maintenance so far? What kind of mpg?

benjaminh

I can get run flats at Costco, which might be a possibility when the time comes, since I don't have a spare....

Bridgestone - DRIVEGUARD
Tire Size: 225/55R17Warranty: 60k miles
Season: All-SeasonRun Flat: Yes
Load Index: 97Speed Rating: V
Discounted Price$629.96+$80 installation

corvette

qbrozen said:

You people and your tire talk gave my wife a flat! Oh, and get this, the X2 does NOT HAVE RUNFLATS! And no can of fix a flat. Nothing. Had it towed home.

Just put it in line for replacement after you replace the Ioniq.

cdnpinhead

benjaminh said:

cdnpinhead said:

I've been spoiled for 13 years with the individual pressure readouts provided by the TSX....

How many miles on your TSX? Did you buy it new? Any repairs beyond regular maintenance so far? What kind of mpg?

161K (original clutch) and yes, I bought it new. It had to be trucked down from CO since there were none in AZ with a manual transmission (imagine!) and the right color combinaiton.

The only thing beyond normal maintenance items was the need for the replacement of the steering rack. I don't know how much you know about Hondas, but this is a known issue.

MPG runs in the high 20's. On the road at high elevations (less air resistance) I've seen high 30's.

This car meets all of my needs perfectly. It's designed so carefully for me that I'm still finding stuff I didn't see at first. If you look out the rear window in the rear-view mirror (duh), eventually you may notice that the top border of the mirror exactly matches the profile of the window. This is anal-retentive stuff I realize, but it works for me.

If this car goes South for whatever reason, I'll be gutted. There's nothing on the market today that even comes close.

qbrozen

corvette said:

qbrozen said:

You people and your tire talk gave my wife a flat! Oh, and get this, the X2 does NOT HAVE RUNFLATS! And no can of fix a flat. Nothing. Had it towed home.

Just put it in line for replacement after you replace the Ioniq.

Seems to be a fairly big hole, but I’m going to attempt to plug it tomorrow.

corvette

cdnpinhead said:

This car meets all of my needs perfectly. ...
If this car goes South for whatever reason, I'll be gutted. There's nothing on the market today that even comes close.

I feel the same way about my G37. If I had it to do over again, I'd probably spend more for a couple years newer model (Q40?) and get AWD and the built-in navigation, which is required in order to be able to stream Bluetooth audio from your phone without plugging it in.

With that being said, it's not a huge regret, since I need to put 12k / year on the Tundra for the next two years and probably won't be driving the G very much.

stickguy

even though it probably costs more, 2 years leases sound really good. by the time you get used to the car, already into the home stretch for a new one!