Question on turning in lease with aftermarket wheels

[CGADAMS]

from what my dealership told me, and my friends who work at dealers, if the vehicle has been modified from how it rolled off the lot and is at least tasteful or better looking to most people they will accept it no questions asked. now if you role in on steelies and hubcap spinners it would be a different story. post a pic of the car with the wheels on it and let us judge! lol

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[c-rizzle]

1. Ebay... find the cheapest OEM wheels for your model.
You can find some cheap 4 wheel/tire combos.

Wheel & Tire combo: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Brand-New-...ash=item2130e33fec:g:YnMAAOSwv-NWalRa&vxp=mtr

Or just wheels and have them swap tires... assuming you have swapable size tires.:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2015-2018-...ash=item56906b5f94:g:Kp8AAOSwJc9acMfs&vxp=mtr

2. Craiglist - ask if anyone with a 2015-2017 wants to trade their OEM wheel/tires for your wheel/tires.

3. Check / post in the FS/Trade Forums here.

4. Alternatively, start asking people at red lights.... with stock mustangs... hey want to trade wheels?

 

[Madtel4]

I did wonder about something like that before though, does anyone ever take a rental of their same car (lets say a base car like a Nissan Versa) and swap out all the wheels/tires?

Cheaper than buying new tires and nothing visual really changed to trigger something for the rental company...

They say in 1966 the Shelby GT350H (Hertz rental) had the Shelby engine swapped for a stock 200 hp 289 by a customer.
Lee

 

[MrCincinnati]

check with your leasing company and see if the dealership will be doing the inspection or a 3rd party. If it's a 3rd party I wouldn't worry about it too much because they probably don't know/care what the stock wheels are as long as they don't look ridiculous or out of place. If it's the dealership - I'd be more concerned.

If you're really concerned - go on autotrader and find your model with the right wheels and offer the seller a swap for your aftermarkets.

 

[Cobra Jet]

Are ya gonna replace the aftermarket exhaust you put on it too?? Saw your ad looking for stock exhaust...

I can see why some folks option to lease a vehicle due to varying reasons - but in the long run, isn’t it more costly to pay all of the lease payments then if deciding to buy the vehicle in the end, having to entertain payments all over again?

Modifying a leased vehicle ... just makes no sense, because most lessee’s don’t end up buying the car in the end, they opt to lease the next newest trend...

 

[MrCincinnati]

Are ya gonna replace the aftermarket exhaust you put on it too?? Saw your ad looking for stock exhaust...

I can see why some folks option to lease a vehicle due to varying reasons - but in the long run, isn’t it more costly to pay all of the lease payments then if deciding to buy the vehicle in the end, having to entertain payments all over again?

Modifying a leased vehicle ... just makes no sense, because most lessee’s don’t end up buying the car in the end, they opt to lease the next newest trend...

Leasing is usually only more costly if compared to a purchase scenario where you hold onto the car for 7+ years.

If you lease every 36mos vs buy every 6-7yrs the lease is usually cheaper - as long as it’s a vehicle with a decent 36mo residual. And - you’re always under a bumper to bumper warranty (36mo lease)

 

[TomcatDriver]

Leasing is usually only more costly if compared to a purchase scenario where you hold onto the car for 7+ years.

If you lease every 36mos vs buy every 6-7yrs the lease is usually cheaper - as long as it’s a vehicle with a decent 36mo residual. And - you’re always under a bumper to bumper warranty (36mo lease)

This is not true. Buying is almost always cheaper than leasing in the long run, even if you are swapping out cars. Certainly if you hold to 6-7 years it will be WAY cheaper to buy. Every time you lease you are buying the initial depreciation. There are still good reasons to lease, particularly if you can write some of it off (although that might be harder next year).

 

[Ylow281]

Exhaust isn't really a big deal. What's on there now is quiet and I got a good deal. If I find one then I'd swap, If not no big loss. I have a line on some stock wheels for cheap so I'll just throw those on.

 

[KevinG]

Pick up a cheap set of 18"s off CL for $400ish.

 

[kluke15]

OP, might help to post your wheels on here so we can tell you maybe with better insight if they will care or not? just a thought.

 

[ctandc72]

Maybe this dealer is the exception - but having been around the car business for a good while and having friends still working in the business, is this really a big deal? If the wheels compliment the car at all - I don't see this being an issue.

A friend of mine got a smoking deal on a Silverado that had been leased. Apparently Dad leased it for his kid. Kid put tuner, exhaust, intake, suspension lift, wheels / tires etc on it. The Dad said he planned to purchase it when lease was up. Turns out he was WAY upside down on the vehicle he traded in to get the Silverado lease. Long story short? Truck got turned it, modified and all. Dealer didn't care. My buddy bought it for the residual / trade value.

 

[Chameleon]

Most sales people are clueless.

 

[MrCincinnati]

This is not true. Buying is almost always cheaper than leasing in the long run, even if you are swapping out cars. Certainly if you hold to 6-7 years it will be WAY cheaper to buy. Every time you lease you are buying the initial depreciation. There are still good reasons to lease, particularly if you can write some of it off (although that might be harder next year).

7 years, yes - 6 years... only if your car holds its value better than most... which is what I already have said.

 

[TomcatDriver]

7 years, yes - 6 years... only if your car holds its value better than most... which is what I already have said.

Well, let's do a quick comparison. On Ford's site right now they are offering a special lease deal on Ecoboost Mustangs -

$269/mo for 36 months, 2739 due at signing (after 1250 customer cash) 31,500 miles (10,500 a year), tax title are extra, base model ($26.5K MSRP). So you are going to pay about half ($12423) in three years. Residual is about $12.5, so yea, you are getting a really low interest rate loan for those three years but you are financing the most expensive 3 years of the car's life ($4000 a year). The residual value lost in the next year is less than $2000. If you drive a more realistic 12000/year you are going to be paying more in mileage penalties also.

If you really want a new car every 3 years, leasing is probably the way to go. If you keep a car much longer than that it's better to buy. The devil is in the details, and on leases the details are complicated. You have purchase price, residual, interest rates, signing costs, fees rolled in etc. The dealer tries to get you focused on monthly payments and the opportunity to be bamboozled is a lot higher.

I usually keep my cars for 10+ years, so you know where I'm going.

 

[awmustang]

When I turned in my ST, it was winter so the very much non-Ford looking aftermarket wheels and winter tires were on the car. They were a size smaller than the stock ST wheels. The guy didn't even notice till I saw him checking the tread and I said, those won't be the tires I'm turning in, these will and pointed to the stock tires that were lined up on the side of the garage.
So like others have said, as long as they are tasteful rims that look like they could be OEM rims, you'll be fine. Remember the guy coming to look at your car, does lease turn-ins from all different manufacturers. He won't be looking for aftermarket rims and they won't stand out to him unless they look wrong. (Way too big, way too small, tires stick out beyond wheel well).
Also, I had tint that was darker than legal in Florida where I bought the car, so it was WAY darker than legal in WI where I turned the car in. I mean you basically couldn't see inside the car. Never said anything during inspection, and never heard about it after.
Post a pic of the aftermarket rims and if the majority of people here find them tasteful, no one will notice in the lease turn-in process till its far too late, if ever.

The point of the pre-turnin inspection is to give you the opportunity to fix anything they find. He will take a bunch of pictures of the car. If he says you are good, all you have to do is turn in a car that matches the pictures and no one will question a thing.

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