You are planning on buying a nicer car in 3 years so the plan is to spend 16k on a lease just to avoid being upside on a car. 16k spent and no asset at the end of that time period.

Is there a better way you can utilize that money to set you up for your next purchase? I think that is the argument people are making by saying you should consider buying.

Having bought a cheaper set of tires before I can say there are reasons (besides safety) to not do so. The ones I bought were significantly louder than the previous tires. The car was a convertible so it was extra noticeable and extremely annoying.

The warehouse clubs (Sam's, Costco) are good places to look for tire deals, probably worth the cost of a membership if you cannot find someone with a membership.

This may be dependent on the amount of money but some things to consider.

Consider parking the money in a CD, HYSA or even investing it and distributing a percentage each year. That way if you change your mind about who you want to give to you still have resources.

Do you want to help support someone's annual budget or give to a big project (new building etc).