19" or 21" wheels

[Richard L]

I agree with you On my 85+ i have the 21s needed new rears at 9,000 miles. Had 2 flats on side walls. The rears started to feel real slippery
at about 6,000 miles. I had the same pilot sports on my 911s lasted 10,000 to 12,000 miles.

 

[Brass Guy]

To those complaining of a floaty ride on the 19"s, do you have the coil or air suspension? I'm thinking of going with the 19"s for practicality, but I like a slightly solid ride so hoping that going with the standard suspension over air will bring back a bit more of the road feel.

The loaners I have driven with air all felt floaty, except for a P85+. I'm always happy to get back to my 19's with coil. Definitely feels more solid to me.

 

[salamagd]

The loaners I have driven with air all felt floaty, except for a P85+. I'm always happy to get back to my 19's with coil. Definitely feels more solid to me.

Thanks for that, good info that makes me feel more confident with my choices! I'm coming from driving Alfas for the last decade or so, so was a bit worried that the Model S might feel too much like a giant boat for my tastes.

 

[spaghetti]

19" with coils here. Just got my annual service done. 14K miles. After rotation have 9/32" tread left on my rear, and 8/32" on front. The ride is not floaty at all - important to have in-spec alignment and right tire pressures.

 

[Chuck P85D]

i'm tired of repeating my answer to this question over and over.

then stop doing it, yo. problem solved.

 

[linkster]

i'm tired of repeating my answer to this question over and over. let me try quick summary this time: 21s are 100-400% faster wear rate than 19s (expect replace every 5-20k vs 40-50k for 19s), much more expensive, noisier, rougher ride, prone to [tiire] damage, prone to [wheel] damage from potholes, prone to curb rash [wheels], they reduce range, SUMMER TIRE ONLY (not to be worn during cold winter...VERY DANGEROUS), so expect flats, tow trucks, many inconveniences, and a very high cost of maintenance [tires+wheels]. but hey, they look cool.

if you want the cool look of the 21s but in 19s instead (so without any of those issues described above), you could get these instead Tesla Wheels For Sale | T Sportline Model TST Wheel 19x85 (I have these in grey mounted on my P85 w\ Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 255/45ZR19s). these wheels closely match OEM specs and passed extensive testing (results posted in other threads). my 2c. honestly, i love the looks of the 21s, but I'm just not willing to deal with any of the above issues or fork out a ridiculous amount of money for upkeep.

+1
yo, Please don't give up educating newbies that don't take the time to read previous threads about this potentially costly mistake.

OP, Short answer: If you have a FATT wallet, get the heavy, low-performance (compared to 20's), damage prone, impractical, alignment-sensitive, but stunningly GORGEOUS 21's.

 

[dsm363]

If people want to buy the 21" rims, let them. It's fine to educate them on the drawbacks but to pound them into the ground with 'you are making a big mistake' or 'you're just wasting your money' doesn't do anyone any good.

 

[Vitaman]

As someone in the ordering process, I can't get enough of these threads.
It all boils down to Handling, Ride, Looks, Potential tire/wheel damage, and Replacement frequency.
In all 5 categories, owners' experience differ. I'm sure a lot has to do with driving style and locale.
These kind of discussions do help educate. Keep those experiences coming.

 

[svp6]

I drove P85+ with 21", S85 with 19" and air, and S60 with 19" and coil suspension. The last two felt floaty indeed. However, my gestalt is the planted stance of the P85+ may have more with the tuned suspension in the 85+ (and now in P85D) rather than the tire size. Would be nice to hear from P85+ owners who switched to 19" wheels.

People complain P85+ with 21" is a rough ride and noisy. I did not think it is rough - same ride as my 650, same as Panamera, MUCH better than 911 / Cayman / Boxter. I would consider the ride perfectly acceptable, and I am at an age when I value my comfort ride. For the noise, I measured back to back my 650 and the Tesla P85+ on same roads up to 70 mph - same cabin noise on the Db10 app (~75-80 dB); at lower speeds, Tesla is significantly more quiet). So I would not have a problem with those issues.

I decided to go for the 19" in my P85D due to my propensity for curb rash and $4500 difference that I cannot justify based on my impressions re ride quality and instinct that it is the suspension that makes the difference. Furthermore, I think AWD will also make the car feel more planted on the road.

 

[yobigd20]

I drove P85+ with 21", S85 with 19" and air, and S60 with 19" and coil suspension. The last two felt floaty indeed. However, my gestalt is the planted stance of the P85+ may have more with the tuned suspension in the 85+ (and now in P85D) rather than the tire size. Would be nice to hear from P85+ owners who switched to 19" wheels.

People complain P85+ with 21" is a rough ride and noisy. I did not think it is rough - same ride as my 650, same as Panamera, MUCH better than 911 / Cayman / Boxter. I would consider the ride perfectly acceptable, and I am at an age when I value my comfort ride. For the noise, I measured back to back my 650 and the Tesla P85+ on same roads up to 70 mph - same cabin noise on the Db10 app (~75-80 dB); at lower speeds, Tesla is significantly more quiet). So I would not have a problem with those issues.

I decided to go for the 19" in my P85D due to my propensity for curb rash and $4500 difference that I cannot justify based on my impressions re ride quality and instinct that it is the suspension that makes the difference. Furthermore, I think AWD will also make the car feel more planted on the road.

and if you want an even better feeling on those 19" wheels, ditch the primacies and get Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 255/45ZR19's

 

[Chuck P85D]

and if you want an even better feeling on those 19" wheels, ditch the primacies and get Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 255/45ZR19's

maybe you didn't see, but in the "Model S Pros vs. Cons" thread, i asked you if you have had experience with the factory 21" wheels from Tesla. you didn't answer.

so?

 

[svp6]

and if you want an even better feeling on those 19" wheels, ditch the primacies and get Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 255/45ZR19's

Did you (or anyone else) get the staggered that comes as option on tirerack?