2nd Tesla! One Air, One Coil. One Next Gen, One Textile.

[bredi]

We turned in our BMW i3 and got loaded Black s75 Refresh. The second from my Tesla rep. Whom I highly recommend btw.

So we are a Black and White Tesla Model S family.

I'm stoked. But the wifey thinks it is too big. Well, I can't disagree. Especially coming from the i3.
The Model Y would be perfect.

But did I mention "I AM" stoked!?!

The two cars are Black and White.
One is about performance. The white 85d is fast. Really fast. But not "luxury". smh. It has a longer range. It has standard suspension (BMW like), AWD and Textile seats. (which suck.)

The black s75 refresh is luxurious. Black and Tan. It's sleek and loaded. With Next Gen seats, Premium and Air Suspension.

Interesting eh? Sure, a p100D that is fully loaded would be perfect, but...


So, which one do I like better?

Which one do I prefer on a road trip? Better performance and Longer range? or Better seats? Adaptive lights, the Air Suspension ride?

Ask me about the options if your on the fence... I'm happy to share as I go...

 

[DIL]

You're like the perfect science experiment. My biggest question - endlessly debated elsewhere on this forum - is about the suspension. Please share your thoughts on air vs coil, all else being equal. What size wheels on each?

 

[Skione65]

Congrats! One of my questions would be your opinion on your preference of the textile vs. the next gen seats. I know it's often subjective but would love your views in comparison nonetheless. Also your views as mentioned above on the age old coil vs. noncoil.

Ski

 

[davidc18]

Same setup here. Basic 70D, coils and textile. Maxed P90D, air and next gen. Only a few hundred miles on the 90 (with SuperSport 3s and Eagle Touring on the 70 - both new) so far but I am not noticing a great difference in either the ride or road noise between them. I actually like both the textile and next gen. The textile are perfect with our young boys. They are indestructible. The next gens are much more supportive and feel more luxurious but I worry about how they will hold up.

 

[wycolo]

Air suspension is there for ride height control especially if you have high curbs or deep snow situations. AFAIK it is NOT there to offer an 'air ride' that would somehow be smoother than the coil springs. After 47k miles I would describe it as sporty and firm.
--

 

[No2DinosaurFuel]

Definitely interested in the comparison between air and coil ride comfort and noise.

 

[Chopr147]

Before I purchased I kept checking Tesla store for a textile seat to see in person. Never did see one so I just ordered NextGen. rather than take a chance. NextGen looks nicer but I was more concerned with comfort. See much of a comfort difference?

 

[bredi]

Textile vs Next Gen.

Hands down, no doubt the next gen seats are more comfortable. They hug your body and are so much more comfortable and sporty. They look and feel like a luxury car should. Not so much on the TExtile. I had msport seats on my Bimmers. They are still better. As you could Adjust the seat lenghth under your thighs and also the width on the bolsters. NextGen2 perhaps?

But, they are leather of course. So they do get hot. I'm more nervous about the Tan holding up to dirt. The textile seats NEVER get hot!

I was afraid the mesh/weave wouldn't hold up and would act like velcro for hair. Especially for my furry friends. They have stood up to dog nails and they clean up easily, surprisingly. But, I can already feel the bar on the seats on long trips. Tesla should really consider Next Gen Textile seats. The Textile (comfort) and the Classic headlights are my only complaints about the Car.

 

[Mike K]

I'm not the OP but I just went from an air suspension 85 to a coil P85D. The coil car definitely transmits more road feel but it's not at all rough and has just a touch of coil bounce that you don't get with an air suspension. By comparison, the air suspension does a better job of completely hiding minor road imperfections.

If you like one you won't hate the other and Tesla's smart air suspension is kind of dumb in that it only adjusts ride height, not suspension performance like most other cars with similar setups. For that reason I wouldn't waste the $2500 on air unless you absolutely need it to clear a driveway.

Other +1 for coils: the air suspension settles with the car off and often after getting back in air suspension cars and pulling out of a parking spot I'll find that the nose of the car is now resting on the curb. No issue with coils.

No bias here either. A month ago I would have told you air suspension or nothing but after driving the coil car I can't fathom paying $2500 for Tesla's air suspension. Put that money in the premium stereo because the base is horrible.

 

[bredi]

I'm really on the fence about the two suspensions. I didn't think I'd like the Air as much as i do now.
The advantage to the Air is the ability to adjust height. There were a few dirt roads on our trip and it was nice raising the car up. My wife actually likes the high setting for the city. Another feel, is it adjusts the car on a turn, to help with body roll. You definitly feel like your gliding more. However, the coil feels more like a BMW. More connected to the road.

Yesterday, I drove the Air so I like the Air better.
Today, I drove the 85d. So I like the Coil better.

lol. I'm still collecting my thoughts on this. I too, went back and forth trying to decide on Coil vs Air when I got the 85d.

more detail to come.

 

[Mike K]

I'm really on the fence about the two suspensions. I didn't think I'd like the Air as much as i do now.
The advantage to the Air is the ability to adjust height. There were a few dirt roads on our trip and it was nice raising the car up. My wife actually likes the high setting for the city. Another feel, is it adjusts the car on a turn, to help with body roll. You definitly feel like your gliding more. However, the coil feels more like a BMW. More connected to the road.

Yesterday, I drove the Air so I like the Air better.
Today, I drove the 85d. So I like the Coil better.

lol. I'm still collecting my thoughts on this. I too, went back and forth trying to decide on Coil vs Air when I got the 85d.

more detail to come.

I don't believe it compensates for body roll. That might be in your head. The system reacts entirely slow to be used for that. In fact, all things equal I think the air cars have more roll than the coil cars but might not feel like they do since they are smoother through the turn.

But yeah, there's not enough difference between them that I'd drive one and then the other and be like "Yeah, I'm going to spend $2500 for that!". Even if the coil was the more expensive option. The good news is they're both good so you can't really go wrong.

 

[bredi]

I don't believe it compensates for body roll. That might be in your head.

Hmmm, you might be right. Maybe I'm choosing to remember reading that or being told that. I'm gonna activate the google machine. Or, just wait for someone here to clarify if Air was advertised to do this?

I do feel the Coil has a bit more body roll. I wonder if it is the front motor weight. I can't wait to do back to back tests on a few of my favorite windy roads. There is no doubt the cars drive different.

 

[Mike K]

I think it depends on the car and the model. I'm comparing a coiled P85D or a standard air suspension car where you're comparing an air suspension car to a non-performance coil car. So we might actually both be right. I have no seat time in in a non-performance coil car.

 

[bredi]

there was a window in which the 85d got the same suspension as the p85d's. I remember getting the car during this time.
It could also be that the P85D no longer got the P85+ suspension, making the statement true in the negative sense for the P85D
I need to look back. My cars handle so differently. I certainly feel more body roll and forward in the Coil 85D than the Rear s75 with Air. I do feel more connected to the road in the Coil 85D.

 

[wycolo]

The 2012 sedans had warnings to disable the auto-leveling function and I did this the first time I ever jacked up the car to rotate wheels etc. I doubt I went back into the menus to re-active auto-leveling because I can't remember the car ever fighting me or adjusting itself since. So for all the miles I've driven the MS it only adjusts itself automatically as I approach my driveway and certain driveways in the City, based on the GPS locations where I've previously chosen either of the high positions manually.

The City is Laramie, WY which last decade apparently rebuilt all of the sidewalks and curbs to an extreme mountainside storm surge standard. SUVs/Crossovers can dive willy-nilly into driveways and entryways but 'cars' need to be ready to angle into these steep curbings to avoid scraping bottom. And in an MS when you scrape bottom hard thoughts turn to Lithium Fires.

In winter usage one is faced with determining the depth of snow drifts/fields on back roads. Since it is often a white-on-white visual situation, one must stop, get out and estimate or actually measure with a stick, the drift depth. Then guess the likelihood of driving thru without getting stuck. If you do manage to float the MS bottom up onto the snow/ice drift you can help things by being able to drop wheel height and then raise to maximum. Often this will pound down the snow and free the car.

For these reasons I find the Air System to be indispensable. And the next buyer of your car may feel the same way.
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[Skione65]

Same setup here. Basic 70D, coils and textile. Maxed P90D, air and next gen. Only a few hundred miles on the 90 (with SuperSport 3s and Eagle Touring on the 70 - both new) so far but I am not noticing a great difference in either the ride or road noise between them. I actually like both the textile and next gen. The textile are perfect with our young boys. They are indestructible. The next gens are much more supportive and feel more luxurious but I worry about how they will hold up.

@davidc18,

How have the NextGens been in the heat?

Ski

 

[Skione65]

Textile vs Next Gen.

Hands down, no doubt the next gen seats are more comfortable. They hug your body and are so much more comfortable and sporty. They look and feel like a luxury car should. Not so much on the TExtile. I had msport seats on my Bimmers. They are still better. As you could Adjust the seat lenghth under your thighs and also the width on the bolsters. NextGen2 perhaps?

But, they are leather of course. So they do get hot. I'm more nervous about the Tan holding up to dirt. The textile seats NEVER get hot!

I was afraid the mesh/weave wouldn't hold up and would act like velcro for hair. Especially for my furry friends. They have stood up to dog nails and they clean up easily, surprisingly. But, I can already feel the bar on the seats on long trips. Tesla should really consider Next Gen Textile seats. The Textile (comfort) and the Classic headlights are my only complaints about the Car.

@bredi,

I'd be all over Textile NextGens! Are Textiles heated?

Ski

 

[bredi]

@bredi,

I'd be all over Textile NextGens! Are Textiles heated?

Ski

Yeah, that would be ideal for many.
The leather NextGen seats do hot. The textiles don't. Yes, I have heated Textile seats in the 85D.

 

[wamochi]

Definitely interested in the comparison between air and coil ride comfort and noise.

we went from a 60 with coil + 21's to a P90D with air + 21's. here are some comparisons, but keep in mind that our 60 had the OEM continentals (which i hated) and we replaced them with Hankooks after the first set. the new P90D has OEM michelin pilot sport, so some of the differences may be attributable to tires ...

both suspensions are plenty comfortable, to be honest. air is definitely "cushier", more like a mercedes, floating on air. coil there was better road feel in the seats and steering wheel IMO. i have never felt that coil was harsh in any way, but we also live in So Cal where roads are very nice. so YMMV. i have no use for the ride height controls, so if i had to do it all over again i'd probably save the money and get coils.

as for noise, the air is definitely very quiet, but again this might be due to the Michelins. the continentals are extremely noisy tires, as many have talked about in this forum. the hankooks were much better but still not as quiet as the new car. but for sure the air helps to dampen the ride and smooth out bumps so it is quieter in the cabin.

just my 2c ...


p.s. i did not realize that the air will lower the car onto curbs or those parking stopper things. will have to be really careful about that!

 

[bredi]

I took both cars out today on the same drive. Before discussing them, I have to question whether the drastic feel in my cars are related to the s75's Sport setting not working. The s75 with air suspension feels like my 85d's "Comfort" setting in the steering.

I'll be calling Tesla in the morning...