Anyone in the UK 'upgraded' their Model Y suspension?

[gangzoom]

Just one example. Few seconds here and there would all add up.

So we are now pretending an 8am commute on the M25 is like Max and Hamilton going full attack in FQ3 shaving time off each corner, and a Y (or X5) are some kind of race tuned machines that turn public roads into Spa .

 

[Casss]

commutes on the m25 are more akin to kvyat and mazepin causing endless virtual safety cars

 

[robbieduncan]

Are there any efficiency gains from lowering the suspension on a non-performance car? I would expect this to result in slightly lower drag which could give a few mile more at motorway speeds?

 

[jsteele]

As an experiment I reduced the tyre pressure on my MY (19in Gemini wheels) to around 37 from 40 today - from a first drive it felt like the ride comfort was much improved, to the point where I was really happy with it (I've been finding the ride overly stiff, especially with the condition of the roads around where I live). Annoying to have the pressure warning light on all the time, but might be a sacrifice I'm willing to make...

However, any thoughts on if dropping the pressures to 37 is going to have too much of a negative impact on range, tire wear, or anything else?

 

[prabhu]

As an experiment I reduced the tyre pressure on my MY (19in Gemini wheels) to around 37 from 40 today - from a first drive it felt like the ride comfort was much improved, to the point where I was really happy with it (I've been finding the ride overly stiff, especially with the condition of the roads around where I live). Annoying to have the pressure warning light on all the time, but might be a sacrifice I'm willing to make...

However, any thoughts on if dropping the pressures to 37 is going to have too much of a negative impact on range, tire wear, or anything else?

Someone mentioned tire wear. 42 is the lowest for MY so best to get the rattles and squeaks fixed so that you wont notice the bumps.

 

[Mr H]

My mountain pass coil overs will arrive next week, fitting the week after.

 

[maigrait]

My mountain pass coil overs will arrive next week, fitting the week after.

Great news. They’ll be a lot of people interested in what you think….

 

[Christoffa]

We are in exactly the same position. 600 miles into new car Y Long Range (smaller wheels) ownership, having had 2x Model S and 1x Model X Raven Performance over the last 6 years, all of which were faultless and utterly brilliant, and owning and driving a very wide range of very cheap to very expensive cars, I couldn’t agree more. It’s the worst and roughest riding car i’ve ever owned or driven! (Imho, the suspension is over sprung and under damped). Unfortunately this is not the end of the story, the problem being made worse by the lack of regeneration control (removed in the latest models 3 and Y models in 2021 I think ) which on our mostly rural roads in Rutland Leicestershire make it incredibly difficult to drive it smoothly without it jerking backwards and forwards, even in chill mode which only takes the harsh acceleration away. I do like a good level of regen but it is far too violent. Many other users say that you get used to it, liking a one pedal experience, but all I can say is, those guys couldn’t have spent years behind the wheel of a Tesla car with customisable regen, dont live in Rutland, and there was absolutely nothing wrong with the user regen control in the previous cars- it was still a one pedal experience! I’m thinking it was only removed so Tesla could play top-trumps with maximum range compared to their competitors. The roads are so bad in our area that even the oversensitive and over geared steering can cause the car to lurch across the road over larger road undulations due to over sensitive steering input, regardless of settings. For context, and before I’m accused of little alternative brand experience, I’m in vehicle telematics and I have driven literally thousands of my customers varied vehicles over the last 15 years. I think I know what I’m talking about here. I developed a very good support relationship recently with Nottingham Tesla and they were fantastic In their approach and had the car in for three days to look at the suspension, check the parts numbers in case it was a bad batch and to resolve the very many cabin rattles and I was told the harsh ride is very common. I’m very pleased to say the rattles were almost all resolved and the Tesla Support team at Nottingham couldn’t have been more helpful. The suspension parts are correct and there is nothing more they can do. Having driven another Y car to compare the ride and having talked to them, I can confirm the harsh ride is in fact a characteristic of the Model Y. Recently the British motoring press have reported exactly the same criticism. My wife and I are absolutely gutted because we so much wanted to love the car and thought the size would fit ours families needs better, but we just can’t live with it because it is just too uncomfortable and tiring to drive. Yesterday I advertised our Y on Auto trader and I now just want to get my money back. I did consider spending nearly £4000 fitting a coil-over kit but it just doesn’t sit right with me. Not helped by the best kits being out of stock for months due to the popularity of this fix in America - do a Google search for “Tesla Model Y coil ver upgrades”. The model has not been tested and calibrated for UK Road types and for me it’s probably the biggest fail Tesla have had in the UK so far. I should add, Tesla lent me a two-year-old Model 3 performance (big wheels) for the three days while my car was having the rattles fixed and I’m pleased to say it was absolutely brilliant, slightly firm but commensurate to the sporty feel that is intended but it certainly does not crash bang and rattle all of the time over rural and unbroken road surfaces. The 2019Model 3 performance loan car did still have the regeneration control settings available because it was built before the software was changed and the feature removed and this feature still exists in older cars. The steering was also more natural in feel and weight, allowing for brisk progress over alarmingly bumpy roads without feeling tiring or requiring a surgical level of helmsmanship to get down the rough road quickly Unfortunately the Model 3 isn’t suitable for our families needs so that is not a viable option. Good luck with yours!

 

[WannabeOwner]

the problem being made worse by the lack of regeneration control

I don't seem to have a problem with that (no help of course, just my data-point).

I've had 2x MS and an M3LR now replaced with MYLR. MY definitely firmer, but its not caused me any problems (but reading the forums the suspension is definitely "Marmite" polarising on that point).

But on Regen I can only think that I am feathering the accelerator for the amount of deceleration I want. I have let weekend visitors drive the MY (and M3 before it), and I find it interesting that (new to EV / Regen) they don't do that - they are basically saying they are loving the one-pedal and regen, and in the passenger's seat I'm saying, under my breath, can't you do it smoother than that! So I can believe it takes a bit of time to get used to.

But given how long / many Tesla you've owned I'm sure throttle-feathering is second nature to you, so I'm at a loss as to why your MY is proving harder to fine-control in this regard,

 

[Casss]

We are in exactly the same position. 600 miles into new car Y Long Range (smaller wheels) ownership, having had 2x Model S and 1x Model X Raven Performance over the last 6 years, all of which were faultless and utterly brilliant, and owning and driving a very wide range of very cheap to very expensive cars, I couldn’t agree more. It’s the worst and roughest riding car i’ve ever owned or driven! (Imho, the suspension is over sprung and under damped). Unfortunately this is not the end of the story, the problem being made worse by the lack of regeneration control (removed in the latest models 3 and Y models in 2021 I think ) which on our mostly rural roads in Rutland Leicestershire make it incredibly difficult to drive it smoothly without it jerking backwards and forwards, even in chill mode which only takes the harsh acceleration away. I do like a good level of regen but it is far too violent. Many other users say that you get used to it, liking a one pedal experience, but all I can say is, those guys couldn’t have spent years behind the wheel of a Tesla car with customisable regen, dont live in Rutland, and there was absolutely nothing wrong with the user regen control in the previous cars- it was still a one pedal experience! I’m thinking it was only removed so Tesla could play top-trumps with maximum range compared to their competitors. The roads are so bad in our area that even the oversensitive and over geared steering can cause the car to lurch across the road over larger road undulations due to over sensitive steering input, regardless of settings. For context, and before I’m accused of little alternative brand experience, I’m in vehicle telematics and I have driven literally thousands of my customers varied vehicles over the last 15 years. I think I know what I’m talking about here. I developed a very good support relationship recently with Nottingham Tesla and they were fantastic In their approach and had the car in for three days to look at the suspension, check the parts numbers in case it was a bad batch and to resolve the very many cabin rattles and I was told the harsh ride is very common. I’m very pleased to say the rattles were almost all resolved and the Tesla Support team at Nottingham couldn’t have been more helpful. The suspension parts are correct and there is nothing more they can do. Having driven another Y car to compare the ride and having talked to them, I can confirm the harsh ride is in fact a characteristic of the Model Y. Recently the British motoring press have reported exactly the same criticism. My wife and I are absolutely gutted because we so much wanted to love the car and thought the size would fit ours families needs better, but we just can’t live with it because it is just too uncomfortable and tiring to drive. Yesterday I advertised our Y on Auto trader and I now just want to get my money back. I did consider spending nearly £4000 fitting a coil-over kit but it just doesn’t sit right with me. Not helped by the best kits being out of stock for months due to the popularity of this fix in America - do a Google search for “Tesla Model Y coil ver upgrades”. The model has not been tested and calibrated for UK Road types and for me it’s probably the biggest fail Tesla have had in the UK so far. I should add, Tesla lent me a two-year-old Model 3 performance (big wheels) for the three days while my car was having the rattles fixed and I’m pleased to say it was absolutely brilliant, slightly firm but commensurate to the sporty feel that is intended but it certainly does not crash bang and rattle all of the time over rural and unbroken road surfaces. The 2019Model 3 performance loan car did still have the regeneration control settings available because it was built before the software was changed and the feature removed and this feature still exists in older cars. The steering was also more natural in feel and weight, allowing for brisk progress over alarmingly bumpy roads without feeling tiring or requiring a surgical level of helmsmanship to get down the rough road quickly Unfortunately the Model 3 isn’t suitable for our families needs so that is not a viable option. Good luck with yours!

Don't take this as an attempt to nullify you sharing your experience, BUT, and I think this is a big BUT... I think there is an issue with comparing the Model Y (a 55k car) to a Model S and Model X raven. Did you not test drive it? Sorry if this is harsh but I can't fathom how you could go into this thinking that a sporty crossover with a strut front and multi-link rear coil setup would ride over rough terrain like an adaptive air suspension setup would.

 

[Durzel]

Don't take this as an attempt to nullify you sharing your experience, BUT, and I think this is a big BUT... I think there is an issue with comparing the Model Y (a 55k car) to a Model S and Model X raven. Did you not test drive it? Sorry if this is harsh but I can't fathom how you could go into this thinking that a sporty crossover with a strut front and multi-link rear coil setup would ride over rough terrain like an adaptive air suspension setup would.

Whilst the price delta to the S & X is a valid point to make, ride comfort - or rather, appropriate ride dynamics - is a pretty fundamental feature of a more family orientated car. I'd argue it's as important as the range, because if you're uncomfortable being carried in it then that's something you've got to suffer every time you're in it.

In much the same way I'd expect the Model 3 suspension (particularly on the P) to be tailored more towards a sporty drive, I would expect the opposite of the Y, which is ostensibly a people and thing carrier.

Other manufacturers have managed to tune their suspension systems to match the use cases of their vehicles without having to resort to expensive air suspension solutions, so suggesting customers should expect to have to pay ~£50k more to get suspension that fits the vehicle is a bit unfair.

 

[Casss]

Whilst the price delta to the S & X is a valid point to make, ride comfort - or rather, appropriate ride dynamics - is a pretty fundamental feature of a more family orientated car. I'd argue it's as important as the range, because if you're uncomfortable being carried in it then that's something you've got to suffer every time you're in it.

In much the same way I'd expect the Model 3 suspension (particularly on the P) to be tailored more towards a sporty drive, I would expect the opposite of the Y, which is ostensibly a people and thing carrier.

Other manufacturers have managed to tune their suspension systems to match the use cases of their vehicles without having to resort to expensive air suspension solutions, so suggesting customers should expect to have to pay ~£50k more to get suspension that fits the vehicle is a bit unfair.

All our arses feel differently about this. My arse is happy.

It's too subjective to say that other manufacturers "manage it" - because then you get into the weeds of trying to standardise what that means, specifically? Unless you do a tear down and can prove that the suspension components are just absolute junk, this doesn't hold water, because I don't think that's true.

My point is - people should test drive before they buy. I think there's a lot of over dramatisation of the setup because people didn't, and bought the wrong car for them. Simples.

 

[Zeit93]

I haven't felt it necessary at all. I think the suspension is fine and I haven't even adjusted the PSI's yet, they're still what they came as

 

[GeorgeSymonds]

The road surface makes a massive difference so a road test isn’t really going to help unless you can get to a country lane and back in the 30 mins allocated. On a decent road surface or slow speeds it’s not too bad or at worst bareable, do 50-60mph on a choppy surface and it runs out of talent quickly, and that’s the road type I drive on a lot. I’ve also had an MS on coils and an MS on springs and there was very little in those suspensions, and even the M3 I had wasn’t bad. So I’m afraid I think the ‘test drive’ argument is not one I can completely support, and the road surfaces you drive on could also be the reason some are less aware of the problem.

 

[WannabeOwner]

people should test drive before they buy

FWIW I've read a fair few posts on here of "My test drive was fine, but ownership is too uncomfortable"

 

[Zeit93]

The road surface makes a massive difference so a road test isn’t really going to help unless you can get to a country lane and back in the 30 mins allocated. On a decent road surface or slow speeds it’s not too bad or at worst bareable, do 50-60mph on a choppy surface and it runs out of talent quickly, and that’s the road type I drive on a lot. I’ve also had an MS on coils and an MS on springs and there was very little in those suspensions, and even the M3 I had wasn’t bad. So I’m afraid I think the ‘test drive’ argument is not one I can completely support, and the road surfaces you drive on could also be the reason some are less aware of the problem.

I drive through country lanes every day, it just doesn't seem that bad to me, have you asked Tesla about it? I read in some places that sometimes they forget to take something out from inbetween the coils

 

[Unclepaul]

Issue might just be the standard issue low profile tires. While these look great, and provide nimble handling, perhaps refitting with higher profile tires that run at lower pressures might be a relatively simple solution for those wishing a more plush ride.

 

[blert]

I'm genuinely quite bemused about this... I have a MY on 20" wheels and drive mostly on potholed lanes, unmade roads and across fields which apparently should be the worst of the worst but am perfectly happy with the ride. It's definitely on the firm/sporty side and if I hit a pothole too enthusiastically then I wince but I wouldn't describe it as anywhere close to uncomfortable

Not intending to dismiss anyone else's opinion as it's totally subjective - just an oddly polarising issue.

 

[Zeit93]

I'm genuinely quite bemused about this... I have a MY on 20" wheels and drive mostly on potholed lanes, unmade roads and across fields which apparently should be the worst of the worst but am perfectly happy with the ride. It's definitely on the firm/sporty side and if I hit a pothole too enthusiastically then I wince but I wouldn't describe it as anywhere close to uncomfortable

Not intending to dismiss anyone else's opinion as it's totally subjective - just an oddly polarising issue.

I'm with you Blert

 

[Undecided_2]

I couldn’t agree more. We’ve had our MYLR for a month and only been able to drive it a few times because the car was immediately returned a Tesla for very many paint defects to be corrected.
Forget using the car on rural roads, the suspension is so hard even running the tires at 41 psi (if much lower, the TPMS warning goes off at 38psi), it is tiring and nauseating to drive steadily. I haven’t found a road or motorway road yet (Rutland and Leicestershire) smooth enough to iron out the ride. And yes, this is my fourth Tesla, being an early adopter in a Model S with steel springs, which was a beautiful very precise and connected ride made slightly rubbery with my next S that had air suspension This was finally cured totally with my model X performance “raven suspension” car with adaptive air suspension which I thought was frankly better than my three-year-old range Rover Autobiography, so yes I do know what I’m talking about!

I could also criticised the lack of regeneration control which even on chill mode, while being driven on a bumpy road can cause your Excelerator pedal to move excessively making the car feel like a bucking bronco.

If you decide to drive on a undulating road with the occasional pothole, shall we say, “enthusiastically“, you also have the effect of over geared steering causing tiny movements of the steering wheel to cause the vehicle to lurch across the road.

Two months in with 4K miles.

I live in Scotland and around me every road rural for hours of driving, all of it is winding (Excellent for bikers) and undulating with plenty of bad tarmac - due to the cold weather pretty much all year round - Glasgow has some of the best holes going!

I have no issues driving it, no lurching or swerving or any problems with the accelerator, it’s not as sensitive as a throttle on a motorcycle.

If people are this unhappy or hate the suspension/car then that’s buyers remorse. Sell it and buy something else - if not in a lease. Buy something with boat like suspension. This is a perfect market for 2nd hand cars.