Comfort Suspension Not Much of an Improvement

[Engi_Nerd]

Any TSLA Insiders confirm "Tesla's rush to build a ton of cars from the price drop, they could be mixing in old parts."

I'm still debating a used X over new Y and air suspension would be a major + with X, if Y comfort is similar to my 3

I have around 750 miles on our 2023 now, while also still driving the wife's 2021. They are 100% tuned differently, but still undoubtedly one of if not THE worst in the market. Ultimately, it's similar to my initial findings that they have managed to reduce impact severity, at the cost of overall body motion. There is still more body motion on rough roads at speeds under 45 mph than any other passenger vehicle I've ever been in. Combined with the slippery, lightly bolstered seats, we constantly find ourselves bobbing and weaving side to side, forward and aft. We're considering buying the 18s from Tsportline to add sidewall and reduce unsprung weight, but it seems like it could make the bounciness even worse. Thankfully, the highway ride quality of the 2023 is much improved over the 2021.

In hindsight, I am kicking myself for thinking Tesla could break physics here. You've still got very limited suspension travel / ground clearance, high horsepower / acceleration capability, aggressive throttle mapping, and very fast steering. Not much Tesla can do on steel springs without giving up ground on one or more of those things. Hard to see them increase ride height to get more travel given it would quickly sap range. Not sure about others, but I would definitely go for an "Old Man Edition" of the Model Y that had slower acceleration and steering but came from the factory with a softer setup and more sidewall.

Also, our delivered vehicle has very poor assembly quality. The only doors that need no adjustment are the hood and the driver side rear. We also had a dash rattle start at mile 300, and by waiting to install the flaps until we got home, got several large chips on the rear quarter. The white seats also developed several large, ugly creases, more or less immediately.

 

[enemji]

I have around 750 miles on our 2023 now, while also still driving the wife's 2021. They are 100% tuned differently, but still undoubtedly one of if not THE worst in the market. Ultimately, it's similar to my initial findings that they have managed to reduce impact severity, at the cost of overall body motion. There is still more body motion on rough roads at speeds under 45 mph than any other passenger vehicle I've ever been in. Combined with the slippery, lightly bolstered seats, we constantly find ourselves bobbing and weaving side to side, forward and aft. We're considering buying the 18s from Tsportline to add sidewall and reduce unsprung weight, but it seems like it could make the bounciness even worse. Thankfully, the highway ride quality of the 2023 is much improved over the 2021.

In hindsight, I am kicking myself for thinking Tesla could break physics here. You've still got very limited suspension travel / ground clearance, high horsepower / acceleration capability, aggressive throttle mapping, and very fast steering. Not much Tesla can do on steel springs without giving up ground on one or more of those things. Hard to see them increase ride height to get more travel given it would quickly sap range. Not sure about others, but I would definitely go for an "Old Man Edition" of the Model Y that had slower acceleration and steering but came from the factory with a softer setup and more sidewall.

Also, our delivered vehicle has very poor assembly quality. The only doors that need no adjustment are the hood and the driver side rear. We also had a dash rattle start at mile 300, and by waiting to install the flaps until we got home, got several large chips on the rear quarter. The white seats also developed several large, ugly creases, more or less immediately.

I test drove a Model Y built 12/22. It is definitely quiet- no wind noise, and pretty much no road noise. It behaved very well compared to my Mercedes SUV in terms of road handling.

 

[GoVols!]

I have around 750 miles on our 2023 now, while also still driving the wife's 2021. They are 100% tuned differently, but still undoubtedly one of if not THE worst in the market. Ultimately, it's similar to my initial findings that they have managed to reduce impact severity, at the cost of overall body motion. There is still more body motion on rough roads at speeds under 45 mph than any other passenger vehicle I've ever been in. Combined with the slippery, lightly bolstered seats, we constantly find ourselves bobbing and weaving side to side, forward and aft. We're considering buying the 18s from Tsportline to add sidewall and reduce unsprung weight, but it seems like it could make the bounciness even worse. Thankfully, the highway ride quality of the 2023 is much improved over the 2021.

In hindsight, I am kicking myself for thinking Tesla could break physics here. You've still got very limited suspension travel / ground clearance, high horsepower / acceleration capability, aggressive throttle mapping, and very fast steering. Not much Tesla can do on steel springs without giving up ground on one or more of those things. Hard to see them increase ride height to get more travel given it would quickly sap range. Not sure about others, but I would definitely go for an "Old Man Edition" of the Model Y that had slower acceleration and steering but came from the factory with a softer setup and more sidewall.

Also, our delivered vehicle has very poor assembly quality. The only doors that need no adjustment are the hood and the driver side rear. We also had a dash rattle start at mile 300, and by waiting to install the flaps until we got home, got several large chips on the rear quarter. The white seats also developed several large, ugly creases, more or less immediately.

I agree with the body roll you’re experiencing when I test drove the MYLR. It was horrible over broken pavement at lower speeds. However, I then test drove the MYP and it was hands down better. I did not experience the wallow, bumpiness or constant side to side body roll over low speed broken pavement.

 

[Engi_Nerd]

I agree with the body roll you’re experiencing when I test drove the MYLR. It was horrible over broken pavement at lower speeds. However, I then test drove the MYP and it was hands down better. I did not experience the wallow, bumpiness or constant side to side body roll over low speed broken pavement.

Appreciate the feedback. At the time we purchased, only the MYLR was eligible for the tax credit, which was important to us. Now that the MYP qualifies, I would definitely advise folks to go that way and swap out for smaller wheels.

I do think the MYLR at 48K with tax credit is still a very good value considering the utility offered and very low running costs, but comfort on bad roads (and maybe build quality) remains the penalty paid.

 

[vickh]

Appreciate the feedback. At the time we purchased, only the MYLR was eligible for the tax credit, which was important to us. Now that the MYP qualifies, I would definitely advise folks to go that way and swap out for smaller wheels.

I do think the MYLR at 48K with tax credit is still a very good value considering the utility offered and very low running costs, but comfort on bad roads (and maybe build quality) remains the penalty paid.

+1 I'm cross shopping other "luxury" 3 row SUVs and want the old man suspension too. Looks like Lexus RX or GLB will be test driven this week for my wife

I hate to give up on tax credit too, but maybe I'll get a used PHEV for my son's purchase (Need 2 cars this year )

 

[Big Moe]

2021 Model Y owner, love the car but hate the suspension. Ordered a 23 for the comfort suspension as soon as the major price drop happened and just test drove one locally ahead of upcoming pickup. Very disappointed in both the ride quality and build quality of the newer car.

Test drove 2023 Model Y with 400 miles on it, riding on 19s:

+It felt like they managed to reduce the harshness of major impacts by probably 25-50%, such as when hitting big potholes or going over train tracks. Each time we were expecting a major thwack at the end of the travel, that never happened, which was good.

-The overall ride quality over small imperfections felt like it somehow got worse though, resulting in a more or less constant jittering / head bobbing that felt noticeably "busier" than our 2021. This effect was amplified the slower you drove and tended to lessen / smooth out a bit as you got closer to highway speeds.

-Our VIN630K had the worst interior booming of any of the six or so Model Y I've driven, even going back to the first 50K VIN we tested. Don't know if it was from a poorly adjusted hatch or what, but it made the super busy ride quality feel ten times worse, like the car was assaulting your whole body. Our 21 Model Y booms over big impacts as sound bounces around, but does not do it constantly over every little bump. Maybe this could be fixed with adjusting the hatch, but this is the car Tesla gave us for a test drive.

-As a palate cleanser, we went and test drove a CPO Macan that would be the same price as our incoming Y and the ride quality even on steel springs and runflat 20s was glorious. Each bump, one and done.

Honestly not sure what to make of this. Don't understand how some people can say this is so much better, when we found it to be marginal / worse. Suspension comfort is subjective, but it's not THAT subjective. I'm half convinced that in Tesla's rush to build a ton of cars from the price drop, they could be mixing in old parts. Also super disappointed about the booming, I definitely understand why that thread has so many posts now. Definitely recommend folks test drive them before trying to replace older models!

"Tesla Model Y Shishi 01 2022-09-04" by JamesYoung8167 is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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I Have a 2022 Model YLR with 19's on it and a new 2023 Model YLR with 19's on it. I feel like the 2023 has a major improvement in suspension. No more harshness over a bumpy road. I will upgrade my 2022 suspension soon to match my 2023. Big Moe

 

[ElectrkBugaloo]

I have around 750 miles on our 2023 now, while also still driving the wife's 2021. They are 100% tuned differently, but still undoubtedly one of if not THE worst in the market. Ultimately, it's similar to my initial findings that they have managed to reduce impact severity, at the cost of overall body motion. There is still more body motion on rough roads at speeds under 45 mph than any other passenger vehicle I've ever been in. Combined with the slippery, lightly bolstered seats, we constantly find ourselves bobbing and weaving side to side, forward and aft. We're considering buying the 18s from Tsportline to add sidewall and reduce unsprung weight, but it seems like it could make the bounciness even worse. Thankfully, the highway ride quality of the 2023 is much improved over the 2021.

In hindsight, I am kicking myself for thinking Tesla could break physics here. You've still got very limited suspension travel / ground clearance, high horsepower / acceleration capability, aggressive throttle mapping, and very fast steering. Not much Tesla can do on steel springs without giving up ground on one or more of those things. Hard to see them increase ride height to get more travel given it would quickly sap range. Not sure about others, but I would definitely go for an "Old Man Edition" of the Model Y that had slower acceleration and steering but came from the factory with a softer setup and more sidewall.

Also, our delivered vehicle has very poor assembly quality. The only doors that need no adjustment are the hood and the driver side rear. We also had a dash rattle start at mile 300, and by waiting to install the flaps until we got home, got several large chips on the rear quarter. The white seats also developed several large, ugly creases, more or less immediately.

I agree with your thoughts. It's a great car with a poor suspension -- and I have the "comfort suspension".

It surprises me the range of opinions here, but I guess a lot of that comes down to life experience and what else you have recently driven. It's much worse than a 2020 Subaru Forrester, for example.

I think you nailed it on the reasons why it's bad as well. If it was an easy fix, Tesla would have done it by now. It's weight, ride height, tow rating, etc. Something has to give, or they are going to need to put air or magnetic suspension on it.

 

[vickh]

I Have a 2022 Model YLR with 19's on it and a new 2023 Model YLR with 19's on it. I feel like the 2023 has a major improvement in suspension. No more harshness over a bumpy road. I will upgrade my 2022 suspension soon to match my 2023. Big Moe

Can the '19 M3 also be upgraded to match 2023 Y suspension? My warranty expires in June so I'll be more adventurous with mods after

 

[Noflash]

I agree with your thoughts. It's a great car with a poor suspension -- and I have the "comfort suspension".

It surprises me the range of opinions here, but I guess a lot of that comes down to life experience and what else you have recently driven. It's much worse than a 2020 Subaru Forrester, for example.

I think you nailed it on the reasons why it's bad as well. If it was an easy fix, Tesla would have done it by now. It's weight, ride height, tow rating, etc. Something has to give, or they are going to need to put air or magnetic suspension on it.

MPP Comfort Coilovers (and others) seem to have fixed the issue.

 

[heapmaster]

I find the new suspension not a huge improvement but for sure an improvement. Just came off a older MY loaner for two weeks and now driving mine around, I think its for sure a bit better.

 

[enemji]

I find the new suspension not a huge improvement but for sure an improvement. Just came off a older MY loaner for two weeks and now driving mine around, I think its for sure a bit better.

The goal is to keep the original balance as much as possible with increased comfort on rough patches. I think it delivers on that based upon my test drive of a 12/22 MYLR

 

[Maximus2002]

Nice! I like the second option “suma”. Is this what you have? That’s the problem with many U.S cars, is the actual mirror itself. These remind me of my Ferrari mirrors.

Check this one out:

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256802364155584.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.430.21ef1802X26DNn&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa4itemAdapt&_randl_shipto=US

bought those mirrors, and couldn't be happier. No such a thing as blind spot anymore.

 

[GoVols!]

Check this one out:

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256802364155584.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.430.21ef1802X26DNn&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa4itemAdapt&_randl_shipto=US

bought those mirrors, and couldn't be happier. No such a thing as blind spot anymore.

Yeah, I was just looking at the Sumo ones. Tesla Model Y

 

[nate704]

I don't understand the reasoning behind the aftermarket mirrors since there is no blind spot if you know how to properly adjust side mirrors.

 

[jcanoe]

I don't understand the reasoning behind the aftermarket mirrors since there is no blind spot if you know how to properly adjust side mirrors.

It is not just about the blind spot. Very often there will be a vehicle driving in the adjacent lane that is going much faster than other traffic, closing the distance very quickly. With a wide view mirror you can see what is in your blind spot as well as what will be in your blind spot in a few seconds.

 

[florida_man]

The roads around here aren't great and I found the 23 MYLR's suspension to be comfy (without being wallowy or overly soft) when I did an hour+ test drive a few months ago. There was really nothing to notice about it at all. Car felt planted, bumps weren't uncomfortable, it was just fine.

I have driving experience that goes from luxury sedan, suv to track car. Including a track car in the early 2000s with not enough suspension travel so it could hit the bump stops. That car had a harsh suspension. But I later fixed that car's suspension so it had full travel (ie, no bump stops) and it was still extremely firm (but not harsh). The MYLR felt like a slightly firmer version of a generic crossover SUV suspension (ie, CR-V type) with a little less body roll.

 

[enemji]

It is not just about the blind spot. Very often there will be a vehicle driving in the adjacent lane that is going much faster than other traffic, closing the distance very quickly. With a wide view mirror you can see what is in your blind spot as well as what will be in your blind spot in a few seconds.

LOL Why would you want to change lanes in a quick second??

 

[jcanoe]

LOL Why would you want to change lanes in a quick second??

Situational awareness; not to change lanes abruptly. I always try and give myself plenty of time/distance when changing lanes. When someone is driving much faster than the flow of traffic in the adjacent lane I want to be able to see them before I start changing lanes, unintentionally cut them off. I need to be able to see the big picture.

 

[enemji]

Situational awareness; not to change lanes abruptly. I always try and give myself plenty of time/distance when changing lanes. When someone is driving much faster than the flow of traffic in the adjacent lane I want to be able to see them before I start changing lanes, unintentionally cut them off. I need to be able to see the big picture.

Understandable but the classic setup of rear view mirrors gives a great widescope/cinema scope view of the background. The only thing that it can possibly miss is a vehicle in the extremely close quarter rear quarter panel, lovingly called the “blindspot”

 

[jcanoe]

Understandable but the classic setup of rear view mirrors gives a great widescope/cinema scope view of the background. The only thing that it can possibly miss is a vehicle in the extremely close quarter rear quarter panel, lovingly called the “blindspot”

We must be talking about different mirrors because the OE mirrors on my 2020 LRMY provide tunnel vision. The mirrors are smaller than the mirrors on other vehicles I have owned and for whatever reason the angle of view is limited. I know how to adjust my mirrors properly; the factory mirrors just don't make the grade for me. Enough Tesla owners agree that the mirrors are not up to the task that Suma Performance, other sellers are making good money selling replacement mirrors for the Tesla Model 3, Model Y.