Michelin Pilot Sport 4 suitable for Model S P85?

[gizmonty]

Hi all,

I have a 2014 Model S P85 that need new tyres. I have had Michelin PS3 tyres previously and fairly happy with them. I notice that the PS4 tyres are now available in the correct size (245/45 R19 102Y). Does anyone have any experience with these for the Model S? I know they are popular on the Model 3. They are one number higher so must be better, right?

 

[GeorgeM]

The 245/45 19 PS4's were on my 2020 MS Performance as delivered so I have no way to judge against other options. I love these tires. After 6,000 miles I have 7.5 to 8 32nds of very even tread remaining - so minimal tire wear. Probably good for 30,000+ miles. I find that to be quite acceptable for a performance tire.The Raven suspension seems to have solved the problem of rear tire wear on the inner edge. If you have taken care of the rear camber issue on your car you should get pretty good tread life. Grip is truly excellent, handling stable and predictable (no 5,000 lb car would be characterized as nimble), steering very precise, wet traction good (excellent for a performance tire), snow traction marginal, tread noise seems low (but I have nothing to compare them to). After almost exactly one year of normal Tesla driving (instances of stupid amounts of acceleration and otherwise sane operation) I am at 287 wh/mile (180/km) so the tire seems to be pretty efficient. The tire does an excellent job of dealing with the weight of the car. Not the lowest cost option but I think totally worth it.

 

[thebishop]

I upgraded from ps3 to ps4 (19”) on my p85d last summer as the initial set was done. It is a great improvement actually, as the ps4 is at least as good in term of handling, but were much quieter than the ps3. Big difference really. I like them a lot.

 

[gizmonty]

Just a follow up to this. I got the 19" PS4s on my car about a month ago. The Tesla service centre basically said they don't recommend them but so far they have been fantastic (I presume they just haven't been formally tested by Tesla on the vehicle so they won't make a recommendation). They're the fourth set of tyres I've had since getting the car six years ago and they are by far the best. Those who know the P85 will know that it is very easy to make the rear tyres slip with a heavy foot and this issue is nearly eliminated by the PS4s (on dry roads at least). I'm able to do aggressive take-offs with much more confidence and less thought put into how close I am to losing traction. They also corner more reliably and the car seems happier to maintain acceleration during cornering (the traction control seemed to really limit acceleration during cornering previously). I obviously will never have the handling of a dual-motor model S, but this is much much closer to it than I have experienced previously. The car feels more like a P85+ with 21" wheels that I had a play in a few years ago. So far I haven't noticed any noise difference to the PS3s (I didn't get the noise reducing version of the tyre) and there may have been a slight improvement in efficiency on the one long drive I have been on with them.
If you've got a P85 then these are the only tyres I will recommend for you. If you're in Australia and want some, I got them through tyresales.com.au and had them installed at Eastern Tyre Centre in Canterbury for ~$1700 with a wheel alignment. The Tesla service centre quoted me about $2600 to install a set of Michelin Primacy 3s which really makes it seem like they don't want the work.

 

[GeorgeM]

I have almost no idea why your service center would not recommend the PS4. They were factory installed on my 2020 MS P. Australia vs. USA and what gets shipped? Glad you like them. That confirms my impression of the tires. Handles the weight of the car very well. Certainly not all weather tires but if that doesn't factor in to your needs the PS4 is just an excellent tire.