Model 3 long range vs other premium sports sedans

[WarpedOne]

I wonder if there's any good way to mitigate that? Isn't road noise usually only attributed to crappy tires, or maybe a poor suspension in a small number of cases.

Not really.
Misalignment can make it worse, some loud tires can make it worse, some rough asphalt can make it worse.
When those are not the problem, it is what is left. This also makes me drive slower as there is less noise

Wind noise, I would imagine, can be blamed on poor fit and finish - body panel gaps, and/or an improperly sealed windshield?

Yes, when/if things are installed properly, wind noise is not a problem.

Another factor is that glass roof. It it were metal with some soft lining underside it would absorb a lot of sound energy and make the cabin quieter. But alas, it is not. I installed mesh roof shades and found they made the cabin a bit quieter.

 

[Siciliano]

So there wasn't a used P? If I wuz a speed freak, I'd want the red caliper covers.

There were literally zero used performance M3s, and I was checking for a few days straight.

lol @ the caliper covers - I'd rather have a sleeper for once. Call me crazy, but I actually love the look of the aero rims, so that's what I went with. I could always buy rims & tires if I get bored of them.

 

[Siciliano]

I thought it came with boost already loaded - I was mistaken. I guess there was a misunderstanding...but guess what was the first thing I did once I could connect to the Tesla app??

 

[Vines]

Great to see this decision evolve in your mind, and then become a reality!

I also swore I never would buy a new car but I did buy one so far. I went with the P3D+ when there was such a choice. After Tesla loaned me a S75 for a day, I was hooked, I saw what Autopilot can do, I saw the future.
.
51k miles later its had pretty minor issues (everything under warranty), 2 sets of tires. The real story is that driving long trips and my commute is no longer a chore. The next story is that my purchase of the car has led to my buying the stock, best decision ever!

P3D is the best of both worlds. Its a perfect driving appliance when I want. When I get in the mornings its warmed up, shows me my calendar and does 90% of my daily 2-3 hour commute. When I am in a strange place I ask the voice navigation to show me nearby restaurants. If I want to call one that's another click on the screen and it just connects me. Same with texting integration, it will even do simple emojis in text all through voice commands.

When I am ready to have some fun, its an amazing performance machine. Its got huge power, huge grip, and nobody hears you coming. No fiddling with launch mode, revving into the Powerband. Punch it and go, its an 11 second car!

Even in stock form it will hang with most sports cars. I ran a 2:08 at Button Willow CW#13 with pads and brake fluid on stock tires. With suspension mods and tires the P3D is in the low 1:50 range.

Other fast cars are always a compromise, this is the least compromise I have ever had. To top it all off, its cheap to run!

Smoking cars seem so quaint by comparison. Just thinking of the Rube Goldberg level of stuff that must happen in perfect harmony every revolution to not only keep the combustion internal, and from exploding but harnessed so the car moves is just plain silly. Its like thinking of how the first mechanical computers worked.

 

[Dan203]

I agree the road noise is notable on the M3, especially the wind - it's hard to say if, say, a BMW 3 series doesn't also have wind noise, however as the engine may overwhelm that noise.

My 2016 340i was quieter. It's especially noticeable on the highway at 75mph. In the 340i I could easily hold a conversation with someone in the backseat. In the Model 3 it's harder and I have to raise my voice.

 

[Dan203]

I wonder if there's any good way to mitigate that? Isn't road noise usually only attributed to crappy tires, or maybe a poor suspension in a small number of cases. Wind noise, I would imagine, can be blamed on poor fit and finish - body panel gaps, and/or an improperly sealed windshield?

The stock tires were actually better because they have a layer of foam in them to help dampen noise. Unfortunately they're performance summer tires so they weren’t acceptable where I live and I had to replace them with some all seasons. I couldn’t find any AS tires with the foam that fit the 20” wheels at the time so had to go with regular tires. (I've heard there might be more options now, but haven’t looked)

 

[Siciliano]

Guys, on my maiden voyage home I didn't notice any wind noise much at all... maybe very faint, but nothing notable. Pretty much the only thing I noticed was the tire noise. This is the first time I've driven a M3 for a substantial amount of time, and on highways.

It's funny, I had always pictured in my imagination that driving an EV would be eerily quiet, but of course that isn't the case... unless it's at very low speeds, then yes, it's eerily quiet. I did notice very faint humming sounds at relatively low speeds on smooth roads, which I assume was coming from the motors. THAT was eery for some reason.

 

[Vines]

I like the gentle jet engine like noise on hard acceleration.

The road noise is pretty bad on some surfaces, especially concrete ones. Asphalt is much quieter. Its really the only place where the car doesn't shine.

 

[S3XY Tito]

I've been hearing a lot actually about road noise. It doesn't discourage me from wanting to buy it, but it's concerning.

Yesterday a client and I were raving about his M3 w/boost and he actually came back in a few seconds after he left just to tell me that the only thing he doesn't like about it is the road noise - he didn't mention wind noise though.

I wonder if there's any good way to mitigate that? Isn't road noise usually only attributed to crappy tires, or maybe a poor suspension in a small number of cases. Wind noise, I would imagine, can be blamed on poor fit and finish - body panel gaps, and/or an improperly sealed windshield?

Just turn on ur fav music on high, and just enjoy the ride/fun