Model 3 Performance- 20” Tires - I have questions!

[AG#1]

All,

I have a Model 3 Performance on order, been waiting three weeks - but that’s for another thread.

So I’ve been reading a wide variety of opinions on the 20” 3’s Performance tires. They have road noise compared to 18”, They are fine; little road noise, 20” rims can be damaged by potholes, Never had my 20” damaged, etc. etc.

With the delay on my car it’s given me a chance to think about tire selection. I currently drive a 2014 Toyota Prius so going to a Tesla Performance with 20” wheels will be a big jump in every way.

I live in Southern CA, so don’t have to worry about winter driving but some of the roads are bad.

Am I going to notice a night and day difference from an 18” to a 20” wheel? Are the 18”s that much smoother, less road noise, comfort then a 20”?

It can be confusing and second guessing buying the Performance 3.

Any input is greatly appreciated!

 

[wenkan]

For me the main decision point is brakes. Tires and wheels are easily replaceable. However, there is no aftermarket upgrade kit for the rear brakes in the foreseeable future. If you like the look of red calipers or want to track your model 3, I suggest you keep the P+ options. Otherwise P- seems enough.

 

[shplatt]

I think the grin pasted on your face the first time you mash the pedal will make you forget the 20 inchers.

 

[shplatt]

BTW, I don't notice a whole lot of undue noise or vibration with the 20s. Granted, my P3D replaced a Mustang GT (also had 20s), but my P3D drives so much smoother.

 

[thewishmaster]

Either way the car will be stiffer but quieter than your Prius with either the 18s or 20s. The difference between the model 3 configurations will be much smaller, especially if you’re not driving the two versions back to back over and over. My buddy has the 18s and I can’t say I noticed a meaningful difference as a passenger.

I might’ve picked 19s if they were an option, but given the choice between 18s and 20s, I have 0 regrets

 

[Richt]

Hard for me to compare as I haven't spent much time in a 18" M3. But we've driven it model 3 around town and then on a Seattle to Bay area roundtrip.

The road noise doesn't seem awful. But then we don't have any experience with whisper quiet luxury cars. Compared to a really noisy Mazdspeed3 it's great. Not much difference from a BMW 330. Nicer than a Honda fit

As for the rims we've been paranoid so haven't hurt them yet.

 

[g0dfather]

20s are more compliant and quieter than I expected. I came from a 2013 Audi S4 with 19s.

 

[Garlan Garner]

All,

I have a Model 3 Performance on order, been waiting three weeks - but that’s for another thread.

So I’ve been reading a wide variety of opinions on the 20” 3’s Performance tires. They have road noise compared to 18”, They are fine; little road noise, 20” rims can be damaged by potholes, Never had my 20” damaged, etc. etc.

With the delay on my car it’s given me a chance to think about tire selection. I currently drive a 2014 Toyota Prius so going to a Tesla Performance with 20” wheels will be a big jump in every way.

I live in Southern CA, so don’t have to worry about winter driving but some of the roads are bad.

Am I going to notice a night and day difference from an 18” to a 20” wheel? Are the 18”s that much smoother, less road noise, comfort then a 20”?

It can be confusing and second guessing buying the Performance 3.

Any input is greatly appreciated!

I have both.

I can say this for sure -

The Michelin PS4 Tesla OEM Tires are imperative if you are going with the 20". Tesla's Michelins have foam on the inside of the tire to reduce road noise. Its amazing how much that makes a difference. PS4's do come in a non-foam version however for an additional $20-$30 per tire its like night and day.

My 18" Michelins actually make more road noise than my foamed 20" tires.

The loudest tires are the Pirelli 20". Pirelli does not make acoustic tires right now.

 

[Garlan Garner]

Early adopters might also want to take advantage of the "FREE" softer Tesla suspension.

Its not mushy or anything at all. Driving is still very tight and lovely. Suspension is just smoother.

Performance wise - no change.

Just quieter and smoother.

Free softer spring replacement? | Tesla

 

[Stanwood Steve]

I have a Performance version with the 20" wheels and came from a Prius V (which I still have). The tire noise on the P3D is not something that I find bothersome or even noticeable and I have over 25,000 miles on the car. I switch to winter tires every October (Michelin Alpins), and I have about 20,000 miles on the OEM PS4s at this point. No issues with dented rims but maybe I've just been lucky. I think I'll get around 30,000 miles off the stock PS4s but I drive pretty conservatively "most" of the time. I happen to like the look of the red calipers and 20" wheels, so I have no regrets.

 

[mswlogo]

Noise is not the issue nor is firmness of ride.

But potholes will get you.

Also the 20” wheels are not the strongest; that compounds the issue.

Also “20” is not the same on the model 3 as say, on my Jeep. It’s the aspect ratio that matters. The aspect ratio on a 20” on the model 3 is really low. I think the side wall is like 1 3/4 inches.

As they say it will be like riding on rails.

I was also concerned about how much beating the suspension takes in the long run.

You should know what your getting into. Switching from the donut tires on a Prius to 20” low profile tires will be a rude awakening. In return you get incredible handling. But the Model 3 handles fantastic with 18” or 19” too. Do you really need race track handling on the street? Some people do and know exactly what they want.

I could not justify the cost in efficiency, rims or tires to justify 10% more thrill factor and got the Performance stealth. If not for that option I would have ordered AWD with 19”

I added 19” OEM to my Performance Stealth (it came with Aeros). This was the best of all worlds
IMHO. Efficient, Cheaper, Looks Great and flexible for snow tires.

I rarely ever use the “Performance” acceleration in daily driving. About the only time I do is to show friends and family.

I’m replacing my 3P with an X. It won’t be a Performance, it won’t have 22” wheels (similar to 20” on model 3), and it won’t have FSD.

 

[jordanair45]

You’ll notice it. Maybe not coming from a Prius though. It still might actually be smoother.

Then 20” performance wheels look amazing. So if you don’t like them you can swap with me. I’ll drive down there and swap my 18s for your 20s

 

[ChadS]

I had a model 3 with 18s, and then switched to one with 20s. I also have third party 18s for winter tires on the new car.

Driving back to back when switching, I can tell that the 18s are a little smoother and quieter. But I have to be looking for it - it's not a huge difference. I can also definitely tell that the 20s have more grip, and grip is a key safety feature in any car, but especially in a performance car.

I haven't had any problems with potholes on the 20s, nor on the 22s on my previous model S. In fact the only wheel I have ever had crack was an 18 in my winter set.

I like the 20s a lot, but I'm sure when I go to replace them I will wish I was paying for 18s. In fact I did get 18s for winter wheels... that way you can have the best traction year-round, and cheaper tires half the time. And have spares available...that was sure handy when my 18-in wheel cracked.

 

[Adam3]

When I test drove a P3D+ it was a lot smoother than I expected. Didn't seem much different than my BMW M-Sport with 19" wheels and adaptive suspension. Don't let the anti-20" folks scare you.

 

[ewoodrick]

Put the computer or phone down and walk away. Stop fretting over the car and just enjoy it when it arrives.

Also play the tune anticipation

 

[SK360]

I have a Performance version with the 20" wheels and came from a Prius V (which I still have). The tire noise on the P3D is not something that I find bothersome or even noticeable and I have over 25,000 miles on the car. I switch to winter tires every October (Michelin Alpins), and I have about 20,000 miles on the OEM PS4s at this point. No issues with dented rims but maybe I've just been lucky. I think I'll get around 30,000 miles off the stock PS4s but I drive pretty conservatively "most" of the time. I happen to like the look of the red calipers and 20" wheels, so I have no regrets.

This is good to hear, I was concerned with the PS4S life but I haven’t been able to find too many real world reports. I got 18,000 miles and 2 seasons of Autocross out of them on my Corvette and the only reason I had to replace was due to damage on the outside of the tire. I will be buying dedicated AutoX wheels and tires for the P3D so was wondering how long they’d last as a commuter back and forth to work with occasional hard driving.

 

[Henry2a]

Potholes. The 20"s are awesome, but I blew one up going 10 MPH in a parking lot.

 

[JPP]

I love the 20s and Pilot 4S on my P3D+---willing to take the chance on potholes, etc (1 year in and so far so good...).

 

[SK360]

I love the 20s and Pilot 4S on my P3D+---willing to take the chance on potholes, etc (1 year in and so far so good...).

How many miles and how’s the wear on them?

 

[JPP]

6,800 miles. Rotated them at 3000 miles. Plan to rotate and have them looked at in a week or 2 (1 year in). Always keep the tires at 42 PSI.