Welcome to Tesla Motors Club
Discuss Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Roadster and More.
Register

Model Y Performance 21" Tires - Larger, More Comfortable Fitment Details and Experience - Michelin AS4's (With Photos)

This site may earn commission on affiliate links.
I recently had to replace my 2022 MYP OEM Michelin All Season 4's and after a lot of research, and tire hunting, wanted to share my experience and the direction I went. Valuable information for those close to ordering new tires. I just drive 2000 miles through Santa Cruz, San Jose, Sacramento, and did a weekend in Tahoe, driving on many dirt roads and rough roads.

First off, I will never go with another set of tires after having these. I made it to 37,000 miles with 3/32 left on all 4 tires. they wore evenly. Their performance in heavy rain and even 6" of snow was unbelievable. Ive had multiple cars with Pirellis, and always stuck with them, but was not happy with the miles I got out of them, and the thought of getting 27,000 miles on them with an EV just sounds terrible considering the price.

The Tires

I went up in size with width, and sidewall.

Stock/OEM for the MYP is:
Front: 255/35/21
IMG_8923.jpeg

Rear: 275/35/21
IMG_8922.jpeg


The tires I chose are:
Front: 265/40/21
IMG_8935.jpeg

Rear: 295/40/21
IMG_8936.jpeg

Fitment

Front wheels fully turned, there's still >1" to the inner tire well. So no rubbing at all, even with quick turns into parking lots (Where you would probably get rubbing the most)
Rear wheels haven't rubbed on any large bumps. I even tried to get them to rub. nothing.

The main bonus functionality wise is that the tires extend farther out than the rims. not much, but they do.
IMG_9423.jpeg


Look

The difference is huge. Pictures don't do it justice. When I see other MYP's now, the OEM tires look stretched and the amount of room in the tire well looks like a mistake. maybe not on the MYLR, but for a performance, the larger sidewall REALLY looks great. It creates the illusion that your car is lowered, but its actually ~1.5" higher clearance

It truly looks performance even though It can handle bumpy roads and "All Season" conditions even better.

Before:
IMG_8921.jpeg


After:
IMG_9421.jpeg

Efficiency

This part was really interesting.

Bigger tires have a higher rolling resistance than smaller tires which means they require more resistance and effort to get them rolling. However, if you do a lot of freeway driving at high speeds, larger tires can help increase your vehicle's efficiency.

So, days I drive a lot in the city with lots of stop and go, I get about 7% less range. but when I do a lot of freeway driving, I get about 7% better range.

I drive 150-350 miles a day, and have found zero difference in range because I do a wide range of road types. I really thought I'd lose range.

Feel

WOW, what a difference. Sure the suspension is still stiff, but I feel a LOT less of the small imperfections of the roads I drive on every day. even my girlfriend said she noticed it before I got to point it out. Speed bumps and things feel much better and not like im driving over a 2"x4". This is my favorite part of these tires functionality wise. Cant describe it.

There is no foam in the tires, but they are STILL quieter than the OEM with the foam. that stuffs a gimmick.

Things To Be Aware Of

Speedometer: It is not going to be accurate. Due to the larger diameter, it is off. I called Tesla, and talked to 2 different service centers, and there is nothing they can do about it. This seems like something Tesla overlooked. The only thing you can change is your rim size in your cars settings, but not the diameter...

So, when my car says im going 70MPH, im actually going 74MPH.
says 25, im going 26.5
says 40, im going 43
says 65, im going 68.5
says 85 (for AP max) im going 90.

This is something that as long as you keep in mind, it doesnt matter. I just changed my cruise control settings so it doesn't add 5MPH anymore. I chose 7% increase and it's fine.

I dont know if it's the new beta version, or that the car thinks its going slower than it is, but ive noticed that on AP/FSDbeta, it is taking turns a little wider and sometimes touches the lines on the outer edge of the turn if im going above 50mph. I'm pretty sure it's the speed issue.

This really needs to be able to be corrected by the user in the settings. sometimes switching brands can add .5in of diameter even if the tire is the same "size".

Conclusion:

Go Bigger! the OEM tires are actually stretched on your Uberturbines. they are meant for wider tires but Tesla went smaller for efficiency reasons, which in the end, didn't matter. Finding the OEM sizes of these wonderful tires is basically impossible. They are on a national backorder right now which is why I went for a different size in the first place. These tires arent cheap, but they ARE worth every penny.

American tire warned me that they weren't OEM sizes, and I told them I know for a fact they will fit and they had no problem installing them.

Here's some more pictures just for fun. These are some CHONKY tires. Thicc with 2 "C"s. tiny American tire man for reference.
IMG_8931.jpeg
IMG_8929.jpeg
 

Attachments

  • IMG_9421.jpeg
    IMG_9421.jpeg
    823.1 KB · Views: 1,645
Those are the best looking 21" tires I've seen. Much better than stock. How much did the set of four cost?
All 4 installed was about $1800. Had to get rears at American tire and front at Costco. My original 38,000 miles was in 9 months. I drive a lot. So amazing tires is worth the money. Kinda like what they say about humans. Don’t skimp on your bed or your shoes. The majority of your life you’re in either.

I basically live in my car for work lol, it needs good shoes.
 
I wouldn't go with wheels that large, but I've certainly considered bigger tires on my MYLR, good to hear there is clearance.
Can you think of a good reason not to have tires that actually fit your car? I don’t see a downside or negative aspect to it. Genuinely curious.

Tesla does put tires smaller than what the Uberturbines are built for width wise.
 
Thanks for the information! So you're saying you consistently get better range on freeway? I drive as much as you do, and this would be great
Yes. First 800 miles I didn’t but that’s a normal thing with new tires. But it also depends on my mood lol. Some days I drive like a bat out of hell. Some days I just let AP/FSD cruise. But on 100-200 miles of AP on the freeway, I get about 5-8% better range. Just watch that speedometer lol
 
  • Like
Reactions: Redman122905
Yes. First 800 miles I didn’t but that’s a normal thing with new tires. But it also depends on my mood lol. Some days I drive like a bat out of hell. Some days I just let AP/FSD cruise. But on 100-200 miles of AP on the freeway, I get about 5-8% better range. Just watch that speedometer lol
Perfect! thank you for the feedback. I just picked mine up, and once my tires wear out, I'll get the thicker tires!
 
Higher rolling resistance should, in theory, reduce efficiency. Can you explain why do you believe bigger tires improve efficiency on highways?
Rolling resistance has negative effect from a stop -> moving. When on freeways, the larger diameter is better in theory. My experience from this has shown it to be true.

Energy.gov article about tires.

Larger tires decrease your fuel economy because they are heavier, while smaller tires increase fuel efficiency. Bigger tires also have a higher rolling resistance than smaller tires which means they require more resistance and effort to get them rolling. So, in stop-start traffic the smaller tire would be the better option because less power is needed so it will get better mileage. However, for freeway driving at high speeds, having larger tires can help increase the vehicle’s fuel efficiency. Is this because while it is easier to get a smaller wheel and tire moving than a larger one, once moving, the engine works harder to make the smaller wheel cover the same distance as a larger one. So, for better fuel economy when cruising, the larger wheel would be better.
 
The OE tires are "T0" Tesla spec, which actually has a thicker rim protector that sticks out - spec'd by Tesla for this purpose. So, if you have a propensity to drive into curbs, worth noting. They're stretched, but the rim guard is specifically larger on this custom tire to account for fitment on the Uberturbines.

Also, you don't need to change the aspect ratio to gain some thickness. Going with a wider tire and staying with a 35-series tire will still get you a slight increase in sidewall height due to the nature of how the measurements work.

Personally I think going up to a "40" looks a bit awkward but that's just me :)
 
I recently had to replace my 2022 MYP OEM Michelin All Season 4's and after a lot of research, and tire hunting, wanted to share my experience and the direction I went. Valuable information for those close to ordering new tires. I just drive 2000 miles through Santa Cruz, San Jose, Sacramento, and did a weekend in Tahoe, driving on many dirt roads and rough roads.

First off, I will never go with another set of tires after having these. I made it to 37,000 miles with 3/32 left on all 4 tires. they wore evenly. Their performance in heavy rain and even 6" of snow was unbelievable. Ive had multiple cars with Pirellis, and always stuck with them, but was not happy with the miles I got out of them, and the thought of getting 27,000 miles on them with an EV just sounds terrible considering the price.

The Tires

I went up in size with width, and sidewall.

Stock/OEM for the MYP is:
Front: 255/35/21
View attachment 853290
Rear: 275/35/21
View attachment 853291

The tires I chose are:
Front: 265/40/21
View attachment 853292
Rear: 295/40/21
View attachment 853293
Fitment

Front wheels fully turned, there's still >1" to the inner tire well. So no rubbing at all, even with quick turns into parking lots (Where you would probably get rubbing the most)
Rear wheels haven't rubbed on any large bumps. I even tried to get them to rub. nothing.

The main bonus functionality wise is that the tires extend farther out than the rims. not much, but they do.
View attachment 853301

Look

The difference is huge. Pictures don't do it justice. When I see other MYP's now, the OEM tires look stretched and the amount of room in the tire well looks like a mistake. maybe not on the MYLR, but for a performance, the larger sidewall REALLY looks great. It creates the illusion that your car is lowered, but its actually ~1.5" higher clearance

It truly looks performance even though It can handle bumpy roads and "All Season" conditions even better.

Before:
View attachment 853299

After:
View attachment 853302
Efficiency

This part was really interesting.

Bigger tires have a higher rolling resistance than smaller tires which means they require more resistance and effort to get them rolling. However, if you do a lot of freeway driving at high speeds, larger tires can help increase your vehicle's efficiency.

So, days I drive a lot in the city with lots of stop and go, I get about 7% less range. but when I do a lot of freeway driving, I get about 7% better range.

I drive 150-350 miles a day, and have found zero difference in range because I do a wide range of road types. I really thought I'd lose range.

Feel

WOW, what a difference. Sure the suspension is still stiff, but I feel a LOT less of the small imperfections of the roads I drive on every day. even my girlfriend said she noticed it before I got to point it out. Speed bumps and things feel much better and not like im driving over a 2"x4". This is my favorite part of these tires functionality wise. Cant describe it.

There is no foam in the tires, but they are STILL quieter than the OEM with the foam. that stuffs a gimmick.

Things To Be Aware Of

Speedometer: It is not going to be accurate. Due to the larger diameter, it is off. I called Tesla, and talked to 2 different service centers, and there is nothing they can do about it. This seems like something Tesla overlooked. The only thing you can change is your rim size in your cars settings, but not the diameter...

So, when my car says im going 70MPH, im actually going 74MPH.
says 25, im going 26.5
says 40, im going 43
says 65, im going 68.5
says 85 (for AP max) im going 90.

This is something that as long as you keep in mind, it doesnt matter. I just changed my cruise control settings so it doesn't add 5MPH anymore. I chose 7% increase and it's fine.

I dont know if it's the new beta version, or that the car thinks its going slower than it is, but ive noticed that on AP/FSDbeta, it is taking turns a little wider and sometimes touches the lines on the outer edge of the turn if im going above 50mph. I'm pretty sure it's the speed issue.

This really needs to be able to be corrected by the user in the settings. sometimes switching brands can add .5in of diameter even if the tire is the same "size".

Conclusion:

Go Bigger! the OEM tires are actually stretched on your Uberturbines. they are meant for wider tires but Tesla went smaller for efficiency reasons, which in the end, didn't matter. Finding the OEM sizes of these wonderful tires is basically impossible. They are on a national backorder right now which is why I went for a different size in the first place. These tires arent cheap, but they ARE worth every penny.

American tire warned me that they weren't OEM sizes, and I told them I know for a fact they will fit and they had no problem installing them.

Here's some more pictures just for fun. These are some CHONKY tires. Thicc with 2 "C"s. tiny American tire man for reference.
View attachment 853304View attachment 853305
Fantastic review, Raurele. I have been running exactly the same setup since last year and it is fantastic.

American Tire refused to install at first. They were concerned about rubbing. Like you, I never have had an issue with rubbing, front or rear.

I have hit curbs hard enough to have scratched the wheels with the old tires, but no issue with these. I guess tire manufacturers realize this is an issue as they are now making"T0" Tesla spec with the thicker rim protector as fiehlsport mentioned. Curious if anyone has tried these?

In addition, these tires really handle the potholes much better than the OEM Pirellis. I believe this is due to the higher sidewalls and the overall construction of the Michelins.