Model Y ride comfort?

[Jigglypuff]

Online suspension reviews are the absolute worst. Second only to online stereo reviews. Well, then there are mattress reviews. I've done the work to figure out all three to a reasonable extent, though.

Individual consumer suspension reviews of ride comfort should be largely ignored. Expert opinions on suspension are valuable, but they're generally focused on performance options, not ride quality. It's totally possible to buy a $10,000 suspension setup that rides worse than a $1000 setup. Bad tuning, bushings, bearings, tophats, and other parts make a difference.

KW, Ohlins, and Bilstein are all quality companies. They're are advantages and disadvantages between the three, and all are popular. All three can be made comfier, but you're still going to be limited by Tesla design decisions.

 

[MIKE.The.Shark]

I came from a 2016 kinetic blue Chevy volt with Michelin premier tires. When blazing down any of the worst streets in LA it felt like utter bliss, I commanded the grip and control of a mid range bmw packaged in a mid size plug in sedan and the cloud like feel of a camry. 90mph on the I405 felt like a comfort zone.

The model y feels like I’m traveling through a war zone at any speed. My passengers, who never noticed my MPH in my volt, are now asking me to please slow down because they feel unsafe Whenever I cross 45 mph....The ride is ridiculously harsh, I’ve mounted gemini wheels, induction wheels, Uber turbine wheel with no avail . I’ve Mated my Uber turbines with Michelin, I’m currently running Michelin MXM4 on my induction wheels. It’s the softest ride I’ve gotten so far. Still feels like trash though. Ill prolly try unlugged next. After that I'm going back to chevy or Toyota.

I recently drove a MY loaner with Michelin MXM4 mated to induction wheels. It rode 60% better than my MY does. But it was 8 months newer so maybe they’ve softened the suspension a little since I took delivery in March. Also, a friend of mine doesn’t have the issue where the car is jerking up and down even on smoother roads. So After nearly a dozen test drives and 3sets of wheels and comparing other cars of friends, I'm thinking there are MY owners out there with defective suspensions that are worse than how it actually should be but not bad enough for tesla to issue a recall. these might be the people choosing the unplugged coil overs. it’s Also possible due to supply constraints Tesla is using different suppliers for struts and one of the suppliers is not so great, all model Y‘s are supposed to be built the same but because of this parody some MYs ride a little bit better than others .... Don't flame me, this is just my experience with it.

 

[jcanoe]

I came from a 2016 kinetic blue Chevy volt with Michelin premier tires. When blazing down any of the worst streets in LA it felt like utter bliss, I commanded the grip and control of a mid range bmw packaged in a mid size plug in sedan and the cloud like feel of a camry. 90mph on the I405 felt like a comfort zone.

The model y feels like I’m traveling through a war zone at any speed. My passengers, who never noticed my MPH in my volt, are now asking me to please slow down because they feel unsafe Whenever I cross 45 mph....The ride is ridiculously harsh, I’ve mounted gemini wheels, induction wheels, Uber turbine wheel with no avail . I’ve Mated my Uber turbines with Michelin, I’m currently running Michelin MXM4 on my induction wheels. It’s the softest ride I’ve gotten so far. Still feels like trash though. Ill prolly try unlugged next. After that I'm going back to chevy or Toyota.

I recently drove a MY loaner with Michelin MXM4 mated to induction wheels. It rode 60% better than my MY does. But it was 8 months newer so maybe they’ve softened the suspension a little since I took delivery in March. Also, a friend of mine doesn’t have the issue where the car is jerking up and down even on smoother roads. So After nearly a dozen test drives and 3sets of wheels and comparing other cars of friends, I'm thinking there are MY owners out there with defective suspensions that are worse than how it actually should be but not bad enough for tesla to issue a recall. these might be the people choosing the unplugged coil overs. it’s Also possible due to supply constraints Tesla is using different suppliers for struts and one of the suppliers is not so great, all model Y‘s are supposed to be built the same but because of this parody some MYs ride a little bit better than others .... Don't flame me, this is just my experience with it.

What tire pressure do you normally set? Also, did you consider having an alignment done on your Model Y. Lastly, even though you have been through multiple sets of wheels and tires consider having road force balancing done for the wheels and tires you decide to stay with.

 

[Electroman]

I came from a 2016 kinetic blue Chevy volt with Michelin premier tires. When blazing down any of the worst streets in LA it felt like utter bliss, I commanded the grip and control of a mid range bmw packaged in a mid size plug in sedan and the cloud like feel of a camry. 90mph on the I405 felt like a comfort zone.

The model y feels like I’m traveling through a war zone at any speed. My passengers, who never noticed my MPH in my volt, are now asking me to please slow down because they feel unsafe Whenever I cross 45 mph....The ride is ridiculously harsh, I’ve mounted gemini wheels, induction wheels, Uber turbine wheel with no avail . I’ve Mated my Uber turbines with Michelin, I’m currently running Michelin MXM4 on my induction wheels. It’s the softest ride I’ve gotten so far. Still feels like trash though. Ill prolly try unlugged next. After that I'm going back to chevy or Toyota.

I recently drove a MY loaner with Michelin MXM4 mated to induction wheels. It rode 60% better than my MY does. But it was 8 months newer so maybe they’ve softened the suspension a little since I took delivery in March. Also, a friend of mine doesn’t have the issue where the car is jerking up and down even on smoother roads. So After nearly a dozen test drives and 3sets of wheels and comparing other cars of friends, I'm thinking there are MY owners out there with defective suspensions that are worse than how it actually should be but not bad enough for tesla to issue a recall. these might be the people choosing the unplugged coil overs. it’s Also possible due to supply constraints Tesla is using different suppliers for struts and one of the suppliers is not so great, all model Y‘s are supposed to be built the same but because of this parody some MYs ride a little bit better than others .... Don't flame me, this is just my experience with it.

Yes mine rides harsh. VIN 78K.

My 17 year old Lexus RX 350 rides smoother.

 

[Exelion]

But it was 8 months newer so maybe they’ve softened the suspension a little since I took delivery in March. .

I was hoping people would post up suspension part numbers to verify this is true. While it is possible tesla has changed shocks/springs throughout the many models years of model Y (three) I would like to see evidence of it. Sadly, this has not made the news nearly as much as cybertruck/4680 batteries. I certainly think it deserves more attention in the public eye than it is. But from what I’ve seen so far, they have not and most of the differences are probably tire/rim differences.

 

[ElectricAnt54]

I came from a 2016 kinetic blue Chevy volt with Michelin premier tires. When blazing down any of the worst streets in LA it felt like utter bliss, I commanded the grip and control of a mid range bmw packaged in a mid size plug in sedan and the cloud like feel of a camry. 90mph on the I405 felt like a comfort zone.

The model y feels like I’m traveling through a war zone at any speed. My passengers, who never noticed my MPH in my volt, are now asking me to please slow down because they feel unsafe Whenever I cross 45 mph....The ride is ridiculously harsh, I’ve mounted gemini wheels, induction wheels, Uber turbine wheel with no avail . I’ve Mated my Uber turbines with Michelin, I’m currently running Michelin MXM4 on my induction wheels. It’s the softest ride I’ve gotten so far. Still feels like trash though. Ill prolly try unlugged next. After that I'm going back to chevy or Toyota.

I recently drove a MY loaner with Michelin MXM4 mated to induction wheels. It rode 60% better than my MY does. But it was 8 months newer so maybe they’ve softened the suspension a little since I took delivery in March. Also, a friend of mine doesn’t have the issue where the car is jerking up and down even on smoother roads. So After nearly a dozen test drives and 3sets of wheels and comparing other cars of friends, I'm thinking there are MY owners out there with defective suspensions that are worse than how it actually should be but not bad enough for tesla to issue a recall. these might be the people choosing the unplugged coil overs. it’s Also possible due to supply constraints Tesla is using different suppliers for struts and one of the suppliers is not so great, all model Y‘s are supposed to be built the same but because of this parody some MYs ride a little bit better than others .... Don't flame me, this is just my experience with it.

I live in Los Angeles too and have a 2022 MY Performance which has a harsher ride than long range Y. I test drove all model Y and 3 specs. I find the street quality & material has a giant affect on the tesla ride quality. I also came from a 2023 Volt which as you noted was pretty smooth over the worst streets even. But the Volt is a softer suspension and bobbed up and down more than model Y. To get closer to such a ride you’d need aftermarket adjustable coilovers suspension such as Redwood Motorsport (I might get these), Mountain Pass Performance or Unpmugged Performance. Some people lift the model Y and put on tires with even more sidewall.
I find the stretch of laurel canyon between Hollywood and the valley to be brutal in model Y performance. It is an old & often traveled road and the street material is slabs of concrete which don’t align too well usually. On the flip side many roads in LA result in a very smooth & quiet ride if they are newer.

 

[spoony604]

The worst ride out of all the vehicles I have owned, , the suspension is stupid stiff where its completely unnecessary. I have 2022 MYL with 20" induction and 19" gemini
And this is coming from someone who owned, 2015 ML350 on 20" , 2017 x5 M package on 20" run flat, 2021 x5 on air with run flat, 2014 435xi M package with run flat, the Y rides worse than my fully built 2006 rsx s with full coilover. I find tesla psi is insanely high at 42-45psi. I have lowered it to 38 psi where it shows a substantial amount of improvement,

 

[HellsKitchen]

The worst ride out of all the vehicles I have owned, , the suspension is stupid stiff where its completely unnecessary. I have 2022 MYL with 20" induction and 19" gemini
And this is coming from someone who owned, 2015 ML350 on 20" , 2017 x5 M package on 20" run flat, 2021 x5 on air with run flat, 2014 435xi M package with run flat, the Y rides worse than my fully built 2006 rsx s with full coilover. I find tesla psi is insanely high at 42-45psi. I have lowered it to 38 psi where it shows a substantial amount of improvement,

Does filling the tires below spec cause constant tire pressure warnings?

 

[DayTrippin]

Not unless you go too low. I was it 37 or 38 with no issues.

 

[sleepydoc]

The worst ride out of all the vehicles I have owned, , the suspension is stupid stiff where its completely unnecessary. I have 2022 MYL with 20" induction and 19" gemini
And this is coming from someone who owned, 2015 ML350 on 20" , 2017 x5 M package on 20" run flat, 2021 x5 on air with run flat, 2014 435xi M package with run flat, the Y rides worse than my fully built 2006 rsx s with full coilover. I find tesla psi is insanely high at 42-45psi. I have lowered it to 38 psi where it shows a substantial amount of improvement,

I would agree. I have a 2021 MYLR (VIN 27xxx) with 19" Gemini wheels and the ride is so bad I can barely drink my coffee on the way in to work. My son drove it for a couple of days and his comment was "it's like your riding on a board! The suspension is awful!"

I've considered getting a suspension upgrade from Unplugged performance or something similar, but I'm hesitant to drop $2500 without a test drive to know what I'm driving and to be honest, after the V11 debacle I'm not sure I'll be keeping the car anyway.

 

[DayTrippin]

I wasn't that thrilled with the Y's suspension and my wife absolutely haded the Y performance's. So we went with the 19" wheels on the LR and the one we got was better than the ones we test drove. Thought about suspension mods but weren't sure we'd keep the car long term. We went with lighter weight 19" wheels and slightly narrower rim (1") as well.

The lower unsprung weight along with not flattening the tire out so much, actually improved the ride quite a bit. My wife can be like the princess in the princess and the pea story so when she rarely complains about the ride now, I know it has been a significant improvement. I also noticed about 3-4k miles, everything became a bit more compliant as well.

One area where it sill is bad and so are a lot of other cars, are over brick roads. Definitely better than it was but that is all mostly about tire compliance. We have the Contis on the car that came on the Geminis originally. For what the car costs, it should be better. Is it horrible no, but it is definitely on the cheaper feeling of the spectrum in its class. @sleepydoc - I am not sure you'll every be happy in MPLS with the stock MY LR setup. I lived there too long and with all the frost damage on the roads, it can even make cars that are pretty good seem bad.

 

[tangible1]

I live in Los Angeles too and have a 2022 MY Performance which has a harsher ride than long range Y. I test drove all model Y and 3 specs. I find the street quality & material has a giant affect on the tesla ride quality. I also came from a 2023 Volt which as you noted was pretty smooth over the worst streets even. But the Volt is a softer suspension and bobbed up and down more than model Y. To get closer to such a ride you’d need aftermarket adjustable coilovers suspension such as Redwood Motorsport (I might get these), Mountain Pass Performance or Unpmugged Performance. Some people lift the model Y and put on tires with even more sidewall.
I find the stretch of laurel canyon between Hollywood and the valley to be brutal in model Y performance. It is an old & often traveled road and the street material is slabs of concrete which don’t align too well usually. On the flip side many roads in LA result in a very smooth & quiet ride if they are newer.

I thought I had a flat tire when I was driving the 405 on the westside in the MYLR I picked up 2 weeks ago.
Those concrete slabs are the perfect harmonic generator for the MYLR suspension.

But as you say, the newer asphalt pavement is quite smooth riding. It's a Jeckel/Hyde suspension. 113" wheelbase is just too in-between.

Having said all that, it's a far piece better than the MYLR I test drove back in June before I ordered.
I know how to fix a suspension; there are several aftermarket options and more are coming. But it's better than I expected so far.

 

[charlesoris]

I thought I had a flat tire when I was driving the 405 on the westside in the MYLR I picked up 2 weeks ago.
Those concrete slabs are the perfect harmonic generator for the MYLR suspension.

But as you say, the newer asphalt pavement is quite smooth riding. It's a Jeckel/Hyde suspension. 113" wheelbase is just too in-between.

Having said all that, it's a far piece better than the MYLR I test drove back in June before I ordered.
I know how to fix a suspension; there are several aftermarket options and more are coming. But it's better than I expected so far.

The pavement on the I405 is worth North of 101.

 

[Noflash]

I've only had my MYLR for a couple of days, but I find different roads really affect the car in different ways. Some roads bring out a bounciness in the suspension. Some roads with expansion seams bring out a boominess in the cabin. I don't find it a deal-breaker, but it's definitely noticeable. I've had no passenger complaints. My family of four on the interstate was completely content. My neighbors thought the ride was fantastic.

I'm expecting these OE tires to not last long. I'll replace with Vredestein Quatrac Pros.

 

[spoony604]

funny i only had the MY for 10 kms before i swapped them to winter.
gemini 19" with Conti vikin 7, and even tho they are on winters they still ride like crap. Boy am I gonna be thrilled soon before changing back to summer

I sold the stock Good year as they ride like a rock, mounted a set of new DWS 06 plus as Conti tends to offer a softer sidewall compare to other brands

Normally BMW owners hates the factory run flat with a passion, being my first tesla.....these shocks really a whole different ball game
I tested drove the MYP, and it was ridiculous. The X rides so much better due to air suspension. I wish MY has the option to pay a premium for air ride from the factory or even adaptive dampers

 

[tomagucci]

Online suspension reviews are the absolute worst. Second only to online stereo reviews. Well, then there are mattress reviews. I've done the work to figure out all three to a reasonable extent, though.

Individual consumer suspension reviews of ride comfort should be largely ignored. Expert opinions on suspension are valuable, but they're generally focused on performance options, not ride quality. It's totally possible to buy a $10,000 suspension setup that rides worse than a $1000 setup. Bad tuning, bushings, bearings, tophats, and other parts make a difference.

KW, Ohlins, and Bilstein are all quality companies. They're are advantages and disadvantages between the three, and all are popular. All three can be made comfier, but you're still going to be limited by Tesla design decisions.

Haha, I love it! Im wondering what other online reviews fall in the same category. Maybe running shoe reviews?

 

[lemon19mmm]

I used to daily drive a gutted & caged s2000 with 900 lbs springs rate when I was younger. I currently still drive some mildly modded suspension cars like m3 & gt3. So I guess you can say my tolerance for ride comfort is higher than most ppl. I still find my 2022 model Y LR is a bit on the harsh side. My wife drives this car the most and she complains about it. I am on the fence to change the suspension now, personally I would like to install some Bilstein PSS14 on the Y if they are really making them. I like the PSS14 series over KW v3 on my daily only cars.

 

[Meteile]

Hi, considering purchasing a Model Y....curious about how it rides over bumps and uneven pavement, etc.? I would get the 19" Gemini wheels as I have read these can be a bit softer than the 20" wheels. I do prefer a bit of a softer, comfortable ride.

Right now I own a 2018 Nissan Leaf SL, and it has a very comfortable ride, handles bumps nicely. I think (for my preference) Nissan nailed it on ride comfort vs. sporty feel. I also have a 2018 Outlander PHEV and that rides harsher than the Leaf, it doesn't handle bumps nearly as well and honestly if the road is bad I don't like it.

Has anyone out there driven the Model Y and 2018 or newer Leaf and can give a quick opinion? I have heard in general Tesla's ride fairly harsh. Never driven one yet and live too far from a Service Centre to arrange a test drive.

Thanks.

Its a good ride, but not comparable to other luxury $80k CAD cars. Its definitely not on the softer side.

 

[tangible1]

funny i only had the MY for 10 kms before i swapped them to winter.
gemini 19" with Conti vikin 7, and even tho they are on winters they still ride like crap. Boy am I gonna be thrilled soon before changing back to summer

I sold the stock Good year as they ride like a rock, mounted a set of new DWS 06 plus as Conti tends to offer a softer sidewall compare to other brands

Normally BMW owners hates the factory run flat with a passion, being my first tesla.....these shocks really a whole different ball game
I tested drove the MYP, and it was ridiculous. The X rides so much better due to air suspension. I wish MY has the option to pay a premium for air ride from the factory or even adaptive dampers

looking at the front shock towers on the MY, there are unused threaded holes located about where an air bottle or remote reservoir might fit.
there is also reserved space for an air bottle or such on the rear megacast. Shown on Munro Live YT.
That said:
I believe Tesla will add air or adaptive suspension to the MY at some point, but not any time soon. Maybe 12 months. Too much order backlog as it is....

 

[Cal11]

I’m coming from a 2018 Kia Stinger GT 2 and that suspension outshined the model y. By far the most harsh ride I’ve had. Looking to get MPP Coilovers to alleviate all the bumps that have spilled my coffee in my 300 miles of ownership.