My M3P will be here in a few days - how's the ride quality, really?

[Zcd1]

I came thisclose to buying an M3P back in September, but blinked and held onto my 2013 Audi S6. Then the price drop happened, and I haven't been able to get the M3 out of my mind since then.

Last weekend, on a whim I pinged my sales dude asking if there happened to be a car in my preferred spec (Pearl White over black, Performance Pack, no EAP) in stock somewhere close for immediate delivery. There was, and bam!, I put down my deposit. I'm excited, but also concerned. The 2 things that stopped me back in September were the interior quality and the ride comfort. I've gotten over/made peace with the interior question, but the ride quality still has me a little concerned. To me It feels firm but decent from the front seats, but not so great in the back seats. My Audi has an adjustable air suspension that goes from limo-smooth to firm, but not as firm as the M3P.

Has anyone else made the move from a larger, softer car to the M3P, and/or can anyone comment on the M3P's overall ride quality? TIA!

 

[mswlogo]

I have a P3D- but I could only test drive a P3D+ and a RWD. I was surprised how smooth the P3D+ was with the 20” wheels. Tested over rail road tracks etc. I don’t like a car that is too firm and was nervous about that. So was my wife. But we find it perfect. It’s as tight as rails but doesn’t feel jarring at all. A lot of people wish it had better bolsters though. Always loved Audi/VW seats. But most find the seats very comfortable.

What I find most cheap in the interior is the carpets and sound insulation. Everything else feels pretty good.

Maxpider mats really help the carpet issue. I’ve also added Frunk/Trunk mats and front/rear sunshades to help with cabin noise. On some roads it’s the quietest thing Ive ever been in now. On a few roads it’s noisy but passable. 20” wheels are noted to be noisier.

You can always tweak the wheels if you need to for comfort or noise. But for 20” wheels I thought they were great. Need to be real careful about bending the 20” rims though.

I live in pothole heaven and need snows. So 20” was not an option.

 

[jbcarioca]

As it happens I have just driven a rental Audi A4, a Jaguar XE and a demo Jaguar I-Pace nearly back to back with P3D+. Not an S6, but...

The P3D+ had a firmer ride than the others, but also much better controlled. The P3D+ had feel similar to that of Porsche 911, but with less steering immediecy and a better controlled ride on rough pavement.

On balance, the S6 I drove most extensively was in Russia in 2015. From memory the variable air suspension choices made a clear advantage. Other air suspension cars I have driven, including my former P85D, did not have equal flexibility.

I'll wager you'll love the P3D. What you gain in responsiveness and control will outweigh any ride issues. For me at least, I find the ride to be pretty much ideal. I would not even choose air suspension were it already available.

 

[jjrandorin]

I love the ride in this car, but I came from a BMW 435 with adaptive suspension, that I drove in sport mode all the time. This car (on the 20s) is both softer than I had, but more "on rails". I just had my first commute to work as I was on vacation when I bought it. My commute is 35 miles each way, and I normally drive freeway to work, and side streets back roads back home due to traffic.

on my way back home, I could not get over how compliant the drive was, in addition to almost zero body roll. I think for me, the ride comfort improvement over my 435 is due more to the tires than anything, With that being said, the car felt so planted on the road, and nimble, that when I got home I was giddy all over again.

The interior is definitely a step down, in the fake leather. The minimalist aspect you get used to pretty quickly, and the seats are comfortable, but the seating material makes my back start to sweat, while the leather in my BMW didnt.

I am 6'2 225 (just for reference as to my size as I know that sometimes larger bodied people have this "back sweat" issue, but I never really did before).

With that being said, the way the car drives makes AALLLLLLLL of that disappear, and I really dont care. for me, its that good...

 

[Zcd1]

I have a P3D- but I could only test drive a P3D+ and a RWD. I was surprised how smooth the P3D+ was with the 20” wheels. Tested over rail road tracks etc. I don’t like a car that is too firm and was nervous about that. So was my wife. But we find it perfect. It’s as tight as rails but doesn’t feel jarring at all. A lot of people wish it had better bolsters though. Always loved Audi/VW seats. But most find the seats very comfortable.

What I find most cheap in the interior is the carpets and sound insulation. Everything else feels pretty good.

Maxpider mats really help the carpet issue. I’ve also added Frunk/Trunk mats and front/rear sunshades to help with cabin noise. On some roads it’s the quietest thing Ive ever been in now. On a few roads it’s noisy but passable. 20” wheels are noted to be noisier.

You can always tweak the wheels if you need to for comfort or noise. But for 20” wheels I thought they were great. Need to be real careful about bending the 20” rims though.

I live in pothole heaven and need snows. So 20” was not an option.

I appreciate the input - thanks!

I recall some wind noise at highway speeds, but otherwise thought the car was decently quiet. The S6 is about the same - not the quietest thing out there, but quiet enough. I know nothing about the carpet mats you mention, but will look into them.

I'm actually getting 20" Michelin Pilot Alpins to mount on the OEM wheels for my winter setup, and then plan to buy a nicer/cooler/more unique set of 20" wheels for summer.

 

[Zcd1]

I love the ride in this car, but I came from a BMW 435 with adaptive suspension, that I drove in sport mode all the time. This car (on the 20s) is both softer than I had, but more "on rails". I just had my first commute to work as I was on vacation when I bought it. My commute is 35 miles each way, and I normally drive freeway to work, and side streets back roads back home due to traffic.

on my way back home, I could not get over how compliant the drive was, in addition to almost zero body roll. I think for me, the ride comfort improvement over my 435 is due more to the tires than anything, With that being said, the car felt so planted on the road, and nimble, that when I got home I was giddy all over again.

The interior is definitely a step down, in the fake leather. The minimalist aspect you get used to pretty quickly, and the seats are comfortable, but the seating material makes my back start to sweat, while the leather in my BMW didnt.

I am 6'2 225 (just for reference as to my size as I know that sometimes larger bodied people have this "back sweat" issue, but I never really did before).

With that being said, the way the car drives makes AALLLLLLLL of that disappear, and I really dont care. for me, its that good...

Again, thanks for the input. I could imagine that the M3P might ride better than the BMW, particularly given that you were always in the firmest setting. I drive my S6 in its firmest setting when it's just me in the car, but for carrying passengers or highway trips often switch to "automatic" or even "comfort".

Before the S6 I drove a lowered/tuned 2011 Audi S4. Loved that car. It also had an adjustable suspension, but in its softest mode was firmer than the S6 in its firmest mode. I miss the tossability and responsiveness of that car, and the M3P's handling is a huge attraction to me.

The front seats did feel quite comfy to me - better, I thought than the quilted leather in my Audi for comfort, if certainly not for looks. I'm 6' 2" also, but about 195 lbs, and I tend to "run hot" but live in Chicago rather than SoCal, so hopefully the pleather won't be as much of an issue...

 

[Vines]

I feel amazed by the comfortable feel of the suspension, when considering its a sports sedan. It is firm and communicates road noise more than some cars but still feels really really nice whether you are carving corners or commuting.

 

[dfwatt]

I came thisclose to buying an M3P back in September, but blinked and held onto my 2013 Audi S6. Then the price drop happened, and I haven't been able to get the M3 out of my mind since then.

Last weekend, on a whim I pinged my sales dude asking if there happened to be a car in my preferred spec (Pearl White over black, Performance Pack, no EAP) in stock somewhere close for immediate delivery. There was, and bam!, I put down my deposit. I'm excited, but also concerned. The 2 things that stopped me back in September were the interior quality and the ride comfort. I've gotten over/made peace with the interior question, but the ride quality still has me a little concerned. To me It feels firm but decent from the front seats, but not so great in the back seats. My Audi has an adjustable air suspension that goes from limo-smooth to firm, but not as firm as the M3P.

Has anyone else made the move from a larger, softer car to the M3P, and/or can anyone comment on the M3P's overall ride quality? TIA!

Overall I have to believe that you are gonna love the model 3 performance version coming from an Audi S6.

My experience of the overall ride quality of the Model 3 is pretty positive, but the caveat here is I'm coming from a heavily modified Lexus IS 350 not from a big cruisemobile. The 3P is firm, and if I were driving over really really bad roads I might have at least put on the so-called "comfort springs" from MPP, particularly if I did not have the luxury of getting lighter weight wheels. But our experience has been that with the dropping of unsprung weight from lighter weight wheels (23 pounds), and with the warmer weather in Florida, the ride is actually pretty supple despite the 35 series tires, and quite smooth overall. Don't know about the difference between subjective ride quality in the front seat versus the back seat as I've never ridden back there, but the problem in the back seat is the low seat height, which may exacerbate other forms of discomfort.

One option is that you could simply "downgrade" to a lightweight 19 inch wheels, and put on just the stock 235/40-19 Size in the Pilot Sport 4S, and drop some serious unsprung weight that way and get significantly more sidewall (and ride compliance), without giving up much of anything in the handling department. That would probably give you significantly better ride. You could even go to something like a 265/35-19, In a 9.5 inch wheel but at that point your probably not gaining much in the ride department (mostly picking up peak handling). Both of those options are of course a significant outlay of cash to get both wheels and tires.

Of course you could combine these options but getting both the Comfort Springs, and forged wheels in the 19 inch size and then a new set of 4S tires would be an outlay of at least 4.5 grand – It's not a small chunk of change after you buy an expensive car.

I think if you find that the ride is just a bit too harsh or too firm your cheapest option is just to get lighter weight 20 inch wheels. You can get a lightweight Vertini wheel at 22 pounds at getyourwheels.com, for a pretty reasonable amount of money, and for another $200 a wheel you can get VS forged, but that only saves you one more pound corner. Hopefully you'll be satisfied with the ride, but if you need snow tires you're probably gonna have to get a wheel anyway. I would start with consideration of one of these two options.

One thing I wouldn't change is the stock tire unless you're going to be tracking the car – the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S is the best street tire out there hands down, no contest. Nothing is even close. It rides well, handles brilliantly, and is very quiet. I believe Tesla had that tire specially spec'ed out for them, as it is actually a touch wider than the other 235/35-20 available from tire rack (3/10 of an inch wider in terms of the tread). It has acoustic foam as well as this slightly wider aspect ratio tread. In the wet it even beats a Bridgestone RE 71 (not really a street tire), and it's only about 2/10 of a second slower on the track in Tire Rack's testing in the dry.

 

[cab]

We don't own a Model 3, but I tend to pay very keen attention to the suspension on cars during test drives. I have test driven the Model 3 on three separate occasions (including a full day Turo rental). We daily drive a Model S P85+ (i.e. the "+" was the firmer performance air suspension). The Model 3 does a good job of dealing with impact harshness. It "rounds off" impacts and road irregularities. It does, however, transmit more "motion" to occupants on bumpier roads. It isn't extreme, but it is there and it is more than my Model S with the RWD plus suspension.

The Model 3 LR RWD I drove for a day was manufactured in June of this year. The P3D+ was manufactured in August or September I believe. The front seat experience, was you note, fine in all cars. Indeed, I was fairly pleased with the ride quality. The rear of the RWD car was another story. I felt there was just too much motion being transferred to the occupants back there. Indeed, while my wife was test driving I asked "Are you feeling all that motion up there?" (as I had not on my turn to drive) and she indicated she wasn't. Most recently, she test drove the P3D+ while I road in the back. We headed down some bumpier roads. While the rear was still bumpier than the front, I swear it actually seemed LESS so than that RWD car we drove in June! Of course, if you look at the online Tesla catalog, it appears they are on the 5th or 6th revision of the dampers for the RWD cars! Most folks are aware of the big change from the cars made late last year, but there have been a number of them since.

Noise and ride quality are often bedfellows (one of the reasons NVH is grouped together). A "soft" suspension that hits "loud" will often be perceived as "rougher" by occupants, than a "firmer" suspension that hits quiet (as an example). Anyway, in my first test drive of the P3D+ I felt the road noise level was decent, but in that second test when I was in the backseat, again - notably louder on the freeway. I would feel compelled to try and dampen/block/absorb as much of that as possible (even though my efforts to do so on past cars, and even my Model S, have only been modestly successful).

 

[Camera-Cruiser]

Reading everything here makes me think that my Oct 18 build P3D+ might need to go to service. To me, it rides much rougher than the P3D+ I test drove, and rides more like a 1970's skateboard on steel wheels, compared to my S85 on 19s with air. The cabin noise is very loud and boomy in comparison too. My wife hates the 3, but loves the S.

To @cab, you have a point about noise. The low level tire rumble transmitted by the low profile tires, combined with front and rear motor whine are tiring within minutes of being in the cabin, thus making ride quality "feel" worse.

So maybe I need service or $5K worth of upgrades and a service visit. I dare say, even test drive an iPace.

 

[AEG18]

I just picked up a M3P+.
Coming from an F80 M3, then a F82 M4 Competition.
This car is smoother and more comfortable than both cars combined.
You will be very pleased.

 

[dfwatt]

I appreciate the input - thanks!

I recall some wind noise at highway speeds, but otherwise thought the car was decently quiet. The S6 is about the same - not the quietest thing out there, but quiet enough. I know nothing about the carpet mats you mention, but will look into them.

I'm actually getting 20" Michelin Pilot Alpins to mount on the OEM wheels for my winter setup, and then plan to buy a nicer/cooler/more unique set of 20" wheels for summer.

Some great options in relationship to all those issues. In terms of wind noise, you can get this neat little kit from RPM Tesla, or you can simply get slightly less than quarter-inch neoprene tube and do it

Reading everything here makes me think that my Oct 18 build P3D+ might need to go to service. To me, it rides much rougher than the P3D+ I test drove, and rides more like a 1970's skateboard on steel wheels, compared to my S85 on 19s with air. The cabin noise is very loud and boomy in comparison too. My wife hates the 3, but loves the S.

To @cab, you have a point about noise. The low level tire rumble transmitted by the low profile tires, combined with front and rear motor whine are tiring within minutes of being in the cabin, thus making ride quality "feel" worse.

So maybe I need service or $5K worth of upgrades and a service visit. I dare say, even test drive an iPace.

Sounds like something's wrong with your car. We have the performance version with 20 inch wheels it rides a very nicely and it's quiet. Do you know anyone else with a performance version who could drive your car and confirm that this is not standard Behavior. If not obviously then someone at Tesla would need to do that.

 

[Drizzle]

The car feels great, if a bit stiff and bumpy ("sporty") compared to a normal family sedan.

I will say that the white seats really make it feel like the car is worth 5-10k more.

 

[Camera-Cruiser]

Sounds like something's wrong with your car. We have the performance version with 20 inch wheels it rides a very nicely and it's quiet. Do you know anyone else with a performance version who could drive your car and confirm that this is not standard Behavior. If not obviously then someone at Tesla would need to do that.

Yes, it’s going to service. It’s rougher than I remember my P3+ test drive and cabin noise is louder too. There are about 6 to 8 of the wheel well grommets missing that afix the inner fender covers to the car. They were missing at delivery and I don’t know if they have any thing to do with cabin noise. My 2013 S85 is an absolute tomb in comparison. My wife and I get out it of the S and feel fresh and ready to go, but the 3 we feel fatigued even though the seats are better and it has AP which I like.

Dropping the tire pressure does very little to nothing.

I have driven two LR3s besides the test drive in the P3+, as well as P85+s, 90s, 75Ds, etc. some on air and others on coils.

So off to service. I’ll report back, but it will be 3rd week in January before service visit.

 

[Shizzrock]

the ride quality is great, something I can't say about the build quality

 

[ba2002]

So I'll be the voice of dissent but I find my P3D- to be too loud and unpleasantly rough. No it doesn't need service. Yes it sounds and rides the same as other model 3s I've been in. Its just my opinion. I thought I would get used to it, but I haven't.

Like the above poster my S on 19s with SAS was great. Loved it. 3 is fatiguing and cheap feeling/sounding. Again, just my opinion.

 

[dfwatt]

So I'll be the voice of dissent but I find my P3D- to be too loud and unpleasantly rough. No it doesn't need service. Yes it sounds and rides the same as other model 3s I've been in. Its just my opinion. I thought I would get used to it, but I haven't.

Like the above poster my S on 19s with SAS was great. Loved it. 3 is fatiguing and cheap feeling/sounding. Again, just my opinion.

I'm sure all of this emerges principally from what our benchmarks are in our own experience. I'm coming from a highly modified Lexus IS350 that was stiff as a b****. To say that it road firmly would be kind. It's more that you needed a kidney belt especially in the winter. If I was coming on the other hand from a Lexus LS cruise-mobile kind of car, I might consider the Model 3 a bit rough and tumble. I haven't driven that many Model S Teslas, but dynamically, the S that I drove years ago was way behind, indeed light years behind, the Model 3 Performance chassis dynamics. Perhaps that model S has gotten better, perhaps both in relationship to ride and handling, but the model S that I drove was nice and smooth but not much fun to drive. My Model 3 on the other hand is a hoot. And it's comfortable enough. Sorry that yours is a disappointment. You can of course swap out the tires for something softer, get the Comfort Springs from MPP, and Dynamat the whole car. That's still probably a lot cheaper than selling it and getting a used Model S

 

[Zcd1]

So I'll be the voice of dissent but I find my P3D- to be too loud and unpleasantly rough. No it doesn't need service. Yes it sounds and rides the same as other model 3s I've been in. Its just my opinion. I thought I would get used to it, but I haven't...3 is fatiguing and cheap feeling/sounding. Again, just my opinion.

And this right here is the reason for my post, and it’s still my biggest fear.

Did a 400 mile drive in my wife’s Q5 TDi yesterday - that thing is a dream on the freeway. Near 700-mile fuel tank range combined with outstanding refinement and a perfectly judged ride.

Spent much of that drive wondering how different the experience is likely to be with the Tesla...

 

[ba2002]

I'm sure all of this emerges principally from what our benchmarks are in our own experience.

I think this is exactly right. If I had been coming from my old g37 to my p3d I would have thought the Tesla was amazing in all respects. But I underestimated how I had gotten use to the floaty suspension on the S. The 3 certainly handles better than the S.

 

[ba2002]

And this right here is the reason for my post, and it’s still my biggest fear.

Did a 400 mile drive in my wife’s Q5 TDi yesterday - that thing is a dream on the freeway. Near 700-mile fuel tank range combined with outstanding refinement and a perfectly judged ride.

Spent much of that drive wondering how different the experience is likely to be with the Tesla...

I will probably get a lot of disagrees, but the 3 would not be my choice for highway cruising. The S (and many other cars) outperforms it handily in this application.