New MYP owner - My take on ride quality.

[gx9901]

I think it's fair to say that the MY/MYP has some pretty stiff suspensions in comparison to other cars, since it's something that's been mentioned and discussed by a lot of people. But I don't think it's that hard to do the research before buying one to decide if it's something you can live with.

When I decided that I wanted the MYP after doing some online research, there were two things I wasn't sure if I was OK with: the ride quality and the lack of instrument cluster in front of the driver. I went for a test drive and got an MYP to take home for the night. I got used to the lack of instrument cluster within about 5 seconds and after driving it around for the night I decided that the ride isn't something that's an issue for me, so I placed an order that night.

Having driven the MYP for a year now, I find that the ride is fine during the vast majority of my drives. There are a couple sections of highway and local road that has some washboard surfaces that gets pretty bumpy, but those are short sections and I drive over them maybe once or twice a week at most. I also drive my mom's Audi fat etron, with it's fairly universally acknowledged smooth ride, fairly often, and I have not jumped back into my MYP after driving it and lamented the MYP's ride. So I guess for me personally, the '21 MYP's ride is totally fine during normal use.

For anyone who is doing some research before buying the Model Y, ride quality would almost certainly come up as a potential issue. At that point I think it's up to that person to test drive and decide if it's OK or not. If it's too stiff for you, there are more and more EV options available everyday and you should not spend this kind of money on a car with a ride you find too rough.

 

[sleepydoc]

So, you are totally okay with a few people complain about the ride, but not okay with people who say they the totally fine and the way it is supposed to be?

It has more to do with pushing your opinion on top because you don't like someone else's.

Let's say we have about 10-20 or even make it 30 people who are "worst ride quality ever advocates" on this forum. Now, go Google how many MY/MYP cars were delivered so far. that's 30 vs. millions who are satisfied with the car with no issue with ride quality.
If this is legitimate issue experienced by most owners of MY/MYP, we would see millions of more postings, and surely force Tesla to do something dramatic pretty quick, but it is not the case.
Hates will hate no matter what.

Tesla Model Y Expected To Become World's Best-Selling Car

The Model Y is on track to become the world's highest-selling car by sales revenue in 2022, and overall volume in 2023.

insideevs.com

"While the Model Y's acceleration and skidpad grip of 0.94 g are in line with gasoline-powered rivals like the X4 M Competition and the GLC63 S Coupe, it feels clumsy and increasingly unhappy as you probe its cornering limits. The Tesla's ride is noticeably flintier and less refined,"
- Car and Driver

"While the Model Y offers impressive acceleration...the Y's ride is considerably rougher over road imperfections as well."
- Car and Driver

"The Model Y Performance is fun to drive but doesn't fully justify its considerably higher price and overly stiff and bumpy ride quality."
- Edmunds

"The Model Y Performance has great power delivery, although ride quality isn't smooth. Because it has 21" alloys and no air suspension you feel almost every bump on the road."
-insideevs.com

"Tesla has also had to stiffen the suspension in order to cope with the additional heft over its sister car, the Model 3 saloon, which means the ride is quite firm and can become quite unpleasant on bumpy, potholed UK roads. In comparison, rivals like the Audi Q4 e-tron or Hyundai Ioniq 5 offer much greater ride comfort."
-drivingelectric.com

"The trade-off to this sportiness is a ride that feels firm and jittery on uneven pavement, especially for the sport-tuned Performance model."
-cars.usnews.com

"The car is reasonably nimble but wallows when pushed in corners and even with the smaller, 19-inch wheels the ride quality isn't stellar."
-cnet.com

"Our Model Y cost north of $68,000 and its ride quality, handling, and overall lack of features speak to an economy car."
"Ride comfort is still an issue"
"after 90-plus minutes in the car, I was feeling a little beat-up when I got home."
-Edmunds

In one of his videos, Tesla Bjorn also noted how rough the ride was.

 

[sleepydoc]

For anyone who is doing some research before buying the Model Y, ride quality would almost certainly come up as a potential issue. At that point I think it's up to that person to test drive and decide if it's OK or not. If it's too stiff for you, there are more and more EV options available everyday and you should not spend this kind of money on a car with a ride you find too rough.

Exactly. If you don't mind a stiff, bumpy ride and/or the roads you frequent are not rough then it may be just fine. Objectively, the ride is stiff but whether you are subjectively happy with it is a personal decision.

Unfortunately for me, I purchased early and couldn't take a test drive because the model Y wasn't out yet. As such I had to base my decision on a friend's Model S. A model 3 would have been better but even that wouldn't have been an accurate comparison.

Within minutes I could tell that Tesla made significant improvements to the P's suspension and ride quality.

I'd really like to drive a newer MY to compare it to my July 2020 build. This may also be the source of a lot of the disagreements. If Tesla made significant improvements to the MY suspension, it may well be that people who are unhappy with an earlier version wouldn't mind a later one.

 

[Drakov]

My wife gets car sick very easily so a stiff ride is a must. This works out well for me so I can buy sports cars or very sporty rides lol.

 

[whisperingshad]

The coilovers made it bearable for the wife.

 

[Polymer]

Let's say we have about 10-20 or even make it 30 people who are "worst ride quality ever advocates" on this forum. Now, go Google how many MY/MYP cars were delivered so far. that's 30 vs. millions who are satisfied with the car with no issue with ride quality.
If this is legitimate issue experienced by most owners of MY/MYP, we would see millions of more postings, and surely force Tesla to do something dramatic pretty quick, but it is not the case.
Hates will hate no matter what.

Tesla Model Y Expected To Become World's Best-Selling Car

The Model Y is on track to become the world's highest-selling car by sales revenue in 2022, and overall volume in 2023.

insideevs.com

You haven't talked to many MY owners...my neighbors who know nothing about cars...have mentioned it..other people I know have mentioned it...people I've run into at the Tesla store have mentioned it..

It is a common complaint...is it enough to get rid of the car? Probably not...but just because it isn't so bad you're going to sell off the car doesn't mean it is perfectly fine..

 

[Zalick]

I think it's fair to say that the MY/MYP has some pretty stiff suspensions in comparison to other cars, since it's something that's been mentioned and discussed by a lot of people. But I don't think it's that hard to do the research before buying one to decide if it's something you can live with.

When I decided that I wanted the MYP after doing some online research, there were two things I wasn't sure if I was OK with: the ride quality and the lack of instrument cluster in front of the driver. I went for a test drive and got an MYP to take home for the night. I got used to the lack of instrument cluster within about 5 seconds and after driving it around for the night I decided that the ride isn't something that's an issue for me, so I placed an order that night.

Having driven the MYP for a year now, I find that the ride is fine during the vast majority of my drives. There are a couple sections of highway and local road that has some washboard surfaces that gets pretty bumpy, but those are short sections and I drive over them maybe once or twice a week at most. I also drive my mom's Audi fat etron, with it's fairly universally acknowledged smooth ride, fairly often, and I have not jumped back into my MYP after driving it and lamented the MYP's ride. So I guess for me personally, the '21 MYP's ride is totally fine during normal use.

For anyone who is doing some research before buying the Model Y, ride quality would almost certainly come up as a potential issue. At that point I think it's up to that person to test drive and decide if it's OK or not. If it's too stiff for you, there are more and more EV options available everyday and you should not spend this kind of money on a car with a ride you find too rough.

Very well put. I would recommend anyone who cant live with a stiff ride to check out the EV6.

I was also skeptical about the lack of an instrument cluster and whether it would be "safe" to look at the center screen for speed. I immediately found it worked just fine and now I prefer it to a traditional cluster. With the speed in the top corner its easier for me to see and still see the road with peripheral vision than looking down.

 

[bobbyjae]

I wonder if some folks on this forum own TSLA stock and feels obligated to promote the brand regardless of how the car drives.

 

[buddhafree]

I wonder if some folks on this forum own TSLA stock and feels obligated to promote the brand regardless of how the car drives.

People have different tastes. Some like soft cushy ride while others prioritize performance handling. I found it strange that some people can't accept a simple truth that others may like something they don't.

 

[scrapps]

I wonder if some folks on this forum own TSLA stock and feels obligated to promote the brand regardless of how the car drives.

If TSLA stock was affected by forum posts, it would be substantially lower than where it is right now. People are always airing their constant dissatisfaction with Tesla here, and with good reason.

 

[bobbyjae]

People have different tastes. Some like soft cushy ride while others prioritize performance handling. I found it strange that some people can't accept a simple truth that others may like something they don't.

100%. When there's a complaint about the ride, there's a handful of folks on this forum that can't accept this.

 

[glide]

maybe you are not even close to a car guy type or don't know how different wheel/tire, suspension setup, weight of the car work for ride characteristic.

Right. Maybe that’s it.

It couldn’t be that hundreds of other forum members, along with professional reviewers are correct. It’s definitely you and OP. You guys are right. The MY suspension is tooooootaly great.

 

[Hunt3r]

TL/DR: I prefer sporty feeling cars over luxury sedans, and love the MYP ride for a daily driver.

For background, I’ve owned, amongst other cars, the following:
Benz S class
Lexus LS450 LS430 (typo)
Lexus RX450
Acura Legend
Acura Integra GSR (multiple models)
Various Jeeps
Miata
F250
Prius
Driven a MS Raven Build for a few months.

I appreciated the LS430 for the luxury ride it was. Felt like sitting in a la-z-boy and driving on a cloud. As goes for the other luxury sedans I’ve owned.

My favorite cars for daily drivers have always been the smaller sporty cars where you can feel the road through the tires and the steering. It’s a “fun” engaging drive.

That background is so you know my natural preference is a stiffer ride versus the LS430 ride.

I was really torn between the MS and MY. Price was not a factor for me. I wanted to get the right car for me given my preferences. I chose the MY because I don’t really like driving a large sedan on a daily basis, no matter how sporty like the MS.

I was terrified of getting the MYP because of all the threads saying “terrible ride” and “harsh”. My experience thankfully has been very different. I love how the car drives in my neck of the woods - Portland.

My impression of the MY:
It has a very stiff suspension relative to the MS adaptive air. You can feel the small bumps in the road, though it’s not jarring at all IMO. If you hit a larger bump like a pothole (I haven’t) or a parking lot speed bump (I have to test it) you will definitely be jolted a bit. If you absolutely don’t want to be bumped in a car at all, then the MYP is not for you.

If you are someone that likes smaller sporty cars as your daily driver, you will likely really enjoy the MYP. If you prefer a high end luxury sedan “feel”, you will probably hate the MYP.

Do I wish the suspension were adaptive air? No way. Do I wish it were a little softer? Yes. I’m not a track guy at all. I’d love for the suspension to absorb the small bumps in the road. But I don’t want a soft suspension overall.

I drove the EV6 for a week prior to taking delivery of the MYP because I wanted to make sure I was making the right decision. The EV6 was significantly softer on the suspension, and I didn’t like it.

As much as I love this car, if I was driving on gravel roads every day with washboard bumps, I would probably chose a different car.

Is the car perfect? No. But it’s definitely the best of the bunch for me.

Edit: corrected LS450 for 430

Pretty much exactly. All my cars are sports cars (I have 3 others). I expected a sport ride. The MYP delivers in a small SUV package. Perfect IMO. Its actually better in some ways then some of my others, whereas it IS softer on alot of areas but still firm and full of feedback where it should be. Not sure I'd change a thing since I wouldn't want to sacrifice one area to gain in another. Pretty good all around compromise.

 

[Corndart]

Lots of great comments here, my only real gripe is when the pavement undulates (isn't pretty level), or has a lot of regularly spaced expansion joints, the car will start to buck. Like "reminds me of my old 1994 2 door Wrangler on the freeway" buck. It's definitely not a deal breaker and I still love the car, but if this minor annoyance could be tamed, I'd have very little to complain about ride wise with my MYP.

 

[Zalick]

Lots of great comments here, my only real gripe is when the pavement undulates (isn't pretty level), or has a lot of regularly spaced expansion joints, the car will start to buck. Like "reminds me of my old 1994 2 door Wrangler on the freeway" buck. It's definitely not a deal breaker and I still love the car, but if this minor annoyance could be tamed, I'd have very little to complain about ride wise with my MYP.

Exactly. That’s the one condition I’ve noticed it really bumps especially passengers in the back. And I can see how if it hits just the right frequency it would be extremely bouncy. I had a 94 wrangler too. Fun car. Told my wife it’s probably in our future.

 

[Polymer]

Lots of great comments here, my only real gripe is when the pavement undulates (isn't pretty level), or has a lot of regularly spaced expansion joints, the car will start to buck. Like "reminds me of my old 1994 2 door Wrangler on the freeway" buck. It's definitely not a deal breaker and I still love the car, but if this minor annoyance could be tamed, I'd have very little to complain about ride wise with my MYP.

Yeap....It isn't a deal breaker for many because there are other things to like about the car..it doesn't mean people don't think it could be better or should be better.

I think someone seemed to think the people that actually think the suspension isn't great is in the minority...from what I've seen it is the majority..the majority don't necessarily believe it is so bad they hate the car or want to get rid of it..but it is an incredibly common complaint..and only the most die hard kool aid drinkers seem fine with it....

 

[Daekwan]

It's also important to point out that no car is perfect. I can name both pros & cons of practically every vehicle. And even if I couldn't come up with ANY cons about a specific vehicle.. then I would bet the con that I missed is probably the PRICE. As with anything in life.. the more you spend, the more get. And that is very true when looking at features/quality/luxury/performance/safety/technology offered on today's vehicles.

Is the Model Y stiff? Yep!
Would I still buy the Model Y with the stiff suspension? Yep!
Is there any way to solve the stiff suspension? Yep!
Do I really want to spend $3,000-$4,000 on an aftermarket suspension kit for a more comfortable & compliant ride? Nope!

I will keep this car. Continue to drive it absolutely as much as possible. And just accept the fact that it's probably stiffer than every other vehicle in its class. That said I do actually enjoy a sporty ride, and have just accepted that I probably need to hold my hand over my coffee cup so I don't knock it all over the place when Im about to hit a pothole lol. I don't buy cars to keep them forever, which is the biggest reason I would bother sinking $3,500+ into a softer suspension for this vehicle. My plan has always been to keep this one for 3-5 years. And then move on to something else when either life and/or my financial situation allows me to do so.

 

[sleepydoc]

It's also important to point out that no car is perfect. I can name both pros & cons of practically every vehicle. And even if I couldn't come up with ANY cons about a specific vehicle.. then I would bet the con that I missed is probably the PRICE. As with anything in life.. the more you spend, the more get. And that is very true when looking at features/quality/luxury/performance/safety/technology offered on today's vehicles.

Is the Model Y stiff? Yep!
Would I still buy the Model Y with the stiff suspension? Yep!
Is there any way to solve the stiff suspension? Yep!
Do I really want to spend $3,000-$4,000 on an aftermarket suspension kit for a more comfortable & compliant ride? Nope!

I will keep this car. Continue to drive it absolutely as much as possible. And just accept the fact that it's probably stiffer than every other vehicle in its class. That said I do actually enjoy a sporty ride, and have just accepted that I probably need to hold my hand over my coffee cup so I don't knock it all over the place when Im about to hit a pothole lol. I don't buy cars to keep them forever, which is the biggest reason I would bother sinking $3,500+ into a softer suspension for this vehicle. My plan has always been to keep this one for 3-5 years. And then move on to something else when either life and/or my financial situation allows me to do so.

I'm in a similar boat but I usually plan on driving my cars for 10+ years. I could trade in my MY for a newer model but then I'd lose FSD (or have to pay $15k for it.) The model Y has a lot of good features. A world class suspension is not one of them!

 

[ShakataGaNai]

Sorry typo, yes LS430. . An absolute dream to drive on long freeway road trips. Corrected in first post.

I got pulled over going about 95 in a 55 and I swear I was going the speed limit. Couldn’t tell at all it was so smooth.

That was our old 91 Acura Legend. You'd start accelerating on to the freeway and go from 45 to 85 and not even notice. Super smooth.

 

[nate704]

It seems to me that most people who hate/don't like the MY/MYP suspension want the cushy ride and the performance is at the bottom of their list, which is not a bad thing at all. You just bought a wrong car for your needs. That's all.