T Sportline 18-inch - TST flow forged rims - specific for the Performance Pack hub.
Matte Black + 2 coats of Gyeon Q2 Rim ceramic coating (these are not the glossy black)
Rubber: Nokian WR G4 - 235/45-R18
Use: Wet season in SF Bay area + trips to Tahoe: Roads are rarely very steep to get to the ski areas and I would not venture in conditions announcing more than 8 inches accumulation in 2 hours (well CalTrans tend to close the roads on this type of days anyway).
The versatility of the WR G4 seemed to be the best fit. I had also considered the Vredestein Quadrac 5 (both all-weather tires, rated for winter conditions, featuring the 3-peak symbol)
After close to 500 miles with this new set:
- I would have preferred the silver color option (but was on back-order). I went for black and I must say I the satin finish with the coating.
- The ride offers slightly more cushion than the Tesla 20-inch with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S. Perceptible particularly at low to mid speed on low quality pavement found in SF and in the mountains. A bit more comfy but you are not changing from a hard to soft ride.
- Handling "feels" great. I did not put the car to the test since mounting the new set but tried a couple of nice accelerations (3.37s 0-60 vs 3.28 with 20-inch), strong breaking on wet pavement (we got heavy rain in SF bay yesterday). On the highway: will really not change much at all . On winding roads, it definitely offers less corning ability and confidence than the 20-inch set + PS 4S for the sporty driver.
- There was no real snow on the roads during the past trip to Tahoe. Went to an open area with some snow / ice on it - flat - tested a ride up to 30 mph + sudden breaking. No sport track mode. The model 3 on the Nokian behaved really great. Even if it was a "controlled" environment, I feel very comfortable taking the car in light snow accumulation and slush.
- Noise level: the Nokians with their taller wall seem quieter than the Michelins on quiet surfacing, seem louder than the Michelin on the loud surfacing... No measurement... just a perception.
- Range and efficiency. Clear gain on highway driving (at or close to speed limit and some traffic jams): at least a 10%-12% range improvement on identical itinerary in similar temperature and similar driving style. The Model 3 Performance shows energy consumption below 240 Wh/m when driving on flat or light up hill / down hill highways at 65 mph. The lighter rims and promised rolling efficiency of the Nokian are paying off. I will report back when I look more closely at the numbers.
Observations / Questions:
- the car, including wheels, is fairly dirty on the picture (no wash in 500 miles) though the rain really cleaned it thanks to ceramic coating
- the TPMS sensors I bought on Amazon (ITM 433 MHz) seemed to be a very economical solution and sync'ed with the Model 3 within 2 miles of riding them after new set mount and report data as expected. Their cap is white and I may switch those to black
- I will put nut covers. I do not see the need to buy the T-sportline kit at $50. Any low spend, nice recommendation?
- I feel that the car is a bit too low, particularly when there will actually be snow accumulation on the roads in Tahoe. I wonder If I should have gotten tires with taller walls (235/50-R18 vs 235/50-R18): Any expert advice? I did not want to consider swapping the springs but that might be a decent solution to assess.
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