Tire Help

[Bobby45]

Hi All,

I have a 2015 90D with 19 inch rims and air suspension and has about 25,000 miles on it. (I drive about 22k/year). I don't drive very aggresivley and I live in Southern California. I plan on keeping my car long term.

My car came stock with the Michelin Primacy MXM4 and in the last week I had two nails removed from two of the tires and repaired but there is also a large gash in one tire that is not repairable (and tire store said it won't last more than another month). My current tires don't have a lot of wear on them at all but I am thinking I might have to switch out all 4. So my 2 questions:
- Do I have to replace all 4 tires or can I just replace the one that is not repairable?
- My options are Michelin MXM4 $1200-$1300; Michelin A/S 3+ $1100-$ 1200; Goodyear Eagle RSA2 $650-$700

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[NikeWings]

Bobby - another tire to consider...... I have ContiSilent Sports and after blowing two tires from a road obstacle, I didn't hesitate to replace with the same. To me, (I realize its a very personal experience) there was a favorable difference in sound and grippiness in a side by side comparison with Michelin PS. I drive and test drove 21s. I was able to replace only two since the thread on the remaining two tires was very good and I was advised to keep them but with 25K as you do, you may no tbe so lucky.

I paid $750 for two (21s staggered - front & rear replacement) including labor/balance etc from the service center. Probably a better deal to be had out there for 19s, and worth experiencing the tire if you have a chance. YMMV. Good luck.

 

[SomeJoe7777]

@Bobby45,

You can replace the single bad tire with another Michelin Primacy MXM4. If you replace one tire of 4 like this, it has to match the other 3 on the car.

As far as new tires, no single tire can do everything. You need to select what's most important to you in a tire. Of the following categories, which are most important to you?

- Dry traction
- Wet traction
- Light snow traction
- Heavy snow/ice traction
- Handling/cornering
- Road noise
- Ride comfort
- Tread life
- Energy usage

In your original post, you said that you don't drive aggressively and live in southern California. Thus, I would guess that snow/ice traction and handling/cornering are not top priorities.

Of the remaining ones, let me know your preferences and I'll make some recommendations.

 

[Bobby45]

@Bobby45,

You can replace the single bad tire with another Michelin Primacy MXM4. If you replace one tire of 4 like this, it has to match the other 3 on the car.

As far as new tires, no single tire can do everything. You need to select what's most important to you in a tire. Of the following categories, which are most important to you?

- Dry traction
- Wet traction
- Light snow traction
- Heavy snow/ice traction
- Handling/cornering
- Road noise
- Ride comfort
- Tread life
- Energy usage

In your original post, you said that you don't drive aggressively and live in southern California. Thus, I would guess that snow/ice traction and handling/cornering are not top priorities.

Of the remaining ones, let me know your preferences and I'll make some recommendations.

Thanks so much for the reply. I think Road noise and Energy usage would be the most important with road comfort and tread life trailing behind it.

 

[SomeJoe7777]

For characteristics of low road noise, low energy usage, good ride comfort, and longer tread life, the category of tire that best fits these items is a Grand Touring All-Season tire.

The GoodYear Eagle Touring T0 is a Grand Touring All-Season tire appropriate for year-round use in dry, wet, and light snow conditions. It has the SoundComfort technology foam inside. Telsa is now using this tire as the OEM tire for 19" wheels, replacing the Michelin Primacy MXM4.

Car and Driver tested acoustically insulated tires on the Tesla to confirm if they indeed reduce road noise over other similar tires. They do, but not as much as you might expect. The design of the tire is actually more important than the foam.

In addition to the GoodYear Eagle Touring T0, check out these other Grand Touring All-Season tires that also have low noise even without the foam:

Pirelli Cinturato P7 All-Season Plus. Quiet and smooth road feel, but has a bit less dry traction than others. Has Low Rolling Resistance (LRR) technology for energy savings.

Bridgestone Turanza Serenity Plus. Good tire, probably not as good as the Pirelli, but has very smooth ride. Has LRR.

Michelin Primacy MXM4. The Tesla OEM 19" tire prior to the switch to the GoodYear. It's an excellent tire, and probably the lowest energy usage. Smooth ride, but probably a hair noisier than the Pirelli, especially in the 2nd half of its life.


In your original post, you mentioned two other tires, but I wouldn't recommend them for you. The Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ is not a grand touring tire, it is an ultra-high performance all-season. It trades off road noise, ride comfort, and tread life for better dry/wet/snow traction and handling. The GoodYear Eagle RS-A2 is a high-performance all-season that was used on 2012-2013 Teslas as the OEM tire, but was replaced with the Michelin Primacy MXM4. It also trades off road noise, ride comfort, and tread life for better dry/wet/snow traction and handling. In addition, it had higher energy use than the Primacy.