Updated Suspension for 3 and Y that is 'in production' 10/17 and after

[RLEE]

Link is below which includes the twitter message from Elon. Supposedly 'in production' Model 3 and Y has 'improved comfort, without affecting handling'.
Has anyone near Fremont that received a recent one noticed this or know what the change was? I wonder if this goes back a couple weeks to all '23 cars. I hope we don't affect reliability with this change.

Tesla Has Improved Ride Comfort in Model 3 and Model Y, Says Elon Musk - TeslaNorth.com

The ride comfort in Tesla vehicles, particularly the Model 3 and Model Y can be quite stiff for some, compared to more plush suspensions found in something like a Honda CRV or Toyota RAV4. The firmer suspension offers great handling for the heavier electric vehicle. But now, it appears ride...

teslanorth.com

 

[fries]

Interesting. Probably lower spring rates.

 

[AdamVIP]

I don't really want softer but I am interested to see what they did with the performance suspension.

 

[djec65fb]

I don't really want softer but I am interested to see what they did with the performance suspension.

This change doesn't apply to Performance cars.

 

[glide]

Well…I’m not sure how it’s possible to make a ride more comfortable without impacting handling.

But that has never stopped Elon from spouting nonsense before…

 

[tm1v2]

@RLEE I think Elon is talking about the smoother suspension revisions they've been building for a while now. Since sometime in 2022 Q1 for the Model Y, and early 2021 (or late 2020?) for the Model 3.

The softer Model 3 suspension absolutely did compromise handling per many reports. And it is fitted on the Model 3 Performance as well as regular Model 3's. (Model 3 performance retained its lower springs for a while, but the new poor handling dampers felt shared with the regular dual motor car.)

I haven't seen anyone complain that the newer, better-riding Model Y suspension compromised handling in any way. The Y had a much worse ride/handling tradeoff from the start, so maybe the new Y suspension really did manage to improve ride without sacrificing handling. Or maybe Model Y drivers just aren't that in tune with handling.

I'm sure Tesla will keep iterating on suspension, as they've always done periodically, but to me Elon's wording doesn't sound like there's any change that just happened.

 

[heavyD]

Well…I’m not sure how it’s possible to make a ride more comfortable without impacting handling.

But that has never stopped Elon from spouting nonsense before…

It can be done with adaptive suspension. GM vehicles with MagneRide in particular offer the best of both worlds. Clearly that's not going to come to the Model 3/Y because of the associated cost. IMO for the price of the performance models they should include this as it would probably enable them to lower the car again without sacrificing ride quality.

 

[glide]

It can be done with adaptive suspension. GM vehicles with MagneRide in particular offer the best of both worlds. Clearly that's not going to come to the Model 3/Y because of the associated cost. IMO for the price of the performance models they should include this as it would probably enable them to lower the car again without sacrificing ride quality.

Frankly, Tesla is having a hard time making that work on their models *with* Air Suspension.

My Refresh S air suspension is leagues worse than my former P85D+

But back to my point; what Elon is saying is not possible with the coil setup on the 3/Y.

 

[tm1v2]

But back to my point; what Elon is saying is not possible with the coil setup on the 3/Y.

@glide As a generalization I'm with you, but in the 3/Y case it's very plausible because the stock dampers as of 2021 models were THAT mediocre.

A really good conventional damper (not even Magneride) paired with the same spring rates could easily ride and handle better.

 

[Lindenwood]

It can be done with adaptive suspension. GM vehicles with MagneRide in particular offer the best of both worlds. Clearly that's not going to come to the Model 3/Y because of the associated cost. IMO for the price of the performance models they should include this as it would probably enable them to lower the car again without sacrificing ride quality.

Our Powertrains cost 3x as much as any comparable ICE, so I think it is impressive we get what we do. (I am also not aware of any performance vehicles in this class that come with adaptive suspensions at this cost).

 

[Xpert]

what do Audi/Mercedes/BMW/Lexus do differently for their suspension to have a much smoother ride that everyone's talking about?

 

[heavyD]

Our Powertrains cost 3x as much as any comparable ICE, so I think it is impressive we get what we do. (I am also not aware of any performance vehicles in this class that come with adaptive suspensions at this cost).

Mach E GT comes with MagneRide dampers and the i4 M50 comes with BMW adaptive M-dampers.

 

[tm1v2]

(I am also not aware of any performance vehicles in this class that come with adaptive suspensions at this cost).

@Lindenwood Mach-E GT Performance Edition comes with Magneride. Very much an M3P and MYP competitor (in-between 3 and Y in size and character), priced similarly last I checked (a year ago).

The GT PE Magneride suspension was very good. Very nice combination of ride and handling. The car as a whole didn't quite call to me, felt a little too tall and upright, and for suspension feel I liked the Polestar 2 Performance Ohlins DFV even more - which also had an excellent ride vs handling tradeoff. But the GT PE Magneride was legit, worked as advertised.

I didn't push the Mach-E GT PE to its full limits though...maybe 7/10ths pace due to test drive route. I was a bit too focused on the twisties, ended up on a very tight, narrow, unfamiliar section of road that was fun but not a place to push an unfamiliar car to its limits (or even a familiar car honestly). I didn't get the GT PE onto the highway at all, so no ramps, and I didn't encounter the thermal throttling that's so well known now.

(To be clear, the Mach-E GT is a thermal dud, and Ford's software situation sounded pretty bad last I checked. Stay far away. I didn't know that at the time though.)

 

[Lindenwood]

Mach E GT comes with MagneRide dampers and the i4 M50 comes with BMW adaptive M-dampers.

the i4 M50 also costs $10,000 more, no?

Fair on the Mach-E, though it is hard for me to put that on the same playing field as the M3P… (also the Mach-E Gt starts at 70k…)

 

[tm1v2]

the i4 M50 also costs $10,000 more, no?

Fair on the Mach-E, though it is hard for me to put that on the same playing field as the M3P…

@Lindenwood The Mach-E GT PE paper specs look competitive with the M3P. 0-60 it's quick. The stock suspension is significantly better. The seats are better. The steering and brakes are meh. It's just too bad the thermals are so horrible. Driving it on the highway for a bit is apparently enough to thermal throttle to the point where it refuses to enter "Unbridled Extend" mode (its version of Track Mode), which exists precisely to delay onset of thermal throttling!

See https://youtu.be/M5Q1zO3Fxq0?t=840 where Kyle had to literally pull over and let it cool down for a while before he could enter "Unbridled Extend" mode. What Kyle did there - depart from a city, drive on the highway for a bit, then cut over to twisty rural roads - exactly mirrors regular driving I do. For sure I would run into the same issue.

The Mach-E GT also falls flat on its face at high speeds. Other YouTube videos have explored that more. Which sure every pre-Palladium Tesla kinda does too compared to multispeed ICE, but the Mach-E GT is much worse.

And the Mach-E is slow to DCFC by modern EV standards. Which again suggests thermal issues.

I was so focused on how it handled the twisties (because the regular Mach-E suspension was floaty junk), that my test drive route was exactly wrong to discover any of the thermal issues. I assumed Ford would deliver the acceleration goods for a "Mustang" with "GT Performance Edition" in its name. My bad!

 

[XPsionic]

It's entirely possible to get a better ride without much handling penalty even without adaptive suspension. A better quality damper can smooth out smaller bumps and make big ones feels more rounded (less harsh). There are also dampers that can stiffen at lower frequencies (to control body roll) but become softer for higher frequencies, like the Koni FSD.

Also the top mounts, bump stops, spring rates, and suspension bushings all have an effect on ride quality. Even without changing the geometry and design, Tesla has a lot of room to change how the cars ride.

No idea what Tesla actually did with this update however, would love to know the changes and the part numbers so maybe those of us who wants a better ride can upgrade with OEM parts.

 

[ZuleMYP]

Coming to my 2022 MYP and M3P (yes, one of each) from a Mach-E I can say that while they are harsher (more so on the MYP), they are quite respectable to anyone used to a sport suspension setup. If you are looking for a caddy, Tesla is not it. But I have zero issue with ride quality on either. And software/maturity of design/acceleration is worlds better than Mach-E. The Mach-E’s strong points are the quiet soft ride, and reasonable entry level EV performance. Let’s stop there before we embarrass it.

 

[Null671]

The softer Model 3 suspension absolutely did compromise handling per many reports. And it is fitted on the Model 3 Performance as well as regular Model 3's. (Model 3 performance retained its lower springs for a while, but the new poor handling dampers felt shared with the regular dual motor car.)

Just goes to show that newer isn't always better.

IMO I like the sporty ride and feel of the M3 SR+ for being a stock model. But, that's just the racer in me.

 

[rpiotro]

Just goes to show that newer isn't always better.

IMO I like the sporty ride and feel of the M3 SR+ for being a stock model. But, that's just the racer in me.

Same here! A 3616 lb., RWD, low CG sport sedan with more than adequate brakes. The reason I opted for the SR+.

My last car was an Infiniti Q50 hybrid AWD. 360 HP. 402 ft lb. torque. 0-60 in 5 seconds flat. Before that a Pontiac G8 GT with a 6.0L V-8. Get the picture? The Tesla is much lighter that either of those to boot.

 

[maclean525]

What REALLY concerns me is him saying both the Y and the 3 will be "better". That's a problem. The 3 and the Y have fundamentally different suspension setups and handle COMPLETELY differently. My guess is they've changed manufacturers for one of their components (likely shocks or springs) and they're going to market it as an "improvement" rather than a change.

We'll see!