Which are the quietest M3 tyres?

[bryand]

I've done just over 1100 miles in my M3 SR+, and having dampened down the noise from most sources, I am now being bugged by the tyre noise from the Pilot Sport 4s.

• Does anyone have any experience/evidence suggesting a quieter tyre, either for summer or all-year use?
• I already have carpets and rubber mats in the cabin, but note a lack of sound deadening under the bonnet or (I suspect) in the front wheel arches. Are there any sound deadening kits available for these areas?

 

[Medved_77]

Are there any sound deadening kits available for these areas?

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I don't have these but there are a few reviews on YouTube if you search for Wheel Well Mat/Sound deadening.

 

[m3gt2]

I've done just over 1100 miles in my M3 SR+, and having dampened down the noise from most sources, I am now being bugged by the tyre noise from the Pilot Sport 4s.

• Does anyone have any experience/evidence suggesting a quieter tyre, either for summer or all-year use?
• I already have carpets and rubber mats in the cabin, but note a lack of sound deadening under the bonnet or (I suspect) in the front wheel arches. Are there any sound deadening kits available for these areas?

I think you are just noticing it because you don't have the engine noise in the Tesla. I've noticed it much more due to this but you get used to it. By the way I'm just up the road in sunny Coalville!

 

[Andy_T_73]

Are there any sound deadening kits available for these areas?

I'm pretty sure Tesla Bjorn has some videos on You Tube about this, he put a kit on his car but found it made very little difference.

 

[m3p_uk]

I got this door seal kit which includes frunk and trunk and it made a lot of difference for mine.
Only now hear any noise when going round the M25 on the uneven bumpy parts!
Doesn't look like it's available but you might be able to find one on eBay which includes frunk and trunk seals

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[Adopado]

• I already have carpets and rubber mats in the cabin, but note a lack of sound deadening under the bonnet or (I suspect) in the front wheel arches. Are there any sound deadening kits available for these areas?

We expect to see sound deadening under the bonnet because that's normally where there's a good bit of engine noise to deal with in ICE vehicles. I would be very surprised if deadening that area on a Tesla would make any of difference. I would be interested to know if anyone has tried.

I do find that the transmitted noise is hugely variable depending on road surface ... ranging from very quiet to quite intrusive. When I swap to winter tyres there's a bit of a difference ... probably an even wider range of quiet to loud. That's understandable given the great difference in tyre tread so would expect more noise from the winters ... but they're not THAT different, especially considering they don't have any acoustic foam in them. I would happily consider non acoustic foam summer tyres if they had good reviews.

 

[bryand]

I think you are just noticing it because you don't have the engine noise in the Tesla. I've noticed it much more due to this but you get used to it. By the way I'm just up the road in sunny Coalville!

I drove a Model S for 6 years before the Model 3, so I know what a quiet electric car sounds like!

 

[jpm777]

I am interested in this too. I have a door seal kit which I haven’t git around to fitting yet, but the road noise on my M3P is very pronounced. Not because the car is quiet otherwise, but because it‘s noisy. My BMW‘s were significantly quieter as was my last Mondeo estate. Its on par road noise with my Nissan GTR and that you could hardly call quiet!

 

[MrBadger]

From my experience, most of the road noise rumble is coming in through the rear of the car. Sit in the back of ours and its much much louder than sitting in the front. Borderline intrusive on some surfaces. It also seems to make little difference what tyres we are running - both stock 18" Michelins in warmer months and Tesla supplied Pirelli Sottozeros in cooler seem to have very similar audible profile.

 

[Adopado]

From my experience, most of the road noise rumble is coming in through the rear of the car. Sit in the back of ours and its much much louder than sitting in the front. Borderline intrusive on some surfaces. It also seems to make little difference what tyres we are running - both stock 18" Michelins in warmer months and Tesla supplied Pirelli Sottozeros in cooler seem to have very similar audible profile.

If I sit in the back seat (particularly behind the passenger) and hit the floor with my foot there is a loud hollow sound and it feels like the metal flexes a bit. It seems like there is a resonant cavity. I don't know if that is because the battery in the Fremont SR+ is smaller and doesn't fill up the space but I think it's one of the reasons for the louder sound in the back in mine.

 

[bryand]

OK so apart from one vote for Vredestein Quadrac Pros, nobody has any suggestions for quieter tyres.
Whilst looking for noise sources, I have added some more rubber seals which have reduced total noise volume slightly, and changed its character (high frequencies attentuated more than lower rumblings - YMMV). Sealing the windscreen-to A-pillar gap and the frunk lid panel gap seemed to have the most effect:

 

[M3noob]

I was amazed that the Kleber Krisalp winter tyres I took off a few weeks ago we're quieter than the Pilot Sport 4s. Isn't it supposed to be the other way around? Then again, I did choose the Krisalps for their low noise vs snow performance.

 

[Steely]

Winter tyres are much softer......

 

[Tony Hoyle]

After adding door seals I found the majority of the noise is road noise also.. easy to tell as even at low speeds (<10mph) it's quite pronounced.

Something about the design of the model 3 just transfers noise to the cabin. I'm not convinced you could remove it completely even with quieter tyres.

My Leaf, a car that cost half as much, was practically silent at those speeds.. so much so that I used to give people demos and they were amazed. I wouldn't try that in the model 3.

 

[Stuart1714]

Michelin have released some interesting new tyres. The only problem is that they are really too new to get much feedback on real world performance and have limited tyre sizes.

Michelin Pilot Sport EV

 

[webbah]

I switched to Vredestein Quatrac Pro UHP All Seasons and they are extremely quiet! They also handle amazingly well in all conditions. Snow, Ice, Rain and dry. The bonus is you don't have to change tires each season. They are the only all seasons I know of that have an asymmetric tread pattern instead of the more common V shaped pattern as well. The V shaped pattern creates noise at speed. Seriously, I couldn't be happier! And I have a lead foot and drive the car hard in the mountains.

 

[Adopado]

Michelin have released some interesting new tyres. The only problem is that they are really too new to get much feedback on real world performance and have limited tyre sizes.

Michelin Pilot Sport EV

Given the number of Teslas running 18inch rims it seems surprising that these appear to be just 19inch and above.

 

[Stuart1714]

Given the number of Teslas running 18inch rims it seems surprising that these appear to be just 19inch and above.

The original press release said tyre sizes 18” to 22”, but not all the sizes would be available straight away.

 

[tomorrowman]

Michelin have released some interesting new tyres. The only problem is that they are really too new to get much feedback on real world performance and have limited tyre sizes.

Michelin Pilot Sport EV

I'm hoping the lack of 18inch is a temporary anomaly. Did make me laugh as the marketing collateral talks about the tyre incorporating lessons from formula E where the cars run on 18inch rims.

Just replaced Tesla specific pilot 4 s acoustics on front axle with EV specific E Primacy tyre. Theoretically quieter but hard to tell. Definitely sound different unclear if quieter. All becomes irrelevant when you switch radio on

 

[seadog]

Had a loan LR for an afternoon, I found it quieter and comfier than my P which is probably not surprising on 18's against 20's. Agree that the noise is disappointing in the Model 3, both wind noise and road noise, one of the few things that does let the car down. The service assistant was saying it's just more noticeable because the car is so quiet which I do not agree with, it's easily as noisy at speed as my last BMW with a diesel engine. Totally agree that it is very road/conditions dependent, on a good smooth road with little or no ambient wind it is perfectly acceptable and it is fairly quiet, but on typical UK roads it is noisy. I also wonder if the suspension plays a part as it find it noisy going over small undulations/potholes even at low speed and also going over cats eyes.