Why does Tesla suspension suck so bad?

[Undecided_2]

There will always be someone unhappy with something and they love to vent on social media/forums to find people that agree with them.

I’m loving my MY and for the first time ever my spouse went for a drive on her own for fun.

 

[DanCar]

model 3/y use double wishbone suspension, which is only used on luxury car. why complain?

Doesn't seem to be tuned to soft mode. Seems to be tuned to toss your guts around. Can we get a more lush suspension?

 

[Madsen203]

Doesn't seem to be tuned to soft mode. Seems to be tuned to toss your guts around. Can we get a more lush suspension?

It’s soft if you add weight to the car. Suspension is tuned for full GVWR.

 

[Noflash]

It's not the ride, it's the booming in the cabin that is tiresome.

 

[thesmokingman]

There will always be someone unhappy with something and they love to vent on social media/forums to find people that agree with them.

I’m loving my MY and for the first time ever my spouse went for a drive on her own for fun.

Or those that buy a specific product like a Model Y which is a firmer ride that matches it's crazy acceleration and skidpad capabilities, yet get annoyed because it's not a Camry. I just don't get how one can have that expectation, like they bought the car blind folded or something.

 

[RSpanner]

My take is the weight. I had a 2017 Audi TTS, curb weight, 3200 lbs. My Model 3 4200 . Handling has to suffer, but the ride is fine..I think. If your pushing it, get a Porsche.

 

[goin2drt]

It's not the ride, it's the booming in the cabin that is tiresome.

booming? Huh. You need to take your car back. There is nothing "booming" in the car including the bass when turned all the way up.

 

[Blubrown21]

Why doesn't Tesla have rear cross traffic alert? Why doesn't Tesla have blind spot warning lights in the mirrors? Why doesn't Tesla have birds eye view when parking? Why doesn't Tesla have an instrument cluster in the 3 and Y? Why doesn't Tesla have x y or z?

Because they don't have too and they sell every car they produce on a waiting list.

Keith

Facts!!!

 

[DanCar]

... Because they don't have too and they sell every car they produce on a waiting list.

Every vehicle manufacture is in this mode, because of the chip crisis. Has little to do with how good the car is.
Let's talk next year after the chip crisis has ended, lots of choices available from other manufacturers, and two new Tesla plants are producing twice as many cars.

 

[EmbersDC]

Every vehicle manufacture is in this mode, because of the chip crisis. Has little to do with how good the car is.
Let's talk next year after the chip crisis has ended, lots of choices available from other manufacturers, and two new Tesla plants are producing twice as many cars.

The chip shortage will not end by next year. Not even close.

 

[DanCar]

The chip shortage will not end by next year. Not even close.

What makes you say that?

Automakers, chip firms differ on when semiconductor shortage will abate

Automakers, including General Motors , Ford Motor and Hyundai Motor , predict a near two-year chip constraint will ease in the second half of 2022, but automotive chipmakers, on the other hand, expect a recovery to take longer.

www.reuters.com

Quote:
Automakers, including General Motors (GM.N), Ford Motor (F.N) and Hyundai Motor (005380.KS), predict a near two-year chip constraint will ease in the second half of 2022, but automotive chipmakers, on the other hand, expect a recovery to take longer.

During their quarterly results reporting over the past two weeks, GM CEO Mary Barra projected the semiconductor shortage would diminish in the second half, Ford forecast a significant improvement in the second half after a first-quarter low in vehicle sales, and Hyundai predicted chip supply would return to normal levels in the third quarter of this year.

Tesla (TSLA.O), which managed chip supplies last year through strategies including writing new software to handle changes in chips, expects chip shortages to last through this year before easing next year.

Chief Executive Elon Musk told an earnings call last month the shortage was not a long-term issue, with factories increasing capacity and automakers guilty of panic buying of chips which slowed the supply chain.

He described that to investors in blunt terms. "I think there's some degree of the toilet paper problem as well, where, you know, there was a toilet paper shortage during COVID, and like, obviously, it wasn't really certainly a tremendous enhanced need for ass wiping. It's just people panicked..."

 

[jbcarioca]

That's stupid, I don't need fancy air suspension. I have driven bmw and they're firm but still smooth. Tesla suspension are like cheap rough one that people put in their old Honda civic. My vw golf has better suspension. I am not asking for much. Just wondering why their engineer think this is a good set up. The car is of glass and the rough suspension causes to vibrate a lot. I would think they would tune it better.

One factor we tend to overlook is that batteries are Heavy. I have driven many BEV brands and now own both. a Model S and a Volvo XC-40 Recharge. Both are very firm, and the Volvo is horrible on rough roads, that annoys me because I live in an area with brick roads, so every car is rough and noisy, but the Recharge is horrible. Having driven almost every Tesla model for at least a dozen hours or so, I do think the Model Y performance with 21" may be the worst ride. Still, the low profile tires are the major culprit.That is why my Plaid has 19" and I swapped out 18" for the 20" that came on my Model 3 Performance.

Since all these cars come with very, very low-flex tires for maximum rolling efficiency (nearly all BEV come that way), you and instantly improve the ride by switching out the tires for the same size in the smoothest tires. Those will often be able as 'comfort" or something like that and every tire store usually knows what to choose. Just remember, avoid low profile, choose for best ride, NEVER choose low profile, stay at 45 or above if you can. Then, be prepped: Your energy consumption will go up. I did that on my 2014 P85DL and had energy consumption go up by 30 Wh/mi. If the ride bothers a lot, that can help dramatically.

Then there si the quick and cheap solution. Instead of inflating to the recommended 45 psi or so, drop to, say, 35 psi. The ride will improve dramatically. Tire wear will go up, handling will be poorer but Noise, Vibration and Harshness will improve. I do that regularly if I am driving in city use and shorter trips. If I'm going on a trip or at high speeds I go back to 45 PSI all around on my Plaid, and the Volvo too. Both have the same mfr inflation recommendation.

 

[Noflash]

booming? Huh. You need to take your car back. There is nothing "booming" in the car including the bass when turned all the way up.

Ear pain/Pressure help

 

[goin2drt]

Phantom booming I guess. Folks should test drive. Man they complain a lot about everything.

 

[Corndart]

What makes you say that?

Automakers, chip firms differ on when semiconductor shortage will abate

Automakers, including General Motors , Ford Motor and Hyundai Motor , predict a near two-year chip constraint will ease in the second half of 2022, but automotive chipmakers, on the other hand, expect a recovery to take longer.

www.reuters.com

Quote:
Automakers, including General Motors (GM.N), Ford Motor (F.N) and Hyundai Motor (005380.KS), predict a near two-year chip constraint will ease in the second half of 2022, but automotive chipmakers, on the other hand, expect a recovery to take longer.

During their quarterly results reporting over the past two weeks, GM CEO Mary Barra projected the semiconductor shortage would diminish in the second half, Ford forecast a significant improvement in the second half after a first-quarter low in vehicle sales, and Hyundai predicted chip supply would return to normal levels in the third quarter of this year.

Tesla (TSLA.O), which managed chip supplies last year through strategies including writing new software to handle changes in chips, expects chip shortages to last through this year before easing next year.

Chief Executive Elon Musk told an earnings call last month the shortage was not a long-term issue, with factories increasing capacity and automakers guilty of panic buying of chips which slowed the supply chain.

He described that to investors in blunt terms. "I think there's some degree of the toilet paper problem as well, where, you know, there was a toilet paper shortage during COVID, and like, obviously, it wasn't really certainly a tremendous enhanced need for ass wiping. It's just people panicked..."

We're way off topic but:

That was before Ukraine was invaded, cutting off roughly half the supply of neon gas, which is critical in making chips.

Russia's attack on Ukraine halts half of world's neon output for chips

Ukraine's two leading suppliers of neon, which produce about half the world's supply of the key ingredient for making chips, have halted their operations.

www.cnbc.com

The larger companies have 2 months ish stockpiled, but note where production is relative to areas Russia controls, which is also proximate to the SE flank of the part of Ukraine Putin intended to seize. Assuming they didn't damage or destroy the production facilities, there is still the fact these semiconductor companies halted shipments to Russia. Theres a real probability of reciprocal consequences due to these actions, if Putin / Russia control the production of neon.

 

[e645824]

One factor we tend to overlook is that batteries are Heavy. I have driven many BEV brands and now own both. a Model S and a Volvo XC-40 Recharge. Both are very firm, and the Volvo is horrible on rough roads, that annoys me because I live in an area with brick roads, so every car is rough and noisy, but the Recharge is horrible. Having driven almost every Tesla model for at least a dozen hours or so, I do think the Model Y performance with 21" may be the worst ride. Still, the low profile tires are the major culprit.That is why my Plaid has 19" and I swapped out 18" for the 20" that came on my Model 3 Performance.

Since all these cars come with very, very low-flex tires for maximum rolling efficiency (nearly all BEV come that way), you and instantly improve the ride by switching out the tires for the same size in the smoothest tires. Those will often be able as 'comfort" or something like that and every tire store usually knows what to choose. Just remember, avoid low profile, choose for best ride, NEVER choose low profile, stay at 45 or above if you can. Then, be prepped: Your energy consumption will go up. I did that on my 2014 P85DL and had energy consumption go up by 30 Wh/mi. If the ride bothers a lot, that can help dramatically.

Then there si the quick and cheap solution. Instead of inflating to the recommended 45 psi or so, drop to, say, 35 psi. The ride will improve dramatically. Tire wear will go up, handling will be poorer but Noise, Vibration and Harshness will improve. I do that regularly if I am driving in city use and shorter trips. If I'm going on a trip or at high speeds I go back to 45 PSI all around on my Plaid, and the Volvo too. Both have the same mfr inflation recommendation.

Nice summary. Also, there is a related thread here that discusses the impact of tires on ride comfort:

https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/thr...de-comfort-options.252671/page-2#post-6380420​

In my case, I plan on getting 255/50R19 tires once my Tesla OEM tires need to be replaced (see Post #27 in that thread). I have the Tesla 19" wheels.

I'm not a performance driver, so ride comfort is important for me. My best ride car was my 1977 Pontiac Grand Prix (6.6 liter engine) -- a true land yacht; big heavy with horrible gas miles but a lot of fun to drive. Next up was my 1992 Pontiac Bonneville; just an OK car. Next was my 2006 Infiniti M35 -- a "performance" car with a harsh ride (they seem to justify poor ride quality by calling it "performance"). My 2021 Model Y ride quality is worse than my Infiniti's. A tire swap is something easy and I would entertain a wheel swap also. But I can't swing a $5k suspension upgrade; I'll try the low-handing fruit first.

Scott

--

MYLR | Red ext | White int | 19" | 5 seats | tow | no FSD | made/delivered Oct 2021

 

[Pianewman]

"Why does Tesla suspension suck so bad?"

It doesn't, if you drive in the state of Maryland, or other regions, with ribbon-smooth asphalt.

It does, if you drive almost anywhere in TX, with broken concrete slabs. Even on the newest segments of concrete, the ride can be annoying and jiggly.

Even with MPP comfort coilovers, my family finds the Tesla annoying. The driver doesn't notice the fussiness, but the passengers do. Sorta kinda like on a small powerboat.

YMMV.

 

[Fourdoor]

The chip shortage will not end by next year. Not even close.

I agree, but the reasons are geopolitical... do we want to open that can of worms in this thread?

Keith

 

[buddhafree]

I got my Tesla MYP 3 days ago and went to visit my relatives (70 miles trip). 75% Highways and 25% local roads (some are in bad condition). I liked suspension tuning. It handles turns with confidence, not much body lean when pushed and stiffness is not bad at all even with 21" wheels. Some people prefer softer ride and that's fine, but for me MYP suspension is exactly what I wanted.

 

[DealMasterMike]

I got my Tesla MYP 3 days ago and went to visit my relatives (70 miles trip). 75% Highways and 25% local roads (some are in bad condition). I liked suspension tuning. It handles turns with confidence, not much body lean when pushed and stiffness is not bad at all even with 21" wheels. Some people prefer softer ride and that's fine, but for me MYP suspension is exactly what I wanted.

Is Tesla delivering two different types of suspensions or something? My experience was similar to yours. While test driving I drove on very poor roads, over poor railroad tracks, potholes on the freeway, etc. 2nd time I test drove it I took the wife, car seat, 10 and 6yr old kids and they felt like the car was better than my pre-Raven X.

I thought the ride on 21s was great and very acceptable for 21s and 19s are probably better . It wasn’t like a soft pillow or Mercedes, but that’s not what I want. Can’t wait to get mine in a couple months.