[Nitpa]

Hi Everyone,

New member to Teslaownersonline.com forum.

The tread on the OEM 235/45R18 98W Michelins on my Model3 LR AWD is starting to wear thin. I want to replace them with a tire that can handle snow well but is also good for year-round use so I dont have to keep swapping them out when the seasons change.

The only challenging driving that I do is during occasional long distance drives that involves driving upto 80 mph non-stop for upto 4 hours - which is probably not really challenging the tires.

I am looking at the Nokian WRG4's which are speed-rate at V (149 mph) compared to the OEM Michelins currently on my Model 3, which are speed-rated at W (168 mph).

Given my use case, is the lower ("V" instead of "W") speed rating a show-stopper.

Thanks in advance for sharing your insights/experience on this.

 

[ltphoto]

I had a set of Continental PureContacts (19") put on at Discount Tire two days ago. So far about 60 miles driven, both surface streets and freeway, asphalt and cement surfaces. Way too early to know about efficiency, but I can definitely say that these are quieter than the OEM Continental ProContacts that I replaced. I'll know on the efficiency soon since I'll be driving almost 4,000 miles over the next three weeks.

 

[Dfwatt]

Best all-around tire that includes competence in snow is the Pilot Sport All Season 4.

 

[sonoswen]

Nokian tires are great. Have used them on many vehicles for years. They make this one for EV's>https://www.nokiantires.com/tires/electric-cars/
but...looking at the CrossClimate2 tires, they look pretty damn good.

 

[Vaggeto]

Best all-around tire that includes competence in snow is the Pilot Sport All Season 4.

Thanks! Do you know how well these do in regards to efficiency and noise level?

 

[Dfwatt]

Thanks! Do you know how well these do in regards to efficiency and noise level?

Efficiency is probably not great and in line with the other Pilot Sport tires. I think Tire Rack has stuff on both efficiency and Noise. But if you want something that handles pretty well, rides pretty well is decent in terms of ride and is all around competent, it's tough to beat

 

[gary in NY]

Another observation on the crossclimate plus: while on vacation my M3 was parked on a pea stone driveway, the pebbles of which were the perfect size to wedge into the groves between the tread ribs. I think I finally have them all removed-except for those that went flying out while driving. That’s not a sound one enjoys hearing.

 

[Nizadar]

The past 30 days has tested my patience... (I'll try and keep this brief).

I have a 2018 Model 3 LR with the 19" Sport Wheels. The OE tires are Continental ProContact RX. Last year I bought a new set of forged aluminum wheels and Michelin Pilot Sport 4S (245/40 R19 98Y XL) tires. Where I live we have a very light winter. It snows, but really only a handful of days for the year. My thoughts at the time were I wanted a awesome set of performance wheels and tires and that would be my "summer set" and the OE wheels and tires would be my "winter set". This has been my setup for over a year now...

Fast forward to a few weeks ago and I got a nail in the sidewall of the right rear 4S and had to leave my car overnight in a parking lot. Thankfully it was safe. It was late and I didn't want to mess with changing tires etc. The next morning I had my wife drive me back to the lot along with the complete OE wheel and tire set. I swapped the whole set in the parking lot. I was afraid of changing the flat one with one of the OE wheels since they're not the same size (The OE is 235 not 245). I care more about my car than I do my time so I proceeded to swap everything out so I can also deal with the flat by tossing it in the back of the car.

I went to discount tire and redeemed the "certificate" on the one flat since it couldn't be repaired, but was told I should buy an additional one to match up. A couple days later I brought the two forged aluminum wheels down and had them balance and mount the two new tires.

Its been getting cooler (in the 40s) and I wasn't about to swap the performance tires back on for a few extra weeks. I was going to leave it as-is until Spring. Monday coming home from work I got a flat. I pulled over on the side of the highway (car was freaking out) and called Tesla Roadside. A flatbed was dispatched and within 90m I was at discount tire. They were able to plug the tire. The OE tires have 26k on them now and I'm wanting to go ahead and replace them.

This got me thinking...

I don't need to swap tires for seasons. I love my forged aluminum wheels. I really only need to rotate tires. I called up Discount Tire and asked for the person I'd been dealing with and asked if I could return the two 4S tires (one was replaced for warranty and I had to purchase the other). I asked if I could then use the 2 tire "credits" and apply this towards a full set of Pilot Sport All Season 4's. He agreed and I'm going this weekend to have the tires balanced and mounted on my forged aluminum wheels. The best part now is that I don't need to swap tires and I can keep the look I want of the car year round.

I'm almost there...

I have two Pilot Sport 4S tires left w/o a home and they have 8k on them. I can either attempt to sell them or I can have Discount Tire install them on the OE wheels and use them as backup spares. The AS4's I bought are 245/40 R19 - the same as the 4S tires.

I had looked into buying one of the "modern spare" tires, but I could sell the 2 4S tires or use them, or even buy a 5th all season and put it on one of the OE wheels and keep it in the trunk for long trips. I don't want to be without a spare option again.

Apologies for the length. I had a lot to get out

 

[Nitpa]

Nokian tires are great. Have used them on many vehicles for years. They make this one for EV's>https://www.nokiantires.com/tires/electric-cars/
but...looking at the CrossClimate2 tires, they look pretty damn good.

Yes, I am looking at Nokian WRG4 235/45 R18. However, they have a speed rating of V vs the W speed rating on the Michelins the car came with.

I dont drive faster than 80 mph. With that use case, I am guessing it is ok to replace a "W" rated tire with a "V" rated.

Am I overlooking anything?

 

[sonoswen]

Nipta...A "V" rated tire is listed as good up to 149mph..not a problem.

Now, after swearing by Nokia tires, I have fallen back into "not sure" what tires to get..again. My wife drives a lot, and is very hesistent to even go outside if there is any ice on the roads. The stock tire on our M3 are the Michelin MxM4 tires, which Tire Rack gives a 7.3 rating on icy roads, otherwise a top rated tire. I was going to get the Nokian WR G4's, but with so many choices...I am back at square 1. Oy....

 

[sonoswen]

Just wanted to post a little update on the Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 235/45-18 tires that replaced OEM MXM4's:
1) 10,000 miles on them now (6,000 miles of road trips including crossing the US twice, and 4,000 miles local/mixed)
2) Tread depth currently 8/32 all around and very even wear (tread depth new is 10/32). I rotate every 3-4K miles.
3) Initial tire pressure was set same as OEM (42 psi cold, 46 warm), which resulted in a mushy ride and sidewall roll off. Finally did the chalk test, end result was 46 psi cold, 49 warm. What a difference, car feels "right".
4) Efficiency hit is averaging 6.9% over OEM (some of this may be due to generally more aggressive driving, as the car feels much more sure footed than the OEM's ever did)
5) Regarding previous discussion that new tires will gain efficiency due to mold release wearing off, etc. I found this to not be true in my case, initial new tire test loops @65mph were consistently 265-267 Wh/m, and consumption is still the same now.

Did I mention I like the car much better with the PSAS4's? Okay leaving now for another Ortega Highway drive .

Getting a set of the PSAS4's this Saturday and hope I feel the same.

 

[TomT]

I went with the Bridgestone Quiettracks on my 19" wheels. I've had them for about 5,000 miles and am very happy. Quiet, good handling, excellent in the rain, smooth ride, superb wear, and after break-in, about the same efficiency as the OEM tires.

 

[sonoswen]

nope, changed my mind..went for Michelin x Ice, and looking for a used set of wheels...

 

[Nitpa]

Nipta...A "V" rated tire is listed as good up to 149mph..not a problem.

Now, after swearing by Nokia tires, I have fallen back into "not sure" what tires to get..again. My wife drives a lot, and is very hesistent to even go outside if there is any ice on the roads. The stock tire on our M3 are the Michelin MxM4 tires, which Tire Rack gives a 7.3 rating on icy roads, otherwise a top rated tire. I was going to get the Nokian WR G4's, but with so many choices...I am back at square 1. Oy....

Got the Nokian WRG4's. I do feel they give a softer ride - feel it much more than I expected. (I didnt sense as much of a difference when I switched my Chevy Bolt to Nokian WRG4's last year.) Also, the WRG4's generate more road noise - guessing it goes with the added traction.

I know Tesla recommends 42 PSI on their OEM tires. For the Nokian All Weather's, since they have a softer compound, I am wondering if 44 PSI would give better handling; also curious to see how 44 PSI will affect road noise.

Any thoughts?

 

[sonoswen]

Have had the Nokian WRG4 tires on for a week. Have the tire pressure at 44 psi. They are louder than the stock Michelin MXM4's but I am ok with it. Handling is better, much better on the wet roads here in Oregon..we need more rain though. The stock tires broke lose on wet turns when pushing it, not now with the Nokians. Seems like everything is a trade off.

 

[dcdttu]

Shout-out to @Mad Hungarian for hosting this thread. Good tire information is hard to come by and this is probably the best thread for it!

I'm needing to replace the ProContact RX on my 19"-equipped Model 3 LR RWD soon. I love the occasional twisty, but am not a terribly sporty driver (I just like to know I can). I got 30k and counting out of the stock tires during 90% city driving (little highway), if that's any example of my driving style. Most seem to get around 20k with theirs before needing them replaced.

I have narrowed it down to the Continental ProContact RX (OEM) or the PureContact LS. My top "wants" are:

1. Range / Low Rolling Resistance
2. Ride Comfort
3. Performance / Handling (tie)
4. Tread wear / Durability
5. Cost
6. Noise (it's last on the list because the two tires I'm considering seem to be about the same)

Rolling resistance of Model 3-compatible tires is generally not well-documented or tested thoroughly on any site I find - at least not in an apples-to-apples way where the results are easy to understand. I know my OEM tires are LRR, but are they more or less efficient than the PureContact? Most reviews say the PureContact are slightly less efficient, but these reviews are typically people testing the ProContact RX at their end of life with brand-new PureContact LS they get to replace them. I've heard older tires are typically more efficient so the results are already skewed. This also usually means the reviewer had their old tires during one season of the year (hot or cold) and then replaced them and compared during a different season (cold or hot), throwing a huge wrench into the controls of the test.

Other than that, I'd love to know the difference between these tires and their driving personality. Is one noticeably sportier than the other? Is one quieter than the other? Does one tend to have better on-center feel? Is the extra ~$70 per tire worth it for the OEM ProContact?

Am willing to entertain other tire options, but so far haven't seen any as good as these two that also have really good LRR.

I live in Austin, so winter driving isn't a thing. Need good manners for dry and rain only. If it snows (hello this past February!) we take the partner's AllTrack.

Thanks!

 

[ölbrenner]

Thanks! Do you know how well these do in regards to efficiency and noise level?

My PSAS4 thoughts/numbers are posted in this thread. Having traveled 8K+ miles cross country, as well as daily driven these tires, I have to concur with dfwatt.

 

[Mad Hungarian]

Shout-out to @Mad Hungarian for hosting this thread. Good tire information is hard to come by and this is probably the best thread for it!

I'm needing to replace the ProContact RX on my 19"-equipped Model 3 LR RWD soon. I love the occasional twisty, but am not a terribly sporty driver (I just like to know I can). I got 30k and counting out of the stock tires during 90% city driving (little highway), if that's any example of my driving style. Most seem to get around 20k with theirs before needing them replaced.

I have narrowed it down to the Continental ProContact RX (OEM) or the PureContact LS. My top "wants" are:

1. Range / Low Rolling Resistance
2. Ride Comfort
3. Performance / Handling (tie)
4. Tread wear / Durability
5. Cost
6. Noise (it's last on the list because the two tires I'm considering seem to be about the same)

Rolling resistance of Model 3-compatible tires is generally not well-documented or tested thoroughly on any site I find - at least not in an apples-to-apples way where the results are easy to understand. I know my OEM tires are LRR, but are they more or less efficient than the PureContact? Most reviews say the PureContact are slightly less efficient, but these reviews are typically people testing the ProContact RX at their end of life with brand-new PureContact LS they get to replace them. I've heard older tires are typically more efficient so the results are already skewed. This also usually means the reviewer had their old tires during one season of the year (hot or cold) and then replaced them and compared during a different season (cold or hot), throwing a huge wrench into the controls of the test.

Other than that, I'd love to know the difference between these tires and their driving personality. Is one noticeably sportier than the other? Is one quieter than the other? Does one tend to have better on-center feel? Is the extra ~$70 per tire worth it for the OEM ProContact?

Am willing to entertain other tire options, but so far haven't seen any as good as these two that also have really good LRR.

I live in Austin, so winter driving isn't a thing. Need good manners for dry and rain only. If it snows (hello this past February!) we take the partner's AllTrack.

Thanks!

Glad you're enjoying the thread, apologies for not stopping in more often here to see how it's going (unless you tag me Beetlejuice-style, 3 times usually gets it done).

I'll chime in here as I've tried both and do have a set of the PureContact LS's ancestor - the non-LS version - that's been on both my Model 3 and now on our Volt.
They are pretty similar in overall intent, having said that my observations are:

Range: Too close to call without a proper controlled environment test and you make an excellent point that most folks are making an error when comparing end-of-life tire efficiency to brand new full tread ones, that can be an easy 2% loss right there on an identical replacement set.

Ride comfort: The Pure Contact gets the nod here as it's a little more touring oriented

Performance/Handling: ProContact RX wins, if subtly, as it's a bit sportier in construction/feel and has a softer compound for more ultimate grip at the limits

Treadwear: PureContact wins by a landslide as it has nearly twice the rating of the OE RX

Cost: PureContact is usually quite a bit cheaper as it's a broad-line aftermarket model as opposed to the RX's mostly OE-fitment intent

Noise - the PureContact LS is a great improvement over the original version so it's now close to the RX, but I think the RX is still a wee bit quieter

 

[Mad Hungarian]

MH Review - Yokohama Advan Apex

Having got the first sample set of our new fully forged Fast EV04 shoes in 19x8.5 to test in early October I had to find some suitable soles to go with, and Yokohama was kind enough to send me a set of their new Advan Apex summer UHP tires in 235/40R19 to try out.
It was obviously late in the season to be flogging a pure summer-only compound, but I was fortunate that we did get a number of days in the low-mid teens C / fifties F around Montreal and with a little sun to warm the pavement I had trouble getting a good idea of what these were capable of.

First and very much immediate impression is the steering response... it is RAZOR sharp. On some vehicles that can be a problem as it makes for darty on-center feel which can be fatiguing on a long highway stretches, and indeed I'd read some reviews of these saying that could be a little ADD in the straight line stability department. However on Model 3 this is just what the doctor ordered, as I find the car has wonderfully quick steering for a sedan but it tends to feel rather dead on-center. The Advan Apex livens it up just the right amount, getting rid of that little bit of slack and responding instantly to the slightest input but somehow doing so without turning the car into an over-caffeinated Jack Russell terrier. What's more is that the effort and feedback as you dial in more lock is incredibly linear, when apexing the middle of intersections you feel like you can easily choose to get within 1, 2 or 3 inches of the center median comfortably and repeatedly at will.
They are the most joyfully predictable and fun steering tires I've tried in a long time and what's more they do this without inducing undue harshness, a near miraculous feat. They somehow managed to match the ride of the standard bearer in this category, the almighty Michelin PS4, while beating it in steering response. It's pretty mind blowing. Without skidpad testing it's hard to say definitively how it compares in outright grip, but even in the cooler late fall temps up here they had way more than enough to strafe all of my favorite corners at speeds far beyond what's legal, whether wet or dry, so suffice is to say there is no issue there.

Downsides?
Noise. Although not unusually loud in any way, the Advan Apex produces what I consider to be a fairly normal amount of pattern noise for a top flat-out performance tire. In fact it would barely be noticeable on just any ICE vehicle, but of course that's not what we're driving here, is it? In its defense I will say the mild hum produced occurs at a pretty inoffensive frequency for the Model 3 cabin and is easily drown out by playing normal volume music. It also seems to vary more than normal based on the quality of the surface, with it being most noticeable on concrete or very tired asphalt (unfortunately pretty much all we have around Montreal) but going near silent on fresh asphalt. However when going for the gusto this actually turns into a feature, not a bug, as the difference it both audible and tactile feedback give you a really accurate feel for what's going on underneath you, super appreciated as the limits near. But if you insist on church-mouse levels of quiet at all times, this likely is not the droid you are looking for.
Although the wildly varying weather during the short time I had them on meant I couldn't get any useable data, I suspect efficiency is going to be no better than average for the UHP segment. That's to be expected as it's a long way from most engineers' top priorities when designing top performance models; the PS4 and its new cousin the astonishingly efficient Pilot Sport EV are strange exceptions in this category. In most cases if you want max range you need to take your shopping down a notch to the Grand Touring category, where that along with low noise, comfort and durability are much more widely available. Lots of those here in this thread (see Michelin's PS4 A/S, Conti's PureContact LS, Pirelli's P7, Yoko's Avid Ascent GT, etc).

Conclusion.
If your number one priority is just having fun these are going to be really hard to beat. Real numbers testing might reveal they are not the quite the absolute fastest around any given track in this segment, but in terms of making the Model 3 an even MORE outrageously joyful E-ticket ride they are my new favorite. They do an amazing job at improving what I see as really the only notable problem in this car's chassis, the dead on-center and somewhat lackluster off-center steering feel, and somehow do this while maintaining a very civilized level of ride comfort.
The best part? The price. These come in tagged substantially less than the tires they replace, the Advan Sport V105, and that tire was already a bargain for an upper-echelon UHP. This make the Advan Apex an absolute steal.
Well done Yokohama, well done indeed.

 

[JMON]

Yokohama Advan Apex are what I'll be replacing my Pilot Sport's with thanks to this review Ian :thumbsup: