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Opinions Desired on tires for 19 inch wheels

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swegman

Active Member
Mar 27, 2012
1,586
1,652
I currently have 21 inch wheels with the Michelin Pilot tires on my P85. The Pilots need replacing soon, so I thought about switching to 19 inch wheels for severe reasons. First, the low profile tires for the 21 inch wheels are easily damaged by potholes. Second, the 21 inch tires are summer only (not the best for wet driving conditions). Third, the Pilots reduce the driving range by 20-30 miles according to Tesla in comparison to the Michelin Primacy they offer for the 19 inch wheels. I only get a maximum range of about 210 miles driving conservatively and without heat or AC, which has caused anxiety issues at times.

I like the look of the 21 inch turbine wheels and the dry handling of the Pilot tires. I would like to keep these features (look and dry handling ability) while getting a 19 inch tire that has good wet weather handling, longer life than the Pilots, increased driving range (reduced energy consumption) and increased resistance to pothole damage. I am not concerned with driving in the snow (don't drive the car then).

As a result, I ordered the 19 inch turbine wheels from TSportline, which should ship in a week or two. These wheels look very, very similar to Tesla's 21 inch turbine wheel. Thus, I have the look feature I want.

I now need to select a tire for the wheels. I am considering the following tires:
1. Michelin Pilot Sport 3 (low rolling resistance max. performance summer tire);
2. Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 (ultra high performance all season tire);
3. Michelin Primacy (low rolling resistance grand touring tire) (OEM tire offered by Tesla);
4. Hankook Ventus S1 noble 2 (ultra high performance all season tire);
5. Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season Plus (low rolling resistance grand touring all season tire).

I do spirited driving when able to, but do not feel I push the car to the limit, especially when corning. However, I believe in having the best possible tires on a car. Can people please give me their opinions on the above tires, keeping in mind I am most concerned with dry weather handling, wet weather handling, energy consumption of the vehicle with each of the above tires, quietness of the tire, and life span of the above tires, with the dry weather handling being the most important requirement and tire life being the least important requirement.

Thanks for all your opinions.
 
Easy choice. Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3. I'm going with 255s on my grey Tsportline's. If your sticking with 245s the Pirelli's a good choice too. But in 255 the pirelli's are 28.2" in diameter and that any be too big compared to the A/S 3s that are 28.0".
 
First, why is it an easy choice? Second, why 255 instead of 245? What is the effect of this difference? Also, will the 255's have an issue with wheel well rubbing?

I will be very interested in hearing how you like the wheels and wheel/tire combination, and what kind of range you get. The A/S 3 is not a LRR tire. I also note in reviewing past posts that you were considering the Hankook at one point. Why did you finally settle on the A/S 3?

BTW, I ordered the gray color. I have gray 21 inch wheels and think it looks good on my white car.
 
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Most of my decision is based on reviews on the net. The Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 is Mixhelins latest and greatest technology released last year so it's a brand new tire. All of the reviews I've read on that is that is dry performance is unparrallees and even blows always the tires in the "summer tire" category (this is an all season tire) and commonly described as a game changer in the tire industry due to its incredible performance especially in the cold. For me, one of my biggest complaints about having 19" GYs on a P85 is that they slip on every hard acceleration. The GY's aren't perfect in rainy weather either. The only negative I've read about these new Michelins are that they aren't awesome in snow but they are just ok. The pirelli's are getting awesome reviews too and great performance in snow too. I would probably go with the pirelli's if I was going 245. I am not worried about rubbing 255 and rubbing because the offset of the Tsportline's are 35 instead of the stock OEM 40. This pushes them out of the wheel well slightly further.
 
For me, one of my biggest complaints about having 19" GYs on a P85 is that they slip on every hard acceleration. The GY's aren't perfect in rainy weather either.

I found this to be true as well. The Primacy MXM4 tires are far better in this regard at the expense of a bit of fuel efficiency (10-30 kWh/mile). I didn't get the A/S 3 because of the poor braking rating on the Michelin site (8 vs 10)
 
I've been pleased with the Hankooks - good ride, seem plenty sticky for me. Not a tire expert by any means, but they seem to grab the road well and the ride is reasonable.

The summer wheels go back on the car today.
 
Supposedly the Pirelli's are really quiet. Their rating on tirerack puts them in the #1 spot. Regarding the MXM4s I think the A/S 3's beat them in almost every category and it's a newer technology tire so I don't know why anyone would get the MXM4 over the A/S 3's.
 
Maybe because the Primacy is a LRR tire? I currently have the Michelin Pilot on my car. My lifetime energy usage is about 346 WHr/mile, which seems higher than what other people are using. This is with very little usage of heating or AC, keeping the car in range mode, and generally driving less than 65 mph (speed limit here is 55 mph) on the highway. What can I expect with the A/S 3, Hankook or Pirelli tire? Higher or lower energy usage?
 
Maybe because the Primacy is a LRR tire? I currently have the Michelin Pilot on my car. My lifetime energy usage is about 346 WHr/mile, which seems higher than what other people are using. This is with very little usage of heating or AC, keeping the car in range mode, and generally driving less than 65 mph (speed limit here is 55 mph) on the highway. What can I expect with the A/S 3, Hankook or Pirelli tire? Higher or lower energy usage?

well the Pilot Sport 3 (aka the summer performance tire , not the all season tire) is super sticky, hence the higher wh/mi. I would imagine that the MXM4 and the A/S 3 would have closer Wh/mi usage. Honestly what I can say is that I haven't heard anything bad about any of these tires. I think you'll be fine with whatever you choose from that list.
 
The Michelin PSS is not available in the correct size for the 19 inch wheels. I was considering that for the 21 inch wheels I have to replace the Pilots, but I'm tired of replacing low profile tires from road hazards.

Yobigd20, did you get the Tsportline wheels yet? They sent me an email today saying they will be shipped to me this week. You have the A/S 3 tires already? I spoke to Tirerack today and they recommend either the A/S 3 or the Pirelli. I look forward to your comments about the wheels and how the A/S 3 tires perform.
 
Need to decide this also myself after only 16,000 miles on my 19 inch rims of these which has the quietest ride at that would be my major concern as well as longevity?

Also with my aftermarket rial Lugano tire size is somewhat of a concern as it does hit sometimes during turns on the side well
 
Need to decide this also myself after only 16,000 miles on my 19 inch rims of these which has the quietest ride at that would be my major concern as well as longevity?

Also with my aftermarket rial Lugano tire size is somewhat of a concern as it does hit sometimes during turns on the side well


The Michelin PSS is not available in the correct size for the 19 inch wheels. I was considering that for the 21 inch wheels I have to replace the Pilots, but I'm tired of replacing low profile tires from road hazards.

Yobigd20, did you get the Tsportline wheels yet? They sent me an email today saying they will be shipped to me this week. You have the A/S 3 tires already? I spoke to Tirerack today and they recommend either the A/S 3 or the Pirelli. I look forward to your comments about the wheels and how the A/S 3 tires perform.

Yes I have the TSportline TST's mounted with 255/45ZR19 Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3. They make a world of a difference. I think they are much quieter, ride smoother, and have some ridiculous grip. The car holds the road so tight now at full acceleration. No more of the floatiness side to side gliding it used to have before when you floored it. This is how the car should have always been from day 1. I will never ever go back to Goodyear tires.
 
Yes I have the TSportline TST's mounted with 255/45ZR19 Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3. They make a world of a difference. I think they are much quieter, ride smoother, and have some ridiculous grip. The car holds the road so tight now at full acceleration. No more of the floatiness side to side gliding it used to have before when you floored it. This is how the car should have always been from day 1. I will never ever go back to Goodyear tires.
Great thanks for the update
 
I also installed the Tsportline wheels (gray color) with the 19 inch Michelin A/S 3 tires on my white P85, and agree with yobigd20's comments except in one regard. I originally had the 21 inch Tesla wheels with the Michelin Pilot tires. When stomping on the accelerator from a standstill, the 21 inch Pilot tires have slightly more grip than the 19 inch A/S 3 tires. That is, I notice the traction light will sometimes flash on the dash with the A/S 3 tires, which would not happen with the 21 inch Pilot tires. Once the car is moving, the handling of the 21 inch Pilot and 19 inch A/S 3 tires are very similar (at least on dry roads).

Some people have wondered whether the 19 inch tires would offer better range in comparison to the 21 inch tires. I have not noticed any increase in range with the 19 inch A/S 3 tire relative to the 21 inch Pilot tire.