Was just thumbing through my most recent copy of Consumers Reports, the April 2015 Automobile Issue.
On page 18 CR reports their Best Tires in 7 Categories.
Two and possibly three of their categories apply to the Model S.
I also wonder just how and if the CR best rated are appropriate to the Model S.
In other words, is there a tire fitment for the 19" and 21" wheels with the appropriate weight specification?
You can do the leg work on that so here is a summary on their best tires....
Performance All-Season Tires and Ultra-High-Performance Tires.
CR breaks Performance All-Season Tires into two sub-strata...
H speed rating 130 MPH and V speed rating 149 MPH
H Speed Rating
Michelin Primacy MXV4
Continental PureContact
V Speed Rating
Continental PureContact
Michelin Primacy MXV4
Ultra-High-Performance Tires
Here this entire group is rated for at least 149 MPH speed rating however the group is broken into two subgroups, UHP All-Season Tires and UHP Summer Tires
It is very likely that UHP Summer Tires will have a compound and or tread design that is not suitable for cold weather driving (snow, ice)
UHP ALL-SEASON TIRES
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric All Season
Hankook Ventus S1 noble 2
Pirelli P Zero Nero All Season
Cooper Zeon RS3-A
UHP SUMMER TIRES
Pirelli P Zero
Michelin Pilot Super Sport
Yokahama Advan Sport V105
Nokian zLine
Continental Extreme Contact DW
From what I know about tires, there are some tires which create (to me) less road noise. This may be a very important factor in a EV.
Also, some tires wear out more quickly than others, and from what I have seen this is a function of compound & grip factors being turned up at the expense of longevity and tread wear. Additionally, some tires are rated as "Low Rolling Resistance" tires, which may have a factor for EV use, perhaps at the expense of grip.
Lastly, there is a payload weight factor that we all should be aware of... not all tires are rated to carry the same weight per tire. The model S is not a lightweight vehicle.
Many of the online tire store websites allow you to compare various aspects of tires, including warranty.
Have any of you used any of the above tires models on the Model S?
What have been your observations and use experiences?
One other thing I can tell you I personally have been very guilty of, I have been known to choose a tire BECAUSE I preferred
the clean and easy to keep clean sidewall design vs a tire that sports a very complex sidewall design. Those busy sidewalls
are not fun to keep clean and are hard to make presentable over time... may be alone here.
A good stove-side topic for the winter... we are expecting 4-7" of new powder here in Connecticut today...
Cheers, Art
On page 18 CR reports their Best Tires in 7 Categories.
Two and possibly three of their categories apply to the Model S.
I also wonder just how and if the CR best rated are appropriate to the Model S.
In other words, is there a tire fitment for the 19" and 21" wheels with the appropriate weight specification?
You can do the leg work on that so here is a summary on their best tires....
Performance All-Season Tires and Ultra-High-Performance Tires.
CR breaks Performance All-Season Tires into two sub-strata...
H speed rating 130 MPH and V speed rating 149 MPH
H Speed Rating
Michelin Primacy MXV4
Continental PureContact
V Speed Rating
Continental PureContact
Michelin Primacy MXV4
Ultra-High-Performance Tires
Here this entire group is rated for at least 149 MPH speed rating however the group is broken into two subgroups, UHP All-Season Tires and UHP Summer Tires
It is very likely that UHP Summer Tires will have a compound and or tread design that is not suitable for cold weather driving (snow, ice)
UHP ALL-SEASON TIRES
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric All Season
Hankook Ventus S1 noble 2
Pirelli P Zero Nero All Season
Cooper Zeon RS3-A
UHP SUMMER TIRES
Pirelli P Zero
Michelin Pilot Super Sport
Yokahama Advan Sport V105
Nokian zLine
Continental Extreme Contact DW
From what I know about tires, there are some tires which create (to me) less road noise. This may be a very important factor in a EV.
Also, some tires wear out more quickly than others, and from what I have seen this is a function of compound & grip factors being turned up at the expense of longevity and tread wear. Additionally, some tires are rated as "Low Rolling Resistance" tires, which may have a factor for EV use, perhaps at the expense of grip.
Lastly, there is a payload weight factor that we all should be aware of... not all tires are rated to carry the same weight per tire. The model S is not a lightweight vehicle.
Many of the online tire store websites allow you to compare various aspects of tires, including warranty.
Have any of you used any of the above tires models on the Model S?
What have been your observations and use experiences?
One other thing I can tell you I personally have been very guilty of, I have been known to choose a tire BECAUSE I preferred
the clean and easy to keep clean sidewall design vs a tire that sports a very complex sidewall design. Those busy sidewalls
are not fun to keep clean and are hard to make presentable over time... may be alone here.
A good stove-side topic for the winter... we are expecting 4-7" of new powder here in Connecticut today...
Cheers, Art
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