20-inch Induction Wheels ready for new shoes

Direct Answer & TL;DR

• Replaced all four tires after 4 years and 65,000 km.
• The official Tesla Service Center quote for OEM tires was around $1,500 (2,000,000 KRW).
• Purchased Hankook iON evo via Naver Store. Including installation ($90 / 120,000 KRW), the total cost was about $900 (1,200,000 KRW). The ride quality also felt slightly improved.

When taking delivery of my Model Y back in 2022, I had a dilemma: 19-inch or 20-inch? I eventually chose the 20-inch Induction Wheels. Partly because I didn’t want to deal with managing the 19-inch Gemini wheel covers, but mostly because the 20-inch wheels just looked a bit cooler.

However, the cost of aesthetics was quite high. The ride was noticeably stiffer compared to the 19s, and efficiency took a slight hit. But the biggest impact was on maintenance. Tire prices are significantly higher than the 19-inch options.

I rotated the tires front-to-back at around 30,000 km. Passing the 65,000 km mark, the tread was almost entirely worn out, meaning it was finally time for a replacement.

Official Quote of $1,500: Looking for Alternatives

Initially, I checked the official Tesla Service Center and app for an OEM tire replacement. The factory tire spec for my car is 255/40/R20. I checked the quote. Roughly $1,500 (2,000,000 KRW). I couldn’t believe my eyes. It’s not like I’m driving a Porsche; I really didn’t want to burn that much on four tires.

I immediately started looking at alternatives. I narrowed it down to the Hankook iON evo, which currently has some of the best reviews among EV-specific tires. I compared three places to see where I could get the best deal for the same spec (255/40/R20). There were other online stores selling it even cheaper, but I had a question and tried contacting their customer service; since I couldn’t reach them, I excluded them from the list.

[!TIP] Compared to 19-inch tires, 20-inch options are fewer and hold less price competitiveness. Promotions (gift cards, gas vouchers, etc.) vary by seller each month, so be sure to calculate the final perceived cost.

I did the math. For the Naver Store, the tire cost itself was the cheapest, but there was a catch—a separate 120,000 KRW installation fee. However, even with the installation fee, the total was 1,200,000 KRW, which was about 100,000 KRW cheaper than Costco or offline shops. Factoring in the gift card cashback, buying from the Naver Store was overwhelmingly the most reasonable choice.

I made the payment. The tires were shipped directly to a designated installation shop near my home. I just had to bring myself and the car on the reserved date.

Actual payment history on Naver Store

1-Month Review: Has the Ride Quality Changed?

I’ve been driving for about a month since the replacement. At first, I felt a little uneasy about not going with the OEM tires. I thought, “There must be a reason they’re so expensive.”

But to get straight to the point, I don’t regret giving up the OEMs at all. In fact, the ride feels slightly more “comfort-oriented” compared to the original tires. The way it filters out minor vibrations feels subtly smoother.

I’ll have to drive more to know for sure about tire life and efficiency differences, but considering I saved nearly half the cost, my mind is already at peace. You can’t ignore the psychological comfort that comes with OEM parts, but tires are ultimately consumables. I don’t think there’s any need to pay double the price.

🔗 References

• Hankook iON evo Product Info (Global)