Now I'm stumped. Photon or Nova on model 3

Pete77a | 2026-03-09 09:30 | 9 views

I'm currently driving a Golf R. It's time to move on from that and now looking at the Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD. The AWD isn't available in Australia any more, and not considering the performance model. I'm torn on the wheels... I like the look of the Nova. I like that they supposedly have better turn in feel, backed up by the 0.93g lateral on skidpan compared to 0.85g of the Photon 18's. What else... Think that's it. But the cons are the range drops 60km (750km down to 690km). That can't really be brought back by anything, other than a full plastic cover which hides them fully which returns some of the range but not all. I wish there were individual plastic inserts that didn't hide them in full, that gave measurable gains as the ones I've seen like that don't do anything for range. The only other con I see is the extra cost of them on top of the factory Photon wheels. It's $1800 here in Australia which seems quite pricey. I get they have more expensive rubber but it's a big "extra".. I liked the Golf R ride on most roads. I like the lateral grip of the ultra performance tyres I had in it. I hate the pothole handling of it though. Seems even with the 19" Nova that the Tesla suspension is more forgiving on potholes than the golf r is.. I know others can't help me decide the weighting of what I need. However hoping feedback from real life owners may help me as I'm torn.

Comments (4)

someusername5873 2026-03-09 09:50

I've come across aftermarket 18" versions of the nova before: https://www.tesery.com/products/model-3-nova-wheels-aftermarket-forged I don't know how good these aftermarket wheels are, but you will basically get most of the range back while still having the nova appearance if you get the 18" version. Let me know if you end up getting these and how they actually perform (I can't find any reviews on them anywhere).

Pete77a 2026-03-09 10:09

My concern there is how much more range will they be than the 19 Nova's. I believe part of the range loss if tyre/tire compound (which for the same grip level tyres in 18s or 19s they will still have similar), part is the weight of wheel (which these in 18 should reduce which is good), but a reasonable part is the wind resistance which they will still have.

someusername5873 2026-03-09 10:23

Check out this video: https://youtu.be/NYvKxsYFqO8?si=whWXiciOzJZpkKVJ 18" wheels get better range because of aero according to his pinned comment. According to the video, for a Tesla Model 3 Performance, switching from 19-inch wheels to 18-inch wheels can increase your range by approximately 17 miles when traveling at 75 miles per hour (8:10-8:13).

abra5umente 2026-03-09 10:34

I'm picking up my Model 3 LR with the Novas on Thursday this week lmao. I thought about the range drop for about 30 seconds before going "yeah but they look so much nicer" lmao. I figure with the LR losing 50-60km isn't that big of a deal, 690km is still about 60km more than I get with a full tank in my i30 NLine currently lol.

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