All Seasons or Snow Tires for NoVA/DC/MD?

[Herroweric]

Hi everyone,

I recently ordered a Model Y Performance that comes with the 21's with summer tires only. Would it be worth it to buy snow tires for another set of wheels or just throw on some good all seasons? I'll be buying another set of wheels as the 21's are pretty heavy and there are no all season tires available at the moment for that size.

Thanks

 

[Country Roads]

I leave all season tires on my AWD Model S and it does fine in the winter. We swap my wife's RWD 3 to winter treads though for extra traction. We use either for going skiing. Both do well.
So I would go with one set of all seasons for your set up.

 

[serendipitous]

If you bought the Performance version for a reason, I'd continue to run good summer tires in the summer and get a dedicated set of 19" wheels and snow tires for winter. That's what I do on my MSP. Winters here can be hit or miss. This past winter was virtually snow-free, but there have been other years where roads are screwed for a week and I wouldn't have felt comfortable without actual snow tires. I run Pilot Sport 4S in the summer and Continental Viking Contact 8 on my winter wheels.

 

[Herroweric]

I leave all season tires on my AWD Model S and it does fine in the winter. We swap my wife's RWD 3 to winter treads though for extra traction. We use either for going skiing. Both do well.
So I would go with one set of all seasons for your set up.

That's great to hear. I'll be buying a lighter set of 19s or 20s for it and figure I'll throw on some Michelin all seasons. Thanks for the help!

If you bought the Performance version for a reason, I'd continue to run good summer tires in the summer and get a dedicated set of 19" wheels and snow tires for winter. That's what I do on my MSP. Winters here can be hit or miss. This past winter was virtually snow-free, but there have been other years where roads are screwed for a week and I wouldn't have felt comfortable without actual snow tires. I run Pilot Sport 4S in the summer and Continental Viking Contact 8 on my winter wheels.

Yeah that's the plan. I was looking a set of 19s or 20s that would be good for roadtripping and to also throw some all seasons on as well. Thanks for the insight!

 

[Redmiata98]

It depends on your tolerance to balance safety/convenience & cost. From a safety point of view, best is one set of summer and one set of winter tires. “All season” tires try to balance the best and worst of each. Remember that an often overlooked benefit of doing a seasonal tire change is the difference in the material composition of each season’s tire and the difference in traction caused by temperature changes (not only snow). Summer tires provide the best traction in higher temperatures and winters in lower temperatures. Winter tires tend to wear out extremely fast in warmer temperatures; summers have rotten traction in colder temperatures. If you decide to get a set of each, get them all mounted. This would provide less wear on the tires caused by swapping them out on the same rims. That way you could also swap them yourself or get it done locally for about $40 a swap. (Tysons used to do a complimentary seasonal swap If you bought the tires from them but they now charge $100 each swap now.)
I live in Woodbridge, Virginia. While we did not have much snow last year, we did have cold weather. My X came with “all season” tires. I now have both winter and summer mounted tires for my performance X. There was a noticeable increase in traction for me. I have had my X for 4 years and never had a problem on getting thru unplowed roads with my winters on and had increased traction with my summers. With regard to cost, if you plan to keep your Tesla a while the extra cost of the second set will be balanced out by less wear on the alternate set. Then your only difference would be the cost of the rims and the inconvenience.

 

[Xenoilphobe]

Neither, get All Weather, I have owned 3 Model S's. (two were RWD), no issues in this area with quality A/S tires. My son has these on his Miata and it even does well (with a few cases of water thrown in for weight. Just get a tire with 3PMSF and you will be fine.

QUATRAC 5

WINTER - 45 DEGREES AND BELOW
Dedicated Winter tires are made for harsh conditions, allowing for superior grip in snow and ice in the extreme northern regions. Winter tires display the 3PMSF symbol to show their snow capabilities, provided by a softer tread compound. Due to their composition, they need to be swapped in warmer weather to an all-season, or all-weather tire to
extend their lifespan.



ALL WEATHER - ABOVE AND BELOW 45 DEGREES
All weather tires are designed to excel in snow and slush winter conditions and can be a convenient option if you want to avoid switching to winter tires in the fall and replacing them in the spring. They are 3PMSF marked to display their snow handling in the winter. They are also year-round capable, and are great for Northeastern states, mountainous areas, and Northern Pacific regions that frequently see snowfall.



ALL SEASON - 45 DEGREES AND ABOVE
All season tires are made to handle year-round use and are extremely effective in the warmer regions like the Southeast, and southwest, that rarely see snow, but need to be
able to get through mild winter conditions. All season tires have a longer lifespan and offer a higher level of wet and dry road performance.



SUMMER - ABOVE 45 DEGREES
These tires offer the highest level of performance for enthusiasts. The soft tread compound provides maximum grip but will need to be swapped for a winter capable tire in colder conditions, due to their composition.

 

[MGMDaware]

My whole life I have only used AS, but 2 winters ago I slipped on the ice with my X, smashed into the curb and caused about $3500 damage (destroyed one rim and broke the subframe on front pass wheel). So, I decided to get a set of winter tires. Last winter was my first winter with them. Honestly, I felt way more confident on the road, but I can't say whether it actually did anything or if it was placebo, especially since we barely had any snow/ice. Winter tires have benefit when the temp drops below 45 degrees F, so it may be worth the hassle/cost.

I have never heard of all Weather tires, as @Xenoilphobe pointed out, but that sounds like a viable option.