AWD or Not?

[PRSIST]

Almost daily I read comments from people who are basically saying they cannot live without an AWD Model 3. Why? Is it just personal preference, like eating liver, or is it some other reason?

What is it about AWD that people think they can’t live without. Please don’t get me wrong, I know there are parts of our country where AWD is almost required due to weather conditions, but how does someone justify AWD if they live in California, Arizona, New Mexico or other climate friendly states?

So if we take weather out of the formula for deciding to purchase AWD, what is it about AWD that makes it worth it?

Is another 10-20 miles of range worth it? I don’t know. I’ve heard the car handles better….I don’t know? I’ve heard that RWD makes the cabin quieter….I don’t know.

I’ve owned over 30 cars in my 68 years and only three of them were AWD/4-wheel drive and that was for going off-road or RV’ing. RWD worked for me all over this country, even when I lived in the Chicago area.

So my post is asking all of you knowledgeable people, why the bug for AWD?

Oh yeah….Enjoy your Model 3 !!!!

 

[JeffK]

For me, it's about added traction for winters and for range. As for the whine of an electric motor, if I can hear it, I'd love that. I know electric motors have been around longer than I've been alive, but it still feels like I'm living in the future.

 

[mspohr]

It''s not just snow and ice. AWD gives much better handling in all road conditions including dry pavement. (Spend some time on YouTube looking at RWD cars driven by idiots who easily lose control and crash on dry pavement. Doesn't happen with AWD.)
I will wait for Model 3 AWD for this reason. (Also, slightly better range.)

 

[slipnslider]

But with Tesla, the more features you add, the more features you have to get repaired.

 

[Foxhound199]

Honestly, I don't think AWD is all that important if you take weather out of the equation. You might get a little more range or a bit more power, but that alone isn't likely to offset the added cost. Personally, I prefer the feel of a RWD for reasons that aren't entirely rational. Also, my wife drives a Subaru and we aren't ever planning on being a one car family, so I don't have to feel limited by not having it.

 

[Waiting4M3]

I would like to buy a 75 non-D non-P if Tesla offers it.

 

[msudawgfan]

Almost daily I read comments from people who are basically saying they cannot live without an AWD Model 3. Why? Is it just personal preference, like eating liver, or is it some other reason?

What is it about AWD that people think they can’t live without. Please don’t get me wrong, I know there are parts of our country where AWD is almost required due to weather conditions, but how does someone justify AWD if they live in California, Arizona, New Mexico or other climate friendly states?

So if we take weather out of the formula for deciding to purchase AWD, what is it about AWD that makes it worth it?

Is another 10-20 miles of range worth it? I don’t know. I’ve heard the car handles better….I don’t know? I’ve heard that RWD makes the cabin quieter….I don’t know.

I’ve owned over 30 cars in my 68 years and only three of them were AWD/4-wheel drive and that was for going off-road or RV’ing. RWD worked for me all over this country, even when I lived in the Chicago area.

So my post is asking all of you knowledgeable people, why the bug for AWD?

Oh yeah….Enjoy your Model 3 !!!!

Something else to consider: The RWD has a spare front motor if the rear one goes out. There have been reports of motor failure where the vehicle is able to continue operating. Think of a single engine jet vs. a dual engine jet. Except you don't die if your RWD motor stalls.

 

[jschwefel]

I'm sure the AWD has better traction and handling, but having gone through my first Indiana winter and a couple of snowstorms, I am very happy with my early P85 RWD. I swapped the 21in performance wheels for a set of 19in wheels with the Michelin Primacy tires, and they did great. I'd say the car did as good or better than the FWD or even AWD ICE cars I've driven.

 

[R.S]

A reason to go for RWD could be a bigger frunk. Not sure if they would do the same as with the Model S, limiting frunk size of all cars, though.

 

[AZGirl]

AWD was not a feature I was interested in.

 

[AngelArm1110]

Well for one thing, AWD in an EV is quite a bit different than in an ICE, but if you want to know why I think most people want dual motors, its because the Model S was greatly improved by the addition of the front motor, so they see it as the most capable version of the technological platform, I don't think its much more complicated than that

 

[JeffK]

I'm sure the AWD has better traction and handling, but having gone through my first Indiana winter and a couple of snowstorms, I am very happy with my early P85 RWD. I swapped the 21in performance wheels for a set of 19in wheels with the Michelin Primacy tires, and they did great. I'd say the car did as good or better than the FWD or even AWD ICE cars I've driven.

The thing in Indianapolis you have to worry about more than the weather is Indianapolis drivers... the slightest moisture (rain, snow, light fog) and it's like they are driving for the first time in their lives. 465 is a nightmare. I'm going to get AWD just so I can more easily maneuver around these clowns.

A reason to go for RWD could be a bigger frunk. Not sure if they would do the same as with the Model S, limiting frunk size of all cars, though.

I thought this reduction in space was mainly due to the new air filters in addition to AWD.
You wouldn't keep anything valuable up there anyway due to the fact it can't be locked shut. Personally I wouldn't be terribly upset to lose that space to extra battery capacity, although others feel differently.

 

[Vern Padgett]

103 mpg(e) on the S90D versus only 87 mpg(e) on the S90.

 

[WileyTheMan]

Honestly, this is what keeps me going back to AWD: Elon Musk on Twitter

 

[Colsla]

Something else to consider: The RWD has a spare front motor if the rear one goes out.

you mean AWD but yeah redundancy is one reason some people including myself want to get an AWD.

 

[Chris L]

With EVs and single-pedal speed control, most braking is magnetic ("regen"), which only works on the wheels that are connected to a motor. With RWD, that means braking is only with the rear wheels. With dual-motors, you get four-wheel magnetic braking, so more effective, balanced braking (and more even tire wear). Would you buy a conventional car that only had brakes on the rear wheels?

 

[david_42]

With EVs and single-pedal speed control, most braking is magnetic ("regen"), which only works on the wheels that are connected to a motor. With RWD, that means braking is only with the rear wheels. With dual-motors, you get four-wheel magnetic braking, so more effective, balanced braking (and more even tire wear). Would you buy a conventional car that only had brakes on the rear wheels?

Having owned AWD, FWD and RWD vehicles, I can say fairly conclusively the tires on the drive wheels wear out the fastest. The tires on the AWD wore out the fastest. Since all of them had brakes on all four wheels, braking didn't enter the equation.

 

[David L]

I'm in CA, but am planning to get AWD so that I can drive through chain enforced mountainous areas without putting on chains. Otherwise, I'd be driving my Subaru up the mountains instead, which would partially defeat the purpose of buying a Tesla with AP2. I know snow tires + RWD would be more effective, but it's simply not practical to swap them in and out for each weekend trip.

 

[PRSIST]

With EVs and single-pedal speed control, most braking is magnetic ("regen"), which only works on the wheels that are connected to a motor. With RWD, that means braking is only with the rear wheels. With dual-motors, you get four-wheel magnetic braking, so more effective, balanced braking (and more even tire wear). Would you buy a conventional car that only had brakes on the rear wheels?

Regen is a thought, but regen does not exist to stop the car. Regen is there to put some electrical power back into the battery. Regen's side affect is a braking affect, but I'm going to use the car's brakes if I want to stop the car just like on most if not all conventional cars.

 

[astrothad]

Driving into possibly snowy mountain conditions without the need for chains is one of my reasons for wanting AWD. I hadn't considered the regen braking aspect. With the electric smart I currently drive, I can often get around city areas with very rarely touching the brake pedal. Having that work on all 4 wheels sounds even better to me.

The other reason I want AWD is for towing. Although a properly balanced trailer shouldn't (ideally) exert much force up or down on the hitch, I imagine you're going to have better control if you have drive from all 4 wheels. I won't be using it this way often, but I'd rather have it available for when I do. Most of it would be for taking camping/astrophotography gear into the mountains, so having all points of contact with the road contribute to that haul sounds like a better plan to me.