or...just drive a lot slower and initiate no sudden moves until you become more comfortable. It's not that hard to drive in the snow especially if you're not pretending to be in F1...which, even if you had an M3P, you're not...
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How is Model 3 RWD in the snow?
- Thread starter docboy
- Start date
or...just drive a lot slower and initiate no sudden moves until you become more comfortable. It's not that hard to drive in the snow especially if you're not pretending to be in F1...which, even if you had an M3P, you're not...
I find it funny that a lot of the experts chiming in drive in a moderate to warm climate and not from the cold snowy north.
I have passed many a 4 wheel drive and AWD vehicles in the diches along the highways.
I've always had RWD or FWD cars for the past 45 years.
Nothing and I mean nothing beats a set of good winter (snow) tires for control, acceleration and breaking.
The rubber compounds in All Season tires are not meant for the cold weather let alone the snow.
Also along with the proper snow tires you need winter driving experience.
You can always tell those who have experience from those who think they have experience.
In Quebec it is mandatory to have winter tires on your car from Dec 1 to March 15.
(if you're running worn out winter tires you can get finned if you're in an accident when the police check your tires to make sure they are winters)
Since it became law the number of winter collisions declined.
Good luck with your 4 seasons and AWD, I'll keep to my winters + experience.
I have passed many a 4 wheel drive and AWD vehicles in the diches along the highways.
I've always had RWD or FWD cars for the past 45 years.
Nothing and I mean nothing beats a set of good winter (snow) tires for control, acceleration and breaking.
The rubber compounds in All Season tires are not meant for the cold weather let alone the snow.
Also along with the proper snow tires you need winter driving experience.
You can always tell those who have experience from those who think they have experience.
In Quebec it is mandatory to have winter tires on your car from Dec 1 to March 15.
(if you're running worn out winter tires you can get finned if you're in an accident when the police check your tires to make sure they are winters)
Since it became law the number of winter collisions declined.
Good luck with your 4 seasons and AWD, I'll keep to my winters + experience.
I have snow tires on my 18RWD M3. I have yet to have problems getting through the snow during the past 3 winters. Without the snow tires, which I tried for the first snow of my first winter, I did have breaking issues, which anyone might have, even with all wheel drive. Most of my previous cars had FWD, which pale in comparison to the RWD M3 as far as traction and braking is concerned. Perhaps, that is because of the heavier M3 has better weight distribution.
What hasn't been mentioned here is that RWD gives better handling in less snowy weather. While I may have to get all wheel drive with my next Tesla, since RWD is no longer a choice, I will miss RWD when it comes to better handling. I just love the sports car feel you don't get with 4 wheel drive.and don't regret, not having it for our bad winters. So far, I haven't needed it.
What hasn't been mentioned here is that RWD gives better handling in less snowy weather. While I may have to get all wheel drive with my next Tesla, since RWD is no longer a choice, I will miss RWD when it comes to better handling. I just love the sports car feel you don't get with 4 wheel drive.and don't regret, not having it for our bad winters. So far, I haven't needed it.
This is a strawman argument. If you would put proper snow tires on a 2WD car, why wouldn't you put them on AWD?
AWD or RWD or FWD is very much personal preference...but of course everyone should run tires appropriate for the conditions and their driving.
I was kind of hoping someone would chime in here with experience using a rear limited slip diff in their Model 3... (RWD or AWD)
Genuinely, a lot of folks think algebra isn't needed either, and I often wonder how THEY get around day-to-day... but sure.
Why would you not get AWD if you live in a snowy area? I don't even live where it snows or even freezes but getting out of a parking space in an icy parking lot with AWD vs FWD/RWD is like night and day. I won't buy another non AWD/4WD car. Of course, it's obvious that if you live in a snowy area, you should get AWD and snow tires. There's no law against having both, you know?
Now law against both.
But IMHO AWD is not needed for winter snow and cold driving. Good snow tires, common sense and winter driving experience are.
FWIW, people were telling me that there was a big difference between an AWD Tesla and an RWD Tesla during that big snowstorm at Tahoe during the end of December. So while AWD won't help you stop, getting your car moving is kind of important too. Of course the snow eventually got so deep that only trucks with a huge amount of ground clearance could get through at all, but there was a time when AWD vehicles were able to drive around far more easily than RWD vehicles before the roads became impassable to anything that isn't an SUV or pickup with high ground clearance.
heavyD
Member
You can get by in the winter with RWD and winter tires as I have done it with cars like MR2 Turbo, Mustang GT, and M2 however there are situations where that setup is not great like hills and steep inclines. In NW Calgary we have some steep roads and in the winter it's common to see RWD BMW's, 2WD trucks and other RWD cars abandoned on the side of the road during snow/ice as even with winter tires they usually end up going sideways the moment they lose forward momentum having to slow down or stop for traffic ahead. When we had bad days I would just leave my RWD car home even with winter tires but in Calgary we only have one or two big snow dumps in the winter so it's not a big deal. Other cities and towns can be different as it depends on how much snow you get, effectiveness of local road plow and sanding crews, the type of commute, conditions of roads, streets, etc so it's hard to say what's best for you and it's a matter of your personal experience and how confident you are with your driving abilities with RWD in poor conditions. Just because some people can get by in winter climates with all-season tires on AWD or winter tires on RWD, that doesn't mean it's ideal for your locale or comfort level driving in poor conditions.
Sure, and if the model of vehicle you are buying only has an RWD option, I can understand wanting to get by. What I can't understand is buying a RWD version when AWD is available. If you live in a snowy area, go with AWD. And make sure you put dedicated snow tires on it too, of course.
They’re not the same price.
Sometimes people are lucky enough to be able to choose to simply NOT drive when the conditions are poor. That…is guaranteed to be safer than AWD with or without snow tires.
rpiotro
Active Member
Me. This. Stay home if you can.
My wife and I are both retired now. If it gets that bad we can just stay home. I thought I would see how the car would do before I committed to winter tires. I did have a set of Hakka's on my last car. But I was still working a little and sometimes needed to go places. Infinti Q50 Hybrid AWD. It went through everything with great confidence.
I had my first chance to drive my M3 SR+ in snow. It wasn't deep but the roads were covered and slippery. I thought the car did great considering. Just keep your distance and don't do anything stupid. I haven't yet decided whether to get winter tires . I'll see how the winter plays out.
I have been driving 54 winters now. I got the hang of this.
Well in the traditional car world, the RWD version is often otherwise a better car. Lighter, better suspension, available with a manual transmission, and so on. I've deliberately bought RWD versions of cars even having to drive in snow. Generally I've gotten by.
In the case of Tesla, the AWD cars are better cars regardless. So if money isn't the limiting factor, I'd definitely go AWD with Tesla.
@terranx Well the SR+ RWD was about 500 lbs lighter than LR/P AWD, with a more rearward weight distribution. That's significant! I never test drove an SR+ but I bet the difference could be felt easily. Heck, in the twisties I can feel the extra weight of an S P100D vs my S P85. I could see someone who's more into handling than crazy acceleration preferring the SR+ RWD over the LR AWD, especially if they live in a warm climate.
But that weight advantage is gone with the LFP RWD, and the acceleration deficit is even wider now. So for new purchases I completely agree, a dual motor 3 is just plain better now for anyone keen on performance. (LFP has its upsides, don't get me wrong, just depends on one's priorities.)
In the ICE car world my favorite sporty AWD cars were the ones where AWD was the priority, not RWD or FWD. Which basically meant Subaru, Audi, and the Evo. In the rest AWD generally seemed tacked on, usually part-time and focused more on minimizing the fuel economy impact than on fully maximizing traction.
Remember the AWD BMWs with the front driveshaft/takeoff going through the oil pan?
But that weight advantage is gone with the LFP RWD, and the acceleration deficit is even wider now. So for new purchases I completely agree, a dual motor 3 is just plain better now for anyone keen on performance. (LFP has its upsides, don't get me wrong, just depends on one's priorities.)
In the ICE car world my favorite sporty AWD cars were the ones where AWD was the priority, not RWD or FWD. Which basically meant Subaru, Audi, and the Evo. In the rest AWD generally seemed tacked on, usually part-time and focused more on minimizing the fuel economy impact than on fully maximizing traction.
Remember the AWD BMWs with the front driveshaft/takeoff going through the oil pan?
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While 0-60 in under 5.3 seconds is not “fast” it’s certainly still fast enough to enjoy. It’s fun to take on twistier drives…when there’s no snow and ice of course!
