LR RWD vs LR AWD Revisted - Range vs Winter Performance

[ggnykk]

I’ve never driven the RWD but the AWD definitely understeers when pushed. I bet the performance is tuned better but I feel like the AWD puts too much power to the front wheels. Also the RWD being 300lbs lighter should help as well.

Upgrading your tire to a summer performance tire will dramatically improve the understeer that you are talking about.

 

[ggnykk]

I understand your dilemma. I bought my car before the D variants became available. I was hoping that the D would magically have more range and more traction a la model S. I was planning on waiting on this magical AWD version, but my hand was forced when Ontario looked like it was cancelling its rebate program imminently. Was AWD worth ~20k more to me? Absolutely not. Was I holding out for the range or traction boost? More the range than the traction. Driven 2wd cars my whole life and did just fine. We get quite a bit of snow, and never had any issues even on windy and steep roads in the RWD 3. Only place I cursed my RWD was my driveway about 2x this winter: coming home to an un plowed driveway (which I’m discovering is a bit on the steep side) was a pain, ESPECIALLY if there was some freezing rain on top or underneath the snow. A sprinkle of salt and a bit of shovelling and problem is solved. Would AWD solve this issue? Probably. But I’ll still have to clean the driveway 5 min later with the car inside instead of outside the garage. Am I happy about the extra range? Absolutely. Do I crave the extra punch that the D variant offers? I’m not sure. As others have mentioned, the RWD is plenty fast, and I don’t think I’ve come across a car I couldn’t out accelerate yet (came close once, but I still won ). Haven’t driven an AWD 3, so don’t know what I’m missing. But in the end if I could have done it all over again, I think I’d still end up with the LR RWD. Range was my primary driving force. Extra traction is a nice safety blanket. More punch is fun (but there’s already no competition on the road). Years down the line, as the battery degrades, I’ll have more range and more efficiency than the alternatives, so I’ll likely keep it longer without complaining. Just my 2cents

Your RWD model 3 has winter tire?

 

[Daniel in SD]

Upgrading your tire to a summer performance tire will dramatically improve the understeer that you are talking about.

I have Pilot Sport 4S tires and it still handles like an AWD car. It’s way better than my Subaru was but I still prefer the steering feel of RWD. I’m curious if the performance is more rear biased.

 

[Jedi2155]

I made this several months back when I had a AWD on order and switched to RWD.

If I was to rebuy a car today I'd seriously consider a RWD LR instead of my P3D+. Don't get me wrong I live my car but the price delta I paid back then versus the price today is close to $30k difference. I ended spending another 4k on paint protection and $5k on repairs due to my own issues so ended up being almost a $100k car lol.

That being said, Model 3 bar none is the best choice on the market today IMO. Thr main reason I'd go with the RWD is pocket book reasons and efficiency reasons.

For all intents and purposes if the slightly less range of AWD is doable go that route. The tire wear issue on the RWD is real from all the reports I've seen while AWD is much less of an issue.

 

[ggnykk]

I have Pilot Sport 4S tires and it still handles like an AWD car. It’s way better than my Subaru was but I still prefer the steering feel of RWD. I’m curious if the performance is more rear biased.

watch this. If you already has performance tire, you need a "square" tire setup to help with understeer. Meaning the front tire has to be wider to match the rear tire size.

 

[daschtick]

Excellent feedback from everyone - I especially appreciate the comments from those that have owned both versions! For my needs, it certainly sound like the RWD version would be all I really need. Being that I am more concerned about cold weather performance and efficiency, I think that I would better appreciate the slightly better range of the RWD also. And yes, I plan to stick with the 18" wheels also, as I prefer the taller sidewall for our lousy roads for both ride comfort and wheel/tire durability.

 

[Daniel in SD]

watch this. If you already has performance tire, you need a "square" tire setup to help with understeer. Meaning the front tire has to be wider to match the rear tire size.

Haha. Yeah staggered setups are dumb, I’ve got 265/40R18 square. That video is of P3D with track mode on, I’m sure it’s tuned a lot differently! Makes me wonder what time Randy Pobst could get in a well setup RWD Model 3. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was faster than a stock P.

 

[tkline]

I have also been having trouble deciding between LR and AWD, but I am leaning toward just LR now mostly for the slightly extra range. Here in Philly we get a fair amount of snow sometimes, but even with my current SUV I rarely drive to work in it unless the roads are clear anyway. And my M3 will be my daily driver, fiance works from home and we will keep her SUV if we really needed AWD and had to go out in a storm or something, she has us covered. So I think I'll get more out of the regular long range version since there's really only ever gonna be snow on the roads for me like 6 days out of the year

 

[Runebane]

I am very interested in a Model 3, but I keep waffling back and forth between RWD and AWD. They both offer very distinct advantages, and although I have seen some folks wish to upgrade to AWD, I haven't seen anyone wishing they would have chosen RWD.

As I see it, here are the advantages of RWD:

• Longer Range, 325 versus 310 (advertised)
• Greater overall efficiency
• Lighter steering, more nimble feel
• An immediate $4200 savings ($4k+tax)

And here are the advantages of AWD:

• 1/2 second faster to 60 mph
• Greater acceleration, especially at high speeds
• Improved traction for starting in wet or snow

I live in snow and cold country (Wisconsin), so I would be running dedicated snow wheels/tires on either car during the winter. That said, I am not worried about getting stuck with a RWD, as I have driven primarily 2WD cars without issue over my last 35 years of driving. But, being new to EVs, I fully admit to having some range anxiety, and am slightly worried about range in the winter, making it a bit difficult to justify paying over $4k for less range, even if it is only about 5% less.

So other than the differences I have noted above, are there any other reasons why I should pick one drivetrain over the other? I keep telling myself that the RWD is fine for my needs, and honestly, I was really impressed with the overall traction during a recent drive of a MR RWD in the rain. However, I am really curious about the AWD, and I wonder if I would ultimately prefer it. I am planning a comparison test drive of the RWD vs AWD in the sprig. Is there anything else I should be observant of during these drives?

Thanks for your feedback in advance!

I would say it really depends on your daily commute. Do you live in an area or commute to an area that when it snows a lot requires chains or AWD? Do you make frequent road trips during the winter/cold times? The shorter the commute the less range you really need, even in the winter though you'll feel winter's effect on your range more for short trips. But for long trips, if you charge before you go so that the battery is warm, you won't have as much issue with the range in winter as the battery will already be warmed up when you leave.

 

[ChrisH]

The only other thing that the AWD has that hasn’t been mentioned is a second motor. Less likely to get stranded if the RWD motor fails. But hopefully those of us who went RWD never have to deal with that issue anyway. Is the $4200 worth the little bit of extra “insurance?”

Sorry that someone felt like disagreeing with something Elon said about the dual motor that I was just relaying to the OP. Keep on doing you dude. Lol

 

[Jedi2155]

Sorry that someone felt like disagreeing with something Elon said about the dual motor that I was just relaying to the OP. Keep on doing you dude. Lol

I have heard from a few people who HAVE had a motor fail in the dual motor configuration, that yes, the vehicle will still drive with 1 motor (but not sure if its speed and/or power limited). It sounds rare but it does happen surprisingly.

 

[lampcord]

I'm in the same boat. RWD vs. AWD in Minnesota. My last two vehicles have been AWD (Wrangler and CX-5) and this February I vowed I would never buy anything else as we were absolutely brutalized by snow and I often had to drive out in blizzard conditions 3 times at night to pick up wife and 2 sons from various places. But I've also driven a lot of RWD with snow tires in pretty bad conditions and survived and yeah, $4k is a lot for .5 seconds and 15 less miles of range.

My question for RWD people who swap out winters is this:
1) How much did you pay for winter tires + rims? I show $1440 at tirerack with TPMs installed and balanced. Is that a reasonable deal?
2) Can you fit a full set of wheels in your car? I can get these swapped in 15 minutes for $40 right down the road from where I live so being able to do it in 1 trip is nice.

 

[spurs10]

I had same dilemma when deciding between AWD and RWD.
It comes down to total cost, I wanted autopilot as well, so if i add AWD and autopilot, it's too much for me, and i might get a used model S instead.
After owning RWD w/ autopilot i do think about what's like to own a AWD BUT i know if I went w/ AWD, i will have the same thought of what's like to have autopilot

 

[daschtick]

Imma going to stop your right there and disagree. Unless by "nimble" you mean "less aggressive and direct about heading off in the direction that the driver wants it to go", which is a weird thing for "nimble" to be.

By nimble, I mean 270 pounds less weight over the front axle, thereby reducing the amount of mass opposing a change in direction. Like taking a line backer out of your frunk nimble.

 

[robski]

IMO having AWD for a full winter season is more beneficial than occasionally needing the extra range.

 

[Swampgator]

AWD is faster than 0.5 seconds to 60. I don't care what Tesla says.

 

[mrau]

By nimble, I mean 270 pounds less weight over the front axle, thereby reducing the amount of mass opposing a change in direction. Like taking a line backer out of your frunk nimble.

I would say more like a running back in the frunk. That 270 pound motor is running hard helping to pull you in the direction you want to go.

If you live in a four season climate with snowy winters, go for the AWD if you can. It is better in all road conditions. The range is a bit less just like an ICE car with AWD. If you routinely drive less than 150 miles a day and can charge up at home, I think the range difference won't really matter. The reason Tesla makes AWD is for snowy climates, better traction and peace of mind.....not just for the speed.

Disclaimer: This is a bias opinion since I already choose AWD for me. What ever you choose will be the right choice for you.

 

[zhu-]

Imma going to stop your right there and disagree. Unless by "nimble" you mean "less aggressive and direct about heading off in the direction that the driver wants it to go", which is a weird thing for "nimble" to be.

Have you driven a RWD? It is very noticeably more fun and nimble around corners vs dual motor models. Of course you can't pull the same Gs but in regular everyday driving it's pretty fantastic.

 

[ngogas]

You live in snow area get awd. Plus increase now 0-60 in about 4.2 seconds with new software. I have driven both and I can tell you, awd is faster. There is a reason why it is more expensive.

 

[ggnykk]

I have also been having trouble deciding between LR and AWD, but I am leaning toward just LR now mostly for the slightly extra range. Here in Philly we get a fair amount of snow sometimes, but even with my current SUV I rarely drive to work in it unless the roads are clear anyway. And my M3 will be my daily driver, fiance works from home and we will keep her SUV if we really needed AWD and had to go out in a storm or something, she has us covered. So I think I'll get more out of the regular long range version since there's really only ever gonna be snow on the roads for me like 6 days out of the year

the key to traction in winter driving is NOT about AWD vs RWD. It is whether your car is equipped with winter tire/ snow tire. RWD drive car with a good set of winter tire will always beat any AWD car with 4 season tire.