M3 Performance Plus thoughts @ 14k miles

[pscarroll]

P3D+ Performance Model 3 owner here (16,500 miles so far with 3.5 months of driving) living in Pennsylvania with drives to Colorado and snowy areas in the north. I have to agree about Tesla Service, they've got a long way to go on this front. As for the car in snow, it's been amazingly good. I researched before buying and bought a set of 19" Pirelli Sottozero III tires and had them placed on the car knowing well in advance that the awesome summer tires won't work during the cold months and are dangerous (I even carry chains for bad situations, plus other stuff like 10 gauge extension cords, power adapters, you gotta be prepared). The car has been a champ in the ice and snow, no worries while driving around in a performance vehicle, just driving along safely while watching everyone else slide around and fishtail while I'm booking along with no problems whatsoever. If you did the research before hand, we all know that electric vehicles (and lesser so ICE vehicles) perform poorly in regards to efficiency in cold weather, you just adjust, I've been driving around in sub-zero F weather and with just minimal planning and haven't had an issue (the free supercharging helps). I found that when I had an ICE vehicle, I never really paid attention to how much gasoline I was using in the cold or at other times, we're just hypersensitive to how much we use in our EV. I agree with the auto-wipers, they are not perfect but it's no big deal IMHO, I just hit the button myself. I'm extremely happy with my Performance Model 3 and would buy from Tesla again in the future, on balance the best vehicle I have ever owned.

 

[SammichLover]

I will admit though, as someone in SoCal who barely ever uses them...the autowipers do leave a lot to be desired. That said, it's really not a huge deal breaker IMO since none of my previous cars had auto wipers either

IMO the Model 3's poor auto-wipers situation is somewhat worse than typical because the manual setting are partially on the touch screen. You have the button to tap on the left stalk that'll give a quick swish-swish, and that also brings up the manual controls on screen. But it isn't easy to land the correct selection for extended wiping without a long glance, and the times you need to do that are usually times where the road is more demanding of your eyes and attention.

Of course how much an issue this is going to depend on climate of where you drive. If you rarely have anything that can't be easily handled with a left stalk button push, then it isn't the big of deal. Likewise if you are good at pulling a Helen Keller on the screen controls, which I've found I'm getting a lot better at, then it won't be too bad either. For those that don't fit into either of though groups this is a real safety issue.

BTW I've found that it is a lot easy to land the correct tap on the screen if you put your fingers on the back of the screen and use your thumb to press. It creates a lot of stability and control and with practice you can land the touch no-look if you can landmark with your fingers for the target you need.

 

[mswlogo]

I think most of what the OP is true accept the tires.

I thought carefully about tires and AWD and what I drive in. I got a P3D- because of it. I knew I’d get either Nokian or similar before I bought the car.

Also the range of RWD is much higher than spec so in the long run they should be pretty happy if the got Aeros. And I think most folks with 20” know what they were compromising on range.

Heat is a big hit. But it can be managed. And it’s a big hit on any EV.

I agree Tesla didn’t do their homework on Winter conditions. I think the charge port issue is a major failure on their part. Where it’s such a fundamental component of an EV car.

They are trying to make things right though.

Fundamentally I think the car is well built. The crash tests and the handling are amazing. And they are working on some of the other issues.

Luckily I have a garage. It would be tougher without one.

 

[pscarroll]

Yeah, I've avoided a lot of the cold weather issues with a garage at home. I've noticed a couple issues with the door handles, none with the charge port, pre-heating seems to take care of a lot of the issues and makes the cabin nice when you get in. They should have installed, or made it a cold weather option, to have heaters on various parts of the vehicle to deal with these issues. Perhaps they will add this in newer iterations?

 

[Uncle Paul]

OP has some good points, and most of them are being workied on by Tesla. They have a program of constant improvement and the Model 3 is still in it's first generation offering.

Don't think it is fair to blame the tires. OP bought the largest high performance Summer tires. Discovered the only way to make the car work best on snowy/icy conditions was to order a smaller wheel with a better aspect ratio. Same thing with a Shelby Mustang. Fantastic on a dry sunny warm day, but disaster with even an inch of snow.

The automatic windshield wipers were originally an OTA update to the Model S and X. It was provided at no charge to the entire fleet as a gift from Tesla. The first down load kinda worked, but was new technology in it's infancy. They have kept at it and it works much better than the first iteration. My last software update improved it even more, and I now find it acceptable. People that still find it lacking can easily just adjust their wipers manually. I know that other, much cheaper cars offer better working auto wipers, but this is Tesla's system and it may take a while to perfect it.

People sometimes focus only on the weak points of a specific Tesla and their specific needs. This often leads them to forget that Tesla is forging a new path that could lead to a far cleaner, quieter and better world for everyone. Kinda makes automated windshield wipers not all that important.

Like everyone, my Tesla has areas of weakness, but I tend not to ruin my day with constant focus on the to the point I miss the overall goodness.

 

[Uncle Paul]

PS. For other models, Tesla has come out with cold weather packages for the S and X. They include seat heaters, mirror heaters, steering wheel heaters and stuff like that. Imagine they will also come with cold weather packages for the Model 3 in the future.

People need to take the first edition of the Model 3 just as that. It is Tesla's first offering in the smaller 4 door, more affordable vehicle. Might need to give them just a little slack until they can further refine their offering.

 

[run-the-joules]

The automatic windshield wipers were originally an OTA update to the Model S and X. It was provided at no charge to the entire fleet as a gift from Tesla.

Er… the automatic wipers were in the published specs of the car when they switched to AP2 without the hardware rain sensor, and the feature didn't appear until substantially later. Not exactly a gift, as much as a contractual obligation.

People sometimes focus only on the weak points of a specific Tesla and their specific needs. This often leads them to forget that Tesla is forging a new path that could lead to a far cleaner, quieter and better world for everyone. Kinda makes automated windshield wipers not all that important.

That's pretty subjective. I can't speak for the original poster, but I'm not trying to improve the world, I'm trying to improve my life. If a feature on my car doesn't work right, I'm not going to give the company a pass because they're on some holy crusade to save future generations long after I'm dead. Fortunately, the main feature I bought the car for, Autopilot, was good enough to justify the purchase when I got it, and has improved since then, so I have little to be upset about.

 

[gilscales]

@spinbackwards AllI can say is it makes OneHellava SoCal vehicle, having never lived in a cold climate that's all I got.

 

[DrDabbles]

Imagine they will also come with cold weather packages for the Model 3 in the future.

The only cold weather package features that the Model 3 doesn't have in the premium package is the heated wiper parking spot, and the heated steering wheel. It already has heated mirrors and heated seats. The Model 3 isn't nearly as bad as some people would have you believe in the cold climates.

Here in the north east, we get lots of ice from freezing rain and from warm days causing melt bu nights in the 10-20F range. Life here means if moisture gets into your door seals, your doors are going to freeze shut. If ice melts on your windows, they're going to freeze to the bottom gasket. If you don't clear your handles off, they're going to freeze solid. That's just living in winter conditions where days are sunny and precipitations happens frequently.

For what it's worth, the feature we need most is the wiper defroster and automatic wipers that aren't based on the cameras. The wiper blades themselves aren't great at all, but they're better than many factory wipers. That's a sad statement to make about what manufacturers sell for wipers, but once the market offers some good silicone blades, this won't be a problem we'll have to deal with anymore.

 

[TeeEmCee]

Howdy,

I’m not posting here any longer.

I wanted to share one last post.

We have 14k miles on ours. I’m not sure we’ll buy another Tesla. We’ll see. Quite frankly if Audi caught up I’d look real hard at buying from them given our experience.

I’m still really sore about having to buy 18” wheels and new snow tires just to feel safe. My car with 20” wheels and snow tires just isn’t acceptable up here. And if anyone doesn't believe me, I'll put the wheels and tires back on and prove it. Good news is now that I have 18’s with Nokians, the car feels good.

Tesla makes blanket statements about its AWD that just aren’t true. The videos you see on the Internet, Tesla's in the snow, are about as useful as making a decision based on a snapshot in time. Who cares what a car does in a snowy field with no one around, or in the snow when there's not a car in the other lane on the highway going 60 when it's big time winter? Not me. No one else should, either. These videos are misleading.

The wipers not working is also a sore spot. It’s an expensive car. The Auto Wipers just don’t work. It pisses me off. And it’s dangerous, having to fiddle with the wipers in the snow.

AP up here is so-so. It’s fine as long as you’re not going around a bend with a car next to you. I don’t know. Maybe here in the mountains lane lines are narrower? I think Tesla also makes claims here as well, that are a stretch.

I think Tesla isn't doing anyone any good advertising that their cars get 310 miles range. It's misleading.

TACC works good. But new Subarus come with this same tech.

Last night at Copper Mountain was my first experience with the car handles being stuck. Luckily, not stuck to the point where the door wouldn't open. What were they thinking?

There's other things with the car that clearly show Tesla didn't do their homework, didn't spend near enough time testing in real world winter conditions.

All my issues being the case, I knew I was taking a chance. But I expected better. Still, I'm not selling the car. But I'm not sure I'd buy another Tesla.

Someone from here contacted me about buying a RWD 3. They said they plan on keeping their ICE AWD for snowy days. Here’s what I wrote to them.

Howdy,
There's a rumor Tesla is discontinuing the RWD version. So I'd be careful.

If you have a backup AWD, fine. But why not go for the AWD? I know it's more.

So are you fluent with EV's?

Do you get that the advertised range really isn't?

First, you never use 100% of the battery. So plan your range on using 80% of the battery. For the RWD, the real range (using 80%) is 211. Then discount it a little once the battery loses capacity. The battery will lose 5% of its capacity in the first year. Now your range is more like 200.

Then factor in cold weather, wind, and road conditions. In the cold (less than 35 degrees) battery range takes a hit. For example yesterday I drove back and forth to Copper Mountain. 112 miles total. I used 189 rated miles due to the cold and snowy roads. So I was using 1.7 rated miles for each mile I drove.

Same thing with wet roads and wind.

You should also know that Tesla just acquired a battery company, here's the link:
Tesla acquires ultracapacitor and battery manufacturer for over $200 million

What this means is that the battery storage and performance will surely increase -- soon. Probably not in the 019 model year, but for sure in the 020 model year. So you may want to wait.

There's also some other gotchas you should be aware of. If your car ever needs body work, it could take a few months. I have a small dent that needs to be fixed. I started looking for repairs in January. The soonest I could get in was late March. Some shops were booked until June. The reason why is Tesla's are hard for a body shop to work on.

Tesla's service is getting better. But it's been painfully bad. My experience has been just so-so with them. Calling them is getting better. It used to be a waste of time.

Some of the tech just doesn't work right. For example the Auto Wipers just don't work. Surely that'll be fixed with a software update one of these days. But it sure is frustrating.

We bought ours because we care about the environment. And, we needed a new car. I wasn't going to buy another ICE car. Would I buy another one? An EV, yes. But maybe not from Tesla. We'll see. While they do some things great, there's a lot not to like about them.

For example we bought the Performance+ version. The car is simply not safe with the stock 20" wheels and snow tires. I had to buy 18" wheels and new snow tires. It pissed me off. But now the car goes good in the snow.

Also. Where do you live? Can you charge at home? If not, then don't buy one.

Good news is that charging at home works out to being way less than gas. Last night I went 112 miles in the cold and snow. I used 30 kWh, which is worse case. That's less than $3 bucks in electricity. The same trip would have cost me at least $10 in gas.

Anything else I can help with let me know.

Peace and love,

Right behind you with that e-Tron!

It will be a bit weird to get re-adjusted to dealing with a car with doors that close properly and features that work, as well as with a company that sells an actually-finished car, supported by a competent service network.

You might even get the chance to talk to other owners and not get the feeling they’d lynch you for apostasy.

Cheers, mate!

 

[spinbackwards]

This place is like a disease I can't get rid of.

My name is Paul Kulas. I live in Eagle, CO. What's your name? Where do you live?

For those who simply can't accept what I've wrote, let's do this. Send Tesla over. Watch opensnow.com to know when a storm is coming.

I'll put the tires back on. We'll go for a drive on I-70, back and forth over Vail Pass. Or, put a fund together and y'all come on over. Get your video out.

What to see? The car doesn't hold the road near as well as other cars -- witness them going by me. What else? The Auto on wipers don't work. If it's coming down, you'll see the wipers freeze.

Some here, want to make me out to be wrong -- "I didn't do my homework", "how could you live where I do and be this stupid"?

I posted images of Tesla's marketing. Eh, I believed what they said.

And what part of "I put 18's on and now it's better" didn't you all get? My complaint is I had to spend money to make the car right. Because, Tesla wrote in their marketing that their AWD is the best. Best, to me, means better than Audi. Now you guys want to argue about English?

Someone wrote, "you've never had door handles freeze"? Put it this way. I've done more LSD than I can remember. Maybe, there was a time when door handles froze. But I can't remember it. I've had my Audi's in epic snow. Same with our HIPEVAN. Never had frozen door handles. So would it make you happy if I said, "Not in the last 25 years"??

The reason why I'm outta here is this is the state of the Internet now. Someone posts their experience, and then strangers come out from shadows to tell OP their experience isn't true. The Group Think mentality is so on display here. The Internet is so, not much good now. And this is just a watered down version of social media, which is a social disease.

If you wanna fight, show up to my door. Bring your cameras. And bring Elon.

Otherwise, go pee on yourself.

Jeezus.

Peace and love,

 

[voip-ninja]

OP has some good points, and most of them are being workied on by Tesla. They have a program of constant improvement and the Model 3 is still in it's first generation offering.

Don't think it is fair to blame the tires. OP bought the largest high performance Summer tires. Discovered the only way to make the car work best on snowy/icy conditions was to order a smaller wheel with a better aspect ratio. Same thing with a Shelby Mustang. Fantastic on a dry sunny warm day, but disaster with even an inch of snow.

The automatic windshield wipers were originally an OTA update to the Model S and X. It was provided at no charge to the entire fleet as a gift from Tesla. The first down load kinda worked, but was new technology in it's infancy. They have kept at it and it works much better than the first iteration. My last software update improved it even more, and I now find it acceptable. People that still find it lacking can easily just adjust their wipers manually. I know that other, much cheaper cars offer better working auto wipers, but this is Tesla's system and it may take a while to perfect it.

People sometimes focus only on the weak points of a specific Tesla and their specific needs. This often leads them to forget that Tesla is forging a new path that could lead to a far cleaner, quieter and better world for everyone. Kinda makes automated windshield wipers not all that important.

Like everyone, my Tesla has areas of weakness, but I tend not to ruin my day with constant focus on the to the point I miss the overall goodness.

The OP bought winter tires for his 20" rims.... just like what Tesla themselves offer. If Tesla doesn't feel that 20" rims with snow tires are suitable then they shouldn't offer them as a package for $4,000 on their website.

Tesla offers the Sotozero II which is an above average performance snow tire. It is not an all out snow tire. OP found this out the hard way when he was driving in mountain winter conditions and the Sotos or Michelin X-ICE he was running could not keep up.

On the other hand, this guy tracked down some high performance tires developed for Porsche and only offered in the Canadian market and he seems absolutely thrilled with how well they do on the 20" rims in winter mountain conditions.

 

[DrDabbles]

Best, to me, means better than Audi. Now you guys want to argue about English?

It's the same system Audi uses in most of their cars. The AWD system is a separate question than what is your interface to the surface you're driving on. You didn't seem to be able to decouple the two in your first thread, and you don't seem to be able to decouple the two now. That's what I found frustrating.

Someone wrote, "you've never had door handles freeze"?

Hello. That was me.

Put it this way. I've done more LSD than I can remember.

It shows, if I'm being honest.

Maybe, there was a time when door handles froze.

Winter is what we call that time.

But I can't remember it.

Could be related to the frequent chemical journeys you've been on.

I've had my Audi's in epic snow. Same with our HIPEVAN. Never had frozen door handles. So would it make you happy if I said, "Not in the last 25 years"??

Here's some examples of vehicles with frozen doors/handles.

Here's a guy talking about his Audi having frozen locks.

Here's a VW forum thread about frozen locks.
VWVortex.com - Frozen Door Lock!!

Now, you can blame Tesla for not designing the perfect freeze-proof vehicle, and you can blame Tesla for choosing to use recessed handles for efficiency. Whatever. But the fact of the matter is that every vehicle has seals around the door to keep water from getting into the cabin. That means they expect water to be in those areas. If water is in those areas and it gets frozen, then your door will be frozen shut. Tesla doesn't control what temperature water freezes at, no matter how much their fans would want to believe they could.

In your other thread, you got more than enough suggestions about how to prevent ice from sticking to gaskets so your doors wouldn't be stuck. You got a bunch of tips about spraying the hinge mechanism of the door handles to prevent water from collecting and freezing there. Whether you've taken any of that advice or not, who knows. But these were tips given to you by those of us that have experienced a lifetime of doors, windows, handles, and locks freezing.

I sincerely hope you trade your Tesla in for an Audi EV when those become available, and I sincerely hope you post here about your experience. Especially with their fancy charge door that totally won't get stuck because ice formed on the body. Tesla has plenty of shortcomings, and I can point to a dozen you and I would agree about. But the ones you're most agitated about are problems you're going to have with every car.

 

[SammichLover]

If Tesla doesn't feel that 20" rims with snow tires are suitable then they shouldn't offer them as a package for $4,000 on their website.

There's winter and then there is Deep In The Rockies Winter. These are entirely different matters, which anyone with some experience driving there much less living there should know. What is quite passable for use in a lot of the US for winter isn't going to be what you want on those roads. You need to bone up on your tire capabilities when you are equipping for Western CO.

I like spinbackwards but he's way out in the weeds here as far as I can see.

 

[voip-ninja]

There's winter and then there is Deep In The Rockies Winter. These are entirely different matters, which anyone with some experience driving there much less living there should know. What is quite passable for use in a lot of the US for winter isn't going to be what you want on those roads. You need to bone up on your tire capabilities when you are equipping for Western CO.

I like spinbackwards but he's way out in the weeds here as far as I can see.

I've been living in Colorado for over 25 years. I believe that the Engineering Explained guy also lives here.

 

[mswlogo]

This place is like a disease I can't get rid of.

My name is Paul Kulas. I live in Eagle, CO. What's your name? Where do you live?

For those who simply can't accept what I've wrote, let's do this. Send Tesla over. Watch opensnow.com to know when a storm is coming.

I'll put the tires back on. We'll go for a drive on I-70, back and forth over Vail Pass. Or, put a fund together and y'all come on over. Get your video out.

What to see? The car doesn't hold the road near as well as other cars -- witness them going by me. What else? The Auto on wipers don't work. If it's coming down, you'll see the wipers freeze.

Some here, want to make me out to be wrong -- "I didn't do my homework", "how could you live where I do and be this stupid"?

I posted images of Tesla's marketing. Eh, I believed what they said.

And what part of "I put 18's on and now it's better" didn't you all get? My complaint is I had to spend money to make the car right. Because, Tesla wrote in their marketing that their AWD is the best. Best, to me, means better than Audi. Now you guys want to argue about English?

Someone wrote, "you've never had door handles freeze"? Put it this way. I've done more LSD than I can remember. Maybe, there was a time when door handles froze. But I can't remember it. I've had my Audi's in epic snow. Same with our HIPEVAN. Never had frozen door handles. So would it make you happy if I said, "Not in the last 25 years"??

The reason why I'm outta here is this is the state of the Internet now. Someone posts their experience, and then strangers come out from shadows to tell OP their experience isn't true. The Group Think mentality is so on display here. The Internet is so, not much good now. And this is just a watered down version of social media, which is a social disease.

If you wanna fight, show up to my door. Bring your cameras. And bring Elon.

Otherwise, go pee on yourself.

Jeezus.

Peace and love,

I don't think folks are disagreeing with you on the difference in tires.
They are saying, you should have known that difference and it has nothing to do with Tesla !!
Other than many wish Tesla offered more Snow Tire/Rim options on both the non Pup and Pup.
They don't, but you can shop elsewhere as you did.

You also bought the "Sporty, Summer Equipped" version of the car (you know the one with the cool brakes made for the TRACK).
Some of us had more common sense in snow country of which trim to buy knowing the conditions we will drive in

I assume you have the OEM Sottozero tires on the 20" and Nokian on the non OEM 18" rim.

Now that's not even a fair contest in Ice and Snow

But the SottoZero will run circles around the Nokian in non Snow/Ice handling. That is the trade-off YOU MADE.

Some folks can't live without Nokian Hakka 9 with studs. They know what they want and expect out of a tire for their driving needs. You've been around, as most of us have that can afford a Tesla to know better.

Tesla's AWD is fine. Tires are 95% of it on any car.

 

[SammichLover]

I've been living in Colorado for over 25 years. I believe that the Engineering Explained guy also lives here.

Right, and you didn't grok that Tesla's stock offering for the P wasn't targeted at CO? Same as Jason, who I believe is in Utah but same difference.

Tesla is a car company, not a full service tire supplier. I don't go to them for my track tires, for example.

 

[spinbackwards]

I'm an addict, I admit it.

1. I bought snow tires, not the X-Ice. I bought the Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4. I've had those same tires before, on my Audi's. They are, snow tires. At the time, they were the only 20" snow tire available. It was that tire or nothing. Tesla didn't know that? C'mon.

2. Everyone thinks I'm unhappy. Where do you get that? Frustrated? Yes. A little pissed? Yes. But read what I wrote. I wrote, that I wasn't selling the car. I've written how much we support Tesla's vision of saving the planet. I knew it was early for the car, hence issues. I've posited the car is beta. That's a blanket statement, yes. Guilty as charged. But for me, where I live, saying the car is beta isn't a stretch.

3. I admitted I shouldn't have believed their marketing, when I bought a car with 20" tires for up here. That I should have known better. But we really wanted a Tesla. So I rolled the dice.

4. I never said I wanted an Audi. I said, that I'm not sure I'd buy another Tesla. True that. If things don't get better yes I'll look at an Audi EV. Not now, their range isn't there yet. When their range is Tesla range, yes. Which is exactly what Elon wants. Elon welcomes competition. Yet some here have said, "If you don't like the car, screw you and your girly tights". What's up with that?

5. The wipers. They just don't work up here. I don't understand how anyone could defend Tesla for this. And are you really going to claim that it's safe to fiddle with the wipers when going down the road in a white out? C'mon, man.

Some here have basically said expectations are too high if the wipers don't work and I'm wrong for writing that the wipers don't work up here. Really? It's a $75k car. Expecting the wipers to work is asking too much??

6. I have never once wrote, "the car sucks". Or, implied that the car sucks where you live. All I've ever done, is write that the car has some...issues for "where-I-live". Then, people come along and say, "Well. It works great where I live, you must have had a relapse back into your drug days". Makes me think they're on drugs. Good for them, btw. Peace and love.

7. Freezing handles - more. It's a $75k car. The handles freeze? Say what? I've had $500 VW's that the handles didn't freeze. Not one car I've owned in the past 25 years has had frozen handles. We've been here forever. Why are people letting Tesla off the mat for this?

Okay, I wear women's tights and I used to do a lot of drugs. I'll figure it out if the door handles freeze. It's my wife and son I worry about. What if they were somewhere, it's super cold and they can't get in the car? My son has a difference. He could flip out. That's, what bothers me. It should bother Elon too.

Some here have written that it's asking too much to expect to be able to get in the car at times. That it should be expected, to have to do some hacks every now and then - apply aftermarket this and that, get the garlic out, etc. Maybe that works for them. But to pay this much for a car and then have to worry that the door might not open in certain situations? C'mon. This one blows my mind as well.

8. The video on this page. There's no other cars around, in the lane next to him. Some of the snow looks like hero snow. The guy had to track down some kind of special tires to make this happen. Car owners shouldn't have to do that. One video does not tell the story. Wait. It's today. It does. That sucks.

8a. Switch the tires for snow tires, yes. Of course. But switch the wheels too? Nah man, that's wrong. Unless, Tesla advertises that different wheels are necessary -- which they don't.

9. And can you all please quit trying to back me into a corner saying my experience applies to yours? Read what I wrote. All I've done, is written about my experience. Of course, the car is great for others. And your experience in NH, Canada, or wherever isn't mine. I've written about mine. Separately, I've noted that the reps in Denver service center have heard from other owners saying the same thing. But I haven't used that to back up my experience - that'd be nuts. Nothing some rep in Denver says changes my experience.

10. The way I see it, through my psychedelic glasses, is I'm helping Tesla. Because I'm writing about what happens when I drive the car up here. That's a good thing. Yah. I'm sure the next version of the car will be better. Duh. Let's hope so. Because for up here, this one needs some refinements.

Peace and love!
Peace and love!!!

 

[DdotRoq]

It's the same system Audi uses in most of their cars. The AWD system is a separate question than what is your interface to the surface you're driving on. You didn't seem to be able to decouple the two in your first thread, and you don't seem to be able to decouple the two now. That's what I found frustrating.



Hello. That was me.



It shows, if I'm being honest.



Winter is what we call that time.



Could be related to the frequent chemical journeys you've been on.
.

This thread seems like a joke. I feel like I lost a few brain cells just reading these responses.

This response is fairly on point. OP, I've read some of your posts and it's safe to say, a Tesla isn't for everyone. Maybe you'll be better off in an Audi... Your expectations are farfetched. I don't agree with the majority of what you've written, in this thread, in your prior threads or responses to other threads. Every response is so left field.

 

[mswlogo]

I'm an addict, I admit it.

1. I bought snow tires, not the X-Ice. I bought the Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4. I've had those same tires before, on my Audi's. They are, snow tires. At the time, they were the only 20" snow tire available. It was that tire or nothing. Tesla didn't know that? C'mon.

I'm surprised there is that much difference in the PA4 20" and the 18" Nokian (R3 I assume). Not disputing what you've observed.
That was a good choice for the 20".

I always go for the tallest side wall for winter snows. Not sure how much that factors in here. Maybe a little give is good and the short side wall loses it's grip with even minor turns because it's "jerked" sideways more aggressively on a lower profile tire (not good in slippery conditions).

If AWD was weak (compared to Audi) as you claim, I don't think switching to Nokian is compensating for a weak AWD system.

If someone says already they are not sure they will ever buy another Tesla, that sort of means they aren't that happy.