Hello!
I recently got my dual motor model 3 with the factory 19" wheels (and BLUE, not like it's relevant for this post...).
I live in Minnesota and plan on getting snow tires - the only question is how to go about doing it. The three broad options I'm considering are:
-Use the 19" wheels and just replace the tires every season. This is the cheapest option up front, but will potentially cost more over the long run, and potentially damage the wheels as well with repeated mounting of tires.
-Purchase a new set of wheels and tires for winter driving
-Purchase 19" tires for the existing wheels this winter, and then next summer purchase new 19" wheels to be used in summer (so I'd have a full separate set for summer / winter, starting next summer).
The variables I'm concerned about:
-I have an attached garage, but it's not insulated at all and there are gaps everywhere, so its barely warmer in the garage vs outside. This past winter with all of the snow and polar vortex the snow that built up in my wheels never melted, and my car literally shook for about a month straight because I couldn't get it out (this was in my old car, btw). So the Tesla dealer said the 18" aero wheels are great at keeping snow out, but I worry snow will always find a way in (especially if it snows 12" while at work), and if it does I wouldn't be able to scrape it out at all with those caps on.
-Are there any big functional considerations for 18" vs 19" for snow? In terms of handling, braking, driving through deep snow, etc.
-The difference between option 2 and 3 is buying a new set of wheels for winter vs a new set for summer. The reason I'd use the current ones for winter is they are an open design (see concern above), and they are light colored, which I feel won't look as horrible with salt and snow built up on them. For the summer tires I may still get something light colored, but I may also be a little bit more cliche at go black, or maybe chrome, or maybe (the other benefit of this route is I'd have almost a full year to agonize over which new wheels to get, and to re-build up my cash stockpile to pay for them....).
-For the snow tires themselves I've always wanted Nokian tire so looking at this sizes available and non-studded it would be the Nokian Hakka R3 235/40r19 as my only option I think. Any reason not to go with those?
I recently got my dual motor model 3 with the factory 19" wheels (and BLUE, not like it's relevant for this post...).
I live in Minnesota and plan on getting snow tires - the only question is how to go about doing it. The three broad options I'm considering are:
-Use the 19" wheels and just replace the tires every season. This is the cheapest option up front, but will potentially cost more over the long run, and potentially damage the wheels as well with repeated mounting of tires.
-Purchase a new set of wheels and tires for winter driving
-Purchase 19" tires for the existing wheels this winter, and then next summer purchase new 19" wheels to be used in summer (so I'd have a full separate set for summer / winter, starting next summer).
The variables I'm concerned about:
-I have an attached garage, but it's not insulated at all and there are gaps everywhere, so its barely warmer in the garage vs outside. This past winter with all of the snow and polar vortex the snow that built up in my wheels never melted, and my car literally shook for about a month straight because I couldn't get it out (this was in my old car, btw). So the Tesla dealer said the 18" aero wheels are great at keeping snow out, but I worry snow will always find a way in (especially if it snows 12" while at work), and if it does I wouldn't be able to scrape it out at all with those caps on.
-Are there any big functional considerations for 18" vs 19" for snow? In terms of handling, braking, driving through deep snow, etc.
-The difference between option 2 and 3 is buying a new set of wheels for winter vs a new set for summer. The reason I'd use the current ones for winter is they are an open design (see concern above), and they are light colored, which I feel won't look as horrible with salt and snow built up on them. For the summer tires I may still get something light colored, but I may also be a little bit more cliche at go black, or maybe chrome, or maybe (the other benefit of this route is I'd have almost a full year to agonize over which new wheels to get, and to re-build up my cash stockpile to pay for them....).
-For the snow tires themselves I've always wanted Nokian tire so looking at this sizes available and non-studded it would be the Nokian Hakka R3 235/40r19 as my only option I think. Any reason not to go with those?
