Model 3 SR+ RWD owners. How do you survive GTA winter snow driving ?

[ZooSean]

Only if with lots snow and uphill, other wise it works just fine with my Aero stock winter rim and tire package. BTW, I have LR+RWD.

 

[murc585]

Hi there, I don’t live in the GTA but I can provide a little perspective from a slightly rougher winter climate (Montreal, Quebec).
I have a 2019 SR+ riding on 18” Aeros with Michelin X-Ice tires (stock size) and we also own a 2017 Civic hatchback on the same tires but 16” wheels.

This is my first winter although we’ve been hit with a few storms (both ice and snow) and I regularly drive up to Mont Tremblant on weekends through winding country roads.
I’ve owned FWD cars all my life although I’ve driven our family’s AWD Audis(A3, A4 Allroad, Q3) and Subarus (Imprezas) for ages as well.

Simply put, this is the most reassuring vehicle I have ever driven in the winter.
The traction control sophistication and reaction time just doesn’t compare to any other vehicle I’ve driven.
What tends to stress me out in the winter is driving late at night on an icy highway with high winds, a snow/ice storm and low visibility.
This car is a champion in these situations.
The low drag coefficient make the Model 3 cut through the wind therefore it does not get unstable in high winds and I would imagine having the weight down low also helps greatly in these stormy situations.
The wipers (their effectiveness, not the stupid AUTO setting) are the best I’ve used to date and the lights are simply incredible.
I’ve driven this thing on empty, icy country roads in the middle of the night and you can really push out the rear end and it just lets you have a little bit of fun without sliding too much. The traction control saves you in a very predictable manner and you can really feel it brake the inside front wheels to avoid understeer and keep the nose planted.

I have not felt more secure on a high speed road in the winter.
Where the SR+ does not shine is parking downtown Montreal after a big winter storm.
When the roads have not been properly cleared and there’s 8+ inches of snow on the ground it can tough to get out of a parking spot without clearing out the car’s path. I will not park into a snowy parking spot on the side of the road, the car doesn’t have the best ground clearance and I cannot just rely on the rear wheels to get me out of these situations.

Luckily, I don’t live downtown and rarely have to deal with this.
I’m not saying it’s not possible, just more difficult than a car like my Honda Civic.
The other scenario that’s not incredible with the SR+ is off-the-line traction when accelerating from a stop.
It doesn’t grab the road as well as let’s say an Audi from 0 km/h but this has never been a problem for me and I find myself still getting ahead of SUVs when a traffic light turns green, it’s just that I get a little wiggle from the rear (which is actually kind of fun).

If you have to park in deep snow and need to quickly get out every morning, my suggestion would be to get the AWD or wait for the Y, which will have better ground clearance.

For battery performance, just try to precondition the battery/cabin when you can.
For everything else, my SR+ has been the best winter car I’ve ever had. Hope this helps.

 

[ben1628]

Hi there, I don’t live in the GTA but I can provide a little perspective from a slightly rougher winter climate (Montreal, Quebec).
I have a 2019 SR+ riding on 18” Aeros with Michelin X-Ice tires (stock size) and we also own a 2017 Civic hatchback on the same tires but 16” wheels.

This is my first winter although we’ve been hit with a few storms (both ice and snow) and I regularly drive up to Mont Tremblant on weekends through winding country roads.
I’ve owned FWD cars all my life although I’ve driven our family’s AWD Audis(A3, A4 Allroad, Q3) and Subarus (Imprezas) for ages as well.

Simply put, this is the most reassuring vehicle I have ever driven in the winter.
The traction control sophistication and reaction time just doesn’t compare to any other vehicle I’ve driven.
What tends to stress me out in the winter is driving late at night on an icy highway with high winds, a snow/ice storm and low visibility.
This car is a champion in these situations.
The low drag coefficient make the Model 3 cut through the wind therefore it does not get unstable in high winds and I would imagine having the weight down low also helps greatly in these stormy situations.
The wipers (their effectiveness, not the stupid AUTO setting) are the best I’ve used to date and the lights are simply incredible.
I’ve driven this thing on empty, icy country roads in the middle of the night and you can really push out the rear end and it just lets you have a little bit of fun without sliding too much. The traction control saves you in a very predictable manner and you can really feel it brake the inside front wheels to avoid understeer and keep the nose planted.

I have not felt more secure on a high speed road in the winter.
Where the SR+ does not shine is parking downtown Montreal after a big winter storm.
When the roads have not been properly cleared and there’s 8+ inches of snow on the ground it can tough to get out of a parking spot without clearing out the car’s path. I will not park into a snowy parking spot on the side of the road, the car doesn’t have the best ground clearance and I cannot just rely on the rear wheels to get me out of these situations.

Luckily, I don’t live downtown and rarely have to deal with this.
I’m not saying it’s not possible, just more difficult than a car like my Honda Civic.
The other scenario that’s not incredible with the SR+ is off-the-line traction when accelerating from a stop.
It doesn’t grab the road as well as let’s say an Audi from 0 km/h but this has never been a problem for me and I find myself still getting ahead of SUVs when a traffic light turns green, it’s just that I get a little wiggle from the rear (which is actually kind of fun).

If you have to park in deep snow and need to quickly get out every morning, my suggestion would be to get the AWD or wait for the Y, which will have better ground clearance.

For battery performance, just try to precondition the battery/cabin when you can.
For everything else, my SR+ has been the best winter car I’ve ever had. Hope this helps.

Well said...

 

[mswlogo]

I got the Michelin X-Ice tires on aero rims, I tried chill for a bit and it’s definitely better if there’s lots of snow but for now I’ve switched back to standard as it’s more enjoyable and makes passing on the highway easier. Will likely switch back to chill when we get more snow.

Also heard many people recommend low regen but I don’t find that necessary as long as you feather the pedal and not just let go completely, and if you do the car’s traction control system takes care of that anyways and reduces regen if loss of traction is detected.

As for charging, I’ve been charging to 90% vs 80% in the summer. And always plugging in when possible.

So far it’s been great, no complaints at all. We’ll see what it’s like once we get the real snow!

Regen does not apply traction control. Traction control kicks in during acceleration. ABS only kicks in when using the brakes. Regen can cause rear wheels to skid, especially where the Regen braking is only happening in the rear. This is why Tesla recommends Regen set to low in slippery conditions.

 

[MrTzla]

Regen does not apply traction control. Traction control kicks in during acceleration. ABS only kicks in when using the brakes. Regen can cause rear wheels to skid, especially where the Regen braking is only happening in the rear. This is why Tesla recommends Regen set to low in slippery conditions.

You may be correct, but that’s not what I’ve experienced. I’ve tested it on snowy roads where I took my foot off the accelerator completely to see what would happen. Strong regen begins which does cause rear wheels to slip as you said, but right as that happens the car cuts the regen significantly...to me that’s a form of traction control. The car is controlling traction by automatically reducing regen when slipping is detected.