Newbie winter tire question

[torch0395]

Don’t know much about tires at all, M3 AWD is my first real car. I’ve seen the threads of people talking about best winter tires but I still don’t understand. I want to make an informed decision and subsequent purchase.

Live in North East and want to get winter tires. I have 18” Aeros at the moment.

Does anyone have a jumping off point I can look into ?

 

[FatSal]

Go on youtube and search for winter tires vs. all-season tires. In practice, it is a shocking difference when you first experience it. Now that I know the difference, I have always purchased dedicated snow tires for my cars. In fact, what scares me most is knowing that most people are running bad tires in the winter. I feel like I'll be fine, but I'm afraid other people will run into me.

 

[coleAK]

First off I’m in Alaska. ^^^ nailed it. You can’t go wrong with Blizzak or Xice but Nokian hakkapeleta are the best. If your in the mountains or probably anywhere in ME I’d look at the nokian Hakkapeleta 9 (studded). If you are more in a metro area with more variable time spent on dry pavement, ice, snow, rain the studless should be fine.

Really the difference between all seasons and a high quality winter tire is staggering. I have no idea why people don’t make the switch.

 

[torch0395]

First off I’m in Alaska. ^^^ nailed it. You can’t go wrong with Blizzak or Xice but Nokian hakkapeleta are the best. If your in the mountains or probably anywhere in ME I’d look at the nokian Hakkapeleta 9 (studded). If you are more in a metro area with more variable time spent on dry pavement, ice, snow, rain the studless should be fine.

Really the difference between all seasons and a high quality winter tire is staggering. I have no idea why people don’t make the switch.

Ok so let’s say I buy the tires. 18” Nokians. Who do we trust to put them on the Tesla correctly? Tesla SC? Someone else??

 

[coleAK]

Ok so let’s say I buy the tires. 18” Nokians. Who do we trust to put them on the Tesla correctly? Tesla SC? Someone else??

I purchased my Nokian from my local tire shop that I have been using for years, great place. However due to when our model 3 arrived, after the first snow here in AK the tire shops were slammed. Summary, my wife wanted her new car at home not at the tire shop for 2 days. If it had arrived a week earlier I would have let them install them. So I put mine on myself at the auto hobby shop on base, used one of their lifts and had one of the motor pool guys help me mount and balance. The only thing that makes a Tesla unique is the lift points are small but that is the case for many unibody vehicles, our MB e class is similar. Mounting, balancing, installing is the same as any other car.

Since you have a local Tesla SC ask if they will mount tires you purchase elsewhere if using Tesla makes you feel better. My recommendation for a tire shop. Don’t necessarily go with the least expensive (although they could be). Find an established high rated (from a quality standpoint not least expensive) and let them do their job. My local shop i use (Moore and son’s in Anchorage) is 2nd generation family owned. At least one of the brothers are in there every day they are open. They know me when I walk in as I’ve been doing all my tire business (and some other things) there for over 10 years. Also it’s not nessary but if your planning on keeping the 3 for a while consider getting a 2nd set of wheels so change over is easy.

 

[torch0395]

I purchased my Nokian from my local tire shop that I have been using for years, great place. However due to when our model 3 arrived, after the first snow here in AK the tire shops were slammed. Summary, my wife wanted her new car at home not at the tire shop for 2 days. If it had arrived a week earlier I would have let them install them. So I put mine on myself at the auto hobby shop on base, used one of their lifts and had one of the motor pool guys help me mount and balance. The only thing that makes a Tesla unique is the lift points are small but that is the case for many unibody vehicles, our MB e class is similar. Mounting, balancing, installing is the same as any other car.

Since you have a local Tesla SC ask if they will mount tires you purchase elsewhere if using Tesla makes you feel better. My recommendation for a tire shop. Don’t necessarily go with the least expensive (although they could be). Find an established high rated (from a quality standpoint not least expensive) and let them do their job. My local shop i use (Moore and son’s in Anchorage) is 2nd generation family owned. At least one of the brothers are in there every day they are open. They know me when I walk in as I’ve been doing all my tire business (and some other things) there for over 10 years. Also it’s not nessary but if your planning on keeping the 3 for a while consider getting a 2nd set of wheels so change over is easy.

So if I do this I buy a wheel and tire combo? Or do you just buy the tire and switch it out? I’m assuming switching out the entire thing is easier.

 

[coleAK]

I do the wheel and tire combo for all our vehicles. It’s more expensive up front but easier in the long run. And if your ambitious can do the change yourself. The Tesla is awesome that you can re-sync the TPMS to another set without a “tool”. I’ve mentioned this before on a different thread -I tried and tried to get a 2nd set of aero wheels from Tesla and TPMS sensors. They wouldn’t sell them to me without tires. It may have been different if I had a local Tesla SC. So for our model 3 I went through tire rack for wheels and TPMS sensors. I ended up putting the Hakka 9 winter tires on the aero wheels and the OEM tires on the 18” ENKEI wheels from the rack for summer that I’ll change over this May.

 

[Lasttoy]

Call Tire Rack, tell them you want combo for your road conditions.
Take them off in Spring. About half the price from Tesla.
They mount and balance , free shipment most of the time. You can browse their site.
I got a Connecticut set last week very cheap off Craigslist. Have Michlen M&S.

 

[dfwatt]

Don’t know much about tires at all, M3 AWD is my first real car. I’ve seen the threads of people talking about best winter tires but I still don’t understand. I want to make an informed decision and subsequent purchase.

Live in North East and want to get winter tires. I have 18” Aeros at the moment.

Does anyone have a jumping off point I can look into ?

Previous to my actual experience with this on the all-wheel-drive Performance Model 3, I probably would've recommended Winter snow tires. However there were a lack of options for really good winter snow tires in the 20 inch size (235/35-20), so I took a chance on the top-rated Michelin Pilot Sport All Season A/S 3+. It's staggeringly good on dry pavement, in the wet, and in light to moderate snow. In fact it's so good on dry pavement I can barely tell the difference between this and the summer Michelin Pilot Sport 4S.

Here's why I think it's worth taking a look at these tires. The traction control on the Model 3 is so good and so responsive/quick acting and you have such a great 50-50 weight balance that I think you can get away with all season tires and reap the benefits of the AS tire in more moderate cold weather, when there is no snow. If I were living in Minnesota I might change that recommendation but in New England I feel very confident on these tires. The Model 3 on these tires with its all-wheel drive probably as good as a lot of all-wheel drive cars with full snows. The super rapid modulation of drive force made possible with the electric drivetrain really makes a difference. I recommend these highly.

 

[Tardis5]

Previous to my actual experience with this on the all-wheel-drive Performance Model 3, I probably would've recommended Winter snow tires. However there were a lack of options for really good winter snow tires in the 20 inch size (235/35-20), so I took a chance on the top-rated Michelin Pilot Sport All Season A/S 3+. It's staggeringly good on dry pavement, in the wet, and in light to moderate snow. In fact it's so good on dry pavement I can barely tell the difference between this and the summer Michelin Pilot Sport 4S.

Here's why I think it's worth taking a look at these tires. The traction control on the Model 3 is so good and so responsive/quick acting and you have such a great 50-50 weight balance that I think you can get away with all season tires and reap the benefits of the AS tire in more moderate cold weather, when there is no snow. If I were living in Minnesota I might change that recommendation but in New England I feel very confident on these tires. The Model 3 on these tires with its all-wheel drive probably as good as a lot of all-wheel drive cars with full snows. The super rapid modulation of drive force made possible with the electric drivetrain really makes a difference. I recommend these highly.

 

[Tardis5]

Previous to my actual experience with this on the all-wheel-drive Performance Model 3, I probably would've recommended Winter snow tires. However there were a lack of options for really good winter snow tires in the 20 inch size (235/35-20), so I took a chance on the top-rated Michelin Pilot Sport All Season A/S 3+. It's staggeringly good on dry pavement, in the wet, and in light to moderate snow. In fact it's so good on dry pavement I can barely tell the difference between this and the summer Michelin Pilot Sport 4S.

Here's why I think it's worth taking a look at these tires. The traction control on the Model 3 is so good and so responsive/quick acting and you have such a great 50-50 weight balance that I think you can get away with all season tires and reap the benefits of the AS tire in more moderate cold weather, when there is no snow. If I were living in Minnesota I might change that recommendation but in New England I feel very confident on these tires. The Model 3 on these tires with its all-wheel drive probably as good as a lot of all-wheel drive cars with full snows. The super rapid modulation of drive force made possible with the electric drivetrain really makes a difference. I recommend these highly.

Dfwatt, I live in NJ, but have a house in NH that we are moving to this year. It has a steep unpaved driveway and out road is hilly and unpaved. Would you recommend the all seasons for this kind of situation and if so do you actually leave them on all year? Excuse my ignorance, but I’ve never had to even consider snow tires in NJ. Sorry, I hit “post” by accident earlier.

 

[1.21GW]

1. Tirerack.com
2. Winter wheel / tire packages
3. Read reviews
4. Choose wheel that meets your aesthetic taste and budget
5. Buy hockey puck to use with your jack
6. Install wheels
7. Enjoy

 

[Olavxxx]

Nokian R2, Nokian R3, Continental CVC7, Michelin X-Ice 3 etc are good winter tires (studless).
These are for the north european market, so they handle well.

 

[Mand M]

Live in the mountains. Bought Michelin x ice. Very happy. We bought TPMS from Tesla.