I live in rural New England and now have 8k miles on my LR/RWD and it is a hoot even with Nokian R3s already mounted on my Aeros. I was so surprised on how good it is even with the 18” Michelin’s. It will easily keep up with most anything on the twisties and it is easy to master and fun, the turn in is very quick and steering very accurate with more feedback than I expected. It’s important to make transitions smoothly because you feel the weight if you start throwing it around. It’s also a bit floaty over 80 where it is a bit undertired with the 18s. I’m confident the rwd will be fine in the snow recognizing that awd is great for low traction acceleration and getting out of snow banks! So I will avoid snow banks. It’s my most favorite car after over 50 years of owning and sampling lots of enthusiasts’ vehicles. No snow yet. Ask me in a few weeks. I’m looking forward.
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RWD Appreciation
- Thread starter Carotene
- Start date
Candleflame
Active Member
the second motor doesnt add much more as traction isnt really limiting the acceleration. The uncorking of the RWD teslas shows that
Wooloomooloo
Member
I didn't say anything about traction, although depending on the conditions, traction may or may not be a factor with initial acceleration.
The 2nd motor really makes the biggest difference when accelerating at already higher speeds - and so while I totally agree with the spirit of the OP's points, that RWD cars are fast and fun, the AWD cars are a lot punchier at higher speeds.
Is that true/proven for Model 3 AWD vs RWD? I thought the AWD mostly just provided an off the line (low speed) benefit.
At some point, the power output could be limited by what the battery can provide, not the 2 motors.
insaneoctane
Well-Known Member
The LR RWD was already at the limit of what I can justify spending on my daily transportation. If money were no object then I would love to have a P3D+ for the raw acceleration. BUT. Price matters and for my money I get to utilize EAP on every single drive to and from work. If I was trying to justify the performance model, I certainly would have had to skip on EAP. SO I made the right choice for me. The LR RWD is the fastest car I have ever owned. It is also the most efficient vehicle on the road. But since I don't have the performance version, I can only beat ~90% of the cars on the road instead of 99%. I don't try to take on Corvettes, but I dust BMWs on a regular basis ...
I test drove all 3 models when deciding and ultimately went with the RWD. The difference between the RWD vs AWD was not noticeable to me, and I was trying hard to notice. However, RWD vs Performance was a different story. The Performance felt way quicker. But at the end of the day I made the rational decision that having better economy and longer range meant more to me than being able to get to 60mph a couple seconds quicker, even without factoring in the 15-20K price difference between the two. I rarely ever go faster than 10 miles over the speed limit, so I could care less what the top speeds are either. And honestly I rarely end up at a stop light when I'm first in line, and when I do I'm normally next to some normal ICE car, not a super car that I can prove my car is faster to justify the extra 20K.
corduroy
Active Member
I absolutely love my RWD. It's fast enough to snap back the necks of unsuspecting passengers and you can't beat the efficiency and range. I plan on keeping it forever or until the wheels fall off, but it won't be my only Tesla - once the Y comes out.
I'm with you, but going for the truck instead. I'll use the 3 for summer and truck for winter. Already started my savings account for it
I will be getting an SR/MR RWD when I am able to buy a Model 3. The P3D is a brute force sledgehammer and crazy fast, but coming from Miata's and MR2's, I am a precision kind of guy. I also like turning laps for a long time, so the power reduction of the P3D doesn't suit me for track days.
-Jesse
-Jesse
Anyone else noticed that the regenerative braking is MUCH smoother with yesterday's update? I feel like they've meshed chill-mode's regen but with full regen and standard acceleration. I'm lov'n it!
What size wheels or tires were on the models you drove? I test drove a RWD on aeros and P3D on 19's and thought the AWD would be a nice middle ground. However I've heard a few say there isn't that big of a different between RWD and AWD unless you're over 40mph. I'm wondering if it might be due to the less grip on the aero wheels with the Michelins.
AWD feels significantly quicker off the line, but only for a second (relatively a long time).
There's little difference after ~30mph between AWD and RWD.
I wish we had real data to see acceleration curves. It's quite subjective based on feel. I ludicrous launched in a P85D and I *almost* wish I hadn't. It skewed what my perception of how fast a car is capable of accelerating.
Every time I think Ludicrous would be cool, I think about what P owners are paying for insurance and I calm down.
Wooloomooloo
Member
OK so we both 'disagreed' with each other's posts... lets look at the facts.
This post was made on another thread - I also saw the original table of this data but can't find it now on Google... I'll keep looking for the original source.
30-50:
LR 1.9, LRD (AWD): 1.5, P: 1.2
50-70:
LR 2.8, LRD (AWD): 2.1, P: 1.7
If you look at the % improvement LR for both cars, it looks like this:
30-50 mph
AWD % Improvement 21%
Performance % Improvement 37%
50-70 mph
AWD % Improvement 25%
Performance % Improvement 39%
As you can see, the improvement % is better for the higher speeds. So I think my original assertion that the 2nd motor makes more difference at higher speeds, is supported by this.
Yeah, I have seen both positions mentioned various places. It would be nice to have a clear answer exactly how they differ to end the debate.
From my perspective, I saw some RWD vs AWD drag videos online and it looked like the AWD jumped off the line quicker, got a healthy lead, but then the RWD was able to keep the same distance behind as speeds increased.
So that (admittedly from little data, and somewhat anecdotal) view had me thinking that maybe it was mainly a lower speed performance boost.
But, yes, the data posted above appears to paint a different picture. It would be nice to find the original source and see if it is valid data.
From my perspective, I saw some RWD vs AWD drag videos online and it looked like the AWD jumped off the line quicker, got a healthy lead, but then the RWD was able to keep the same distance behind as speeds increased.
So that (admittedly from little data, and somewhat anecdotal) view had me thinking that maybe it was mainly a lower speed performance boost.
But, yes, the data posted above appears to paint a different picture. It would be nice to find the original source and see if it is valid data.
I mean, it's all valid data but you have nothing for 0-30mph in the data set.
I also question the validity, only becausei don't know anything about the testing. Who conducted it and when?
I don't have hard data either. I'd really like to see a recent test with decent testing hardware.
Wooloomooloo
Member
Yes I've heard a few people say that. TBH I think that's a visual illusion, because objectively the AWD and especially the Performance can hit higher speeds, and so it's entirely logical that they will continue to accelerate more quickly after launch.
I didn't say anything about 0-30mph in my original post, in fact I said the difference is probably only traction-based if at all.
As for your second points, sure I don't know either. However as I just said above, if the top speed is faster, the high-speed acceleration is likely also quicker. It's really such a strange thing to choose to argue against.
And, these super cars were RWD, as the most sporting Porsche models still are today.
I love the driving feel and balance of my RWD 3, and the lighter weight vs. AWD. It is 1000 lb. lighter than my AWD S85. It was fine in the snow last winter as well.
GSP
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