RWD vs AWD driving feel

[MikeR55]

I've seen a lot about speed and acceleration as well as snow tires with RWD- etc...

But, I'm wondering on normal roads in good weather- does the AWD feel / handle differently? Or can you not really feel/ tell the difference?

I put my order in for LR AWD, really for the range as well as the connected radio and extra speakers. (Not sure all that is worth an extra $9k but here we are.)

I am in SoCal and will go up the mountain to Big Bear but I avoid it when it snows- so getting AWD for weather or not needing chains isn't THAT important. Although the road is very winding and goes from 0 to 7,000 feet in 45 min.

 

[justsomeguy]

Tesla's decision to put a less efficient motor in the front means the front motor isn't used, ever, in normal driving.

So unless you're asking for the power or in a low traction situation, it's the same as a slightly heavier RWD.

EDIT:
Of course I'm talking about LR RWD, not the SR+, vs LR AWD.

 

[golfleep]

I just got back from test diving both the SR+ and LR AWD a few hours ago, as I'm trying to decide between the two myself. I definitely felt a pretty noticeable difference between the two, with the SR+ feeling lighter and more nimble, while the LR AWD was felt much more planted, cornered far better, and had obviously a lot of power on tap (I could only do much with the Tesla rep riding along side me). The sound system was noticeable better in with the premium package as well, at all volume levels. I test drove these cars up in the SF Bay Area, on a normal partially sunny day, and both cars had 18" aeros

IMHO, the LR AWD was clearly better in terms of overall performance, but for my use case as more of a daily driver, I'm not sure it's going to be worth the extra $9K

 

[Kitkit201]

I just got back from test diving both the SR+ and LR AWD a few hours ago, as I'm trying to decide between the two myself. I definitely felt a pretty noticeable difference between the two, with the SR+ feeling lighter and more nimble, while the LR AWD was felt much more planted, cornered far better, and had obviously a lot of power on tap (I could only do much with the Tesla rep riding along side me). The sound system was noticeable better in with the premium package as well, at all volume levels. I test drove these cars up in the SF Bay Area, on a normal partially sunny day, and both cars had 18" aeros

IMHO, the LR AWD was clearly better in terms of overall performance, but for my use case as more of a daily driver, I'm not sure it's going to be worth the extra $9K

If you don’t mind buying a used LR RWD , that maybe the best of the both world option.

 

[David99]

According to tests the dual motor Model 3 doesn't use the front motor much at all during normal driving. Only under hard acceleration or low traction. For regen the front motor isn't used at all. So for the most part the dual motor cars are just running the same as RWD cars.

 

[kbecks13]

It definitely a very different feeling car for sporty driving, i had a LR RWD before getting the Performance and honestly the RWD felt tighter and more nimble overall. Especially noticeable under hard acceleration as you get a bit of torque steer feeling from power being applied at the front with the AWD cars. I kind of miss the handling of the RWD, but certainly enjoy the additional power i have now.

Main reason i upgraded was for the Track Mode and slightly more speed, the RWD is fun but the AWD is better. It's super useful for merging and other random quick daily bursts of joy.

 

[kbecks13]

I just got back from test diving both the SR+ and LR AWD a few hours ago, as I'm trying to decide between the two myself. I definitely felt a pretty noticeable difference between the two, with the SR+ feeling lighter and more nimble, while the LR AWD was felt much more planted, cornered far better, and had obviously a lot of power on tap (I could only do much with the Tesla rep riding along side me). The sound system was noticeable better in with the premium package as well, at all volume levels. I test drove these cars up in the SF Bay Area, on a normal partially sunny day, and both cars had 18" aeros

IMHO, the LR AWD was clearly better in terms of overall performance, but for my use case as more of a daily driver, I'm not sure it's going to be worth the extra $9K

Nice first post and well said, i agree with this quite a bit.

Also, you can handle most weather conditions fairly well with good tires on a RWD, though i'd get the AWD if you can afford it because you do get quite of a bit of extra value for that $9K.

 

[MikeR55]

Thanks all! I rented both but weeks apart but for some reason I felt like the AWD was maybe tighter, maybe a little heavier in regular driving. The RWD seemed smoother to drive- wasn't sure if that was just me or not. Maybe I need to go to Tesla and do a back to back. And I'm by no means a performance driver and I don't care how fast it goes- I just want a nice fun smooth ride.

I'd love to get a RWD LR - but not really seeing much in used that makes it worth it once you lose all the tax incentives.

 

[MikeR55]

Nice first post and well said, i agree with this quite a bit.

Also, you can handle most weather conditions fairly well with good tires on a RWD, though i'd get the AWD if you can afford it because you do get quite of a bit of extra value for that $9K.

What do you think extra value is worth $9k? I know the list of differences, range, radio, connected, faster charge and obviously 2 motors but is that really a great value? (not being sarcastic really want to know)

 

[kbecks13]

What do you think extra value is worth $9k? I know the list of differences, range, radio, connected, faster charge and obviously 2 motors but is that really a great value? (not being sarcastic really want to know)

• I'd pay $3-5K for just the speed upgrade alone from 5.3s to 4.4s 0-60 time, but that's just me.
• Then the range is worth another at least $5K, that would work out to be 13% more vehicle cost for 25% more range. Range anxiety can be a thing depending on weather conditions and having the extra buffer makes road trips easier.
• Premium interior is pretty nice, i'd say that's worth another $1-2K or so? You get great sound system, awesome user interface with the sat maps and music (browser is meh to be honest) and some cool fog lights.
• AWD handling can be a great value to some in certain conditions, but not always necessary. I'd say this is worth at least 3K.

Overall id say that's like $12-15K overall and they are charging $9K, but that depends on how valuable those things are to you specifically.

 

[MacGreiner]

We have a LR and a -P3D. So same battery weights but obviously the P heavier with the extra motor. I cannot remember the last time I noticed a handling difference. The OEM tires in my opinion are so poor in the wet and snow so it is hard to get a good feel for traction.I can imagine battery weight making a difference.

 

[Aellinsar]

What do you think extra value is worth $9k? I know the list of differences, range, radio, connected, faster charge and obviously 2 motors but is that really a great value? (not being sarcastic really want to know)

It's different for everyone, but I saw a lot of comments back in the day of "buy as much range as you can". When I pre-ordered the card, I was lured in by the SR promise of a $35,000 car, but when I ordered only the LR RWD was available. Perhaps this is me self-justifying, but I'm glad to have the extra range and even if I had the choice I'd probably do the same thing again.

We've taken several road trips in the Tesla that I wouldn't have if I had the shorter range car, and with the range loss in cold weather (not probably an issue for you) even things like a Christmas trip to visit family in state might be tight without the extra range.

Also, you're paying luxury car prices either way and the premium interior + better sound help make it feel like a luxury car.

 

[Matt L]

It's different for everyone, but I saw a lot of comments back in the day of "buy as much range as you can". When I pre-ordered the card, I was lured in by the SR promise of a $35,000 car, but when I ordered only the LR RWD was available. Perhaps this is me self-justifying, but I'm glad to have the extra range and even if I had the choice I'd probably do the same thing again.

We've taken several road trips in the Tesla that I wouldn't have if I had the shorter range car, and with the range loss in cold weather (not probably an issue for you) even things like a Christmas trip to visit family in state might be tight without the extra range.

Also, you're paying luxury car prices either way and the premium interior + better sound help make it feel like a luxury car.

Agree with this. I have a LR RWD and driving normal interstate speeds will eat up your 320 mile range very fast. People that say you can drive anywhere with a SR+, are either slow drivers or have a different definition of anywhere than I do.

 

[Swampgator]

For regen the front motor isn't used at all.

Where did you get that from?

 

[Jb1280]

I went back and forth between the AWD LR and the RWD right up until taking delivery of the AWD a couple of weeks ago.

At least for me, range anxiety is a real thing and I only drive about 100-150 miles a week. If you’re only charging to 85%, the difference becomes noticeable.

It’s worth the price difference alone.

The better sound system is delightful and it handles great.

 

[Msjulie]

Had a Jan 2018 LR RWD and really liked it but swapped it out for Stealth Performance as soon as I could (Aug 2018 delivery) - swapped the original OEM 19 rims/tires onto the new car so apples to apples rims, tires, battery weight, etc

I immediately noticed the car felt heavier up front, expected. Once in a while, I had been able to get the RWD rear to be a little happy on hard accelerations/turns (trying to merge into traffic no one wants to let you in). Doesn't happen or much harder to occur in the AWD

It's all want you want/need. Me, faster is always better. Glad Tesla put in the type of front motor they did, makes sense to have one that can freewheel completely. Plenty of time we're just trudging along in traffic but there's plenty of times the get up and go are very much appreciated.

 

[GreenMtnM3]

This is a great question. 15 years ago I had a BMW 325i (RWD) that I loved. I drove it for 10 years, and after moving to Vermont sold it and replaced it with a BMW325iX (AWD) wagon. I loved the wagon body, but the driving dynamics of the car were ruined. The steering feel was gone, the balance of the RWD i was replaced by lots of understeer with the iX. The funny thing is that I never had any problems with the RWDi in the snow, I just thought the AWD would be better. It was fine, but for daily driving, the AWD BMW was very unsatisfying. It was replaced with a Subaru WRX, which was terrifically fun, capable, and practical.

When I bought my Tesla, I chose the dual motor AWD. I've driven RWD Teslas for short distances, but I have found on the street no difference in how they feel. Both are so grippy and have such a low center of gravity that I simply don't find the limits of their handling on the street, so they feel totally neutral. On the track, it may be a different story, so if you plan to track yours, I'd try to borrow a RWD and and AWD to see which you like, if there is a big difference. I can tell you on the snow, the AWD Tesla handles with a small amount of oversteer. I like it! Its not as much as the WRX, but way more fun (and more controllable, in my mind) than the understeer prone BMW AWD I used to have.

In short, my experience is that for street driving, even spirited (but responsible) driving, the AWD Teslas are still very fulfilling cars to drive.

 

[voip-ninja]

Tesla's decision to put a less efficient motor in the front means the front motor isn't used, ever, in normal driving.

So unless you're asking for the power or in a low traction situation, it's the same as a slightly heavier RWD.

EDIT:
Of course I'm talking about LR RWD, not the SR+, vs LR AWD.

I'm pretty sure that what you posted is false. The front motor is "used during normal driving".

I rented a RWD LR before I ordered and took delivery of my LR AWD. The difference in the way the two cars handled was quite noticeable. The RWD car feels sportier to drive, more like a go kart. The AWD car accelerates with more authority (not just faster but it feels more planted) and feels a little more confident on tight corners but is less "fun" to drive.

They are both good cars. If I was in a market where I did not need dual motor for weather reasons I would pick the RWD car.

 

[justsomeguy]

I'm pretty sure that what you posted is false. The front motor is "used during normal driving".

I rented a RWD LR before I ordered and took delivery of my LR AWD. The difference in the way the two cars handled was quite noticeable. The RWD car feels sportier to drive, more like a go kart. The AWD car accelerates with more authority (not just faster but it feels more planted) and feels a little more confident on tight corners but is less "fun" to drive.

They are both good cars. If I was in a market where I did not need dual motor for weather reasons I would pick the RWD car.

What you describe sounds like hard acceleration. I do own an LR AWD and a friend has the LR RWD and I can't feel any discernable difference in light acceleration driving, which is what I'm referring to as normal.

It also doesn't regen any harder, which would not be the case if the front motor was also used during regen.

It's pretty easy to tell the front motor doesn't kick in immediately during low power driving, just take it to a patch of gravel and you'll see.

There's also the video of the chinese guy who tracked power levels during driving and it shows the front motor not being used for large portions of his drive.

 

[VQTRVA]

Drove my Mom's 2018 MR & my own 3D & it's remarkable how much more nimble my Mother's car is.
That extra heft from the front motor & AWD components really makes a difference!