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I drove my LR RWD through many bad dumps this winter along Hwy 1 from Calgary to Banff and from Calgary to Edmonton and it handled the snow with no problem at all. Prior vehicles include Subaru Outback,VW Touareg and Nissan Pathfinder and currently own a 2018 Toyota Highlander Ltd. for reference. We took the Model 3 on all our trips to the mountains for skiing this year and never regretted it, even the two trips that required driving in two of the worst snowstorms of our winter.
One of the biggest mistakes of my life was buying a RWD BMW in Alberta in the interest of saving a few bucks.
I think buying an RWD drive car in our climate is simply irresponsible. Learn from my mistake - the fact you are even asking makes me know you already know the answer.
Four in the car, all our gear, stuffed trunk, frunk, and under trunk storage, and a full roof box mounted on SeaSucker Monkey Bars. With two or three people, folding down the rear seat works well. It goes without saying that winter tires were mounted. Nokia Hakkepeliitta R3 tires.
Sorry, the Tesla ain't a BMW. The perfect weight balance, never needing to shift gears, instantaneous response of an electric drivetrain, heavy weight, low centre of gravity and amazing traction control sets the RWD Tesla in an entirely different league from the BMW. The RWD BMW compares to three RWD Tesla driving in winter as a 70's muscle car trying to come to an emergency stop on wet pavement compares to a modern BMW with ABS.
If you need to get going from a stop on ice while on an incline, or like to accelerate as rapidly as possible from every stop light/sign you'll wish you had AWD. The rest of the time you'll never miss the AWD. I was worried at first, but now am so happy I got the extra range rather than the AWD. My bank account is happier too.
The one consideration is that today the LR is only available in the SR and SR+. My worst efficiency in the highway was with a cold battery with the roof box on, driving in the Rockies with a full load of people and gear and a roof box on at -28C. My Wh/km was twice the rated Wh/km, meaning my range was halved. Driving in the mountains, in winter, at -28C with my family in the car is not a time when I want to be concerned with range anxiety! When they quote 386 km range, consider having 20% to spare and energy consumption doubled, and now your worst case range is only about 150 to 160 km.
Screen shots below are for the worst efficiency I got as well as my total energy usage from the time I installed my winter tires until I took them off.
Sorry, disagree. You have an RWD and are trying to justify your purchase. If the RWD was sufficient, Tesla wouldn't bother selling a dual motor variant, it has its purpose as does AWD. Calgary and Alberta are terrible for driving conditions and risking it is beyond silly.
Not trying to justify anything. Love the Model 3 and absolutely no regrets about the RWD. Prior to this my favorite winter car was a Subaru Outback. I prefer the Model 3. RWD and all.
I know a thing or two about winter driving. Learned to drive in Northern Alberta in a RWD Toyota Celica. Also spent four years in Waterloo, ON where the frequent freezing rains and lake effect snowfalls were far worse than anything Alberta winters dish out. Drove a RWD Corolla in those days, although I mostly rode my bike. Never put on winter tires in those days either.
Before getting my Model 3 I went to a few Drive Electric events hosted by EVAA and talked to owners about their RWD winter driving experiences and without exception they all said their Model S RWD vehicles were the best winter vehicles they'd ever had. Hopefully one or two will swing by here and chime in.
I spent this last winter pushing the Model 3, trying to find its limits in the snow (when no others were around - no point putting others at risk). In Alberta. The car is amazing. Floor it going around a corner and you feel just the tiniest slip then the traction control takes over and safely navigates the corner. What's your experience driving a RWD Tesla in the snow?
As to why they sell AWD: More power delivery to the wheels with all the wheels being powered. Faster acceleration. Buyers like you who think they need it. Slightly better traction in some very rare conditions. Image. Better profit margins.
I have a LR RWD 3 that I drove through last Calgary's winter for commuting in the city & highway trips. With winter tires, it was much better than I expected - the traction control was far better than anything I've had previously. I disagree that AWD is necessary for winter, but winter tires are a must. AWD will be better for acceleration in bad conditions, will wear the tires more evenly, and will give you more ability to plow through deep snow - but if you need that, you probably shouldn't be driving a Model 3 in those conditions anyway (use something with higher clearance).
Initially I regretted not waiting for AWD, but after going through last winter, I'm happy with my choice - less $, more range, and the car is more than fast enough as is.
Hey Tesla owners - there looks to be quite a few new name on here (I have some catching up to do on new posts!). For any of you interested in spreading the word about Tesla/EVs, and meeting and mingling with other owners, I've got just the event for you - The City of Beaumont has kicked out the V8 hot rods for their car show and shine as part of the City's annual celebration, and they are replacing it with an electric vehicle car show. Saturday June 15th. You could also drive your Tesla through the streets in the parade before the festivities kick into high gear. More info, and a short registration form is available at EV Car Show @ Beaumont Daze 2019 | Electric Vehicle Association of Alberta . Oh, and this is a free event 
(those pesky car shows that include registration fees... mind you there isn't likely to be any prizes as this one... but there may be a treat in store for those who bring their cars ;-) )
(those pesky car shows that include registration fees... mind you there isn't likely to be any prizes as this one... but there may be a treat in store for those who bring their cars ;-) )Attachments
Zapped
Model S - PURE EV
In my experience, having owned RWD, FWD and AWD vehicles, I would agree with bpjod that weight distribution is extremely important and the Tesla is the best for all its models. My 70's VW beetle rear engine RWD had very good traction. That's my understanding why most front mounted engine cars today are FWD. I have 2 daughters who each purchased a Model 3, one with RWD and one with AWD living in the Edmonton area. They change to proper set of winter tires (not all-season) in the winter and they are equally very happy with their cars in the winter.
Having said all that, one would certainly expect AWD to be better but not irresponsible to own any one (FWD,RWD,AWD). IMHO
int32_t
Tesla Spotter
Hey folks, I have some news: eight years in the making and three years properly waited for. There's nothing to say about the car that others haven't already said, but is it ever nice to have wheels! I've already been trippin' all over Alberta so of course you're looking at a LR RWD, one of the last to be made, for now, according to Calgary sales.
So now I'm looking for a new place to live because parking this on the street just doesn't seem right (maybe I should have thought of that before, lol!). Thankfully there are a couple (free) public chargers in my locale which minimise the potential pain of living the electric life from an apartment.
It's a nice car (understatement of the half-decade), and is it weird to say Bluetooth audio is one of my favourite features? I like my music collection.
So now I'm looking for a new place to live because parking this on the street just doesn't seem right (maybe I should have thought of that before, lol!).
Thankfully there are a couple (free) public chargers in my locale which minimise the potential pain of living the electric life from an apartment.It's a nice car (understatement of the half-decade), and is it weird to say Bluetooth audio is one of my favourite features? I like my music collection.
int32_t
Tesla Spotter
'Tis true, waiting does make it sweeter. The first several days were surreal. "Hey, there's a Tesla parked out there—oh wait, that's my car!"
Many thanks to all you pioneers who spent your own hard-earned cash on cars much more expensive than this, so Tesla could make a merely expensive car that is broadening the market somewhat.* Now that was really taking a risk. Going back a few years, Tesla as a company wasn't a sure thing. I'll never forget the guys in "Who Killed the Electric Car?" (or was it Revenge? I forget) who said the Roadster is great and all, and the newly unveiled Model S is groundbreaking, but the company is teetering on the edge and who knows if they'll survive long enough to make it. It seems quaint now of course, but it was a fair concern then, and I'm sure it took courage or at least foolhardiness to go buy a car that may have no parts or service available should the company vanish.
* Sorry, I refuse to call the Model 3 "affordable," because it's still not there yet.
Many thanks to all you pioneers who spent your own hard-earned cash on cars much more expensive than this, so Tesla could make a merely expensive car that is broadening the market somewhat.* Now that was really taking a risk. Going back a few years, Tesla as a company wasn't a sure thing. I'll never forget the guys in "Who Killed the Electric Car?" (or was it Revenge? I forget) who said the Roadster is great and all, and the newly unveiled Model S is groundbreaking, but the company is teetering on the edge and who knows if they'll survive long enough to make it. It seems quaint now of course, but it was a fair concern then, and I'm sure it took courage or at least foolhardiness to go buy a car that may have no parts or service available should the company vanish.
* Sorry, I refuse to call the Model 3 "affordable," because it's still not there yet.
I made the same "mistake" (2007 BMW 335i) and lived with it for 4 years. Even with winter tires that thing was sliding and getting stuck in neighborhoods every season.
int32_t
Tesla Spotter
Speaking of tires … anybody here have a set of 18" aero rims they'd like to part with? I'd like a second set. PM me to discuss.
I'd be in for a set too if there's another set out there. Located a bit south of Edmonton.Speaking of tires … anybody here have a set of 18" aero rims they'd like to part with? I'd like a second set. PM me to discuss.
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