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In my previous ICE cars, I would buy a set of plain steel rims for the winter and put Goodyear XRT or Brigstone Blizzak tires. Worked great in winter and only paid 200-400 for rims. Now with Tesla they want $2400 Canadian for winter tires and rims! Range is very important to me considering I live 120km from work. That is why I went with the standard Tesla Aero rims for summer. Any advise?
 
In my previous ICE cars, I would buy a set of plain steel rims for the winter and put Goodyear XRT or Brigstone Blizzak tires. Worked great in winter and only paid 200-400 for rims. Now with Tesla they want $2400 Canadian for winter tires and rims! Range is very important to me considering I live 120km from work. That is why I went with the standard Tesla Aero rims for summer. Any advise?
Around here you can get a set of Aero wheels with tires and sensors for ~$800 on Craigslist. Sell tires and replace with winter tires. There might be fewer for sale in Canada though...
 
In my previous ICE cars, I would buy a set of plain steel rims for the winter and put Goodyear XRT or Brigstone Blizzak tires. Worked great in winter and only paid 200-400 for rims. Now with Tesla they want $2400 Canadian for winter tires and rims! Range is very important to me considering I live 120km from work. That is why I went with the standard Tesla Aero rims for summer. Any advise?

I don't think Tesla's Aero wheels will save you from Canadian winter's range degradation. Expect 40+% range drop, maybe reduce that by ~2% with Aero's.

Having said that, if you can find a set of used Aero's on eBay or Craigslist, get them.
Otherwise, TireRack.com has 18" wheels+tire+TPMS sensors packages starting at $1,374:

https://www.tirerack.com/snow/Winte...=54350&startIndex=0&search=true&performance=W

With the above price point in mind, Tesla currently lists 18" black Aero's with Pirelli Sottozero's for $2,000:
Model 3 18" Aero Wheel and Winter Tire Package

I am not a fan of Pirelli tires, especially for winters, but the same tires on cheapo wheels @TR run $1,612.
I have to admit that Tesla's price is reasonably competitive!

The only downside to Tesla's package are the Sottozero tires - they come dead @#$%ing last in the TR customer survey of Performance Winter / Snow tires:
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=W&VT=C

a
 
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I don't think Tesla's Aero wheels will save you from Canadian winter's range degradation. Expect 40+% range drop, maybe reduce that by ~2% with Aero's.

Having said that, if you can find a set of used Aero's on eBay or Craigslist, get them.
Otherwise, TireRack.com has 18" wheels+tire+TPMS sensors packages starting at $1,374:

https://www.tirerack.com/snow/Winte...=54350&startIndex=0&search=true&performance=W

With the above price point in mind, Tesla currently lists 18" black Aero's with Pirelli Sottozero's for $2,000:
Model 3 18" Aero Wheel and Winter Tire Package

I am not a fan of Pirelli tires, especially for winters, but the same tires on cheapo wheels @TR run $1,612.
I have to admit that Tesla's price is reasonably competitive!

The only downside to Tesla's package are the Sottozero tires - they come dead @#$%ing last in the TR customer survey of Performance Winter / Snow tires:
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=W&VT=C

a
The tires that Tesla provides on their 18" winter tire package are Sottozero II which are rated a bit higher than the original Sottozero that you mention above. It would be nice if Tesla switched to the Sottozero 3 which is rated fairly high on the Tirerack survey. That said, the overall difference between the top rated Michelin PA4 and the Sottozero II is pretty small.
 
The tires that Tesla provides on their 18" winter tire package are Sottozero II which are rated a bit higher than the original Sottozero that you mention above. It would be nice if Tesla switched to the Sottozero 3 which is rated fairly high on the Tirerack survey. That said, the overall difference between the top rated Michelin PA4 and the Sottozero II is pretty small.

Purely FYI - those "% vs. Best" are best on subjective buyer feedback. Those tend to be very closely bunched together.
TR also runs its own winter tire tests that more objectively quantify the traction differences between different tires.

For <Studless Ice & Snow> results are here: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testDisplay.jsp?ttid=193
For <Performance Winter / Snow> results are here: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testDisplay.jsp?ttid=181

The gaps are much wider in test results, as they are in real life.
I've personally cycled through all of the following over the years:
  • Blizzak WS** (last two #s change over the years)
  • Michelin X-Ice Xi* (last # change over the years)
  • Blizzak LM-25 RFT
  • Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D
  • Goodyear Cheap Mistake (forgot the real name)
The above list is pretty much in the order of snow/ice traction and winter performance.

YMMV,
a
 
Sottozero 3’s are now available in stock 18” Tesla size, even as “original equipment” replacements with the foam noise reduction added. I don’t think the wheel and tire packages have been updated yet, but you can buy the tires from TireRack.

They look to perform better then those Bridgestone WS and the xIce on dry and wet roads and slightly worse on ice and snow. Depends on if you think you’ll be driving a lot on packed snow or if it’ll mainly be during melts or actively snowing conditions.
 
Get the Aero 18” wheels. They come up all the time. If you get decent tires with them you can use them or sell them.

Xi3 if you want quiet and efficient, Nokian R3 not as quiet but little better in snow or a Performance snow which will not be as efficient or quiet but will do better in everything but snow.
 
Purely FYI - those "% vs. Best" are best on subjective buyer feedback. Those tend to be very closely bunched together.
TR also runs its own winter tire tests that more objectively quantify the traction differences between different tires.

For <Studless Ice & Snow> results are here: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testDisplay.jsp?ttid=193
For <Performance Winter / Snow> results are here: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testDisplay.jsp?ttid=181

The gaps are much wider in test results, as they are in real life.
I've personally cycled through all of the following over the years:
  • Blizzak WS** (last two #s change over the years)
  • Michelin X-Ice Xi* (last # change over the years)
  • Blizzak LM-25 RFT
  • Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D
  • Goodyear Cheap Mistake (forgot the real name)
The above list is pretty much in the order of snow/ice traction and winter performance.

YMMV,
a
Yes, the ratings are totally subjective, but they tend to give you some idea.

The real issue is what your driving conditions will be like during the winter. Here along the front range in Colorado, we can have a nice sunny day in January with 60+ degree temperatures followed by a snow storm with temperatures in the teens the next day or even the same day. Overall, there are more sunny days with above freezing temperatures in the middle of the winter than there are snowy or overcast days with temperatures below freezing. That said, we can get some truly nasty conditions upon occasion with severe ice and substantial amounts of snow.

I've found that the Winter Performance tires drive very nicely on the sunny days and are still able to get me through on the nasty days. Wet performance is also important here since nasty days followed by nice days equals lots of melting snow and ice. Having had Blizzaks, X-Ice, and the Sottozero 3s on a BMW 3 series previously, the Sottozero 3s give up a little bit on the bad days to the Blizzaks or X-Ice, but they are dramatically better on the nice days especially in the wet. The test result charts on the Tirerack links you provided bear this out. I'll compare the Blizzak WS80 to the Sottozero 3 numbers from the charts.

Dry stopping 50-0 Blizzak 88.2 Sottozero 85.6
Dry cornering Blizzak .87 Sottozero .90
Wet stopping 50-0 Blizzak 128 Sottozero 106.9
Wet cornering Blizzak .61 Sottozero .78
Snow acceleration 0-12 Blizzak 32.54 Sottozero 42.6
Ice acceleration 60' Blizzak 4.55 Sottozero 5.24
Snow stopping 20-0 Blizzak 66.91 25-0 Sottozero 71.9 (I don't know why Tirerack had 2 different speeds)
Ice stopping 12-0 Blizzak 30.9 Sottozero 34.3

As you can see, the biggest differences by the numbers are in the wet stopping and cornering, followed by the snow and ice acceleration, with the differences in dry stopping and cornering and snow and ice stopping being pretty minimal. Personally, I'm not concerned with the difference in snow and ice acceleration since that typically isn't a safety issue, but a car length and a half more stopping distance and .17g's less cornering traction in the wet really could be a safety issue.

Some other factors that the numbers don't show are steering feel, noise, and ride. The Sottozeros have very good steering feel, a little better than the stock Michelin MXM4, while the Blizzak and X-Ice steering feel is somewhere between poor and bad. The Blizzak and the X-Ice are also somewhat noisier than the Sottozeros which are again comparable to the stock Michelin MXM4. And finally, the ride of the Blizzak and X-Ice is very soft, I'd say mushy, while the Sottozeros feel like a proper performance tire while not being harsh.

Unless you're driving for a large part of the winter on snow and ice and don't have to deal much with wet conditions, I think you're giving up a lot to get that last 10 to 15 percent of snow and ice traction by going with a full on winter tire versus a performance winter tire.
 
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The real issue is what your driving conditions will be like during the winter. [...]I've found that the Winter Performance tires drive very nicely on the sunny days and are still able to get me through on the nasty days. Wet performance is also important here since nasty days followed by nice days equals lots of melting snow and ice. Having had Blizzaks, X-Ice, and the Sottozero 3s on a BMW 3 series previously, the Sottozero 3s give up a little bit on the bad days to the Blizzaks or X-Ice, but they are dramatically better on the nice days especially in the wet.

Very true, and goes to the crux of winter tire selection (and preference over all-seasons).
I face the same trade-offs in NY/NJ area - 85+% of the time "performance winter" or "all-seasons" will suffice, and even do better. The other 15% throughout the winter I am dealing with layers of snow and/or ice (re-frozen snow), that require maximum traction out of "studless Ice & Snow" tires to stay on the road. Either that, or I might need to just stay home.

A snow storm is easy to forecast, observe, and deal with.
Black ice (moisture melts during the day, re-freezes at night), on the other hand, is impossible to predict and avoid.

Thus, I've learned to err on the side of forgoing some dry cold pavement performance in favor of that extra margin in ice and snow traction that I get from Blizzak WS's and X-Ice.


Some other factors that the numbers don't show are steering feel, noise, and ride. The Sottozeros have very good steering feel, a little better than the stock Michelin MXM4, while the Blizzak and X-Ice steering feel is somewhere between poor and bad. [...] the ride of the Blizzak and X-Ice is very soft, I'd say mushy, while the Sottozeros feel like a proper performance tire while not being harsh.

Unless you're driving for a large part of the winter on snow and ice and don't have to deal much with wet conditions, I think you're giving up a lot to get that last 10 to 15 percent of snow and ice traction by going with a full on winter tire versus a performance winter tire.

Agreed.
Extreme snow tires are softer, and provide mushier steering feel.
My preference is driven (no pun intended) by desire to never worry about winter traction, ever, not even during the 15% of marginal icy and snow covered road conditions.

Once can definitely compromise a bit, and gain better handling and steering feedback on dry sub-zero asphalt.
Just not me.

Tesla keeps selling its 18", 19" and 20" winter tire packages with Sottozero tires, by all indications, the original crappy ones: Model 3 19" Sport Wheel and Winter Tire Package

Thus, I'm going to source mine from either TireRack.com or tsportline.com

YMMV,
a
 
Very true, and goes to the crux of winter tire selection (and preference over all-seasons).
I face the same trade-offs in NY/NJ area - 85+% of the time "performance winter" or "all-seasons" will suffice, and even do better. The other 15% throughout the winter I am dealing with layers of snow and/or ice (re-frozen snow), that require maximum traction out of "studless Ice & Snow" tires to stay on the road. Either that, or I might need to just stay home.

A snow storm is easy to forecast, observe, and deal with.
Black ice (moisture melts during the day, re-freezes at night), on the other hand, is impossible to predict and avoid.

Thus, I've learned to err on the side of forgoing some dry cold pavement performance in favor of that extra margin in ice and snow traction that I get from Blizzak WS's and X-Ice.




Agreed.
Extreme snow tires are softer, and provide mushier steering feel.
My preference is driven (no pun intended) by desire to never worry about winter traction, ever, not even during the 15% of marginal icy and snow covered road conditions.

Once can definitely compromise a bit, and gain better handling and steering feedback on dry sub-zero asphalt.
Just not me.

Tesla keeps selling its 18", 19" and 20" winter tire packages with Sottozero tires, by all indications, the original crappy ones: Model 3 19" Sport Wheel and Winter Tire Package

Thus, I'm going to source mine from either TireRack.com or tsportline.com

YMMV,
a
I understand where you're coming from. For me, I had no problems negotiating every type of snow and ice condition last winter including one really horrible day with black ice everywhere, and where 90% of the cars literally couldn't get around. There were many places where I could only do 5 or 6 MPH, but in my experience Blizzaks or X-Ice would have only given me another mile or two per hour.

Your post has one significant error regarding the Sottozero tires Tesla is selling on its winter sets. Tesla is not selling the "original crappy one" on any of its winter tire sets. In fact the 19" winter tire kit at your link is actually using the Sottozero 3 which has been reported here on the forum and is readily apparent by looking at the tread pattern. The 18" and 20" Tesla winter tire sets both come with the Sottozero II. The Model S and X winter Tesla winter tire sets come with Sottozero 3.

Links to Sottozero, Sottozero II, and Sottozero 3 on Tirerack so you can check out the tread patterns.
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Pirelli&tireModel=Winter+Sottozero
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Pirelli&tireModel=Winter+Sottozero+Serie+II
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Pirelli&tireModel=Winter+Sottozero+3
 
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No idea what conditions are like in Ontario, but I live in conditions very similar to CO front range (although the daily temp swings arent as drastic) -- mostly dry cold with rare persistent slush and snow -- and in these conditions the more extreme tires like XIce and Blizzaks (conditions implied by their name) are overkill.

Between Michelin Alpin PA4, Dunlop WS 4D, and the Sottozeros, I rate the Michelin by a country mile. Better steering feel and more comfort with less noise than the Dunlop and Pirellis. None showed traction issues in the snow, driven responsibly with AWD
 
No idea what conditions are like in Ontario, but I live in conditions very similar to CO front range (although the daily temp swings arent as drastic) -- mostly dry cold with rare persistent slush and snow -- and in these conditions the more extreme tires like XIce and Blizzaks (conditions implied by their name) are overkill.

Between Michelin Alpin PA4, Dunlop WS 4D, and the Sottozeros, I rate the Michelin by a country mile. Better steering feel and more comfort with less noise than the Dunlop and Pirellis. None showed traction issues in the snow, driven responsibly with AWD
I looked into the PA4s, but as far as I've been able to find out, they aren't available in an appropriate size for either 18" or 19" wheels in the U.S. for the Model 3. Michelin shows one size up on their website with 245/45-18 and 245/40-19 which would work, but those aren't available from Tirerack, Discount Tire, or anywhere else in the U.S.
 
So what ends up being a better value......ordering the 18" winter tire package from Tesla for $2000 (I know this includes ranger install), or purchasing four aero wheel rims, four tires from Tirerack and just paying a ranger or tire store to install them?
 
So what ends up being a better value......ordering the 18" winter tire package from Tesla for $2000 (I know this includes ranger install), or purchasing four aero wheel rims, four tires from Tirerack and just paying a ranger or tire store to install them?

I just did this myself, but with Xices:

$835 for 18” Aero rims from eBay (you can likely do much better if you live near a larger city and can purchase off craigslist)
$120 for TPMS from Amazon, installed myself
$790 for purchase and installation of Xices at Discount Tire
-$70 rebate for Michelins
=$1795

So you can save a bit over direct from Tesla with the benefit of being able to choose the tire you want.

I was thinking about the Sottozero 3s but the availability of the XL rated tires is poor right now and the Xices were on sale, plus a manufacturer rebate. The Pirellis would have probably run me an additional $200-300, so more like $2000-2100.
 
So what ends up being a better value......ordering the 18" winter tire package from Tesla for $2000 (I know this includes ranger install), or purchasing four aero wheel rims, four tires from Tirerack and just paying a ranger or tire store to install them?
Mounting and balancing is something like $30 per tire. If you're gonna go through this trouble, might as well buy high quality aftermarket wheels like BBS or OZ for 300 per wheel. Swap OEM tires on there and use Aeros for winter rubbers
 
I'm shopping for a set of snow tires and wheels for my Model 3. I don't mind the Tesla package but I do save almost $1000 Can going non-Tesla. And now, the sales are starting. I'm realizing that there are a lot of little things to be concerned with when going after-market, or you just let a good shop pick everything for you. Here are a few issues that I've learned about in my research beyond the basics:

1) The various tire websites will give a list of wheels that fit the model 3. But some of the choices are only 7.5" wide (vs 8.5" with Tesla), which is on the low end of what some of the winters tires allow. So, I've decided to go with 8" minimum as performance may suffer with narrower rims on the 235/45 tires.

2) TPMS - I've read some stories of people's sensors not getting picked up properly and being stuck with this with no help from the shop. I have a feeling that I need to find a shop to do the install that knows what their doing wrt TPMS, or I figure it out myself. I've read about some people cloning their TPMS's. This seems like a better way then to not clone. It sounds like that with cloning, it all works immediately, whereas if simply getting a 433 MHz TPMS, it takes time to connect.

3) Wheel offset - Again, tire websites are providing wheels with a range of offsets, sometimes outside of the 5mm max from OEM that some people are recommending. So, I'm further pruning the wheel choices to 5mm max from OEM.

4) Center bore - The model's is on the small side at 64.1mm, so a ring will be needed for most wheels that are larger. I assume that if I find a suitable wheel that has the same bore, then this is preferable over a wheel that requires a ring. Is there any advantage to choosing a wheel who's bore is only slightly larger vs much larger than OEM?

5) Old stock of tires - Canadian Tire currently has a sale on Continental WinterContact SI Plus but some people have warned us to watch out for old stock. (i.e. more than 1 year old). Given my low annual mileage, my tires will be with me for 10 years. Do I really need to be worried about buying 3 year old tires?

6) Lug seat style - Although lug nuts are relatively minor, I did see that a set of Gorilla lugs for the model 3 is almost $100. So, choosing a wheel that has a 60 degree conical (OEM) will allow me to use my existing lugs. And I assume that the angle must match as they come in 45 degree and something else as well.

7) Costs adding up - So, after I choose wheels and tires, for each wheel, I have to pay $46-60 for TPMS, maybe $30 for install, balancing, etc., maybe compatible lugs ($90 total or a bit less). That's about $400 extra.

What are other's experiences here?

Stan
 
Since there are probably a lot of people heading into their first winter with a Model 3 I thought I'd start a tip thread.

I have a LR RWD which I got July '18. I've driven it through one Minnesota winter. Here's a few things from my experience.

  • Preheat. In cold weather it helps to turn on climate control while you are getting ready in the morning. This allows the car to use wall power rather than battery power to heat up the interior. It also warms the battery pack some.
  • Reduced Regen. When the car has sat overnight in any temps below about 60F you'll notice some regen limitation. This is shown by the dots in the upper left on the power bar. The colder it is the more dots you will have and less regenerative braking. As the battery warms up you'll get back some or all of the dots. In sub zero weather you'll probably not be able to get all of them back. Be prepared as it is sometime a bit of a shock when you let up on the pedal and the car does not slow down as expected.
  • Winter Tires. You'll find many threads on winter tires and which are good. In short, winter tires are no more or less necessary then on any other car. If you don't usually need winter tires then you may not on the Model 3. If you do get them, you'll have much better stopping and turning ability in cold/icy conditions. AWD will help you get going, but only the tires will help with stopping and turning. Last winter I used the stock 18" aero tires and had no more or less problems then previous cars. I can say the car is very smart about recovering from any slips. This year I plan on getting winter tires for the added safety.
  • Chill mode and low regen. Tesla recommends you put the car in chill mode and low regen for slippery conditions. I did try that last year and quickly went back to normal settings. For one, in cold weather you already have reduced regen so setting it to low did nothing much. As for chill mode, I find I can easily modulate my acceleration for the conditions and don't really need the car restricting me. If you are having trouble, you may want to give those a try for yourself.
  • Handling. The car is very good at handling wheel slip. It will accelerate without spinning the wheels. (there is a mode to allow slip if you need it to get unstuck) It is also quite good at recovering from back end slide outs. I found the RWD has a tendency to slide out a bit when starting an acceleration on ice. The first time it does it you think you are going to spin out, but it pulls itself back to straight almost before you can react. I have not driven the an AWD so I'll let someone else post how that handles.
  • Reduced Range. Depending on the temperature you will have some range reduction. I would say most of the winter it was in the order of 20-30%. We had a couple days around -30F and range reduction was closer to 50% at that extreme cold. One of the biggest hits to your range is the cabin heat. If possible preheat while you are still plugged in. If you really need the range, use the seat heaters rather than the cabin heat. They require less power. The other factors are cold batteries and reduced regen. Some people have found that timing your nightly charging so that it finishes right before you leave in the morning will allow you to start with a warmer battery pack and give you more of your normal range back. People tend to dwell on reduced winter range as a drawback to BEV, but ICE cars also have reduced range in the winter.
  • Defrost. The front window defrost has two settings. On the first press the icon turn blue and it directs cabin temperature air to the front window. On the second press the icon turns red and it directs full heat to the front window. I wish there was something in between. During snow storms the first setting is not enough to keep the window clean and the second setting is like having a hair dryer pointed at your face. Turning up the cabin temp does help the first setting.
  • Instant heat. One of the very nice things about electric heat is that you don't have to wait for an engine to warm up before you get nice warm air coming from the vents.
  • Sticking Charger Plug. In damp freezing conditions it is possible for the charging plug to get stuck and not release from the car. Tesla did put out an update last winter to help with that. If it does happen to you there is a release pull inside the trunk directly behind the charging port.
  • Frozen door handles. I only had this happen once. I washed the car on a warmer day and did not dry the handles well enough. It took some determined pushing to get them to open. If you do have a situation where the handles are wet and you know you'll have freezing temp overnight, make sure you dry the handles off.

If you have any more tips, please add them to the thread.
 
I think the frozen door handle thing will happen if the temperature fluctuates too. I had them the other day and it was barely freezing temps. I'm guessing frost -> melt > refreeze.

Otherwise great write-up. If you want more Regen back at the cost of some energy usage you can start a charge or navigate to the closest supercharger. Both will use the battery heater.