Winter tire recommendations

[Jard]

Tough call. Let me throw a wrench into this and suggest if money is no object have 3 sets? Michelin 21" supersports for 3/4 of the year, AS3+'s for the cold months, and dedicated winters (Alpins, Sottozero's, Hakka's) for the few times you go up the mountain. As long as you have the ability to change the sets on and off quickly. I do it myself in about half an hour so it would no bother for me, but I wouldn't if I had to bring it to someone else and wait (and pay) for them to do it. The downfall is with that little mileage in about 5-7 years the winter tires will actually get old and oxidize before they actually wear out.

If not, then I think chancing putting your brand new Raven in the ditch should supersede the notion of an extra 10% of possible performance the AS3+'s probably give over the WRG4's. (I say probably as I expect it, but haven't tried the AS3+ yet, but I think you would be surprised at how well the WRG4's initiate turns and hold lines)

Here are owners reviews: and here is one of them regarding spirited driving from a vehicle with stiffer suspension than the Raven.

"My wife chose a Mini JCW Countryman AWD for her family / rally car. Nice build with 6 spd manual and no cursed sunroof. I was delighted to find this thing is a rocket. All except for the OE tires. These were rock hard, noisy, poor performing junk. After 6 months of useless talks with Mini, we gave up and bought a set of WR G4s. Being used to fast cars, I was wondering if the Nokians were up to the Minis performance. Indeed they are. Right away turn-in was smooth and positive. Higher speed stability is very good. Tire noise went way down on most surfaces. The ride got a lot better but they do feel like performance tires. I don't mind this at all. Up to about .7 Gs cornering, the steering and grip is similar to top quality performance rubber. Beyond that the tires progressively loose and regain traction, just what you want..."

Thanks! I really appreciate the input and discussion. It sounds like we're on the exact same though process so far.

I'm no stranger to the Nokians, I ran the original WRs on a Subaru WRX STi and had WRG3s on an Outback recently and WRG3 SUVs on the minivan I just sold yesterday.

What I haven't done before is owned a supercar like the P100DL so I'm concerned about giving up anything by going with the Nokians. I actually think the WRG4s will have better efficiency since they are a low rolling resistance tire...but how much performance and feel am I giving up?

Another consideration is local service. I can buy the Michelins locally and have them installed by a local shop I trust who will help deal with treadwear warranty type of things, since I expect the S is going to eat tires. The Nokians are mail order only around here.

I can swap wheels myself with no issue and have storage space, but I'm not so excited about spending another $2,500 immediately for a another set of 19s.

The long term solution might actually be to put WRG4s for year-round use on my wife's Dual Motor LR Model 3 when her OEM tires wear out. We could drive that to PA and I would be confident we can handle whatever weather gets thrown at us.

BUT I have to do something immediately because driving on the PSS daily in the Model S is not an option...

I keep going around in circles!

 

[dark cloud]

Thanks! I really appreciate the input and discussion. It sounds like we're on the exact same though process so far.

I'm no stranger to the Nokians, I ran the original WRs on a Subaru WRX STi and had WRG3s on an Outback recently and WRG3 SUVs on the minivan I just sold yesterday.

What I haven't done before is owned a supercar like the P100DL ...!

The Subi Sti is no slouch

I didn't notice your previous posts regarding you already buying those WRG4's ?? If so I would say you are set. My daughter has WRG3's on her Civic but I cannot compare to the WRG4's on my Tesla. But from what I have read from other reviews who have owned both Nokian have made the G4 a little sportier than the G3; a little less effective in deep snow/slush but better on dry roads, and quieter. A trade-off that I and probably you would appreciate.

Believe me, I drive with performance in mind. I used to road race motorcycles; I am addicted to g-forces. I take corners where the suggested speed limit is 60 km/h and go through it at 120 km/h and the car rails beautifully on the G4's; initiate a turn and you get precise steering feedback; no understeer; no oversteer; and of course with my P85D+ performance suspension very little body roll. How much faster would I go if I had super sticky Supersports? Probably not at all. So I don't bother with 21" wheels. Of course a lap time around a racetrack would give up several seconds but who actually does this? Like I keep saying for a snowflake tire they are amazing. I don't think you will want for the AS3+.

 

[Jard]

The Subi Sti is no slouch

I didn't notice your previous posts regarding you already buying those WRG4's ?? If so I would say you are set. My daughter has WRG3's on her Civic but I cannot compare to the WRG4's on my Tesla. But from what I have read from other reviews who have owned both Nokian have made the G4 a little sportier than the G3; a little less effective in deep snow/slush but better on dry roads, and quieter. A trade-off that I and probably you would appreciate.

Believe me, I drive with performance in mind. I used to road race motorcycles; I am addicted to g-forces. I take corners where the suggested speed limit is 60 km/h and go through it at 120 km/h and the car rails beautifully on the G4's; initiate a turn and you get precise steering feedback; no understeer; no oversteer; and of course with my P85D+ performance suspension very little body roll. How much faster would I go if I had super sticky Supersports? Probably not at all. So I don't bother with 21" wheels. Of course a lap time around a racetrack would give up several seconds but who actually does this? Like I keep saying for a snowflake tire they are amazing. I don't think you will want for the AS3+.

Advisor called today and the car is arriving on Wed and they want me to take delivery on Sat. Since I have the WRG4 sitting in my garage I am trying to get them to install them at Tesla service immediately after delivery.

Thanks again for your inputs!

 

[shellderp]

Thanks! I really appreciate the input and discussion. It sounds like we're on the exact same though process so far.

I'm no stranger to the Nokians, I ran the original WRs on a Subaru WRX STi and had WRG3s on an Outback recently and WRG3 SUVs on the minivan I just sold yesterday.

What I haven't done before is owned a supercar like the P100DL so I'm concerned about giving up anything by going with the Nokians. I actually think the WRG4s will have better efficiency since they are a low rolling resistance tire...but how much performance and feel am I giving up?

Another consideration is local service. I can buy the Michelins locally and have them installed by a local shop I trust who will help deal with treadwear warranty type of things, since I expect the S is going to eat tires. The Nokians are mail order only around here.

I can swap wheels myself with no issue and have storage space, but I'm not so excited about spending another $2,500 immediately for a another set of 19s.

The long term solution might actually be to put WRG4s for year-round use on my wife's Dual Motor LR Model 3 when her OEM tires wear out. We could drive that to PA and I would be confident we can handle whatever weather gets thrown at us.

BUT I have to do something immediately because driving on the PSS daily in the Model S is not an option...

I keep going around in circles!

I had the same thought process with using the WRG4s year round. You really want the best summer tires possible for this beast. Even the pilot sport 3 it came with lose traction on launches. You can't spend this much on a car and skimp on the tires, arguably the most important part you can splurge on! I'm planning on getting Pilot Sport 4S when these run out. It doesn't actually eat tires that fast and I launch a LOT. Will get 2 summers out of the stock pilot sport 3 which is about what they're rated for.

I made the mistake of getting Michelin X-ICE since these are what I've used on previous cars. They slip a lot on dry and it's hilariously bad on wet. Definitely at minimum get a performance winter tire like the Pirelli Sottozeros. My plan once these die is to get WRG4s for winters since they seem like the best winter/performance tire that can still handle Ontario snow, even though our snow clearing is really good and the roads are usually just slushy.

Will be curious to know if you do get the WRG4s, how the performance is affected.

 

[Jard]

I had the same thought process with using the WRG4s year round. You really want the best summer tires possible for this beast. Even the pilot sport 3 it came with lose traction on launches. You can't spend this much on a car and skimp on the tires, arguably the most important part you can splurge on! I'm planning on getting Pilot Sport 4S when these run out. It doesn't actually eat tires that fast and I launch a LOT. Will get 2 summers out of the stock pilot sport 3 which is about what they're rated for.

I made the mistake of getting Michelin X-ICE since these are what I've used on previous cars. They slip a lot on dry and it's hilariously bad on wet. Definitely at minimum get a performance winter tire like the Pirelli Sottozeros. My plan once these die is to get WRG4s for winters since they seem like the best winter/performance tire that can still handle Ontario snow, even though our snow clearing is really good and the roads are usually just slushy.

Will be curious to know if you do get the WRG4s, how the performance is affected.

I took delivery on Friday and immediately got the WRG4 installed on Saturday since it’s supposed to be iffy weather this week. For us that just means maybe light snow on a commute home and no real accumulation but enough that I wouldn’t want to drive the car on Pilot Super Sports.

I think the WRG4 would be perfect for Ontario and are a bit of winter overkill here but I want to be able to drive into the mountains when I need to.

I drove about 50 miles on them today in steady rain and they are smooth, no issues. I did roll onto the accelerator hard in Ludicrous mode from probably 10 mph - 70 mph and they struggled to keep traction. They aren’t known for great wet traction but more than make up for that in light snow and slush, IMHO, from my experience with the WRG3.

 

[shellderp]

I took delivery on Friday and immediately got the WRG4 installed on Saturday since it’s supposed to be iffy weather this week. For us that just means maybe light snow on a commute home and no real accumulation but enough that I wouldn’t want to drive the car on Pilot Super Sports.

I think the WRG4 would be perfect for Ontario and are a bit of winter overkill here but I want to be able to drive into the mountains when I need to.

I drove about 50 miles on them today in steady rain and they are smooth, no issues. I did roll onto the accelerator hard in Ludicrous mode from probably 10 mph - 70 mph and they struggled to keep traction. They aren’t known for great wet traction but more than make up for that in light snow and slush, IMHO, from my experience with the WRG3.

Even the super sports will lose traction if you floor it when it's wet lol. If they can handle a dry launch though I'd be happy. My xice just spin on dry road. We got a nice pile of snow and ice today so I'm glad I have the xice today!

 

[MaxTorque]

About what is the treadlife on the R3's? I ask because the Ice3's I have are just graduating on their 4th season this year with around 5/32 left heading into the season. They have done 25k miles easy and I've been very pleased.

I got 50K+ km on the R3s. The rears were done, so I just replaced all four this year. We had a terrific storm in Southern Ontario a few weeks ago, and I was able to cruise along while others on the HWY 401 & 407 were slip slidin' away. Snow tires should be a law like in Quebec.

 

[Ross88]

I picked up my car last night (in NY) and woke this morning to head to the tire shop to install my new Nokian WRG4's. Luckily for me it was snowing a little and the roads were slushy and slick. Based on that one drive to work from the tire shop, the car didn't slip once despite my attempts to make it slip. The car felt secure on the road while others around me were slipping. So far so good!

 

[Ross88]

One week (and approx 200 miles) into the WRG4's and I'm 50/50 on them. Much better in wet and slippery weather than all seasons, but not great for aggressive dry road driving. Accelerating into a turn I can feel (and hear) the tires slip and got a little nervous, but this might improve once the tires are worn in a little. But driving into work today at or slightly above the speed limits in sleet, I didn't slip once.

I will report back again if anyone is interested.

 

[SmartElectric]

Accelerating into a turn I can feel (and hear) the tires slip and got a little nervous, but this might improve once the tires are worn in a little

Nice! So you get a bonus of more excitement on your drive. How can that be a bad thing?! ;-)
Model S P85 owners would call that "standard operating conditions", ie, more power than grip.

 

[Barry]

I have about 4K miles on WRG4s. Previous tires were Michelin MXM4 and A/S3+. I've driven in snow and wet several times and pleased with them. I've never had slippage on dry pavement, but I haven't done any drag racing Next set will be WRG4s.

 

[Jard]

One week (and approx 200 miles) into the WRG4's and I'm 50/50 on them. Much better in wet and slippery weather than all seasons, but not great for aggressive dry road driving. Accelerating into a turn I can feel (and hear) the tires slip and got a little nervous, but this might improve once the tires are worn in a little. But driving into work today at or slightly above the speed limits in sleet, I didn't slip once.

I will report back again if anyone is interested.

I have just under 500 miles on WRG4s and I like them. We’ve had some light snow and slush (but mostly cold rain) and I like that I don’t need to be concerned about those conditions.

I’ll push them a little on backroads when we travel for Christmas but they have been great as a winter commuter tire.

 

[SmartElectric]

Mistakenly posted in
Best Winter Tires for ModelS

Found this sticky thread, figured this is more appropriate to ask here:

2020 winter coming up.
Any recommendations?
Am considering

$317 CAD
Nokian HAKKAPELIITTA R3 tires

Vs
$265 CAD
Michelin - X-Ice Xi3 - P245/45R19 XL 102H BSW

We are replacing our Nokian R2's which are EOL.

 

[coleAK]

Mistakenly posted in
Best Winter Tires for ModelS

Found this sticky thread, figured this is more appropriate to ask here:

2020 winter coming up.
Any recommendations?
Am considering

$317 CAD
Nokian HAKKAPELIITTA R3 tires

Vs
$265 CAD
Michelin - X-Ice Xi3 - P245/45R19 XL 102H BSW

We are replacing our Nokian R2's which are EOL.

Nokian all the way. Here in Alaska head and shoulders above all else. They also tend to last longer.

 

[TrevTremaine]

Mistakenly posted in
Best Winter Tires for ModelS

Found this sticky thread, figured this is more appropriate to ask here:

2020 winter coming up.
Any recommendations?
Am considering

$317 CAD
Nokian HAKKAPELIITTA R3 tires

Vs
$265 CAD
Michelin - X-Ice Xi3 - P245/45R19 XL 102H BSW

We are replacing our Nokian R2's which are EOL.

You might want to double check on those Michelin X-ICE. Apparently, there's a new one out for 2020/1 called X-ICE SNOW


Michelin X-Ice Snow Tire :: Michelin North America, Inc.

 

[SmartElectric]

You might want to double check on those Michelin X-ICE. Apparently, there's a new one out for 2020/1 called X-ICE SNOW
Michelin X-Ice Snow Tire :: Michelin North America, Inc.

GREAT CALL!

CA$277.79 (only $10 more than the older x-ice) , cheaper than Nokian
Michelin - X-Ice Snow - P245/45R19 XL 102H BSW

 

[cityhpper]

Looking for 19" studless winter tires for my 2019 Long Range. This is my first EV, I come from a BMW M550d xDrive.

I recon about 80 % of my the winter driving is commute on wet highways with the occational 1" of slush. The challenge is that the remaining 20 % are trips to the moutains where roads are snow covered and temperature below -10 C (14 F). For these trips, the car is loaded (passengers + luggage) so i take it pretty easy on the pedal.

Any recommendations on tires that will offer top-of-the-range wet performance and handling on the highway, but still provide good traction for the mountain trips? As an example, the Nokian R2 is to soft for my driving style although I respect its snow performance.

Thank you.

 

[SmartElectric]

Looking for 19" studless winter tires for my 2019 Long Range

Congrats!
Here is the best channel for your region and usage :

 

[cityhpper]

Congrats!
Here is the best channel for your region and usage :

Thank you.

Yes, well aware of Bjorn's tests and recommendations. And the Nereus/Firemax/... seems to provide good value for money. My concern is wether they provide the handling and steering response I seek?

Anyone with experience from the more performance based winter tires from Michelin, Goodyear, Conti et al? Are they to be trusted also in the wild...?

 

[dark cloud]

Thank you.

Yes, well aware of Bjorn's tests and recommendations. And the Nereus/Firemax/... seems to provide good value for money. My concern is wether they provide the handling and steering response I seek?

Anyone with experience from the more performance based winter tires from Michelin, Goodyear, Conti et al? Are they to be trusted also in the wild...?

I believe I have made many anecdotes of the Nokian WRG4 in this thread already, but 80% rain 20% winter is what the all-weather tire was made for. Handles fantastic on dry roads too, excellent rolling resistance, and a wear out warranty. I am just not positive they are available where you are at.