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Winter Tires for Model X (Dual Motor Performance)

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Obviously any minimal traction loss on dry pavement is offset by the gains you get with them on ice. We have a lot of days like today where rapid temperature changes cause ice/black icing conditions on the roads. Studs really make a big difference.
 
View attachment 486120 Obviously any minimal traction loss on dry pavement is offset by the gains you get with them on ice. We have a lot of days like today where rapid temperature changes cause ice/black icing conditions on the roads. Studs really make a big difference.

Not saying they are not justified in some places. But folks need to understand the trade offs.

You used to see studs all the time in New England years ago. And I’ve had them. Now you rarely ever see them. Still see plenty of folks with snow tires. And yes we have black ice too. They are not worth the compromise.

You (we) are basically placing a bet on what you will statistically run into.

And note that studless “Ice” tires are not helpless on ice (e.g. X-Ice, R3 or Blizzak) Just not as good as studs.

BTW, I think it’s a great idea having one car with studs and one without.
 
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I've run Nokian's forever. But there is no "Best Tire".

I own property in central MA and central NH for reference. Often the winter is worse in MA (lots of Ice).

The Hakka 9's, are studded, I'd never run a studded tire unless I lived on snow all winter
I have run R2, R2 SUV, and R3. They are great.
But they are also a little Noisy, Less Efficient, Little Squirmy and not great Wet Braking.
But they are one of the "Best" non Studded and Studded in Snow/ICE tires.

I went for Michelin X-Ice 3 for Model 3 and Volt because they are noted to be ultra quiet, efficient and had 40K mile Tread Warranty.
They also have issues with wet braking.
But they are also squirmy. Very good on Ice and Snow but not quite as good as Nokian.

For Model X I went with Pirelli Scorpion Performance Snow tire 19" Square (Tesla Store)
Super Quiet, like unbelievably quiet, so far they are like driving in a snow cat in the snow.
They are supposed to be efficient but really hard to measure with Model X frequently heating the battery right now.
But I think they are as good as the summer (20" OEM Staggered) if not better on efficiency.
They are not squirmy at all and they are noted to be much better at wet braking (which is the most common surface next to dry in Winter).
How long they will last, time will tell. At this point I wish I bought them for the Volt too (I just put the X-Ice on the Volt this past week).
Also wish I could run them year round and now can't wait until my OEM tires wear out, not looking forward to putting them back on in the spring. First time ever that I prefer my winter tires over summer ones.

It really depends on your needs and your priorities as to what is "best". Same goes for summer tires.

Thanks for posting all this info. Really appreciate your insights.
 
So I finally got around to installing the winter wheels/tires today. Took me about 45 minutes because I went really slow to make sure I didn't screw anything up. These wheels were not my first choice but I actually like them now that they are on the car. Apologies for the dirt! Also picked up these handy tire covers for storing the summer tires.

One question:
- I went into the menu to change the tire configuration and it would only take the wheel size. I thought for sure I was supposed to enter the entire tire sizes (275/45/20, 265/45/20). Is this a change or did I have it wrong?

Took it for a quick spin and all good. Supposed to snow tomorrow, so it will be interesting to see the performance difference,

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So I finally got around to installing the winter wheels/tires today. Took me about 45 minutes because I went really slow to make sure I didn't screw anything up. These wheels were not my first choice but I actually like them now that they are on the car. Apologies for the dirt! Also picked up these handy tire covers for storing the summer tires.

One question:
- I went into the menu to change the tire configuration and it would only take the wheel size. I thought for sure I was supposed to enter the entire tire sizes (275/45/20, 265/45/20). Is this a change or did I have it wrong?

Took it for a quick spin and all good. Supposed to snow tomorrow, so it will be interesting to see the performance difference,

View attachment 488827 View attachment 488823 View attachment 488824

Nope, just rim size. I don't know if it has a table that maps to the diameters of the standard tire sizes Tesla sells or what.
I would think overall tire diameter is more critical than the actual rim size.

Those rims do look good.
 
We live in NW Montana where the winters can be challenging. We run these:

Nokian Hakkapeliitta 9 SUV - Winter tires / Nokian Tires

We have had them on the different Mercedes SUV's we have owned, and now on the Tesla. They are FANTASTIC tires. Best winter tires by far.
What width did you use? I see that Nokian offers these on 20" at 255 and 275. There is no 265 option. I almost got in a crash the other day in CT rockin 22" summer/sport tires. New X owner here... I am thinking this is my best option for next winter.
 
I've run Nokian's forever. But there is no "Best Tire".

I own property in central MA and central NH for reference. Often the winter is worse in MA (lots of Ice).

The Hakka 9's, are studded, I'd never run a studded tire unless I lived on snow all winter
I have run R2, R2 SUV, and R3. They are great.
But they are also a little Noisy, Less Efficient, Little Squirmy and not great Wet Braking.
But they are one of the "Best" non Studded and Studded in Snow/ICE tires.

I went for Michelin X-Ice 3 for Model 3 and Volt because they are noted to be ultra quiet, efficient and had 40K mile Tread Warranty.
They also have issues with wet braking.
But they are also squirmy. Very good on Ice and Snow but not quite as good as Nokian.

For Model X I went with Pirelli Scorpion Performance Snow tire 19" Square (Tesla Store)
Super Quiet, like unbelievably quiet, so far they are like driving in a snow cat in the snow.
They are supposed to be efficient but really hard to measure with Model X frequently heating the battery right now.
But I think they are as good as the summer (20" OEM Staggered) if not better on efficiency.
They are not squirmy at all and they are noted to be much better at wet braking (which is the most common surface next to dry in Winter).
How long they will last, time will tell. At this point I wish I bought them for the Volt too (I just put the X-Ice on the Volt this past week).
Also wish I could run them year round and now can't wait until my OEM tires wear out, not looking forward to putting them back on in the spring. First time ever that I prefer my winter tires over summer ones.

It really depends on your needs and your priorities as to what is "best". Same goes for summer tires.

Thanks for this. Which are the exact tires you are referring to ("Pirelli Scorpion Performance Snow")? Thanks a lot.