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Winter tires or winter tire package with tire/rim

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I took delivery of Model Y last month and with second snow of the season in Seattle east side it was already getting out of control on icy road.

I am thinking about buying winter tires. I see discount tire has $353/tire. Although sold out I see Tesla rim plus those same tires for 2750. Why would someone buy rim plus tire is I can buy tires much cheaper? Is it because it’s easier to replace rims yourself vs changing tires would require visit to store?
 
What size wheels do you have? If you have the budget, a dedicated winter set of wheels/tires is always best and easiest each season.

You'll need Tesla Bluetooth TPMS sensors if you get a new set of wheels. They are $95/ea on Tesla's website. Or, you can go on eBay and get a set of Tesla OEM sensors for around $40-50/ea from various resellers. I just got a set for no reason, I figure this won't last forever and I'll need them eventually.
 
Tesla owners will go down in wheel size an inch or two inches, i.e. from 21" or 20" down to 19" or 18" to gain more sidewall on their tires for a softer ride and to better survive encounters with potholes. The overall size of the outer diameter of the tire (28") does not change by more than a fraction of an inch.) Smaller size tires can cost less and there are often more tire choices in the smaller sizes. You will need to purchase a set of Tesla TPMS sensors for the Model Y if you go with a wheel and winter tire package. Discount Tires/America's Tires and Tirerack.com offer wheel and tire packages. Easier to change out (do it yourself if you have a low profile floor jack and other needed tire changing tools and are so inclined.)
 
Remounting your tires twice a year is expensive, a pain to do, and risks damage or improper installation of the tires each time. Swapping tires with rims is relatively quick and easy, you can easily do it yourself. I don't know what the availability of cheap steel rims is for Tesla, but it's a common choice in the northeast, you don't need fancy wheels for the slush and snow. Having one's winter tires mounted is well worth the extra bucks IMO.
 
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already getting out of control on icy road.

Winter tires will not help on “icy” roads - nothing except chains works when roads are truly icy. If this is a new problem to you because you are now driving a Tesla, you just need to learn how to drive it in the snow. Tesla’s have a lot of torque and regenerative breaking, which requires a lot more care when driving in slick conditions.

As an aside, I lived in Denver and drove to the mountains in the winter regularly (in an ICE car). In 14-years I never owned a set of snow tires and never got stuck.
 
For good traction on the icy road, it's to use chains or studded snow tires.
Chains - are usually for very extreme weather conditions, whereas studded snow tires can be used during all winter season even on a clean paved road. They are just a little louder than usual winter tires. But if you have "icy conditions" pretty often in your region - it is worth thinking about this kind of tire.
 
For good traction on the icy road, it's to use chains or studded snow tires.
Chains - are usually for very extreme weather conditions, whereas studded snow tires can be used during all winter season even on a clean paved road. They are just a little louder than usual winter tires. But if you have "icy conditions" pretty often in your region - it is worth thinking about this kind of tire.
Many parts of the country ban studded tires because they cause excessive road damage.
 
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modern studless snow tires are a huge improvement over stock all weather tires in all but extreme snow or ice conditions.
If conditions were bad enough to require chains I personally wouldn't be taking a tesla anyway.

I'm a huge fan of proper snow tires. I have a 2018 rear wheel drive model 3. It was pretty sketchy on the stock tires but does great with snows. I bought the 18" aero winter tire wheel set from Tesla. $2000 for OEM wheels, tires and sensors is very reasonable compared to what most dealers charge for OEM rims.
 
Many parts of the country ban studded tires because they cause excessive road damage.
Yes, it's not allowed in 11 states. But it's allowed in Seattle, where the topic author is from. So for him, it's an option.
It's not thaaaaat excessive road damage, to be honest. Regular 18-wheeler cause much more damage to the roads.
Those 11 states that are not allowed to use studded tires are mostly Southern states, so it makes sense why it's not allowed there, just a few from the north where such tires are forbidden.

If the author lives in a rural area with hill/mountain roads - such tires make a lot of sense.
 
modern studless snow tires are a huge improvement over stock all weather tires in all but extreme snow or ice conditions.
If conditions were bad enough to require chains I personally wouldn't be taking a tesla anyway.

I'm a huge fan of proper snow tires. I have a 2018 rear wheel drive model 3. It was pretty sketchy on the stock tires but does great with snows. I bought the 18" aero winter tire wheel set from Tesla. $2000 for OEM wheels, tires and sensors is very reasonable compared to what most dealers charge for OEM rims.
Any snow tires is a huge improvement over the stock all-weather tires in winter 😀
If your region has a normal cold winter, when temperatures are often below freezing - the snow tires are the must thing to have. Many people, unfortunately, don't realize this saying like "I was driving on all-seasons XX number of years and was fine". Those people just never tried winter tires at winter.
 
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Why would someone buy rim plus tire is I can buy tires much cheaper? Is it because it’s easier to replace rims yourself vs changing tires would require visit to store?
1. You can quickly swap the tires in the garage by yourself
2. It's safer for the tires. Two sets of tires will last you much longer than one set. If you drive 10K on average per year, each set of tires will last you at least 5 years. So if you reinstall the tires on the same rim, the edges of the tires may crack or be damaged during the installation after 2-3 years.
 
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unfortunately, don't realize this saying like "I was driving on all-seasons XX number of years and was fine". Those people just never tried winter tires at winter.

You should not make sure broad statements. I grew up in Jersey and had snow tires and yes, there are parts of this country where snows add a lot of value e.g. where snow is on the road most of the time. But a good set of all-seasons, with good tread works fine if you know how to drive in the snow. Unfortunately, too many people never learned how and I will agree that snows make for a better crutch than all-seasons.

I would avoid snows if you spend most of the time on dry roads as snows wear faster than all seasons on dry roads.
 
I would avoid snows if you spend most of the time on dry roads as snows wear faster than all seasons on dry roads.
It depends on the operating temperature.
If it's below 45 degrees, snow tires will have normal wear on dry roads and much better performance than all seasons.
You never know when you might need that extra grip to stop your car in time.
 
I made the mistake of driving my Model 3 with barely any tread on the Ohio turnpike in a snow storm last year. Talk about some scary driving. I had to abandon ship and get a hotel. Who would have thought I'd hit a snow storm in mid-April.
 
Vote for second winter set. The cost of swapping tires, sensors and balancing will add up after a few seasons. And each successive set... so it has a high maintenance cost. And the built-in delay not having a set handy when needed, etc etc.