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Studless Ice and Snow tires vs. Performance Winter snow tires; what's right for me ?

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In the 245/45R19 tire size, Tire Rack can offer snow tires in two distinct categories; Studless Ice and Snow and Performance Winter Snow tires. For those that have not yet had the need for dedicated snow tires (or did not have options in the past), the differences are subtle but important to differentiate as choosing the wrong category could result in disappointment.


Studless Ice and Snow tires feature an aggressive (knobby) tread pattern, advanced rubber compounds and low speed ratings in an effort to maximize deep snow and ice traction when conditions are at their worst. Due to the larger amount of void between the tread blocks (needed to move snow and slush out of the way quickly), the tread blocks will squirm at highway speeds creating a somewhat "unsettled" feeling most noticeably when the tires are brand new. It has been my experience that if the bulk of your travels take you down roads that are not plowed / or salted often enough, then the Studless Ice and Snow tires are exactly what you need. They will maximize your grip in the worst conditions. In the 245/45R19 size, Michelin X Ice Xi3 is the only Studless Ice and Snow option we have access to that has sufficient load capacity.


Performance Winter Snow tires feature a slightly less aggressive tread pattern and higher speed ratings aimed at keeping tread squirm to a minimum while still offering enhanced light snow and ice traction. Developed for the European market, Performance Winter Snow tires will provide better dry and wet traction than their Studless counterparts but at the expense of snow deep snow and ice capablity. If the local road crews keep up with heavy accumulations very well and you like your car to handle (fairly) well at highway speeds, this is the category for you. For proper load capacity, the Bridestone Blizzak LM-32, Dunlop WinterSport 3D and the Pirelli Winter 240 SottoZero Series 2 are our options for 245/45R19 and the Pirelli Winter SottoZero Series 3 is the lone option in 245/35R21 out of all the brands we carry.

To be clear, even the least effective dedicated snow tire will outperform the most capable all season tire when cold weather hits. To best suit your needs, we just need to know what expectations you have given (expected) road conditions and your driving style.


As always, feel free to drop me a note or call in with questions !

For more winter tire Tech, click here !
 
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Thanks for the info, Doc.

My local independent tire store bought Xi3's for me from Tire Rack (they couldn't source them locally) and installed them last Saturday. We haven't had any snow or ice since then and the temperatures have been pretty warm for this time of year, so all I've been able to determine, so far, is that dry road handling is less than stellar. The tires seem a little 'floaty' under acceleration and take a longer time to accept the car's weight shift during cornering; I put that down to the softer sidewalls. They're quiet and ride smoothly, I'll give them that.

Our first snowfall is expected overnight tonight and the temps should drop from around 60 into the teens by tomorrow morning; that'll give me a better idea of how the Xi3's handle in the conditions for which they're designed.
 
Great info, doc!

I used both a standard studless and a performance winter on a previous car. One thing I found that really made a difference in the particular climate I was in at the time (Ohio) was wet traction. The Performance winters seems to, generally, score much better in wet conditions than studless. If your climate dictates that much of your winter is spent driving in water or slush rather than fresh snow, it's something to consider.
 
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Studless Ice and Snow tires feature an aggressive (knobby) tread pattern, advanced rubber compounds and low speed ratings in an effort to maximize deep snow and ice traction when conditions are at their worst. Due to the larger amount of void between the tread blocks (needed to move snow and slush out of the way quickly), the tread blocks will squirm at highway speeds creating a somewhat "unsettled" feeling most noticeably when the tires are brand new. It has been my experience that if the bulk of your travels take you down roads that are not plowed / or salted often enough, then the Studless Ice and Snow tires are exactly what you need. They will maximize your grip in the worst conditions. In the 245/45R19 size, Michelin X Ice Xi3 is the only Studless Ice and Snow option that has sufficient load capacity.

The Nokian Hakkapeliitta R2 has a load index of 102 the same as the X Ice Xi3. The Xi3 is a fine tire, but it's not the only one.
 
While we're on the subject...

If you're getting your tires mounted and balanced somewhere other than a Tesla Service Center, be sure the shop you choose has a Hunter 'Road Force' wheel balancing machine. This is the same kind used by Tesla and most luxury car dealers. It is head and shoulders above other machines and can even detect manufacturing defects hidden inside a new tire. Here's how to locate Road Force machines in your area...

Hunter GSP9700 Wheel vibration Control System solves wheel vibration and tire pull problems that balancers and aligners can't fix
 
Thanks for the info, Doc.

My local independent tire store bought Xi3's for me from Tire Rack (they couldn't source them locally) and installed them last Saturday. We haven't had any snow or ice since then and the temperatures have been pretty warm for this time of year, so all I've been able to determine, so far, is that dry road handling is less than stellar. The tires seem a little 'floaty' under acceleration and take a longer time to accept the car's weight shift during cornering; I put that down to the softer sidewalls. They're quiet and ride smoothly, I'll give them that.
I use them on my NSX (also from Tire Rack) and concur with this evaluation, very comfortable, but really just normal tire handling, so be careful. Previously, I had Pirelli performance winter tires which were better handling, although not in the same class as real performance tires. However, at least on the NSX, they were just not good enough in the snow and slush we get here. The Michelins are really excellent in those conditions, so the trade off for me was being able to confidently drive the car in bad weather vs giving up a lot of performance when the road conditions are good. I chose being able to drive the car, but YMMV.

Incidentally, I use Bridgestone RE-11As (from Tire Rack natch) in the warm months and can't say enough good about them, but I don't think they are available for the S. Unfortunately, they are a bit dangerous when the temperature gets down below freezing.
 
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Most non-studded real wintertires are soft. Meaning they might feel a bit snaky. Studded are usually a bit harder and much more safe if you have snow/icy roads. Avoid the allyear and the central european type winter tires. Allyear is plain dangerous and some central european can also be dangerous in subzero (most are ok if you adapt your driving). After two near crashes last winter i will comtinue with studded myself. No snow yet here but icy roads in the mornings. For braking spikes are extremely much better. With spikes i dare driving a bit more summerlike. It all depends on your winterconditions. Plus if you are used tomrearwheel drive in those conditions...
 
I need to order winter tires for my Model S and am fairly to winter tires. My cars and SUVs for the last 15 years have been AWD and I am a bit nervous with the RWD Model S. Did run flat tires weigh into decision on brand you chose? I see Dunlop and Pirelli have run flat winter tires that are XL rated. I am looking for pros and cons for run flat tires.
 
Thanks Doc.

Your website also lists the Sottozero 3 as in the correct 19" size. Do you recommend to series 2 over the 3 for the 245/45 19 rims?

For Seattle winters where there is occasional ice but we are close to Canada would you recommend the performance winter tires? We don't see enough deep snow I think to make snow tires worth it.
 
Did run flat tires weigh into decision on brand you chose?

Yes, runflat tires told me which brands to avoid. Runflat tires reduce range by a great deal and they are much harder riding. The hard ride may cause more wheel damage (speculation).

The Model S is a fine winter car if you put good snow tires on like Michelin X-ice xi3 or Nokian Hakkapeliitta R2. It's not like the old RWD cars where there is zero weight in the rear.
 
Hi all, headed for our first winter in the P+, good prices from Tire Rack, however, the rims they recommend are 19 / 8.5. We have 21 / 8.5 on the rear currently, but 8.0 on the front. Question is, can you run 8.5's front and rear?? Thanks for any feed back'
 
Hi all, headed for our first winter in the P+, good prices from Tire Rack, however, the rims they recommend are 19 / 8.5. We have 21 / 8.5 on the rear currently, but 8.0 on the front. Question is, can you run 8.5's front and rear?? Thanks for any feed back'

You are probably better off getting dedicated 19" winter rims and tires.