I’m scared to drive my new Tesla in the winter

[Tessa Robin]

Coming from suvs that always did great in winter I was excited to hear Tesla did great in winter. I’m not convinced and now scared to drive it.

I drove my Y to the airport the other day after a couple hrs of snow. At first I thought wow this does do great. Then I started spinning out. I fish tailed at least four times before gaining control. Thankfully no cars were coming or this would have been a wreck for sure. I’m sure it’s when I let off the gas as I felt the speed was getting up there. The regenerative brakes have been a concern and now I see they truly are. After this a Camry passed me and left me in the dust. We all know that Camry isn’t awd and did better than me. I’m due to return and hope there’s no snow because I don’t trust taking it from the airport home. I’m assuming I definitely need to get winter tires. But I’m still disappointed a Camry that’s not awd and also with just regular tires handled better. We planned on this being our car to the slopes this year. Thoughts? We’ve considered putting a lift and tires on. It’s a Y.

 

[804son]

I too am in Colorado. I would not think of going through a winter on any vehicle without proper Winter Tires. Do lots of people do it yes, Me Not a chance. Doesn't matter how good your traction control is or the weight of your vehicle, if you don't have proper traction. The guy in the Camry either had proper winter tires on his car or he was just lucky.

I have a winter set of tires & wheels for each of my Model 3 and Y (both Dual Motor). I still have to drive carefully and cautiously, but I am able to get around in almost any conditions.

 

[Tessa Robin]

I am just brewery to spend a bunch of money on winter tires if the breaking is still going to be an issue or if the tires themselves will be enough to be able to drive it in the winter otherwise, on snow days I’m kind of reluctant to drive just might keep it parked.

 

[karkrazy]

Coming from suvs that always did great in winter I was excited to hear Tesla did great in winter. I’m not convinced and now scared to drive it.

I drove my Y to the airport the other day after a couple hrs of snow. At first I thought wow this does do great. Then I started spinning out. I fish tailed at least four times before gaining control. Thankfully no cars were coming or this would have been a wreck for sure. I’m sure it’s when I let off the gas as I felt the speed was getting up there. The regenerative brakes have been a concern and now I see they truly are. After this a Camry passed me and left me in the dust. We all know that Camry isn’t awd and did better than me. I’m due to return and hope there’s no snow because I don’t trust taking it from the airport home. I’m assuming I definitely need to get winter tires. But I’m still disappointed a Camry that’s not awd and also with just regular tires handled better. We planned on this being our car to the slopes this year. Thoughts? We’ve considered putting a lift and tires on. It’s a Y.

What tires do you currently have installed? Can’t really tell. First guess is that those are summer tires

 

[essaunders]

you have to carefully modulate the 'go pedal'. you can't be slamming it 'on' and 'off'. remember - coming all the way off the 'go' pedal is akin to pressing the brakes hard. Likewise, the vehicle is 'rear biased' - something you have to get used to - especially if you're coming from a Front wheel drive car.

(all this assumes you have proper tires..)

 

[Tessa Robin]

What tires do you currently have installed? Can’t really tell. First guess is that those are summer tires

I also don’t know at the moment just from what I could see from my picture. I will be home this weekend and was just hoping for some advice to be comfortable to drive home if there is any type of snow on the ground.

 

[heavync]

Coming from suvs that always did great in winter I was excited to hear Tesla did great in winter. I’m not convinced and now scared to drive it.

I drove my Y to the airport the other day after a couple hrs of snow. At first I thought wow this does do great. Then I started spinning out. I fish tailed at least four times before gaining control. Thankfully no cars were coming or this would have been a wreck for sure. I’m sure it’s when I let off the gas as I felt the speed was getting up there. The regenerative brakes have been a concern and now I see they truly are. After this a Camry passed me and left me in the dust. We all know that Camry isn’t awd and did better than me. I’m due to return and hope there’s no snow because I don’t trust taking it from the airport home. I’m assuming I definitely need to get winter tires. But I’m still disappointed a Camry that’s not awd and also with just regular tires handled better. We planned on this being our car to the slopes this year. Thoughts? We’ve considered putting a lift and tires on. It’s a Y.

That is a summer tire. No idea if you need a winter tire or not but it appears you have the worst possible tire for those conditions

 

[heavync]

ExtremeContact™ Sport02

continentaltire.com

 

[804son]

Summer tires! no wonder you were freaked out.

 

[Tessa Robin]

That is a summer tire. No idea if you need a winter tire or not but it appears you have the worst possible tire for those conditions

Thank you for that information. I’ve never bought seasonal tires before. Tires on the shopping list. I guess for summer tires I’d say it handled decent. I just hope winter tires make the difference I’m looking for.

 

[804son]

Thank you for that information. I’ve never bought seasonal tires before. Tires on the shopping list. I guess for summer tires I’d say it handled decent. I just hope winter tires make the difference I’m looking for.

Winter tires are a game changer in the snow!

 

[heavync]

Thank you for that information. I’ve never bought seasonal tires before. Tires on the shopping list. I guess for summer tires I’d say it handled decent. I just hope winter tires make the difference I’m looking for.

You are welcome. From the pic I believe they are summer tires but you can look to be sure. I have all season and haven’t had any snow yet but am a bit anxious as well, however in Iowa I don’t I highly doubt I will need snow tires. Time will tell.

 

[smogne41]

S3XY buttons will let you disable the regen, just like those of us with older Tesla's can from the screen. Good to have in the winter. And yes, summer tires in the winter is a horrible idea. Get snow tiers, or at least all seasons.

 

[Tessa Robin]

S3XY buttons will let you disable the regen, just like those of us with older Tesla's can from the screen. Good to have in the winter. And yes, summer tires in the winter is a horrible idea. Get snow tiers, or at least all seasons.

No idea what those buttons are. I have yet to truly understand how to unlock passenger doors other than by chance.

 

[smogne41]

No idea what those buttons are. I have yet to truly understand how to unlock passenger doors other than by chance.

Aftermarket physical buttons you can mount wherever you want and program with a bunch of different functions.

 

[narkotic]

I drove my old MYP with summer tires (bald no less) from California to Wyoming last winter and it was a true white knuckle experience let me tell you. That was ultra dumb and yes, old cars and semis were passing me like it was nothing. The car felt so unstable even using off road mode. Tires would have made a huge difference... lol

 

[fholbert]

I’m the last one to ask.

This Last time we had snow where I live, dinosaurs were still walking the earth.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

Coming from suvs that always did great in winter I was excited to hear Tesla did great in winter. I’m not convinced and now scared to drive it.

I drove my Y to the airport the other day after a couple hrs of snow. At first I thought wow this does do great. Then I started spinning out. I fish tailed at least four times before gaining control. Thankfully no cars were coming or this would have been a wreck for sure. I’m sure it’s when I let off the gas as I felt the speed was getting up there. The regenerative brakes have been a concern and now I see they truly are. After this a Camry passed me and left me in the dust. We all know that Camry isn’t awd and did better than me. I’m due to return and hope there’s no snow because I don’t trust taking it from the airport home. I’m assuming I definitely need to get winter tires. But I’m still disappointed a Camry that’s not awd and also with just regular tires handled better. We planned on this being our car to the slopes this year. Thoughts? We’ve considered putting a lift and tires on. It’s a Y.

Get winter tires.

I don't know if it's the extra weight, but while I often commuted in my Prius through winters (on normally well-plowed roads, mind) without snows, our plug-ins get snows on relatively early.

 

[karkrazy]

Having the right tires is like wearing the right shoes for the conditions you’re walking in. You wouldn’t walk in snow with dress shoes or ballet shoes, right?

For easy reference:

 

[Tronguy]

Yeah. About all-season, summer, and winter tires.

The summer tires that come by default on the "P" versions of Teslas are absolute, complete, crazy, horrors on snow and ice. Below 40F or so, that nifty compound that lets one go around Corners Really Fast in the summer becomes like rocks with No Traction Whatsoever.

I understand all the cold weather types repeatedly stating, "Get Snows! Get Snows! Get Snows!" because, well, Snow Tires are superior on snow and ice than anything else one might care to mention.

But I've been driving in New England, the Mid Atlantic States, Virginia (where Ice Storms are a Thing) and Northern Indiana with (wait for it...) All Season Tires.

And I'll bet the OP a plugged nickel that those SUVs he was driving before had All Seasons on them.

All Seasons won't beat anybody at the track. And they can't get through 10" of rough snow anywhere near as well as a proper snow tire. But, with VW Beetles, Datsun B210s, Honda Civics of various flavors, a Gen 3 Prius, several different brands of Minivans, and several years worth of Tesla M3s and a MY: Those All-Seasons worked just fine. The traction control works as advertised, I've never gotten stuck, skidded out, fishtailed, or what have you. Well.. Once with the Prius when I drove up on top of 1.5' of snow, and it took a lot of rocking to get it out. And once with the '71 VW Beetle when I did something like that and got all four wheels suspended, more or less, in thin air with the body being supported by the snow. But othewise.. naw.

All Seasons won't beat anybody at the track. The compound used in these works, basically, on snow and ice, although not as well as the Snows. As a random example, see: https://www.tirereview.com/summer-tires-in-winter/