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Comment by nightski | Hacker News Reader

I'm really excited for Tesla and have been waiting to order one some day. But the problem is, while battery performance in winter doesn't concern me too much - rear while drive and extremely low clearance does. It's just a non-starter in northern climates. My Subaru outback handles this with ease and I feel the Tesla would be a nightmare. It's unfortunate really, they want to make it feel like a race car instead of a practical car.

We had an all time record snowfall in February and it's been an intense winter.

EDIT: I realize they have an all wheel drive option but it's 10k more than the 35k option putting it in a luxury market. Not many Americans can responsibly afford a 45k car.

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As someone who drives an M3 every day in the winter in the northern US in snow, ice and everything in between, let me assure you rear wheel drive is not an issue. Tires are what matter, not the drivetrain. Get a good set of winter tires and it'll be fine.

As a previous owner of RWD mercs and both RWD and 4WD BMWs, I totally agree with this - winter tyres actually make more difference than going from RWD to 4WD!

Out of curiosity, how far north might you be? We've had record snow in MN this year for February and own an SUV and half-ton truck. This month had a few painful days for what normally would be fine in an M3 with winter rubber. While these types of days aren't always the norm I would argue there's a lot of value in AWD and 4WD systems, especially with appropriate seasonal tires. Ultimately though I agree with your logic. An AWD with improper tires is worse in the snow than a RWD vehicle with the right ones. I think the fallacy many fall into is AWD is a silver bullet.

Ground clearance is another issue in itself, however. I've often wondered how often this becomes an issue in Tesla vehicles.

Yeah good point about ground clearance. We don't get as much snow here as MN, but probably similar to Chicago. Traction-wise, it's as bad as it gets anywhere in the US, but I've never had to deal with very deep snow in the M3.

Does anyone have any experience with Tesla's electric door handles (Model S)? How do they perform in wet/cold climate where it freezes during the night?

And then there is the falcon wings: any experiences with snow on the roof while opening the doors?

My Model 3's door handles were frozen shut one morning. I had to carefully chip it off before I could get in.

I've also had ice on the charging port that I had to chip off before it would open. I now believe they have added some sort of heating through a software update.

Lol, they can do anything through software updates.

Here's a recent Rich Rebuilds vid that covered the wet/cold door handle scenario: https://youtu.be/ezqwfha-BZ8?t=488

My dad has a RWD Model 3 in Buffalo NY and he says it does really well in the snow there.

The 3 is one of the most practical cars I've driven, but I'm not in a place that requires me to drive in heavy snow. The race car feel only applies if you get the top end. Little to no maintenance, savings over gas, quiet, lots of cabin room as well as trunk/frunk space - how more practical does a car need to be?

The eventual Model Y with AWD should be a better comparison to your Outback. The Model 3 is a practical car. Not an SUV or all-terrain vehicle.

I wouldn't want more clearance on my Model 3 since I'm sure it would reduce the range and practically speaking, I just use it to commute.

It's practical in CA like climates - but it's not practical in cities such as Minneapolis, MN. I'm not talking off road driving here, just driving in a city in the winter. My wife has a Honda fit and it also is a nightmare clearance wise. But it is front wheel drive, which helps. I will watch out for the Model Y though, but it's unlikely it will be in an affordable range.

IIRC the Model Y is supposed to also start at 35k (or close to it). It is the cheap version of the Y, like the 3 is to the S.

From reviews, the Model 3 AWD is phenomenal for driving on snow and ice.

I live in Minneapolis and see Teslas all the time. The AWD Model 3 is priced similarly to an AWD 3-series or A4, both of which I also see constantly. It's frustrating that Tesla tries to position the Model 3 as an inexpensive car when it's really situated as an entry-level luxury sedan, but the price and features are appropriate for the segment it's in.

The Y will certainly be more expensive, so depending on how they eventually price the 3 AWD and Y, it could be even more of a luxury car.

The rumor mill says the Model Y will start at 35-40k.

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