Finding the best tire for your Tesla Model 3 is compelling. The electric car market can count as brand new. Even though these vehicles accompany lots of benefits, a long-lasting tire isn’t one of them. Because of their specific engine system, conventional gas-powered cars, these vehicles store huge amounts of torque, and this power is always ready to use. Since these vehicles are rear-wheel-drive, their rear axle tires tend to wear rapidly. As a former Bridgestone engineer, I’ve put all this information into consideration and made a great list for you and your Tesla Model 3. Let’s dig into it and see what are the best tires for you!
- Michelin Crossclimate 2 – My Personal Crush
- Pirelli P Zero All-Season Plus – Best All-Season Performance
- Michelin X-Ice Snow – Best Winter Tire
- Vredestein Wintrac Pro – Best Winter Performance Tire
- Michelin Pilot Sport All-Season 4 – Best Performance Tire
- Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4 N-Spec – Best Ultra Performance Tire for Winter
- Yokohama Advan Sport V105 – Best Summer Tire
Table of Contents
Tesla Model 3 Tire Sizes
Tesla Model 3 has two different tire size combinations. You may use the same sizes on the steer and rear axle or you may prefer different sizes on the steer and rear axle.
Even though you have two different options, I recommend you go with staggered tires(steer and drive differently). The advantage of this option is it enables to use broader tire on the rear axle. With a broad tire, the effect of torque power will decrease due to a larger contact patch. Hence, it’s a better option for a long-lasting tire.
| Production Year | Model | Non-Staggered Tires | Staggered Tires(Recommended) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Base Model | 235/45R18 235/40R19 | (front) 235/40R19 (rear) 265/35R19 |
| 2017 | Performance | – | (front) 235/35R20 (rear) 275/30R20 |
| 2018 | Base Model | 235/45R18 235/40R19 | (front) 235/40R19 (rear) 265/35R19 |
| 2018 | Performance | – | (front) 235/35R20 (rear) 275/30R20 |
| 2019 | Long-Range AWD | 235/45R18 235/40R19 | (front) 235/40R19 (rear) 265/35R19 |
| 2019 | Mid-Range RWD | 235/45R18 235/40R19 | (front) 235/40R19 (rear) 265/35R19 |
| 2019 | Performance | – | (front) 235/35R20 (rear) 275/30R20 |
| 2020 | Long Range AWD | 235/45R18 235/40R19 | (front) 235/40R19 (rear) 265/35R19 |
| 2020 | Performance | – | (front) 235/35R20 (rear) 275/30R20 |
| 2020 | Standard Range Plus RWD | 235/45R18 235/40R19 | (front) 235/40R19 (rear) 265/35R19 |
| 2021 | Long Range | 235/45R18 235/40R19 | (front) 235/40R19 (rear) 265/35R19 |
| 2021 | Performance | – | (front) 235/35R20 (rear) 275/30R20 |
| 2021 | Standard Range Plus | 235/45R18 235/40R19 | (front) 235/40R19 (rear) 265/35R19 |
According to the above table, Tesla Model 3 is basically available in 4 different combinations.
- 235/45R18(front and rear)
- 235/40R19(front and rear)
- 235/40R19 – 265/35R19(front and rear)
- 235/35R20 – 275/30R20
Note: Selected tires list will be categorized on the above combinations.
Tesla Model 3 - Tire Index Limits
Your tire should meet these minimum requirements.
Tesla Model 3 – 18” Rim Size
Minimum Speed Index: W(168mph)
Minimum Load Index: 98(1653lbs)
Tesla Model 3 – 19” Rim Size
Minimum Speed Index: W(168mph)
Minimum Load Index: 96(1565lbs)
Tesla Model 3 – 20” Rim Size
Minimum Speed Index: Y(186mph)
Minimum Load Index: 92(1389lbs)
Note: The tires on this list have available sizes for these requirements. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about the fitment.
Pirelli P Zero All-Season Plus - Performance All-Season
Pirelli P Zero All-Season Plus (review) is a Pirelli’s ultra-high performance(UHP) tire. As the name states, this tire can handle all weather conditions but winter. Well, that’s not a surprise because all-season tires aren’t designed to handle below 7 Celcius degrees (at or below 40º F).
P Zero All-Season Plus fits only 18” rim sizes.
As a former Bridgestone engineer, from my standpoint, Pirelli P Zero All-Season Plus has phenomenal traction capability. No matter whether the ground is wet or dry, it does its work perfectly. Since it’s a performance tire, it’s slightly noisy compared to premium brand touring tires. Yet, it provides a smooth ride. However, its wear rate isn’t that bad but average.
Note: I don’t recommend using this tire in severe winter conditions.
Michelin X-Ice Snow - Winter Tire
Michelin X-Ice Snow (review) is Michelin’s studless winter tire. Even though it doesn’t have a stud option, this tire has a unique performance in icy conditions. What makes this tire special is its wear life. Due to its high silica compound, it maintains its gripping capability while offering long-lasting rubber. Moreover, I haven’t seen any negative comments that come from Tesla users. This tire is gold!
Michelin X-Ice Snow only fits 18” rim sizes.
In summary, Michelin X-Ice Snow has a massive winter performance. No matter how severe your condition is this tire can provide everything you need. Unlike most winter tires, it’s almost voiceless. Moreover, it’ll not make a huge impact on your riding comfort. However, its dry performance is relatively low compared to all-season tires.
Vredestein Wintrac Pro - Winter Performance Tire
Vredestein is a Dutch manufacturer. Guess what is their expertise. Winter and performance tires. Well, Wintrac Pro is the combination of these two. Even though winter and performance tires generally don’t have features like decent wear and smooth ride, Vredestein Wintrac Pro is an exception. It’s the most all-round winter tire I have ever seen!
Vredestein Wintrac Pro fits 18” and 19” rim sizes.
In summary, Vredestein Wintrac Pro has almost perfect wet and dry traction. Due to its unique internal structure, it provides decent handling in all weather conditions. Moreover, it can easily handle any winter conditions. Though worth reminding, its ice performance is relatively worse than Michelin X-Ice Snow. However, in return for these perfect features, you’ll see a slight increase in fuel consumption.
Note: Vredestein Wintrac Pro performs best below 7 Celcius Degrees. You can still use it above this temperature. However, you may experience minor decreases in handling.
Michelin CrossClimate 2 - Touring All-Weather
Michelin Crossclimate 2 (review) is an all-weather tire(best ones). Unlike all-season tires, all-weather tires can perform in all 4 seasons. Therefore, It’s a good option for those wanna spend all year with one tire. In my point of view, this one is one of the best tires in tire history.
Michelin Crossclimate 2 fits 18” and 19” rim sizes.
In summary, Michelin Crossclimate 2 is an all-around tire that almost performs perfectly in any condition. Due to its V-shape tread pattern, its wet performance is huge. Moreover, its unique compound provides stable grip capability regardless of temperature. Its specific piano design prevents airborne noise and offers a quiet and smooth ride.
Note: This tire can perform like winter and all-season tires. However, I recommend dedicated winter tires for icy conditions.
Michelin Pilot Sport All-Season 4 - Performance All-Season
Michelin Pilot Sport All-Season 4 is an all-season tire that pushes to limits of performance. Well, I put this tire on this list because it’s hard to find winter tires for Tesla Model 3 Performance. However, this guy right here has outstanding winter performance. Regarding winter capability, it’s one of the best options among performance tires.
Michelin Pilot Sport All-Season 4 fits 18”, 19” and 20” rim sizes.
In summary, Michelin Pilot Sport All-Season 4 has an alpha plus wet and dry performance. Due to its perfectly optimized contact patch and very-well siped rubber, it can also handle harsh winter conditions with ease. This tire has a solid internal structure(2 ply polyester casing). Hence, it offers phenomenal handling and a cozy ride. On the other hand, it might be slightly noisy at the beginning of its tread life but sound disappears in a short time. Yet, this is a heavy tire. So, it’ll decrease your gas mileage.
Note: This tire name contains ZR instead of R. No worries, that just means this tire is specific for high-speed usage(above 150mph).
Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4 N-Spec - Performance Winter Tires
Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4 N-Spec is a winter performance tire that is only built for sport utility vehicles. Well, surprisingly, it’s exceedingly fuel-efficient for a winter tire. However, even though it’s a winter performance tire, expecting the same performance with the summer or all-season tire is a bit utopic.
Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4 N-Spec fits 19” rims size.
In summary, Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4 N-Spec has an excellent wet and dry performance for a winter tire. Moreover, it can flex very well and that offers a cozy ride. However, its winter performance isn’t as solid as regular winter tires. It sometimes had a traction problem in deep snow(after 5 inches). Yet, that is caused by shallow tread depth. Its contact patch is tight enough for a solid ice performance. The only bad thing I can say is road noise. To be honest, you might need to turn the radio volume up.
Yokohama Advan Sport V105 - Max Performance Summer Tire
Yokohama Advan Sport V105 is a reliable summer maximum performance tire. Due to Tesla’s high torque, most tires in this category fail on tread life. I know this is a highly expensive tire. Yet, I can guarantee you, regarding tread life, it outperforms every tire in its category.
Yokohama Advan Sport V105 fits 19” and 20” rim sizes.
In summary, Yokohama Advan Sport V105 is a responsive, predicted, and quiet performance tire. Due to the 4 circumferential groove designs, it has satisfying hydroplaning resistance. Therefore, it offers a safe ride at high-speed in the pouring rain. Independently of velocity, it offers decent handling and cornering stability due to its tough sidewalls. On the other hand, for sure, it’s not capable of any kind of winter traction.
What Tesla Offers?
Tesla is aware of the tires’ tread life issue. Therefore, they sell wheel and tire packages on their website. It’s a bit overpriced. Though, worth to take a look just for an idea.
Tesla Model 3 Tire and Wheel Offers: https://shop.tesla.com/en_ca/category/vehicle-accessories/model-3#model-3.wheels-and-tires
You may also wanna check Owner’s Manuel. It contains vital tips –> https://www.tesla.com/ownersmanual/model3/en_jo/GUID-877ACE2D-B62F-4596-A6AD-A74F7905741C.html
Specs
| Michelin Crossclimate 2 | Pirelli P Zero All-Season Plus | Michelin X-Ice Snow | Vredestein Wintrac Pro | Michelin Pilot Sport All-Season 4 | Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4 N-Spec | Yokohama Advan Sport V105 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Grand Touring All-Weather | Ultra High Performance All-Season | Studless Ice&Snow Tire | Performance Winter/Snow | Ultra-High Performance All-Season Tire | Performance Winter/Snow | Max Performance Summer |
| Vehicle | Passenger Car/Minivan/SUV | Sports cars, coupes and sedans | Passenger Car/Minivan/SUV | SUV, Crossover, sedans, coupes | SUV, Crossover, sedans, coupes | Sports cars, coupes and sedans | Passenger Car/Minivan/SUV |
| Available Sizes (Rim) | 16”, 17”, 18”, 19”, 20” | 17”, 18”, 19”, 20” | 15”, 16”, 17”, 18”, 19”, 20” | 17”, 18”, 19”, 20”, 21”, 22” | 16’’, 17’’, 18’’, 19”, 20’’, 21”, 22” | 19”, 20” | 16”, 17”, 18”, 19”, 20”, 21”, 22” |
| Made In | USA | USA | USA | Netherlands | USA | USA | USA |
| Severe Snow Rated (3PMSF) | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Warranty | 60,000 Miles | 50,000 Miles | 40,000 Miles | N/A | 45,000 Miles | 30,000 Miles | N/A |
| Prices | Check price section to see best possible prices | Check price section to see best possible prices | Check price section to see best possible prices | Check price section to see best possible prices | Check price section to see best possible prices | Check price section to see best possible prices | Check price section to see best possible prices |
Price
The tire market has a dynamic price policy. Hence, in my point of view, sharing tire price is pointless.
Though, I’ve analyzed the top 10 brands of most popular tire brands.
Here are the dealers with a reasonable price range,
DiscountTire
- Biggest dealer in the US. Founded in 1960
- 1000 stores in 35 states. You most probably find one on your parallel street
- Free rotation and balancing
- 5% off for DiscountTire cardholders on online purchase
- Highest rated online tire dealer in Consumer Affairs
- Almost all brands are available
- Delivery takes 2-4 days (30% shorter average waiting time when you book online)
- Frequent discounts and promotions
Pirelli P Zero All-Season Plus: https://www.discounttire.com/buy-tires/pirelli-p-zero-all-season-plus
Michelin X-Ice Snow: https://www.discounttire.com/buy-tires/michelin-x-ice-snow
Vredestein Wintrac Pro: Not available
Michelin Crossclimate2 : https://www.discounttire.com/buy-tires/michelin-crossclimate2
Michelin Pilot Sport All-Season 4: https://www.discounttire.com/buy-tires/michelin-pilot-sport-all-season-4
Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4 N-Spec: https://www.discounttire.com/buy-tires/michelin-pilot-alpin-pa4
Yokohama Advan Sport V105: https://www.discounttire.com/buy-tires/yokohama-advan-sport-v105
TireRack
- Fast and Free shipping
- Usually delivered in 1 day
- Joint venture with DiscountTire(their installers and dealers are on your service)
- Tons of installer options, they also help you to choose the best one
- Mobile installers in many areas, your tires will be replaced while you’re working in the office
- Tire test results and comparisons can be found on the most product page
- 4.6/5 points on Google rate
Pirelli P Zero All-Season Plus: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/pirelli-p-zero-all-season-plus
Michelin X-Ice Snow: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/michelin-x-ice-snow
Vredestein Wintrac Pro: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/vredestein-wintrac-pro
Michelin Crossclimate2 : https://www.tirerack.com/tires/michelin-crossclimate2
Michelin Pilot Sport All-Season 4: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/michelin-pilot-sport-all-season-4
Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4 N-Spec: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/michelin-pilot-alpin-pa4-n-spec
Yokohama Advan Sport V105: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/yokohama-advan-sport-v105
SimpleTire
- Free shipping
- Delivered in 2 days
- Verified shops near you(for mount and balance)
- Mobile installation option
- 7 million customers since 2021
- 4.7/5 points on Google rate
- Top-notch customer service, you may even request a price match
Pirelli P Zero All-Season Plus: https://simpletire.com/brands/pirelli-tires/p-zero-all-season-plus
Michelin X-Ice Snow: https://simpletire.com/brands/michelin-tires/x-ice-snow
Vredestein Wintrac Pro: https://simpletire.com/brands/vredestein-tires/wintrac-pro
Michelin Crossclimate2 : https://simpletire.com/brands/michelin-tires/cross-climate2-a-w
Michelin Pilot Sport All-Season 4: https://simpletire.com/brands/michelin-tires/pilot-sport-all-season-4
Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4 N-Spec: https://simpletire.com/brands/michelin-tires/pilot-alpin-pa4
Yokohama Advan Sport V105: https://simpletire.com/brands/yokohama-tires/advan-sport-v105
While choosing dealers, I especially pay attention to reliability. All of the dealers on this list have 15-20 years of experience in the online tire business. Therefore, I can guarantee a smooth and fast tire buying process.
Conclusion
Tesla is an innovative vehicle manufacturer. So, tire manufacturers sometimes don’t catch them and that causes decreasing in tires’ performance. In that case, the below table will help you to find the best tires for your Tesla Model 3.
| Available For | Dry | Wet | Winter | Handling | Tread Life | Road Noise | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pirelli P Zero All-Season Plus | 235/45R18 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Michelin X-Ice Snow | 235/45R18 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 |
| Vredestein Wintrac Pro | 235/45R18 235/40R19 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 |
| Michelin CrossClimate 2 | 235/45R18 235/40R19 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Michelin Pilot Sport All-Season 4 | 235/45R18 235/40R19 235/35ZR20 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 |
| Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4 N-Spec | 235/40R19 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 9 |
| Yokohama Advan Sport V105 | 235/40R19 235/35R20 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
Take-Home Points,
- XL sizes tend to carry more load and offer better handling. Hence, they might be a better pick for bigger vehicles( XL vs SL tires)
- Please pay attention to the load index and speed index. These metrics are essential if you expect decent tread life
- There isn’t a bad tire in the market right now, you should just know what to expect from tires
A side note here: If you’d like to get local advice and find the best fit for your driving habits, location, and road conditions DiscountTire – Treadwell Tire Guide can give you masterpiece recommendations.
I hope the article was helpful. If you have any further questions, please leave them in the below section. Have a safe ride!
Hi, do you have any thoughts on the PIRELLI P ZERO ALL SEASON PLUS ELECT for a 2018 Model 3 LR?
This is a EV rated tire and curious how it holds up in terms of performance, tread ware for mostly dry conditions.
Hello there,
Sorry for the late reply.
I love Pirelli tires on EV vehicles. The advantage of this tire is it has a higher load rating than other tires in the market. Well, this is an advantage regarding tread wear.
It’s going to hold up great on performance and treadwear. Yet, it might be going to decrease your efficiency. I mean it can hit your range because of its aggressive pattern.
Since you primarily drive in dry conditions, I’m not sure if this is a good trade for you.