Advice for winter tires?

[chipchrome]

I've had an absolute blast this summer with my R1S, equipped with the stock 21" wheels. It's delivered impressive range and has been a joy to drive on smooth pavement, although charging in Idaho can be a bit of a challenge. As the temperatures begin to drop, and winter approaches, I'm getting ready for ski trips up into the mountains. Now, I could use some guidance in choosing the best tires for these snowy adventures.

I'm currently exploring a few different options, and I would greatly appreciate any insights or opinions from the community.

Option 1: My initial thought is to order the 20" all-terrain (AT) tires directly from Rivian. I really like the look of these tires. These tires come with a 3PMSF rating, indicating they can handle snow. I know that all-terrain tires won't deliver the same level of performance as dedicated snow tires. How have the performed for others? The cost for this option would be $4,300.

Option 2: Another consideration is to go with the 20" all-terrain tires from Rivian and then, if I find that they don't perform optimally in snowy conditions, purchase dedicated 20" snow tires for my Rivian 20" wheels. This would, of course, entail an additional cost on top of the $4,300 spent on the all-terrain tires. The advantage here is that I'd have all-terrain tires for summer use and could potentially sell my 21" wheels if I find them no longer necessary.

Option 3: The third option I'm contemplating is investing in 22" wheels (not tires) and pairing them with the Hakka R5 SUV tires. An alternative would be the Hakka 10, but I'm somewhat hesitant about studded tires, as I've never had experience with them. This might be the most cost effective route - but I like the look of the 20" wheels more.

I'm particularly interested in hearing from those who received their R1S with 21" wheels – how did you handle the transition when winter arrived?

Thank you so much for your insights and suggestions!

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[Robotpedlr]

Option 2 may be the best call. I did see some YouTubers that said the 20 ATs perform better than the other A/S options, but still a little slippery and not near the traction of dedicated winter options.

I have store 22s with A/S and bought another set of 22" rims (just prefer the look of 22s) and purchased Michelin X-Ice SUVs in 275/50/22 115H size for the winter months..

 

[roberttatefan]

R1T with the factory 20s with ATs here. They were fine in the snow, but I went with a dedicated winter tire (Blizzak) given the weight of the truck, my relative unfamiliarity with regen braking (this was prior to the snow mode release), and some interesting driving dynamics in a quad motor as compared to a traditional ICE. All said and done, the winters are a noticeable improvement in most snowy conditions and a significant improvement on ice.

Moreover, these winter tires are FAR less expensive than the OEM ATs. If you're buying new tires, I'd strongly recommend the right tool for the job. I found the 20" ATs to be acceptable, whereas winters on the R1T are spectacular.

It sounds like most of the decision-making in your post is predicated around aesthetics, which only you can answer. If the question is if the 20" ATs are sufficient in winter conditions, I'd say yes, but you're leaving a lot on the table from a cost and performance standpoint.

 

[Andystroh]

R1T with the factory 20s with ATs here. They were fine in the snow, but I went with a dedicated winter tire (Blizzak) given the weight of the truck, my relative unfamiliarity with regen braking (this was prior to the snow mode release), and some interesting driving dynamics in a quad motor as compared to a traditional ICE. All said and done, the winters are a noticeable improvement in most snowy conditions and a significant improvement on ice.

Moreover, these winter tires are FAR less expensive than the OEM ATs. If you're buying new tires, I'd strongly recommend the right tool for the job. I found the 20" ATs to be acceptable, whereas winters on the R1T are spectacular.

agreed with this on the performance of the R1T on blizzaks. They wear well, affordable and excellent snow performance.

 

[jjswan33]

Or cheaper option 3 is get some aftermarket wheel options (there are a few with the same offset as OEM) and pair them with 275/60R20 winter tires of your choosing.

 

[kylealden]

agreed with this on the performance of the R1T on blizzaks. They wear well, affordable and excellent snow performance.

Another +1 on the Blizzak LTs. I've been very happy with those on my 20s. The seasonal changeover is a bit of a hassle but it's worth it.

The Pirellis are above-average in the snow but still can get squirrely, especially in hard-packed powder or icy conditions. (They're superior in deep powder or other more "off-road" conditions). I rode the Blizzaks through several blizzards in the WA and OR Cascades last winter and it was an absolute beast.

 

[cbrcanuck]

I have the 21s, and I went with 2b. Bought Blizzaks and put them on a designated set of rims. Easy swap each season and I use an off season tire as my spare. Two birds.

 

[Cascadian]

Another +1 on the Blizzak LTs. I've been very happy with those on my 20s. The seasonal changeover is a bit of a hassle but it's worth it.

The Pirellis are above-average in the snow but still can get squirrely, especially in hard-packed powder or icy conditions. (They're superior in deep powder or other more "off-road" conditions). I rode the Blizzaks through several blizzards in the WA and OR Cascades last winter and it was an absolute beast.

Did you notice any efficiency difference between ATs and Blizzacks?

 

[kylealden]

Did you notice any efficiency difference between ATs and Blizzacks?

Not really. It's hard to compare apples to apples - my winter efficiency is definitely worse, but it's also winter.

In practice I think the Blizzaks are probably slightly more efficient than the Pirellis, but any gains are more than offset by the fact that I use them exclusively in cold and usually wet/snowy weather (and primarily for climbing up into the mountains to go skiing).

In the summer (road tripping and commuting on the Pirellis), I average a bit over 2mi/kwh, usually beating my range estimates from the guess-o-meter for a given trip. Last winter I was closer to 1.9mi/kwh, but the guess-o-meter was still pretty accurate. I attribute this to winter conditions and a bias towards mountain passes, rather than choice of tires.

 

[Cascadian]

Not really. It's hard to compare apples to apples - my winter efficiency is definitely worse, but it's also winter.

In practice I think the Blizzaks are probably slightly more efficient than the Pirellis, but any gains are more than offset by the fact that I use them exclusively in cold and usually wet/snowy weather (and primarily for climbing up into the mountains to go skiing).

In the summer (road tripping and commuting on the Pirellis), I average a bit over 2mi/kwh, usually beating my range estimates from the guess-o-meter for a given trip. Last winter I was closer to 1.9mi/kwh, but the guess-o-meter was still pretty accurate. I attribute this to winter conditions and a bias towards mountain passes, rather than choice of tires.

Thanks
I switched to 20s from 21s to give me the option to do what you have done. I will run the ATs this winter to assess whether I am comfortable with them in PNW conditions.

 

[sub]

Last winter there were a lot of reports of the OEM 20" tires performing quite poorly in snow. While there are plenty of people who are fine with the snow traction they get from the OEM 20" tires, those same people would also have most likely been fine with snow traction they would have gotten with the OEM 21" tires.

If you want the 20" AT tires for other reasons then by all means give them a try. But if the primary motivation is improved snow traction over what you have now I think you will be very disappointed with the OEM 20" AT tires.

If I were you and wanted to improve my snow traction, I would buy either OEM or aftermarket wheels in 20" or 22" size and pair them with real dedicated winter/snow tires.

Also, if you do go with aftermarket tires, get them in the size that matches the OEM 21/22 tires. That way you won't need Rivian to re-program your vehicle and you can use chains when the roads are really bad (you can't use chains on the OEM 20 tires because there isn't space in the wheel wells)

For my R1S I am doing Nokian R5's on 22s. But my R1S was delivered with 22s so that was by far the easiest/cheapest option. I also never considered the 21's because I knew that the ability to mount real snow tires was going to be important to me.

 

[kylealden]

I switched to 20s from 21s to give me the option to do what you have done. I will run the ATs this winter to assess whether I am comfortable with them in PNW conditions.

FWIW I think the primary advantage of a proper winter tire is in hard packed snow and ice - the kind of stuff you see in remote ski areas and/or crossing mountain passes in a snowstorm when the plows can't keep up (or in an ice storm in the city like Seattle/Portland have seen in the last few days, but you're better off just staying home for those).

I'm a bit of a powder hound and I want to be able to hit Stevens Pass for a pow day, which means driving SR2 in the early AM when the snow is deep and the treefall/accidents haven't closed it yet; and I road trip between Bend and Seattle all winter, so I'm frequently driving over Santiam Pass or Mt Hood in a whiteout. That's where you'll want proper snow tires. For once in a while snow driving, some caution and the Pirellis will get you a long way.

 

[jjswan33]

FWIW I think the primary advantage of a proper winter tire is in hard packed snow and ice - the kind of stuff you see in remote ski areas and/or crossing mountain passes in a snowstorm when the plows can't keep up (or in an ice storm in the city like Seattle/Portland have seen in the last few days, but you're better off just staying home for those).

I'm a bit of a powder hound and I want to be able to hit Stevens Pass for a pow day, which means driving SR2 in the early AM when the snow is deep and the treefall/accidents haven't closed it yet; and I road trip between Bend and Seattle all winter, so I'm frequently driving over Santiam Pass or Mt Hood in a whiteout. That's where you'll want proper snow tires. For once in a while snow driving, some caution and the Pirellis will get you a long way.

I agree with your sentiment but I wonder how much of an improvement a dedicated winter tire really is over the OEM 20" in those packed snow/ice conditions (especially ice). I like you want to be at the ski resort/trailhead before the roads have been properly cleared, I didn't really have any issues with the stock 20s last year, especially after they added snow mode.

This year I have a set of Nokian Hakkapeliitta LT3 winter tires so I should get a better feel for how much better it is but for those packed snow/ice conditions you speak that is when some studs or chains will really excel and perform the best. So I am in the constant debate whether I want to put studs in my tires for this winter, my biggest hesitation is (a) if I want to travel to a state where they are not allowed or (b) how much (stopping distance, handling) am I going to lose in dry/wet handling with the studs...

Edit: One additional thought I had, especially for those of us in the PNW. Most of us live below the snow zone, yes we occasionally get snow but usually only elevations of 2-3k ft reliably. That means on the types of drives we are talking you almost always drive through a transition from wet to ice to snow.

 

[Riviot]

The only place I ever doubted the stock 20" ATs in snow was Smelterville, ID. We turned into the highway entrance at like 15mph with bitterly cold snow in the turn and the whole rig slid, truly scary.

Everywhere else was fine, but I'm switching to Falken Wildpeak AT3W in 275/60R20 which is the same diameter as 21". If you keep 21s (which I don't recommend far from civilization or without a full spare) and went this size, you don't need to recalibrate the computers.

 

[superfly_snook]

I would go with the 20” ATs and see how you like them. If you feel they stink you can swap for something else but my guess is they will be fine. I drive in snow and ice a lot in the winter in the Sierras and have always used ATs (Falken Wildpeak and Toyo Open Country) and they have performed flawlessly for me. They have the same 3-peak mark as the Scorps that come on the Rivian. I didn’t have my Rivian last winter but I have zero doubts about running the ATs this winter.

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