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Our MY Performance Lease is due. Am I going to regret "downgrading" to RWD MY in the North East?

fatguybike | 2026-03-12 18:36 | 9 views

\*\*Adding this part here because the way I worded this it sounds like I’m asking strictly about th winter conditions with RWD. That is a major concern for my SO who has no idea how to drive well let alone in the snow, but more about if we’re going to be happy overall with the “downgrade” to RWD. Aka cabin and ride features. \*\* Our lease is due for our 2023 Model Y Performance Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive and for financial reasons we're thinking of dropping down to the 2026 RWD. It will cut our lease almost in half. We test drove the premium and the ride was much improved over the original model Y performance. We went with wider tires in the rear on our current 23 and it def improved the ride a LOT. We're also looking at the Rivian R1 and R2 amongst a few other vehicles. We're in the North East. The car with the stock tires on it handled the snow very well this year. Really really well actually. Are we going to regret going from the 23 Performance to 26 RWD? Has anyone done this recently? Advice?

Comments (6)
Conscious_Zebra_1808 2026-03-12 18:45

All in all it will depend on your budget! Maybe in a couple years you'll end up back in another performance, who knows?!?!

AvailableRub3012 2026-03-12 18:46

I downgraded from a performance to the regular Y and noticed that the stance was higher versus the performance. As far as acceleration yes you'll suffer that but I have a family so I really used the fast acceleration. Also an added benefit is 19 inch wheels that are a lot cheaper than the 20 to 21 inches that was normal for performance models.

techguy1337 2026-03-12 18:53

I live in TN and I used to drive sideways in a 1989 Nissan 300zx twin turbo. It was my daily driver through college and a large chunk of my late 20's. Rain, sleet, snow, sunshine. Sure, I had the occasional snowstorm that got me stuck, but it was rare. It all comes down to driving slowly. I don't think you will notice the difference as much as you might think.

fatguybike 2026-03-12 19:22

mannnnn sounds like me too! haha! I really didn't think I would go for an EV over a turbo or a big cam but I'm sold on them.

techguy1337 2026-03-12 19:25

Yea, same for me. Fast, torque out the ying yang, and my house is my gas station.

FL_MILLIONAIRE 2026-03-13 04:22

You don't absolutely need AWD in snow in Boston or northern New England areas strictly speaking so you should be fine with RWD and winter tires

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