Tesla Model Y

[Gatorblue92]

Anyone here own a Tesla Model Y? My wife is looking to replace her Subaru Ascent and is considering going electric for her next car. She has access to free charging at work and from what Ive seen the supercharger network helps with range anxiety. I'm not completely sold on the idea but did finally get to drive a Model 3 over the weekend and was pretty impressed.

 

[2phast]

Teslas have the lowest resale value and some of the worst build quality. Plenty of videos on YouTube for you to review.

Best advice is to steer clear but at a minimum, lease, don't buy, you will end up upside down. No one wants a used Tesla out of warranty

 

[WDB748372]

I have a few friends who own Teslas. They like it but are not in love with it. I think the push for them was thinking Tesla is ahead of everyone. They may or may not be I don't know much about the EV market but there sure seems to be a handful of options worth considering nowadays.

I'm personally not a fan of them. Like 2phast mentioned, their build quality is questionable to say the least. Having driven a few, maybe it takes some getting used to but I definitely would not consider being impressed by any aspect of it. I did also drive an EQS SUV which was nice but I don't even want to look up how much that spec costs

 

[RicardoD]

Sweet spot for me is the Model 3, (I think Model Y is like the SUV version of that) in terms of price vs performance & efficiency. It is the more premium Tesla models where fit & finish are exceeded by their German competitors. The model 3, especially with the tax incentives for many people, is an incredible value.

 

[Harv]

If you go into Tesla ownership with the same mindset you have when buying a computer or cell phone, then it's fine. It is a pure appliance that has a shelf life and is made to be disposed of within a certain time frame.

If you go into owning a Tesla as a car enthusiast, the experience is rough.

If I had a grueling and/or long commute, I'd get one. But 99% of my driving is pleasure, so I stick to cars I love to experience.

 

[Gatorblue92]

Sweet spot for me is the Model 3, (I think Model Y is like the SUV version of that) in terms of price vs performance & efficiency. It is the more premium Tesla models where fit & finish are exceeded by their German competitors. The model 3, especially with the tax incentives for many people, is an incredible value.

Yes the Y is basically the same thing as the 3 but in a larger package. I’ll have to confirm but with the incentive they can be bought for around 30k for the base model.

If you go into Tesla ownership with the same mindset you have when buying a computer or cell phone, then it's fine. It is a pure appliance that has a shelf life and is made to be disposed of within a certain time frame.

If you go into owning a Tesla as a car enthusiast, the experience is rough.

If I had a grueling and/or long commute, I'd get one. But 99% of my driving is pleasure, so I stick to cars I love to experience.

This would be strictly a commuter car and a glorified appliance. I can definitely see how soulless they can be but whenever I need the sweet song of a V8 or the whine of a turbo I’ve got my E420 and F150.

 

[Glen]

I borrowed my nephew's Model Y for a month earlier this year and enjoyed it overall. Here are my impressions:
Build quality is definitely not on par with a Mercedes but here's the thing. The body structure itself and the driveline and suspension are very, very good. Where you will be let down is in exterior trim and panel alignment, quality of certain interior trim pieces and their fitment.

Otoh, the power is fantastic and if you haven't driven an electric car before you will be blown away by the immediate response of the throttle and acceleration. And then there's the tech and what you can do remotely from your phone. Now, I haven't driven a modern ICE car so I can't compare directly (my newest car is MY 2014) but the integration of all the car's functions are accessible from the app and it's amazing what you can customize and control.

From a driving enjoyment standpoint, it really depends on what you want. Tesla's are designed to be easy to live with, to transport you easily from point A to point B. They do it quietly and comfortably with no drama (other than really brisk acceleration when you want it.) But, in terms of feedback and feel, there is very little. Definitely not a car that beckons you to take it for a drive. IOW, if you want a fantastic daily driver/commuter car and the range works for you, you will not be disappointed, think of it like an electric Camry. If you want something more exciting, that's fun and playful, look elsewhere...possibly a Model 3 Performance, I need to find someone to let me borrow one for a few weeks to know better.

JMHO.

 

[RicardoD]

This would be strictly a commuter car and a glorified appliance. I can definitely see how soulless they can be but whenever I need the sweet song of a V8 or the whine of a turbo I’ve got my E420 and F150.

An appliance with instant throttle response is a very fun thing to drive. (my experience over a weekend).

 

[TerryA]

A friend I worked with bought a Y model. He gave me a ride in it. Admittedly it had fantastic acceleration but not much else impressed me. I hated the dashboard w/ basically a 12”X24” computer screen dead center in the middle of the dash. The dash itself was just a stepped vent from door to door. Maybe looking at a computer screen all day turned me off. All in all, I thought it was kind of soulless.

I will stick w/ ICE cars as long as possible.

Just my Opinion.

 

[alabbasi]

Tesla reached out to a friend of offered them a fantastic trade in on their model 3 so they just bought a model Y. As others have said, don't expect to keep it forever but if you want hassle free motoring while being plugged into an ecosystem, it's the way to go.

The owners remind me of the Toyota ad campaign from the last decade (grounded to the ground). The cars seem to hit the spot for people who don't know anything about cars and have no interest in doing so the future.

 

[Duh_Vinci]

A very close friend of mine has one, and I've been "summoned" partially into his research and decision making 2 years ago.

Overall - I think this is the best way it's being described:

An appliance with instant throttle response is a very fun thing to drive.

His additional positive thoughts on the car: "It allows me to relax after a long and sometime stressful day at work while I commute for 50-60 miles in one of the worst ***FREEWAY*** in the country: I-95 (VA/DC)... It drives me home, it integrates well with my iPhone and it is quiet and relaxing" Cayman S (manual) is his other car for the contrast...

That said, fit and the finishing of the materials uses is certainly ages away from feeling luxurious in any way at all. His model Y had to be take back to the dealership just days after delivery for alignment of the hood and bumper, and after x2 time, dealership told him that all of those gaps that he feels are "less than perfect" are "perfectly within the factory allowable tolerances"

"An appliance with instant throttle response" - love it!!!

 

[036]

Please, buy a car. Don´t do tesla to your body and soul... buy porsche,audi,benz, whatever... Quality and materials offended me by tesla. Sorry.

PS Friend just test drive Y, 3 times at absolutely free autobahn emergency braking.

 

[Duh_Vinci]

@Gatorblue92

I asked my friend to give me summarized feedback after 2 years of ownership, here it is (copy from txt thread)

"Pros. - auto steer on highway is really good and helpful if you spend a lot of time driving on highway - really fast - handles really well for a crossover - lots of charging stations everywhere - it’s kind of nice not having to go to gas stations - probably higher end of range of all vehicles out there

Cons: - quality atrocious - seats could be better. No where as good as the German car comfort - customer service is bad. Impossible to get anyone on phone to talk to or give you answers. Maybe it’s fine if you’re a kid and want to live your existence on apps on your phone - having every single fucking control on the center console is stupid. Need some physical controls. When it’s pouring rain I don’t want to have to dig through menus to adjust wiper speed. Or dig through menus to turn on headlights daytime while raining.

Range: - really depends on the type of person you are. If you are the type to have range anxiety, you’ll find road tripping stressful. If you don’t have anxiety you could road trip. - may not be the best vehicle if you like to road trip a lot

Bottom line: - if you have a long highway commute, get a Tesla. - otherwise look at other car companies
Also not luxurious interior. Expect more for a car that costs this much

Also I would not spend money on Full Self Driving. Just get equivalent of Autosteer for highway. Don’t know what they call it now or how much they charge for it. Used to be included"

Hope this helps.

Regards,
D

 

[gsxr]

Cons: - ... Need some physical controls. When it’s pouring rain I don’t want to have to dig through menus to adjust wiper speed. Or dig through menus to turn on headlights daytime while raining.

Talk about a UX fail. This alone would keep me out of such an idiotic vehicle. ^^^

 

[Duh_Vinci]

Talk about a UX fail. This alone would keep me out of such an idiotic vehicle. ^^^

View attachment 173229

Right? Some things in my mind should be discernable/perceptible, such as volume knobs, wiper controls, lights, etc. I think that some of those issues were overlooked, as he did look a the car and test drove it during the day and no rain. But at the end - this would drive me absolutely insane!

 

[ace10]

TSLA isn't alone in burying the simple stuff deep in the UI.

This was Porsche's great idea:

 

[sheward]

How entertaining. Look how I can adjust things with just a touch of the screen.

I wonder how many accidents are due to the drivers playing with these items.

 

[Gatorblue92]

Talk about a UX fail. This alone would keep me out of such an idiotic vehicle. ^^^

View attachment 173229

Seriously though. I didn’t realize it was that buried for the wipers

 

[mikeym]

I would buy one because it is one of the best values for an EV…yeah the build quality is that of a $25k Corolla but the overall package is much better than anything else on the market.

But I wouldn’t give a penny to that mf… so no Tesla for me. Hoping some one can step up and offer a compelling alternative.

Looking at the charging adapters.. while every car manufacturer is trying to catch up to Elon Papa in terms of tech, he outsmarted everyone with the charging network which in the bottleneck right now.

/rant over

 

[Sam SL]

yeah the build quality is that of a $25k Corolla

I am not sure a Corolla is a good model to use to exemplify the poor build quality of a Tesla Y. The Corolla can be plain Jane but pretty sure the build quality is better.