Full Screen Media Streaming
Some video streaming apps like YouTube and Netflix are already built into the Tesla touch screen, but if you want to stream a wider variety of video streaming apps like ESPN, Disney+, and your own Plex server go ahead and bookmark this site: ABetterTheater.com. This will let you stream from these sites in full screen mode. Of course you need to be in Park for this to work.
Tesla Waze App
Another site you should bookmark is TeslaWaze.azurewebsites.net. This is a cool site that replicates the best features of the Waze navigation app that Teslaâs built in navigation system lacks such as alerts, road closures, police, and other hazards. It also has a setting that shows you weather and radar in case you are on a trip and want to be as prepared as possible to avoid range anxiety and getting a speeding ticket.
Secret Autopark
If you have Enhanced Autopilot or Full Self Driving option, you can do a secret Autopark by pressing the Park button twice (located on the right stalk) to enter Autopark. Now you can choose the car to go forward or reverse and you can exit the vehicle while the car will automatically back up or move forward slowly to park into a tight space while you’re not in the car.
Blind Spot Camera
Since Tesla lacks the typical blind spot lights on the side mirrors, if Iâm about to change lanes or merge I like to tap the camera icon to reveal the backup camera since Tesla recently allows you to swipe up to reveal both blind spot cameras as well. This helps me see if anyone is in my blind spot. Iâm hoping Tesla releases a future software update that automatically brings up the blind spot camera when the turn signal is initiated.
Secure Your Tesla
If you want to maximize the security on your Tesla and really lock it down, you can do two main things: First enable multi factor authentication by choosing Account in your online Tesla account then use a free 2 factor authentication app to scan the barcode. Now each time you log into your Tesla account it will ask for a one time code that gets sent to your phone. You can also add a layer of security to your Tesla by enabling the PIN to drive feature which will ask for a PIN that you set anytime someone wants to drive it.
Keyless Driving
Letâs say you are away on vacation and your Tesla is back at home and you need a neighbor to move your Tesla into the garage because a storm is coming, well you can go onto your Tesla app and choose Start under the Controls section and it will unlock your Tesla and allow anyone to start driving it within a 2 minute countdown which can be very useful in certain situations.
Joe Mode
If you donât like how loud the chimes and alerts are when driving you can enable Joe Mode and it will make the audible alerts a little quieter in case you have a sleeping baby or frightened kitty cat in the car.
Save DashCam Clip
Enable honk to save dash cam clips so that if or when something bad happens while youâre driving you can quickly honk and it will save the footage to your DashCam drive in case you need it for insurance or legal purposes.
Cancel Turn Signal
To cancel your turn signal instead of pushing it the opposite direction, just tap it once in the same direction. This helps you avoid the annoying situation of signing left, then trying to cancel by signaling right, but really that causes you to signal right, and you flip it left, and now youâre in a never ending cycle of doom. Just tap it in the once in the same direction to cancel.
Navigation Zoom In/Out
After youâve entered a destination into the navigation, you can tap on the navigation title to quickly zoom in or out to see the entire route or go back into the condensed view.
Voice Commands
Voice commands got a lot better last year so now you can do more with voice commands so if you want do something, first try to see if thereâs a voice command for it by pressing the right scroll wheel button and saying the command. It works on things you may have not thought worked. You can do things like turn on seat heaters, set the temperature, open glove box, and open the web browser.
Disengage Autopilot
To engage Autopilot we all know to double tap down on the right stalk, but not everyone knows there are multiple ways to disengage autopilot. You can either press the brake, turn the steering wheel with enough force, or my personal favorite simply tap up on the right stalk to disengage autopilot.
Upgrade DashCam
If you didnât know by now, you can insert a USB drive into the console area and your Tesla will record clips from its external cameras acting like a security surveillance system for your Tesla. But if you want to do it the best way, get the Jeda USB hub that allows your flash drive to be hidden behind a magnetic lid so that nobody can easily unplug your flash drive.
Share Destination
If you like to use Google Maps to look up a destination on your phone before getting into your Tesla, you can actually share the destination to your Tesla by pressing the âShareâ button on your phone, then select the Tesla App icon and it’ll send the destination to your Tesla navigation system.
Parking Brake
If youâre parking on a steep hill, press and hold the Park button on the right stalk for 2 seconds to enable the emergency parking brake. A parking brake indicator will appear on your display and the brake will be set.
Model Y Hatch
If you have a low ceiling in your garage you can adjust the height of the Model Y hatch to avoid it hitting the ceiling. First open the hatch, then manually raise or lower the hatch to the desired height, then press and hold the hatch button until you hear a chime. Now it will always open to that height.
Reboot Screen: For fixing issues with your touch screen or other weird glitches like no cellular connectivity, you can try to reboot the touchscreen by pressing & holding both scroll buttons at the same time for about 5 seconds. Itâll take about a minute or so to come back up, but you can continue to drive the car while the touchscreen is rebooting.
Swipe Gestures: There are a few ways to use swipe gestures on the touch screen which is sometimes more convenient than tapping. For example, you can swipe down or right on the Navigate button to quickly navigate to whatever address you have saved for work and home. So if youâre at home and you swipe it will navigate to work and vice versa. Also to remove previous destinations just swipe right on the address to delete it from the list. If you swipe up on App Switcher it will bring up the last app that was opened. Swiping also works on the music icon so you can swipe it to quickly move it up or down. You can also press and hold on the fan icon and move your finger left or right to easily adjust the temperature and the same with volume to increase or decrease the volume level. Another useful way to minimize the music app is to tap the album art to quickly move the music player up or down instead of tapping the music icon or swiping.
Quick Climate Control: When you enable climate control and you want to turn it off you have to press the fan then press the power button. A better way is to just hold down on the fan icon for a few seconds to turn off the climate control which is much easier than tapping if youâre driving. Also if you enable the defroster or defogger while climate control is off, once youâre done with it if you press the button again it leaves the climate control on which is annoying. So instead you can just hold down on the fan icon when youâre done defrosting or defogging to turn off everything to save you from tapping multiple times and to help you maximize your range efficiency if you don’t need the climate control to stay on.
Accurate Projected Range: Your batteryâs rated range is always displayed by the battery icon, but for a more accurate estimation of your projected range, bring up the energy app and tap on Average Range and select 30 miles to see your average range based on your last 30 miles. This helps you make sure you have enough range to get where youâre going especially in the winter.
Quick Speed Limit: Autopilot automatically detects the speed limit zone youâre in, and by default if you enable Autopilot it will set your speed to the speed limit, but you can go into your settings and set it to relative +5 which means Autopilot will automatically set the speed to 5 mph over the speed limit. Also when have Autopilot engaged, you can tap on the Speed Limit icon on the touch screen to set Autopilot to that speed plus your offset. You can also simply pull and hold the autopilot stalk to quickly revert to the new speed limit.
Quick Set Speed: The scroll wheels can adjust your set speed (1 notch for 1 mph or a quick scroll for 5 mph). However, when youâre on cruise control or Autopilot and you manually accelerate up to a certain speed you can do a quick scroll up on the right scroll wheel and instead of increasing by 5 mph it will actually set your cruise speed to whatever speed youâre at when you do the quick scroll.
Autopilot Alert Dismiss: If Autopilot doesnât detect a hand on the wheel it will eventually alert you to nudge the wheel to make sure youâre still paying attention, but instead of nudging the wheel you can also toggle or press either of the scroll wheel buttons to quickly dismiss the Autopilot alert.
Safe Park
As a safety measure if you open the driver door while the car is in Drive the car will automatically put itself in Park to prevent accidental acceleration or rollaway.
Open Charge Port
It may seem obvious to some of you, but not everyone knows that you can open your charge port by pressing the button on the mobile connector cable. This also works using Supercharging cables.
Quick Gear Shift: To shift into reverse when youâre in drive (or vice versa) you donât have to press the brake as long as youâre going 5 mph or under. So you can easily shift between Drive and Reverse which comes in handy when youâre doing a 3 point turn or pulling in and out of parking spots.
Windshield Wipers: Itâs a little scary to try to enable the wipers from the touch screen when a downpour hits. An easier way is to press windshield wiper button on the left stalk to bring up the wiper icon on the touch screen then tapping the windshield wiper button on the touch screen. What I would love to see in a future software update is the ability to double-press the wiper button on the left stalk to enable the wipers at slow speed or triple-press the wiper button to enable wipers at high speed. This would save us from ever having to worry about looking down at the touch screen during a downpour of rain.
Autopilot Tip: To avoid being alerted by Autopilot about grabbing the wheel, try to set your steering wheel and seat position in such a way that you can comfortably rest each of your elbows on either side and rest your hand on the bottom left or right part of the steering wheel to satisfy Autopilot while also being the most comfortable. Once youâve found the best position save your driver profile settings.
Priority Device
If you have two driver profiles tied to two different phones such as me and my wife – we both drive my Model 3. Well, if weâre together Iâm usually driving but sometimes the Tesla defaults to her phone which causes the seat and steering wheel to change to her positions instead of mine. To fix this you can set a priority device so that if the Tesla recognizes both phones it will prioritize one over the other.
After renting a Tesla Model Y for a week and driving it hundreds of miles, here’s my full in-depth review of Tesla’s latest electric vehicle. Is it worth $60,000? Let’s find out!
Tesla Model Y Overview
The Model Y is Teslaâs latest vehicle to their all-electric lineup, and many people think it will quickly become the most successful best-selling Tesla ever. After becoming a Tesla owner myself in 2018 Iâve helped thousands of people make the decision of whether to buy a Tesla or not, and in this video Iâll share my full in-depth review of the Model Y so you can find out if it actually lives up to the hype. Tesla says the Model Y is a fully electric mid-size sport utility vehicle, but it can also be considered a compact crossover because itâs based on the same platform of Teslaâs cheaper Model 3 sedan and shares about 75% of the same parts, with the biggest differences being Model Yâs bigger cargo space and a powered lift gate hatchback instead of a manual trunk. This particular Model Y is a midnight silver Long Range AWD with 20â Induction wheels, 5-seat black interior and basic Autopilot. The total cost after sales tax was right around $60,000. So as you can see from its price tag, the Model Y is considered a luxury vehicle. But is it worth that much money? Letâs find out.
Order & Delivery
Whenâs the last time you ordered something online? Probably very recently, right? Well, when ordering a Tesla, itâs no different. Itâs all done online. Thereâs no haggling with dealerships. You can literally configure your Tesla and pay your deposit all from your smartphone and then end up with a car within a few weeks which is pretty amazing. Letâs hop on the Tesla screen and quickly go over the configuration and pricing. The Model Y currently comes in two versions, both of which are Dual Motor All Wheel Drive: First is the Long Range starting at $54,000 and then the Performance starting at $62,000, and those prices include the required $1200 delivery fee. Both of those versions have about 315 miles of estimated range, but the Performance has an optional upgrade package that reduces the range to 280 miles. The Standard Range Model Y will be the cheapest version at around $40,000 and is expected in early 2021 with an estimated range of 230 miles. The base color thatâs included is pearl white, but you can choose to upgrade the paint to black, midnight silver, blue, or red. The standard wheels are 19â Gemini wheels, but there are also options to upgrade to 20â Induction wheels or the 21â Uberturbine wheels with the Performance Upgrade Package. A tow hitch can be added for $1,000, and the 5-seat interior comes in a base color of black but can be upgraded to white for $1,000. The Seven Seat Interior option coming in 2021 will cost $3,000. Autopilot is included on all new Teslas, but the Full Self Driving option currently costs $8,000 and will continue to increase according to Elon. But since it is software, FSD can be purchased any time during ownership. Now if you do decide to order a Tesla online you can click here or in the description below to use my referral link and that will give you 1,000 free Supercharging miles. When taking delivery of the car, Tesla has an option called Express Delivery which is basically a touch-less process where all your paperwork is in the car ready for you to sign. When you show up, all you have to do is accept delivery and sign the paperwork, then you’re ready to go. Overall, Teslaâs online order process and touch-less delivery is the most modern way of buying a car, and I wouldnât be surprised if this becomes the standard in the future.
Design & Features
Speaking of the future, once you experience a Tesla youâll quickly realize they have set the bar for what is expected out of a car in the 21st century. When I first saw the Model Y I honestly wasnât a big fan of the way it looked externally. It seemed like a plump Model 3. But the more I saw it the more I appreciated the design. Of course the front of the Model Y doesnât have a grill because there is no engine since itâs all electric. It has a beautiful panoramic all-glass roof which gives a great view for anyone inside the car while still doing a decent job of keeping most of the heat and brightness from the sun at a comfortable level. The roof and back windows all come tinted with built-in UV protection which is nice. All Model Yâs come standard with black trim and door handles which is a noticeable difference from the Model 3 which has chrome trim. Iâm not sure why Tesla decided to do this, but since I know that a lot of Model 3 owners paid extra to do a chrome delete maybe this is something most people prefer. It does look really good in my opinion. Model Y also has LED fog lamps and power folding, heated side mirrors which actually seem a bit larger compared to Model 3 side mirrors.
The Model Y doesnât come with a key or even a key fob. Instead it comes with a key card which can be held up to the b pillar to lock and unlock the car and can be set on the console to drive the car. However, the key card is just the backup method. The main way to lock, unlock and drive the Model Y is with your smartphone. The mobile app is one of the best features of owning a Tesla. When your smartphone is set up as your main key, as long as you have your smartphone with you and Bluetooth is enabled, the Model Y will automatically unlock as you walk up to it and automatically be ready to drive when you sit in the driverâs seat, and it will automatically lock when you walk away. And since all Teslaâs have built-in LTE and are always connected to the internet, you can use the Tesla app to control the Model Y from wherever you are. Some of the things you can see from the app include: the current estimated battery range, the exact GPS location, how fast itâs traveling if someone else is driving it, the current temperature inside the cabin, and it also has various controls including: locking and unlocking the car, turning the climate control on or off, venting and closing all 4 windows, opening and closing the power hatchback, and opening the front trunk. One really cool app feature is the ability to enable Keyless Driving from anywhere. This is really useful if youâre away from the car, and you need to let someone drive the car temporarily.
The Model Y premium interior includes a beautiful 15â touch screen display that controls nearly all aspects of the car, 12-way power adjustable front and rear heated seats, premium audio consisting of 14 speakers, 1 subwoofer, 2 amps, and immersive sound that sounds incredible. One of the best factory sound systems Iâve ever heard in a car. The vegan leather seats are the same as the Model 3 and are extremely comfortable. The steering wheel is also made of vegan leather and feels really nice. The center console has an ample amount of storage along with 4 USB ports and two smartphone docks that provide Qi wireless charging, and it even charges my phone without having to remove my case which is nice. The back of the console also provides 2 USB-C ports so backseat passengers can charge their devices. The visors have built in magnetic cover that reveals a mirror with automatic lights, and there are built-in coat hangers with ambient lights, along with two 12v sockets – one in the center console and one in the very back. The brain of the Model Y and a big advantage over its competitors is the 15â touch screen display. This will become your best friend when driving the Model Y because nearly everything you need to do can be controlled from the touch screen. Tesla has made the layout very user friendly by putting the live view of the car on the left side along with the speedometer and estimated battery range remaining. The majority of the screen shows a giant view of live GPS navigation that is based on Google Maps. The bottom many bar has easy to use buttons to quickly access common controls for the car. Weâll dive deeper into the software later in this video.
But now letsâs talk about one of the best features of the Model Y that separates it from the Model 3 is the size and larger cargo space for storage and seating inside the vehicle. Model Y dimensions are slightly larger than the Model 3 in all aspects: approximately 2 inches longer, 3 inches wider, and 7 inches taller with a ground clearance of about 6 and a half inches. However, Teslaâs website is a little misleading when it comes to cargo volume because Tesla lists Model Y cargo volume as 68 cubic feet and they list the Model 3 cargo volume as 15 cubic feet. That makes it sound like Model Y has over 4x as much storage space. However, that’s an unequal comparison because the Model 3âs 15 cubic feet is only accounting for the trunk, while the Model Yâs 68 cubic feet is its absolute maximum of all storage locations with the seats folded down. If you use those same measurements of all storage locations with seats folded down for the Model 3 then the max cargo volume actually comes to about 43 cubic feet which means Model Y only has about 1/3 more cargo volume compared to Model 3. Now, even though they are closer than Tesla makes it sound, the Model Y is still clearly the better option for storage and seating. The front trunk (or frunk as we like to call it) is bigger and deeper than the Model 3âs frunk which is great because I use the frunk way more than the trunk during my normal daily driving. Itâs perfect for groceries or storing things that you need quick access to if the back is full.
The powered lift-gate hatchback is absolutely one of Model Y’s most useful features. Since itâs automatic you can open and close it multiple different ways: you can press the button on the back and it automatically raises then you can press the âClose” button to automatically close it. You can also open and close it from the Model Yâs touch screen display and of course from the mobile app. Iâm about 6â4â so the hatchback opening at its tallest is just a little bit shorter than me so if youâre tall you still need to be careful about hitting your head. But itâs tall enough for most people. I do wish the frunk was powered as well so you could close it automatically like you can close the hatchback but unfortunately you have to manually close the frunk. The back of the Model Y offers a huge amount of storage including two undercarriage areas, one of which is quite deep and useful but the other is pretty shallow and is only suitable for certain sized objects. There are two side storage areas that are handy as well. Even though the back already provides a good amount of storage space, the automatic seat folder buttons quickly give you an even bigger storage area which is a game changer compared to the Model 3. This makes hauling and carrying certain items that are too big for a car without a hatchback a possibility in the Model Y. It also makes for a great Tesla to camp in. Like I said Iâm pretty tall and even I can fit fairly comfortably lying down in the back of the Model Y. That paired with Romance Mode – perfect date night. Now even though I love that the seats fold down I have some small complaints. First, the seats are heavy and when you use the automatic folding buttons the seats slam down pretty hard. Itâs quite jarring when you first experience it so please please if you have a Model Y make sure there isnât a small human or animal in the seat when you use the automatic folding buttons because that could cause some damage. And like I said the seats are pretty heavy so be careful. Now I love how you can manually fold down the middle seat in case you have backseat passengers but also need to haul some long items like skis or pieces of wood. But when the middle seat is folded down it leaves this small metal bar poking out of the back of the seat which is kind of weird. I would think there must be a better way to design that, but Tesla decided that was the best way to do that. Now we know the 7 seat option is coming in 2021 which will add two more seats in the back area of the Model Y, and I just donât know how those seats will be able to hold anyone bigger than a small child. I just donât know how it will fit adults like they claim it will. And with those two additional seats itâs going to leave much less room in the very back. But I guess weâll just have to wait and see.
Other than the larger storage space, the other notable difference compared to Model 3 is the height of the Model Y. Â The seats sit up about 6 inches higher than the Model 3, and this gives a much higher vantage point when youâre sitting in the car looking out the windshield. Some people love sitting up higher when theyâre driving which is definitely what you get with the Model Y. That paired with the low dash gives a nice commanding view for driving. Itâs also much easier to get in and out of, at least for me anyway. My Model 3 sits really close to the ground. With the Model Y it seems to be the perfect height for me to just seamlessly get in and out of the vehicle from any of the seats. The ride height is a great feature for people who struggle with low sitting cars. Not only is it easier to get in and out of, thereâs more leg room in the Model Y in all seats from what I could tell. Driving the Model Y resulted in less stiffness in my hips and legs due to the slightly larger leg room, and even a tall person like myself can sit comfortably in the backseats with plenty of head room and enough leg room as well. Although sitting in the backseat of the Model Y is much more comfortable than the Model 3 backseats, the other advantage of the Model Y backseats were to be able to lean the seat back. However, when I did that my head hit the crossbar and basically negated the advantage of being able to recline the seat at all. Itâs probably fine for most people but I still wanted to point that out. Also the middle backseat is super stiff and uncomfortable compared to the other seats. For most people it definitely won’t feel good to sit on the middle seat for a long period of time. However I do like how the seatbelt fasteners are tucked away and hidden in little pockets in the seats. Now one negative thing I noticed is that the Model Y doors, especially the driver door, needs to be shut with a good amount of force compared to my Model 3. It almost felt like I had to slam the door to get it to shut all the way. Iâm not sure if this is unique to this Model Y so if youâre a Model Y owner let me know if you experienced this. The good news is the touch screen display and also the mobile app will show you if a door is left open which is nice.
Driving & Charging
Now let’s talk about the most fun part of the Model Y: the driving experience. Just like with all other Teslas, the Model Y is an absolute joy to drive. It is blissfully quiet at stops and low speeds due to the lack of an engine, and even at faster speeds itâs still quieter than most gasoline vehicles. No rattling parts under the hood, just an ever so faint sound from the electric motors in the front and the back. These motors are where Teslaâs signature breathtaking quickness come from. The Tesla Model Y All-Wheel Drive versions feature two independent motors for improved redundancy, each with only one moving part. Unlike traditional all-wheel drive systems, the Tesla Model Y digitally controls torque to the front and rear wheels for better handling and traction control. And when you hit that accelerator pedal, the instant torque will literally put a smile on your face. Or it could also make you queasy but in a fun way like roller coaster queasy. The Long Range AWD has a 0-60 speed of 4.8 seconds. The Performance Model Y is even quicker at a mind blowing 3.5 seconds. Not only is it fun but itâs actually really useful in driving situations like merging or passing. And it does it effortlessly which is the beauty of driving a powerful all-electric vehicle. Itâs just unreal performance for a car.
Now when you transition to an all-electric vehicle like the Model Y after driving a gasoline vehicle your entire life there are some things you must get used to. First is regenerative braking which allows the Model Y to come to a stop without needing to press the brake pedal at all. If youâre driving and you lift off of the accelerator pedal, the car will actually start to brake automatically by itself and will come to a complete stop. This is referred to as âregenâ and this captures the vehicleâs kinetic energy and converts it into chemical energy that goes into the battery, where it can be used later as energy to drive the vehicle. This introduces you to a whole new wonderful side of driving that you will never get with a gasoline vehicle. Not only does it allow you to basically just use one pedal for the majority of driving, but it also improves your driving efficiency and thus maximizes the battery range.
When it comes driving a fully electric vehicle like the Model Y, maximizing range is kind of a big deal. You donât want to get stranded somewhere with a dead battery, right? Luckily Teslas have the best battery technology out of all the current car manufacturers. The Long Range Model Y has an estimated range of 316 miles on a full charge which can definitely come in handy during long trips. However, the estimated range is based on many different variables like mainly driving speed, weather conditions, elevation, load capacity, and the use of air conditioning or heater. Like with all Teslas, the driving efficiency is shown on the Model Y touchscreen in the form of Wh/mile, meaning how many Wh itâs using on average to travel one mile. For the first 600 miles traveled this Model averaged 287 Wh/mile. This is about 40 Wh/mile higher than my Model 3, which means the Model Y requires more energy than the Model 3 to travel the same distance. This is expected because the Model Y is bigger and heavier than the Model 3. However, the Model Y has a secret advantage over the Model 3 to help with the efficiency: a heat pump. I did an entire video about this which Iâll link to at the end of this video, but basically this should allow the Model Y to be at least slightly more efficient in colder temperatures than the Model 3. Since itâs still summer right now we must wait a few more months to test this out so be sure to subscribe to see my video about that later on when I release it. But for now, until we see the Standard Range Model Y, the Model 3 is still the most efficient Tesla you can get. The heat pump on the Y also runs when the air conditioning is on so many people were wondering how loud it is so hereâs what it sounds like. Definitely louder than the Model 3, but itâs not distractingly loud.
Many people donât realize that when you get an electric vehicle, most of your charging is done at home while you sleep. No more stopping at gas stations is such a huge benefit of getting a Tesla. The Model Y comes with a 20 foot long mobile connector that can charge on a standard 120 volt household outlet. From my tests the Model Y charged at a rate of 4 miles of range per hour of charge when using a normal outlet. This means the Model Y can recoup about 50 miles of range overnight assuming itâs charging for 12 hours. So if you drive 50 miles or less during your normal daily driving that should be fine. However, if you need to charge at a faster rate you can get a NEMA 14-50 outlet installed and buy the $35 adapter from Tesla and get about 30 miles of range per hour of charge which means you could technically charge from 0-100% overnight. And Tesla makes automatic charging incredibly easy. You can set a charging limit on your Tesla which they recommend charging to 90% for daily driving, and you can set it to automatically start charging at certain time or you can even set a scheduled departure time which will make the car end its charging right before your departure time which is extremely useful in the winter when your battery and cabin can be already warmed by the time yourâe ready to leave. But what about road trips? Thatâs when Teslaâs secret weapon comes into play: the Supercharger network. Tesla Superchargers are like fuel stations for Teslas when youâre traveling long distances. Right now there are almost 2,000 Tesla Supercharger stations strategically placed along major highways, and since these are considered DC fast charging stations ideally you should be able to spend no more than 30 minutes charging your Tesla at a Supercharger until youâre charged up enough to hit the road again. Model Y is considered pay per use so it will cost money to Supercharge and the price depends on the Supercharger location but itâs still much cheaper than average gas prices. And one amazing benefit of the Model Y is its compatibility with Teslaâs newest V3 Superchargers that can charge at rates up to 1,000 miles of range per hour of charge which is extremely fast. Tesla predicts the typical charging time at a V3 Supercharger will drop to around 15 minutes which is definitely needed because with more and more Teslas hitting the roads, Superchargers are becoming more crowded. In fact, 2 years ago when I got my Model 3 it was quite rare to see most of the Supercharger stalls being used in my city of Louisville, KY. Now when I went there to film an example of Supercharging in the Model Y, it was completely full and there were 3 Teslas waiting in line which is very uncommon in this part of the country where Teslas arenât as popular as big metro areas and the West coast. Hopefully this wonât become a big problem if Tesla can expedite the installs of V3 Superchargers and if Tesla owners donât abuse the Superchargers and only use them during long road trips if they can charge at home.
Driving the Model Y feels really good. Itâs a very comfortable ride and other than the higher seat position, the driving experience is nearly identical to the Model 3 which is a good thing. Driving a Model Y felt like I was floating in a Model 3. I have plenty more leg and head room in the Model Y as a driver. The ride is also not as bumpy as I thought it might be on the 20â wheels. I couldnât really tell any difference from the ride on my Model 3âs 18â wheels. However, if you want the most comfortable ride you gotta go with a more expensive Model S or X due to their smart air suspension which Model Y does not have, but all in all the Model Y is extremely comfortable and enjoyable to drive. Road noise and cabin noise while driving at highway speeds are similar to my Model 3 in that itâs a little louder than I would expect, but itâs definitely no louder than any of its internet combustion engine vehicle competitors. The minimalist dash with the full length wood veneer along with the same steering wheel controls and same exact touch screen, all of which Iâm a huge fan of. You never realize how many useless buttons most cars have until you experience the simple modern design thatâs in a Model Y. Itâs like when everyone moved from flip phones to smartphones – a dynamic touch screen display that replaces unnecessary knobs and buttons. Thatâs what Tesla has embraced, and itâs exactly what I want in a car. Almost everything is controlled by the touch screen even opening the glove box. But the steering wheel also includes to versatile scroll wheel buttons that can be pressed in, pressed to the left and right, and of course scrolled up and down to give you quick common controls at your fingertips without having to touch the screen. Some people are turned off by having most of the controls on the touch screen, but once you get a feel of the layout itâs very intuitive and easy to use. Although the Model Y seems to have a better blind spot view through the back windows compared to Model 3, I still wish Tesla would provide a better blind spot detection system. The Model Y lacks the side mirror light alert that most other new cars come with. The main way to get alerted about objects in your blind spot is from the touch screen to see if it shows a visualization of a car in the lane or just do it old school and look over you shoulder. Another complaint from a driverâs point of view in the Model Y is the extremely narrow view out of the rear view mirror. This was my wifeâs biggest pet peeve of the Model Y. Itâs almost useless and due to the tint when youâre wearing sunglasses the view is super dark as well as narrow. This is the compromise Tesla had to make by moving the crossbar further back to allow for that expansive glass roof. Do you think itâs worth it? Are you team glass roof or team rear view mirror? The good news is the Model Y has a fantastic backup camera that gives you a great view of the rear when you pull it up on the display which is definitely helpful because of the poor rear view mirror visibility. Model Y also has 12 ultrasonic sensors that alert when an object is getting too close.
Software & Autopilot
And that brings us to one of the best features of owning any Tesla including the Model Y which is the software and Autopilot. I think itâs safe to say Teslaâs biggest advantages and what makes them so good at making these electrics cars is first their battery and Supercharger technology but also the software. Tesla excels in these categories. The reason Model 3 and Model Y are so software focused is because at some point Tesla plans to make their cars capable of driving themselves without any human. When this happens software will be the best way to go forward with full self driving and their robotaxi service which I did a video about and Iâll link to at the end this video. Having a car that is designed around a touch screen means they can constantly update it and make it better. Thatâs exactly what they do. The Model Y automatically downloads free software updates from Tesla as they release them, and these updates are constantly providing new features and catering to the customerâs needs. For example a few months ago I did a video about some of the things I hate about my Model 3, most of which were things that could be fixed through a software update. And low and behold, last week Tesla released a free software update to all Tesla owners that addressed many of my complaints. That is something you cannot get with any other car. Some of the main Model Yâs software features include things the built-in navigation system which is amazingly helpful, the ability to control the fan direction and climate control all from the touch screen which is brilliant in my opinion, custom drive profiles that save certain settings so if you share your car with someone else you can both have your own profile that automatically adjusts your settings as you enter the car based on whose smartphone it detects as the key. It even has Dog Mode which keeps the car at a cool temperature and displays a message on the display alerting concerned citizens that the dog is happy and cool and the owner will return soon. The dual motor Model Yâs come with one year of free premium connectivity which includes features like: a built-in internet web browser that lets you browse sites even if the car is driven which is good for passengers, Satellite maps with live traffic visualization, built in streaming services such as Slacker for internet radio, Spotify for streaming your own saved music, and TuneIn for podcasts. It also has video streaming including Netflix and YouTube which is actually really clutch during Supercharging on road trips, and since Elon has said their mission is to make Teslas the most fun cars on the planet, there are also built in games and things like Caraoke. Now those are all great, but I have some minor complaints. First I would love to have an option or Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, but I doubt that will ever happen. Also I wouldnât pay the $10/month for premium connectivity after the trial is up. You still get live traffic data on your navigation, you just donât see the visuals of it but the route will still be the same. And my main music app of choice is Spotify, and Teslaâs built in Spotify app is half baked at best. Itâs very buggy so I just end up streaming Spotify and Podcasts from my phone via Bluetooth most of the time. The good thing about that is the left scroll wheel on the steering wheel for playing, pausing, and skipping still works when streaming over Bluetooth from your phone. Model Y also features built-in voice controls that allow you to many different things like set the temperature, open the glove box, drive to a certain destination, and more. These voice commands will become a huge advantage for Tesla as they get more sophisticated because right now I guess the only downside with a touchscreen is that it does require you to look at where youâre touching which takes your eyes off the road.
But thatâs where Teslaâs best software feature comes into play. Autopilot is an advanced driver assistance system that makes driving safer and less stressful. Autopilot comes standard with all new Teslas and utilizes the 8 external cameras, the forward facing radar, the 12 ultrasonic sensors and the onboard computer to give you two main features while driving: Traffic-Aware Cruise Control which matches the speed of your car to that of the surrounding traffic, and Autosteer which assists in steering within a clearly marked lane, and utilizes traffic-aware cruise control. The optional Full Self Driving option gives you more features, but is quite expensive. I have FSD on my Model 3 and Iâll link to a video I did showcasing it on my 45 minute commute. But having driven the Model Y that just has Autopilot, it was honestly enough for the majority of my driving. Autopilot can be enabled by double tapping down on the right stalk when youâre within marked lanes. This will initiate Autosteer and Traffic aware cruise control so the car will stay within the lane, maintain speed while also slowing down for the lead car and speeding back up when necessary. And you can easily increase or decrease the set speed or follow distance by using the right scroll wheel on the steering wheel. Once you experience Autopilot you will never want to go back to a non-Tesla ever again. It allows you to not expend constant mental energy to manually drive the car, but instead it gives you more awareness of your surroundings as the car handles lane keeping and speed. All it requires is a hand on the wheel to let it know youâre still attentive. One feature I love about FSD on my Model 3 is the automatic lane change. This feature allows a Tesla with FSD to automatically change lanes on a highway to pass and merge which is insanely useful. Autopilot doesnât have automatic lane change. And I thought I would miss it dearly when using basic Autopilot on the Model Y. But, Tesla designed Autopilot in a way that is very clever and made me not miss FSD as much especially when changing lanes. For example, when Autopilot is enabled you can disengage and take over by doing either of these three things: pressing the brake pedal, tapping up on the right stalk, or turning the wheel with enough force. When you disengage Autopilot by turning the wheel it takes a good amount of force. However, when you initiate the turn signal while Autopilot is engaged, it actually lessens the required force for the steering wheel allowing you to easily change lanes then it quickly lets you re-engage Autopilot when most of your car is in the new lane. I didnât know it was set up like this, and it was really impressive even coming from my Model 3 with FSD. So given that, and the level at which I trust Autopilot because it is the best advanced driver assistance system on any car right now in my opinion, I think the included Autopilot feature set is enough for most people. Itâs mostly useful for highway driving right now. If you do choose FSD, you will get some cool features like Summon and Autopark but those I rarely ever use in my Model 3. Once FSD improves in the coming future to where itâs usable on city streets then it will separate itself from basic Autopilot. But until then, Autopilot should meet most driverâs needs. And it obviously enhances quite possibly the best feature of owning a Tesla that people seem to forget: safety. Autopilot has proven to be a safer way to drive when itâs used properly. Thatâs because software doesnât suffer from human error. Software doesnât get road rage, it doesnât fall asleep at the wheel, it doesnât get distracted. And like every Tesla, the Model Y is designed to be the safest vehicle in its class. It has a low center of gravity, a rigid body structure and large crumple zones that provide unmatched protection. Even after all the cool things abut the Model Y, most people would benefit from choosing a Model Y just on safety alone which is something to think about. Another safety and security feature that is unique to Tesla and Model Y, is the Dashcam feature which allows you to connect a flash drive to the USB port under the center console area, and it will record continuous dash cam footage from all the external cameras while driving which is extremely helpful if youâre ever in a situation where something happens to your car. It also can record surveillance footage while the car is parked, and this feature is called Sentry Mode. Itâs extremely helpful for monitoring your car for security reasons. The best part is Teslaâs latest software update lets you view the dash cam footage directly from the touch screen, and even skip ahead to the point where motion is detected.
Conclusion
The Model Y has been criticized by many of suffering from fit and finish issues. This Model Y definitely has a few of those issues including part of the upholstery interior sticking out which was an eye sore, one of the hatchbackâs interior side paneling is misaligned which revealed the inner components, and the passenger window makes a popping noise when itâs rolled up. However, those are pretty minor issues that should be easily fixed by Teslaâs mobile technician and covered under the new vehicle warranty. The exterior of the Model Y was actually great. I couldnât find really any panel gaps or misalignments that were noticeable. Itâs probably safe to say Tesla isnât the best at fit and finish quality assurance, but most of the fit and finish issues that some Model Y owners have seen are minor cosmetic issues that will most likely get fixed for free and not cause any inconvenience due to the service being performed by a mobile technician at the ownerâs location. I hope Tesla will try to improve their fit and finish quality going forward, but I think most people will be head over heels in love with the most important parts the car.
The Tesla Model Y brings a lot to the table. It has an attractive design and provides the best things about the Model 3 with even more space at an elevated view, while being much more affordable than Teslaâs only other SUV – the Model X. The Model Y is pretty much the only option for people who want a fully electric hatchback vehicle with at least 300 miles of range, along with the high level of performance and quickness. Itâs packed full of capable self-driving technology, and the feature set is constantly improving via free over the air software updates. The hardware and software are made by the same company so itâs optimized to integrate together seamlessly for a top notch user experience. The newly introduced powered lift gate hatchback makes the Model Y extremely versatile and great for families. The feeling of never buying gas or oil again is the cherry on top. If owning for a long period of time, owning a Model Y could lead to some big fuel savings with the possibility of the sun charging your car via solar energy which is the ultimate goal. After owning a Tesla for over 2 years now it’s so hard for me to recommend any gasoline vehicle or even a hybrid even though there are some promising upcoming options like the Toyota RAV4 Prime that are cheaper than the Model Y. I definitely wouldnât recommend depleting your savings or going into considerable debt to get any new vehicle, but if you have a $50,000 budget, the Tesla Model Y may very well be the best car option on the market right now.
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