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With its top offering, competitive prices, regular software updates and a spacious interior, the Tesla Model Y (from €44,990) sets the benchmark for EV crossovers. We like how fast it charges, its seamless software experience and its generous cargo space. While we prefer the styling of some of its competitors, the Tesla Model Y represents the best value on the market and remains our Editors’ Choice winner for the crossover segment.
Price and options: three equipment levels
The Tesla Model Y is currently available in three trim levels: Long Range RWD (rear-wheel drive), Long Range AWD (All-Wheel Drive) or Performance AWD. Tesla doesn’t release run-of-the-mill specs like most automakers, but according to EV research site Recurrent, the Model Y uses a 75-kWh lithium-ion battery and its EPA-estimated battery range is between 275 and 337 miles.
When it comes to charging, the Model Y uses Tesla’s NACS port, and Tesla calculates charging times as miles per charging minute. Telsa’s Level 1 DC Superchargers add 250 to 270 kilometers in 15 minutes, depending on trim level, and at up to 250 kW. A Level 2 240-volt charger adds 45 miles per hour, while a 110-volt power cord (available as an option) adds 5 miles per hour.
Because Tesla doesn’t have traditional dealerships like most automakers, another quirk is listing “After Savings” vehicle prices that “include all applicable federal tax credits and estimated gas savings.” At the time of writing this article, Tesla lists the price of the single-motor entry-level Model Y Long Range RWD at $31,490. However, if you add the $7,500 federal tax credit and Tesla’s estimated five-year gas savings of $6,000, the actual starting price is $44,990. This trim has an EPA-estimated range of 320 miles and an MPGe of 128 for city driving, 112 for highway driving, or 120 combined.
Standard exterior features of the Long Range RWD include 19-inch wheels, auto-folding side mirrors with integrated turn signals, automatic LED headlights and taillights, recessed door handles and a power liftgate. Notable interior features include automatic dual climate control, a fixed panoramic sunroof, heated front and rear seats, electrically adjustable front seats and synthetic leather upholstery.
Tech highlights include a 14-speaker sound system, a 15-inch touchscreen in the center of the dash, Tesla’s standard connectivity, which is free for the first eight years of ownership and includes cloud-based navigation and wireless device charging. Driver assistance systems include adaptive cruise control, blind spot warning, forward collision mitigation, lane keep assist and Tesla Autopilot, which combines adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist for automated driving.
The Model Y Long Range AWD that I rented and tested – courtesy of peer-to-peer car-sharing service Turo – adds dual motors. The listed starting price is $34,490 on Telsa’s website, but when you add the $7,500 federal tax credit and Tesla’s estimated five-year gas savings of $6,000, it comes to $47,990. It gets an EPA-estimated range of 310 miles, and MPGe is rated at 122 city, 112 highway, and 117 combined. It includes Tesla’s Premium Connectivity package that costs $9.99 per month (or $99 per year) and adds a dashcam, games, in-car Wi-Fi, music and video streaming services, satellite maps, and a wait mode.
The Model Y Performance starts at $37,990 on Tesla’s site, but (again) adding the $7,500 federal tax credit and Tesla’s estimated five-year gas savings of $6,000 brings it to $51,490.. It has 456 horsepower, an EPA-estimated range of 279 miles, and an MPGe of 111 city, 98 highway, and 105 combined. It adds 21-inch wheels, aluminum alloy pedals and a lowered suspension.
Design: nothing shocking
Unlike most automakers who regularly overhaul the designs of their vehicles, Tesla sticks to the same basic styling from the introduction of each EV, with only minor tweaks inside and out and over-the-air software updates behind the scenes. The Model Y has had the same well-known spherical shape since its debut in 2020 and looks dated compared to modern competitors such as the Honda Prologue and the Kia EV6. Yet the Model Y’s L-shaped headlights still look fresh and distinctive, and the high beltline and lower crease along the sides contribute to the car’s subtle aesthetic updates.
The interior of the Model Y is also unchanged and mainly spartan compared to its rivals. Parts of the door and dashboard panels are covered in high-quality suede material and a wooden strip across the dashboard adds some flair to an otherwise dull interior. The seating surfaces are covered in sturdy vegan leather and the front seats are among the most uncomfortable in the segment. Instead of using physical controls like most automakers, Tesla groups adjustments such as for the side mirrors and windshield wipers into the twist-and-push buttons on the steering wheel, which can be cumbersome and distracting, especially while driving.
Bare as it is, the interior remains one of the most spacious in the segment, with loads of legroom both front and rear (41.8 and 41.6 inches respectively), with the curved roof providing plenty of headroom. Likewise, the Model Y has plenty of cargo space with the rear seats in place or folded flat, and a large under-car floor compartment and frunk add to the car’s storage options.
The Model Y Long Range AWD is available with a third-row seat that increases capacity to seven passengers and costs $2,000 more. The five-seat Model YI tested has 72.1 cubic feet of cargo space behind the first row with the second row folded. With the second and third rows folded, the three-row version’s space drops to 67.9 cubic feet – a loss of more than four cubic feet. Space in the third row is also tight: legroom is only 26.5 centimeters and headroom only 34.6 centimeters.
Performance: Sports and Chill
Tesla set the benchmark for EV performance early on with its scream-inducing Insane and Ludicrous modes and continues to set the standard today with its 1,000-horsepower Model S and Model X Plaid versions. The 384-hp Model Y Long Rage AWD I tested has two driving modes: Sport and Chill. In Sport, the Model Y has impressive, if not insane, acceleration, and in Chill mode, performance is moderate but still brisk enough to overtake slower vehicles or merge onto a highway with ease. The low-slung Model Y has excellent driving dynamics, corners well and rides smoothly, even on rough roads.
The Model Y’s brake regeneration is set and forgotten via the dashboard display and cannot be adjusted directly with paddle shifters like other EVs. There are two regeneration settings, Low and Standard, but even the higher default setting doesn’t offer one-pedal driving like other EVs.
Although I drove the car mainly in Sport mode, the range was largely as stated, and Tesla’s Supercharger network of DC fast chargers is extensive and useful. Whenever I needed to charge the Model Y, there was often a Supercharger within a few miles, easily found via the vehicle’s navigation system, and the battery was topped up within half an hour. I have not experienced any of the issues I regularly encounter with non-Tesla public chargers, including unusable chargers, charging errors and interruptions, and payment processing issues.
Infotainment: more of the same
Tesla hasn’t changed its infotainment system or strategy much since I tested the Model Y three years ago. Everything is based on the centered 15-inch touchscreen. Small icons for the most recently used functions are located at the bottom of the screen and are flanked by climate controls and a home button on the left and dual climate and volume controls on the right. Similar icons at the top show gear position, battery level, time, outside temperature and other information. The center of the screen is reserved for the functions currently in use, such as controls, navigation and streaming, meaning they are displayed clearly and vividly on the large screen. Overall, the interface is easy to use, even with the small icons, and very responsive too. That said, some drivers prefer a broader mix of physical controls over touchscreens.
Instead of Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, the Model Y relies on multiple streaming services for cloud-based content. The infotainment system also includes dozens of games displayed in remarkable resolution. But most impressive is the connectivity, which is fast and reliable and makes the built-in navigation system the best I’ve tested. It quickly finds Supercharger locations, provides information on how many are available at a given location, and conditions the battery along the way.
Tesla has received a lot of attention for its Autopilot feature and courted controversy with its so-called Full Self Driving (FSD) technology. Tesla owners who pay $8,000, or $99 per month, to add the newly named Full Self-Driving (Supervised) get a largely hands-free, eyes-on-the-road feature that, unlike those of other automakers , can maneuver on surface streets through intersections and roundabouts, make automatic turns and more.
My test car didn’t have this, just the basic Autopilot feature, which isn’t much different from some of the other highway-oriented hands-free systems I’ve tested. In some ways it’s not as good as those competing systems because it doesn’t automatically change lanes. This requires Enhanced Autopilot, which also adds semi-automated parking, and Smart Summon, which allows the vehicle to be controlled remotely.
Verdict: Still a winner
The Model Y earned our Editors’ Choice award when I first tested it three years ago, and given its good performance, class-leading range and solid connectivity, it’s easy to see why it’s by far the best-selling EV in its class. Tesla’s fast and ubiquitous Supercharger network gives Tesla another advantage over the competition, and the fast and effortless over-the-air software updates keep the vehicle current. Few vehicles meet all of these requirements, helping the Model Y retain its Editors’ Choice crown in the EV crossover segment. Drivers looking for a crossover other than a Tesla should consider the Honda Prologue, which doesn’t match the Model Y in battery technology but has a more modern design for about the same price.
