Tesla Model Y review

You can think of the Tesla Model Y as a Model 3 that’s been pumped full of growth hormone to give it a higher driving position and more room inside.

You see, while the Model 3 is a fantastic electric car, Tesla is all too aware that its entry-level saloon doesn’t suit everyone. Its small boot opening isn’t great for families and it's not an SUV, which is an instant turn-off for many buyers.

That's where the Model Y comes in. It's an electric SUV that sits below the seven-seat Tesla Model X in the brand's line-up, forgoing the X's falcon doors and only getting five seats in the UK (in the US the Model Y is available as a seven-seater).

Its rivals include everything from the Audi Q4 e-tron and BMW iX1 to the Kia EV6 and Renault Scenic – although the price of the range-topping Model Y creeps into VW ID Buzz territory.

Read on to find out how we rate the Tesla Model Y against the best electric SUVs in all the important areas...

The Model Y isn’t quite as rapid as an equivalent Tesla Model 3 (blame the extra weight for that). Mind you, at our private test track we timed a Long Range version rocketing from 0-60mph in 4.8 seconds.

The range-topping Performance model has a supercar-rivalling official 0-60mph time of 3.5 seconds. That’s much quicker than any Audi Q4 e-tron and a close match for the GT version of the Kia EV6.

Even the entry-level RWD (rear-wheel drive) Model Y managed 0-60mph in 6.9 seconds in our tests, which is plenty fast enough for most buyers. However, the RWD has a shorter official range than the Long Range (283 miles against 331 miles). The Performance version can officially do 319 miles.

In our real-world range tests the Long Range managed 272 miles in winter and an impressive 304 miles on a warm July day. On a mild day, the RWD version managed around 220 miles, which is less than the Kia EV6 Air (252 miles) and Renault Scenic E-Tech Long Range (270 miles).

Ride comfort isn’t a Model Y strength. It has bigger wheels than the equivalent Model 3, with 19in rims fitted to the RWD and Long Range versions as standard, and 20in wheels available as an option.

Neither wheel size is particularly forgiving over ridges and potholes, and you're jostled around in your seat along roads that appear quite smooth. Surprisingly, though, the Performance version, with its 21in alloys and sports suspension, isn't much more fractious.

While the Model Y is more settled than the Ford Mustang Mach-E, many other electric SUVs – including the Q4 e-tron, the Genesis GV60 and the Scenic – offer a smoother and more composed ride.

It should come as no surprise that the taller and heavier Model Y isn’t as good to drive as the Model 3, but it’s a shame Tesla hasn’t spent more time tuning the car accordingly – especially given how rapid it is.

The incredibly quick steering that works well on the Model 3 has been carried over, but with the slightly more lethargic responses of an SUV it makes the Model Y feel a bit nervous.

When you get past that and into a corner, you’ll find plenty of grip and not too much body lean, but the Genesis GV60 the Kia EV6 and even the Skoda Enyaq feel better balanced, inspire more confidence and are more enjoyable on twisty roads.

The Model Y isn't that quiet by electric SUV standards. The interior is a bit of an echo chamber, actually, because the entire roof is made from glass, which doesn’t absorb sound very well. 

You hear a fair amount of road noise and boom from the suspension when you're driving. In fact, when we tested it against the EV6 and Scenic, the Model Y’s readings at both 30mph and 70mph were higher. If you want something even more hushed, try the Q4 e-tron, GV60 and Enyaq.

The Model Y's brakes are really good. They're far smoother and more progressive than in most electric cars so it’s easy to judge how much pressure you need to apply with your right foot.

"The Model Y doesn't do as good a job of isolating you from the outside world as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 or Skoda Enyaq Coupé... steer clear if you want the quietest electric vehicle." – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor

From the driver’s seat, everything in the Model Y is near-enough identical to how it is in the cheaper Tesla Model 3 – except for one thing. You see, the seats are mounted on plinths so you sit noticeably higher up in the car, almost looking down on the dashboard.

In other similarly priced electric SUVs – including the Audi Q4 e-tron and the Kia EV6 – you feel more cocooned by a taller dashboard and higher window line.

We wish the Model Y's front seats had a bit more support around the sides and shoulders to hold you in position through corners, but they’re comfy enough when you’re going in a straight line.

The driver’s seat lines up neatly with the pedals and steering wheel, although the wheel itself is a faff to adjust for reach and height. You have to use the infotainment touchscreen to tell the car that’s what you want to do, then play around with some small controls on the wheel.

The Model Y's windscreen pillars are fairly wide, and are angled in such a way that they can hamper your view out at junctions and roundabouts. How badly will depend on how tall you are and your preferred driving position.

The same goes for the rearview mirror – it's mounted too low on the windscreen, so it can block some of your view when turning left.

All versions come with front and rear parking sensors, plus there are multiple cameras around the car to help with manoeuvring. LED headlights are standard and illuminate the road well at night.

The Model Y comes with a 15in infotainment touchscreen. The operating system is fairly intuitive, and while some of the smaller icons can be distracting to hit accurately while you’re driving, the system is responsive once you’ve made your selection.  

It’s loaded with features too, including everything from built-in sat-nav to Netflix and games, to keep you entertained while you charge. One notable omission is Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring –which you do get in the Renault Scenic (which has an equally impressive infotainment system) and other electric SUVs. 

The Tesla system is better overall than the ones you’ll find in the Kia EV6 and Skoda Enyaq but the Genesis GV60 system is less distracting to use because it has a dial controller.

The quality of Tesla cars is something we’ve been a little critical of in the past, but things do seem to have improved. All the Model Ys we’ve tested felt well screwed together inside and the exterior panel gaps were relatively consistent.

The materials inside are a little more appealing than those in the Enyaq and the Ford Mustang Mach-E. Don’t expect to be blown away though – the "vegan leather" on the seats and steering wheel is soft but very obviously plastic. The rival GV60 is much plusher inside.

"Tesla has kept things simple by basing the Model Y interior very much on the Model 3's. It means you look down on the dashboard, which feels a bit unnatural, and sit higher up than in a Hyundai Ioniq 5." – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor

No one sitting in the front of a Tesla Model Y is likely to have any complaints about space – there's plenty for even the tallest occupants. There’s also loads of room for odds and ends, with a lidded cubby between the front seats and a good-sized storage area under the centre armrest.

The front seat area feels remarkably light and airy thanks to the combination of tall side windows and a standard full glass roof.

There's (unsurprisingly) more rear leg and head room in a Model Y than a Tesla Model 3 – although not by a dramatic amount. The biggest difference is that the higher seating position is more comfortable and you don’t feel as though your knees are being forced up towards your chin.

A couple of six-footers will be more than comfy enough on a long journey, and thanks to the flat floor, a third passenger sitting in the middle won’t feel too hard done by.

That said, if you really must have limo levels of leg room, we’d recommend you take a look at the Kia EV6 or even the VW ID Buzz. Those cars also have longer seat bases for better under-thigh support.

The Model Y comes with 40/20/40 split-folding rear seats as standard, as do the BMW iX1 and Renault Scenic (most other rivals have a less flexible 60/40 split). That gives you the option of slotting something long and thin, such as skis or a golf travel bag, between two rear passengers. 

The seats are super-easy to fold – you just flick switches on the wall of the boot and they drop down of their own accord. And when the boot isn’t crammed full of luggage, you can recline the rear seatbacks slightly.

The Model Y has a huge boot – especially when you factor in the large well under the floor. There’s also a smaller underfloor storage area directly behind the rear seats, which is a great place to stow the charging cables.

Using the front boot under the bonnet, we managed to squeeze an impressive 10 carry-on suitcases into the Model Y's load bays – more than in the Audi Q4 e-tron, the EV6 and the Scenic (they all took seven). The immensely practical – and much bigger – ID Buzz swallowed 16 cases.

The hatchback tailgate makes the Model Y a much more practical option than the Model 3. Fitting a big buggy inside is no problem, and all versions have an electric tailgate that can be opened and closed using the touchscreen, from a Tesla smartphone app or with a button on the boot lid.

"You should have plenty of head and leg room wherever you sit, and the front boot is useful, with space for a carry-on suitcase." – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor

The Tesla Model Y is cheaper to buy outright than many premium-badged electric SUVs including the BMW iX1, the Genesis GV60 and the Jaguar I-Pace. In fact, the RWD is even cheaper than the entry-level Kia EV6.

Resale values are predicted to be excellent, and because it's fully electric the Model Y is seriously cheap to run for company car drivers who pay benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax.

One major advantage the Model Y has over its rivals is access to the vast and reliable Tesla Supercharger network, which in the right conditions will charge the Model Y from 10-80% in less than half an hour. Doing a 0-100% charge using a 7kW home car charger will take around nine hours, 15 minutes for the RWD or 12 hours for a Long Range or Performance.

All versions of the Model Y come with plenty of luxuries, including climate control, adaptive cruise control, faux-leather seats (heated in the front and back), an electric tailgate and keyless entry via an app on your smartphone. 

It’s a good thing it's well equipped as standard because there isn’t much on the options list. Apart from metallic paint, different alloy wheel designs and a tow bar package, the only options are the extra assisted driving functions.  

The so-called Full Self Driving Capability doesn’t mean you can sit in the back while the car takes you to your destination. It simply allows the Model Y to make lane changes on its own (just press the indicator), steer itself into a parking space or be "summoned" via a smartphone app at very low speeds. So, if someone parks too close to you in a car park for you to open the door, you can drive your Model Y out of the space using your mobile phone.

The Model Y was one of the most reliable electric SUVs in the 2023 What Car? Reliability Survey with Tesla as a whole coming a respectable 10th out of 32 brands in the overall manufacturer league table.

Tesla gives you a four-year/50,000 mile warranty, with the battery and drive unit covered separately for eight years or 120,000 miles (100,000 in the entry-level RWD version). The warranty covers the electrical bits against faults and guarantees a minimum 70% retention of battery capacity.

The Model Y has been awarded a superb five-star safety rating by Euro NCAP. A closer look at the test scores reveals better adult occupant crash protection than the Genesis GV60 and Kia EV6 offer, and about the same as the Audi Q4 e-tron. Child protection was found to be exceptional.

There's loads of active safety kit to prevent you from having an accident in the first place too, including automatic emergency braking (AEB) and lane-departure warning.

As for security, as well as the usual kit there’s something called Sentry mode. When enabled, it uses the car’s external cameras to start recording when the car is approached after it’s locked, saving the footage to a USB drive. If someone tries to break in or drives into your Model Y when it's parked up, the cameras should record the incident.

"The Model Y's very slow depreciation is very helpful in keeping long-term ownership costs down, making it cheaper on a PCP deal than an equivalent Hyundai Ioniq 5 or Skoda Enyaq Coupé."– Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor

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