New 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.

And like the Model 3, the Model Y has now been treated to a mid-life facelift, bringing a new look along with promises of improved ride comfort and greater levels of refinement.

It's a hugely important car for Tesla, because while the Model 3 has been a big success, the fact that it's not an SUV is an instant turn-off for many potential buyers. By contrast, as an electric SUV, the Model Y offers all the perks of its stablemate but with more interior space.

New Tesla Model Y video reveal

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 version creeps into VW ID Buzz territory.

Read on to find out what impact the changes for this facelift have had on the Tesla Model Y and how we rate it overall against the best electric SUVs...

All versions of the Tesla Model Y are quick – even the entry-level RWD (rear-wheel drive) model can officially sprint from 0-60mph in 5.6 seconds, easily outpacing the cheapest Kia EV6 (7.1 seconds).

Above the RWD there’s a marginally quicker Long Range RWD (5.4 seconds), followed by the fastest-accelerating version, the Long Range AWD (all-wheel drive), which has an official time of 4.6 seconds.

The Performance version, which manages the sprint in a supercar-rivalling 3.5 seconds, beating even the quickest Audi Q4 e-tron, is not currently available, and Tesla has not yet said whether it will return.

When it comes to official electric range, the Model Y is impressive. True, the RWD's 311 miles figure is beaten by an equivalent EV6 (361), but the Long Range RWD bumps that up to 387 miles, with the Long Range AWD sitting in the middle at 364 miles (or 353 on the bigger optional 20in alloy wheels).

Before its mid-life facelift, ride comfort wasn’t a Model Y strength – but the suspension has been worked on for this latest version and it now offers a more comfortable ride.

So far, we’ve driven a new Model Y Long Range AWD on 19in alloys (20in ones are optional) but it’s decently settled on a motorway and harsh impacts on the suspension are absorbed impressively.

It’s certainly far more settled than a Ford Mustang Mach-E but other electric SUVs – including the Q4 e-tron, Genesis GV60 and Renault Scenic – are still a little smoother and even more composed overall.

It should come as no surprise that the taller and heavier Model Y isn’t as good to drive as a Model 3 – but for the facelift Tesla has spent a little more time tuning it accordingly.

It used to have incredibly quick steering, which made the handling feel a bit nervous, but the steering is now a little slower, particularly around centre, and feels calmer as a result.

There’s still plenty of grip and not too much body lean, although the Genesis GV60, Kia EV6 and Skoda Enyaq are even better balanced, and ultimately more enjoyable to drive on twisty roads.

Pre-facelift Model Ys were not that quiet by electric SUV standards, but this is another area where things have improved a lot. It's now impressively hushed inside, even at motorway speeds.

The Model Y's brakes are really good too, despite the regenerative braking working away. They're much 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 to slow down smoothly.

"I was impressed by how quiet the new Model Y was on the motorway. I didn’t need to raise my voice to hold a conversation with a passenger." – Doug Revolta, Head of Video

From the driver’s seat, most things in the Model Y are near-enough identical to how they are in a Tesla Model 3 but you do sit higher up in the car, almost looking down on the dashboard. That makes you feel less cocooned than in an Audi Q4 e-tron or Kia EV6.

It’s still comfortable behind the wheel though, with the updated Model Y now thankfully offering a bit more side and shoulder support in the seats to hold you in position through corners better than before.

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 screen to tell the car that’s what you want to do then play around with some small controls on the steering wheel.

The Model Y's windscreen pillars are fairly chunky and 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 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 touchscreen. The operating system does have a lot of menus and submenus but thankfully it's still fairly intuitive. While some of the smaller icons can be distracting to hit accurately when you’re driving, the system is very responsive once you’ve made your selection.

It’s loaded with features, including everything from sat-nav to Netflix and games (to keep you entertained while you charge up your car). One notable omission is Android Auto or Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring – which you do get in the Renault Scenic and most other electric SUVs. 

However, the built-in system is so good that you rarely wish it offered smartphone mirroring and, overall, the Model Y has a better infotainment system than the Kia EV6 and Skoda Enyaq – although the system in the Genesis GV60 is less distracting to use while driving thanks to its physical rotary controller.

Rear passengers in the Model Y get an 8in touchscreen so they can control things like climate and media functions. You can also connect Bluetooth headphones to it.

The quality of Tesla car models is something we’ve been a little critical of in the past, but things have definitely improved. All the Model Ys we’ve tested felt well screwed together inside and the exterior panel gaps were relatively consistent. The improvements to the latest version make it better than ever.

The materials inside are much more appealing than those in a Ford Mustang Mach-E or Skoda Enyaq. The rival Genesis GV60 is plusher inside overall, but the Model Y is still very good by class standards.

"I listen to music a lot while driving so I find it really handy that the Model Y has built-in apps for Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

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 vast 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 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 Model Y's 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 VW ID Buzz.

If you need a seven-seater you’ll need to look elsewhere. The Model Y was sold as a seven-seater in the UK for a while, but that version won't be returning.

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 down – it’s done electrically using buttons on the sides, on the rear touchscreen or from the boot. You can also recline the rear seatbacks, making them even more comfortable to sit in.

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.

The new version offers around 20 litres less overall storage in the boot than the pre-facelift Model Y, but that’s not a huge dent in what is an incredibly practical space.

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

The Model Y's hatchback tailgate makes it much more practical than a Tesla Model 3. Fitting in a big buggy 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.

“I think it’s very useful to have such a big front boot. Many electric cars don’t even offer one at all, or if they do it’s tiny and barely big enough for a charging cable, but the Model Y can fit a carry-on suitcase.” – Doug Revolta, Head of Video

The Tesla Model Y costs more than a Renault Scenic but is cheaper to buy outright than many premium-badged electric SUVs – including the Audi Q4 e-tron and Genesis GV60 – and costs about the same as an entry-level BMW iX1.

Resale values are predicted to be strong, and because it's fully electric the Model Y is seriously cheap to run for company car drivers who pay BIK tax.

One major advantage the Model Y has over its rivals is access to the fast, reliable Tesla Supercharger network – although it’s becoming more common in the UK for Tesla's devices to be open to other brands' electric cars too.

With a maximum charging rate of 250kW, the Model Y should be able to charge from 10-80% in less than half an hour. A 0-100% charge using a 7kW home EV charger will take around 12 hours.

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 using 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 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" using a smartphone app at very low speeds. If someone parks too close for you to open the door, you can drive your Model Y out of the space using your mobile phone.

The Model Y was the most reliable electric SUV in the 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey while Tesla finished 15th out of 31 brands in the 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. The warranty covers the electrical bits against faults and guarantees a minimum 70% retention of battery capacity.

The pre-facelift Model Y was awarded a maximum five-star safety rating by Euro NCAP. A closer look at the test scores reveals better adult-occupant protection than in a Genesis GV60 or Kia EV6 and about the same as in an 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, including automatic emergency braking (AEB) and lane-departure warning. The new Model Y offers the same level of protection and is expected to be put through another Euro NCAP test.

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.

"There are cheaper electric SUVs available, but when you factor in the Model Y's level of standard kit, I'd say it's hard not to conclude that it represents good value for money." – Neil Winn, Deputy Reviews Editor

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