We Bought a 2023 Tesla Model Y For a Yearlong Test: Is EV Life Really Better in a Tesla?
MotorTrend now owns the most popular EV in the world.
The Tesla Model Y is the Toyota Corolla of EVs. It's the bestselling EV in the world and the default choice for more customers than any other vehicle. That's not hyperbole; the Model Y is far and away the bestselling EV and the third bestselling vehicle in the world. The only vehicles that outsell it are Toyota's RAV4 and Corolla, the No. 1 and 2 in 2022's global sales, respectively. That also makes it the bestselling vehicle in its crowded SUV class. Given that, it should be a regular in MotorTrend comparison tests and features, but Tesla doesn't maintain a fleet of vehicles to loan to the press like other automakers. So we bought our own.
0:00 / 0:00
At the time we ordered, the rear-drive, single-motor Model Y wasn't available, so we ordered an all-wheel-drive, dual-motor Model Y Long Range, the most popular Model Y configuration. With an eye toward trying out as many features as possible, we were also liberal with our option selections. Full Self Driving (Beta) (FSD Beta) was a must, as the controversial software is a potential gamechanger if and when it makes it out of beta. A trailer hitch will allow us to test both its ability to tow and its range. We've never seen a three-row Model Y (much less tested one), so we had to get that, too. As configured, the sales price was $71,630, which is the official price that compares with all the other pricing we report (because we actually paid for it in California, we can tell you our total out-the-door price with all state taxes and fees was $79,254.85).
How'd we get there from a starting price of $41,630? It starts with availability. The second motor, all-wheel drive, and big battery added $10,500 to the price alone, but the combo will make our car quicker and able to go farther on a charge. (If you're wondering why those numbers don't match Tesla's website, it's because they were taken directly from the purchase agreement and reflect Tesla's actual pricing structure at the time of purchase. The website pricing adds up to the same total despite the discrepancy.) Even more expensive was FSD Beta at $15,000. The third-row seats set us back another $2,500, and the tow hitch was $1,000. We saved a bit of money sticking with the standard 19-inch wheels, and it likely improved our real-world driving range and ride quality. We spent that $1,000 instead on the Deep Blue Metallic paint so we can tell the car from every other Model Y at the Supercharger. Throw in a $1,390 destination fee and a $250 order fee, and just like that, your $42,000 electric SUV is now a nearly $72,000 vehicle.
Our spending didn't stop there, though. We've driven enough EVs to know you need to be prepared for all kinds of charging scenarios. The Tesla Supercharger network is far and away the best in America, but they aren't everywhere yet. Teslas come with an SAE J1772-to-Tesla charging adapter so you can plug into any 240-volt Level 2 charger, which is handy since my home charger is a universal J1772. To ensure we can plug in anywhere, though, we needed more.
First up was the Mobile Connector, the portable charger that plugs into either a household 120-volt outlet or a NEMA 14-50 240-volt outlet. Those come standard on some EVs, but Tesla charges an extra $230 for it, which came out to $251.85 after tax. Next, we picked up an SAE CCS Combo 1-to-Tesla adapter that'll let us plug into almost any non-Tesla public DC Fast charging station just in case we're stuck somewhere that has one of those but no Supercharger, or we just feel like torturing ourselves. That was another $191.63 after tax ($175 retail price).
Finally, we've long since learned our lesson when it comes to massive sunroofs with no physical shade. No matter how dark the factory tint, they let in too much heat during Los Angeles summers and are a drag on the air conditioner, sucking up valuable electricity. Tesla sells a pop-in shade for $105, which is advertised to cut light transfer by 66 percent. It's a piece of mesh with a wire perimeter frame and some plastic clips that set us back $115.50 after tax. At least it came with a zippered storage pouch in case we ever take it out. We've decided against the $70 rear window shade for now.
All told, we've spent $558.98 on what we think are pretty much essential accessories. We could get by without them, but with all the driving we do and all the odd places we go, we'll be much happier with them. The $2,000 Acceleration Boost software upgrade that cuts 0.3 second off the 0-60 mph time, though, we can live without. For now.
Now that we're in it for nearly $80 grand, initial impressions are mixed. The ubiquity and convenience of the Supercharger network is already life-altering for someone who's spent any amount of time in non-Tesla vehicles at the whim of America's woefully inadequate and unreliable public charging infrastructure. That alone is the biggest selling feature. The biggest drawback continues to be build quality, as our car quickly developed a rattle in the driver door, another one in the cargo area, and a driver door mirror that's not secured tightly enough and vibrates constantly while driving. The panel gaps aren't great, either, but that's to be expected from Teslas at this point.
At least the buying process was easy. I already had the Tesla app on my phone from prior testing, so I simply opened it, tapped on "order now," picked my vehicle and options, tapped "continue," declined the option to choose an already built car waiting at a Tesla delivery center, reviewed our order, and placed it. The whole process took less than 10 minutes since we knew what we wanted and had a credit card already on file.
Once the order was in, the app kept us updated on the order status. It promised delivery in four to six weeks, but the car was actually ready to be picked up in 15 days. During those two weeks, we filled out our tax information so MT can claim the federal tax credit, entered our own identification for pickup and registration, uploaded our insurance information, and reviewed the final purchase documents, all on the phone. If we'd wanted, we could've set up a trade-in, financing through Tesla, and even Tesla auto insurance. The hardest part was figuring out the tax stuff since I was purchasing the car on behalf of my employer but don't own the company, and Tesla's order process isn't really set up for that. (Tesla has a fleet sales division but it's intended for large orders, not single vehicle purchases.)
Delivery was just as easy. Our photographer and I headed down to the local Tesla delivery center, I signed some DMV paperwork, and the friendly Tesla employee walked me to our car where a congratulatory card with my name on it was propped up on the dash. The employee then talked me through setting up my phone as the key (Teslas also come with two key cards), and informed me delivery would be final once I drove out of the parking lot, so we gave the car a good going over to make sure everything was right before we left. They came back around to check on us and answer questions while we were looking over the car but otherwise left us alone to leave at our leisure. Driving around the parking lot didn't reveal the build quality issues listed above, so off we went, easy as that.
It's been less than two months since we took possession of the car and it's already been thrown into its first comparison test with many more to come. Along the way, we'll also be testing all those pricey options and accessories we paid for and comparing the Supercharger network to the rest of the public charging infrastructure, plus anything else we can think of. If we haven't angered our finance department too much already, maybe we'll even modify the car somewhere down the road since we own the thing. Sky's the limit.
Were you one of those kids who taught themselves to identify cars at night by their headlights and taillights? I was. I was also one of those kids with a huge box of Hot Wheels and impressive collection of home-made Lego hot rods. I asked my parents for a Power Wheels Porsche 911 for Christmas for years, though the best I got was a pedal-powered tractor. I drove the wheels off it. I used to tell my friends I’d own a “slug bug” one day. When I was 15, my dad told me he would get me a car on the condition that I had to maintain it. He came back with a rough-around-the-edges 1967 Volkswagen Beetle he’d picked up for something like $600. I drove the wheels off that thing, too, even though it was only slightly faster than the tractor. When I got tired of chasing electrical gremlins (none of which were related to my bitchin’ self-installed stereo, thank you very much), I thought I’d move on to something more sensible. I bought a 1986 Pontiac Fiero GT and got my first speeding ticket in that car during the test drive. Not my first-ever ticket, mind you. That came behind the wheel of a Geo Metro hatchback I delivered pizza in during high school. I never planned to have this job. I was actually an aerospace engineering major in college, but calculus and I had a bad breakup. Considering how much better my English grades were than my calculus grades, I decided to stick to my strengths and write instead. When I made the switch, people kept asking me what I wanted to do with my life. I told them I’d like to write for a car magazine someday, not expecting it to actually happen. I figured I’d be in newspapers, maybe a magazine if I was lucky. Then this happened, which was slightly awkward because I grew up reading Car & Driver, but convenient since I don’t live in Michigan. Now I just try to make it through the day without adding any more names to the list of people who want to kill me and take my job.
Read More
