HomeGuideTesla Model Y Review After 20,000 Miles: Maintenance, Economy, and Issues

Tesla Model Y Review After 20,000 Miles: Maintenance, Economy, and Issues

In May’s second-quarter 2021 earning call, Elon Musk revealed a new updated version of the Tesla Model Y will reach customers by the end of this year. This is one of the biggest changes The Model Y is going to have. The Model Y first became available in the market in March 2020 while being priced at $68,700. It was in direct comparison to Ford’s Mustang Mach-E.

This is an installment to Tesla’s drive to mainstream EV’s in the market. This three-part plan was first outlined in 2016. It started with the Model 3 compact sedan in 2017 and continued with the Model Y, and it’s set to conclude with the Cybertruck likely in 2022. With the new design, let’s have a look at the Original Tesla Model Y after 1 year or 20,000 miles of use.

Tesla Model Y Review After 20,000 Miles: Maintenance, Economy, and Issues

Tesla Model Y Review After 20,000 Miles

Tesla said it built 180,338 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles last quarter. Which is a very big number for an Electric Vehicle. Having a very speedy production was one of the reasons for this success. Aside from the Model 3, Musk teased the concept of the Model Y earlier this year. Although it’s a cheaper version of the Model X, it’s also a roomier model. Both the Performance and Long Range versions get a 75 kWh battery pack. Charge times can and will vary, but here’s a breakdown of Tesla charge speeds:

  • Charging at home with an AC output (110 – 120v): 20-40 hours
  • Tesla home chargers (220 – 240V): 8-12 hours
  • Tesla Supercharger / DC fast charger Level 3 (480+ volts): 15-25 minutes

After a whole year’s use of the car, there are some distinct points that come up while reviewing the car. To cover the entirety of the Pros and Cons of the Model Y the review will be broken down into four main parts: Economy, Performance, Interior, and Miscellaneous.

Economy

The EPA rating for the Tesla Model Y has been 30 Kwh for combined driving. 30 kWh may seem less, but for Electric cars the lower the number the better for the car. The average consumption per 100 miles was 40.9 kWh. That’s still 10 kWh more than the one suggested by EPA. The average range would be 105 miles. The biggest advantage the Model Y has is the Supercharging Network for Tesla cars. There are a total of 23,500 charging stations in the Tesla supercharging network. The locations for the charging stations are all nicely integrated into Tesla’s onboard navigation system, too. Using the supercharging network is very easy for Tesla users. All they have to do is go in the dock up the car to the charging station. This will automatically start charging the car, and at the end will directly cut of the price of the bill from the card that you set up. The best part of the supercharging network is it’s even spaced out throughout the country, with excellent charging speeds and the per kWh is also reasonably priced.

Performance

Like with all-powerful Teslas, the acceleration is hilarious. Stomp on that go pedal and the resulting thrust pins your head back to the headrest. The effect makes me laugh just about as much as the on-board whoopee cushion. Steering and handling are likewise impressive for a compact SUV. Like all EVs built this way, keeping all that mass nice and low returns enjoyable handling to the driver.

Combine the acceleration with the handling and our Model Y ends up being very quick on mountain roads. Such that part of the fun is the contrast between what you’re understanding of an SUV is and how fast you’re going.” — Carlos Lago, manager, feature content

With Tesla being a “Robotics Company”, it always makes a point to keep its cars updated with the latest software update. Although there may be a little dip in the battery life, it would be nothing noticeable. Unless you wreck the car, the Model Y still gives great performance and power.

Interior

Using a car daily or for the majority of the time throughout the year has some effects on the interior of the car. The Model Y had received a heavy backlash for the interior the car was getting when compared to its price point. There were huge gaps in between the panels of the car. Some people accidentally broke the clasp while trying to use it. These are just a few of the interior defects people found early on. After some heavy use, people complained that they could hear rattling sounds from inside the car.

Model Y Issues

Few of the mechanical parts like the steering wheel distance adjuster were getting too loud and almost felt like old pieces of machinery in a new car. Considering all this, the Model Y does have its perks. It has a very spacious second row plus a very big storage capacity.

Miscellaneous

Model Y has a very spacious trunk. It’s rather bigger than the one in Model 3. With a foldable second row and a front trunk, a long journey for 2 people seems quite comfortable. The ride quality was never a forte for Tesla cars. The Model Y is no different, the driving experience is a little stiff and seems uncomfortable to some. The suspensions also seem a bit sensitive compared to other cars. Other than this there were no other complaints from the Model Y owners. Some even went on to say that once you get used to this, the driving seems rather smooth.

Lastly, the biggest advantage a Model Y has is its software update. Tesla seems to listen to its customers, they always try to update the small things that have been bugging the owners. They make the user experience more friendly and easy.

Tesla Model Y Trunk

Conclusion

After a year’s use, this electric car is a nice option for the price. Even though this car has its drawbacks, many critics still suggest this car as one of the best electric vehicles. With a new version coming to Model Y, it makes the car more attractive. As it is gonna be coming with a bigger battery, a better build, and all the hard changes that the users were complaining about.

Aditya Sawant
Aditya Sawant
An avid reader who spends most of his time playing video games and football.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Most Popular