Tesla Model X vs Tesla Cybertruck
What's the difference?

Tesla Model X

$44,490 - $75,970

2019 price

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Tesla Cybertruck

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2025 price

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Land Rover Discovery Sport

Mercedes-Benz EQ-Class

Mercedes-Benz EQS

Mercedes-Benz G-Class

Mercedes-Benz G63

Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class

Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class

Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class

Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class

Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross

Mitsubishi Outlander

Mitsubishi Pajero

Mitsubishi Pajero Sport

Summary

2019 Tesla Model X

2025 Tesla Cybertruck

By Malcolm Flynn

By Stephen Corby

Safety Rating

Electric motor type

Multi-Motor – Mixed Types

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Vehicle type

Battery Electric

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Electric range

435 km

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Energy consumption

21.8 kWh/100km

Battery capacity

95.00 kWh

Seating

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Likes

Design
Power
Utility

Dislikes

Design
Power (too much, he cried)
Rear vision

2019 Tesla Model X Summary

The idea of a Tesla that can tow sounds about as likely as an astrophysicist with three Olympic gold medals, who also moonlights as a hand model.

The EV brand has blazed a trail for every other mainstream and premium car manufacturer to jump on the electric bandwagon, and today they’ve still got the biggest batteries and most impressive range ratings, while also having the most extensive extensive network of charge stations made up of Superchargers and destination chargers, covering every state and territory.

They’re not perfect though, often displaying niggling build quality issues and production delays for upcoming models. There’s also a degree of uncertainty bred by a founder who flits between the modern-day space race, manufacturing flame throwers and offering to send miniature submarines to rescue stranded children.

But there’s no questioning the overall impact Tesla has had on the automotive industry, along with the incredible brand awareness and aspiration it’s generated from non-enthusiast Joe Average consumers around the world.

The Model X is also rated to tow, with a decent 2250kg braked rating and an integrated tow bar that folds out of sight when not in use, which both fits its SUV character and encourages you to give it a go.

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2025 Tesla Cybertruck Summary

Tesla’s Cybertruck truly is a giant wedge of cutting-edge technology, and not only because its edges are so sharp you could literally cut yourself, or chop kindling, with them.

No vehicle, nor indeed even any of his stupid ideas, so perfectly represents the manic mania, the whooping, wanton wackiness of Elon Musk as this comically angular, sharp-edged savager of pedestrians.

And yet people, and American people in particular as we discovered on a trip to Los Angeles to drive one, love the Cybertruck. Tesla is said to be holding as many as 2 million pre-orders for it in North America alone and many Australians have expressed interest in buying one, when the company finally manages to build it in right-hand drive, and get it on sale down here, almost regardless of the price (spoiler alert: it’s going to be a lot).

I’ve seen a lot of strange and wildly ugly cars over the years, but if you parked the Cybertruck next to all of them, they’d just disappear because you really can’t take your eyes off its pointy, almost dangerous looking lines. It’s like a human tried to engineer an echidna on wheels.

It does make me laugh, though, and so it was with a smile on my face and acid dripping from my pen that I arrived at a giant Tesla delivery centre in LA to drive it. Come with me.

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Deep dive comparison

2019 Tesla Model X 2025 Tesla Cybertruck

Verdict

After nearly 700km of testing with both cars, it’s fair to say that the Tesla is indeed a capable tow vehicle, provided you keep the distances relatively short and plan around charge station locations.

Overall average - Penrith to Bathurst to Penrith

Fuel and energy consumption will always depend on the driving conditions, which is why we chose different routes for each leg of our testing.

Averaged across the two legs, towing the caravan with the Model X used 101 per cent more energy than without, or halved its driving range, which sounds a bit scary.

The LandCruiser by comparison added 63 per cent on average, which is still a big difference, but matters less in the real world when its big fuel tanks would still give you about 760km of driving range, which can be refilled quickly at any diesel-stocked servo.

So you could do a weekend trip with the caravan from Penrith with one supercharge in Bathurst, but it would’ve been highly unlikely to manage the extra 55km if you were leaving from Sydney CBD.

The bottom line is that there’s plenty of things - like smaller camper trailers - lighter than our caravan that will help the Tesla to do the towing job better right now.

Compared to the ‘Cruiser, the Tesla is a lesson in the benefits of a lower centre of gravity and road-focused handling.

As always, bigger batteries and more recharge points will go a long way to rectifying the Tesla’s towing shortcomings, and I'm sure we'll get there eventually.

But no matter what, its acceleration performance under load is simply excellent.

Thanks to our friends at Avida for making this test possible with the use of the 17-foot Avida Wave Tourer Electric Pop-Top single-axle caravan. They can also be reached on 1300 428 432.

Verdict

Weird, wild, unnecessary, arguably horrific to look at, or at least challenging, too fast, too silly, the Cybertruck is many things, but all of the bad things are obvious from a distance while you only realise just how impressive, clever and intense it is once you take it for a drive.

The drive-by-wire steering alone is a revolutionary bit of tech that will surely bleed into the wider world.

Overall I thought I would hate it, but I walked away, head still shaking, with grudging respect approaching admiration for the Tesla Cybertruck.

Tesla Model X vs Tesla Cybertruck What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Tesla Model X vs Tesla Cybertruck
What's the difference?