2022 Tesla Model Y vs 2023

What's the difference?

After this review I have no doubt the Model Y will set the sales charts on fire. It brings all the elements buyers are loving about the Model 3 while adding a healthy dose of practicality in an approachable SUV package.

I love the interconnectedness of this car and a lot of its sleek software features are hard to go back from once you’ve experienced them. But I also think as an SUV it has its share of flaws, particularly when it comes to the usability of some of its functions while you’re on the move, and its unnecessarily harsh ride.

While it seems a way of rivalling something like a RAV4 for family comfort and ergonomics, then, the Rear-Wheel Drive version of the Model Y in particular is a blockbuster EV at a reasonable price. It won’t be long before we’re seeing them everywhere.

One thing is for sure, it’s definitely a performance car, but not as we know it.

This version of the Tesla Model Y is the ultimate tech gadget on four wheels. It’s incredibly fast, has unbelievable, unnerving handling, and importantly what seems to be the best software in the business. Coming in significantly cheaper than its European performance EV rivals, it doesn’t even seem like bad value.

But. Enthusiasts be warned. There is an element of drama missing here, the Model Y is almost too good at attacking the road, there’s no roaring feedback or imperfections for you to correct, and for this reason alone, even if it’s the future, I don’t think it’s going to be for everyone.

The Model Y shares the same slick aesthetic as the rest of the Tesla range. The featureless guise, marked only by the LED headlights is a modern one, and the lack of frills on its exterior play into its minimalist Silicon Valley vibe.

It’s a little anonymous, but perhaps this has helped it be globally appealing thus far. It’s form is more than just about looks, though. It is also functional.

The Model Y has a very trim drag coefficient, at just 0.23Cd, something which is of key importance to consumption in the electric era.

The side profile of the Model Y meanwhile adds a contemporary coupe-SUV silhouette, while the boot lid, which finishes nicely with a flick-up spoiler, is a bit high.

This creates a bit of an expanse of panel work at the rear. To me this makes the Model Y’s rear three quarter its least appealing angle, and the height and angle of the rear window creates some visibility issues we’ll look at in the practicality section of this review.

Inside, Tesla continues with the Apple Store look and feel with a totally pared back space. The clean line of the dash is interrupted only by the big centre panel, and while this is a little frustrating for various reasons we’ll look at next, it does create a clean, spacious area for front passengers.

I (at 182cm tall) had excellent room in all directions, for my legs, head, and knees, and there is something very pleasing about the distinct lack of buttons or need for cables.

Even the materials have been chosen well, with nice soft leather or Alcantara trims adorning the doors and lower portion of the dash. Dual-bay wireless charging is a nice touch to avoid the need to clutter the space up.

Tesla’s software suite deserves a special mention. Ultra-fast and very well presented, this is car software for a new era. The always-online functionality means its Google-based nav is always up-to-date and can even be viewed in satellite mode, plus the phone-like operability is very polished.

It’s not necessarily the best to use while you’re on the move though. More on that next.

If you’ve seen one Tesla, you’ve pretty much seen them all, with the Model Y Performance doing little to set itself apart from the rest of the range.

It’s all part of Tesla’s minimalist Silicon Valley aesthetic. Like various models of iPhone, the changes between models are meant to be felt and not seen.

The Uberturbine wheels are of course a highlight, really filling the arches compared to the standard hub cab-wearing ones which ship on the standard Model Y, but they are also the only option on the Performance, too bad if you’re not a fan of matt black.

On the inside there are no surprises, either. The same minimalist aesthetic applies, as usual to a fault.

I feel like I’m sitting in the Apple Store, with just a big floating tablet being the main decoration.

Our car had the wood-look trim option, which is the most preferable option of the two. I found the white plastic fill alternative a bit cheap-feeling during my test of the standard Model Y.

I think the minimalism of the Model Y’s cabin will help it age well, but as I usually complain about these Tesla cabins. There’s no dash cluster or even a head-up display which feels like a bit of a usability blunder. Who wants to look at a centre display for critical information on the car?

The key drawcard for the Model Y is the fact it is an SUV. Everybody assumes SUVs are practical, but not all are much more practical than their passenger car relations.

Thankfully, the Model Y is one of those which offers a lot more than its Model 3 sibling. 

The front seats, which aren’t bad in the Model 3, are improved significantly in the Model Y. Thanks to its higher seating position, the driver and front passenger are offered a more commanding view of the road, but also a perfectly flat floor unlike the floor in the Model 3 which is on a gradient to facilitate the batteries.

This goes a long way to making the space feel larger, with adults having much more space to adjust their feet and knees. The interior ceiling has also been raised, with plenty of headroom for most.

The front doors feature a large bottle holder and bin, and there are a further two non-adjustable bottle holders in the centre console.

Identical to the Model 3, the Y features a large storage area with sliding cover under the multimedia panel, and a second slightly smaller one under the padded armrest.

The rear seat is also massively improved, featuring the same flat floor, but a higher seat base, and increased legroom with space for passengers to stretch their feet under the front seat.

Despite the descending roofline, headroom feels significantly improved, too. Rear passengers are treated to a small bottle holder and bin in the doors, two more in the drop-down centre armrest, pockets on the backs of the front seats, dual adjustable air vents (but no third climate zone), and dual USB-C outlets.

The boot is excellent, coming in at a massive 854 litres. This makes it one of the largest cargo areas in its small-to-mid-size SUV segment, although it does include the massive underfloor storage space in the total volume.

With the second-row up, the Model Y fit our three-piece CarsGuide luggage set with relative ease, without the need to place the smallest case in the under floor section.

It is also a more versatile space than the one offered in the Model 3, with the rear seats folding down to offer over 2000 litres of total luggage space in a cavernous area. Watch out for all the glass if you plan to load unwieldy bits of furniture, though!

The frunk is even slightly larger than the one in the Model 3, at 117 litres. It still could only fit our smallest CarsGuide luggage case (36L) but is perhaps best used as a space to leave all your charging gear.

Finally, a signature practicality trick in all Teslas is the ability to use the App to pre-set pretty much everything in the car, from the navigation to the heated seats and climate functions. Very handy on hot Australian summer days, as you can’t close the massive glass roof.

The Model Y feels much bigger than the Model 3 so it will definitely hit the sweet spot for people who wanted a Tesla but found the Model 3 too cramped for a family.

Everywhere feels expanded, especially headroom, and the minimalist design leaves room for big door pockets and the flat floor leaves room for extra large stowage areas under the centre console.

I especially like the way the dual wireless chargers integrate with the design here.

There are a few hidden hard plastics, but Tesla has put soft-touch and padded surfaces in all the right areas.

The seats are reasonably comfortable, but I’m not sure how the synthetic leather trim will age in the Australian sun particularly as there’s no way to cover the big panoramic sunroof.

Not everyone has a garage. Interestingly though the car does have a cabin overheat protection function, which automatically starts the air conditioning should the cabin exceed a certain temperature.

Still, there are a lot of months in the year our brutal sun will be cooking the interior.

If you’ve read any of my Tesla reviews before, you’ll know I’m not a huge fan of the need to control pretty much all of the car's key functions through the central touchscreen.

It feels like a shame to complain about this, because the software is truly beautiful, and Tesla backs it with powerful computer hardware to keep the screen fast and responsive.

But having no dash cluster feels like a bit of a design-over-usability trait, especially when you go to adjust some of this car’s settings on the fly.

This is a far cry from an affordable EV. Forget your MG ZS EVs, BYD Atto 3s and even base Teslas, because the Model Y Performance is in a different league when it comes to price and ability.

To give you an idea, the entry-point Model Y tends to float around $70,000 once you add on-road costs, sometimes slightly more. This Performance version takes a massive hike to nearly $100,000, before on-road costs, and the example we drove for this test totalled $108,031.

The trouble with the Performance version is it’s so expensive it doesn’t qualify for electric car rebates, and in fact attracts luxury car tax instead, pushing the price ever higher.

To add insult to injury, there’s not even a whole lot on the outside of this car to tip you off it costs nearly $40,000 more than the entry-level version, with the main hint being the 21-inch 'Uberturbine' wheels.

If you look even more closely you might notice it rides a little lower than the standard car, has bigger brakes, and a little carbon-fibre lip spoiler attached to the tailgate.

Most of the changes are under the skin, including an alternate suspension tune, second motor on the front axle, and a lot of additional power.

Tesla, famously shy about sharing specifics, only gives a 0-100km/h sprint time, which improves from 6.9 to 3.7 seconds for the Performance.

The battery is larger, too, boosting range from 455km on the base Model Y to 514km.

On the inside expect the standard Tesla stuff, like synthetic leather interior trim, the huge 15-inch centre tablet screen with integrated nav and always online connectivity, dual wireless chargers, and a panoramic sunroof.

The whole look and feel is super slick, as always, but is notably missing Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Tesla is hoping you’ll use built-in versions of all your favourite apps. Too bad if you use one which isn’t offered.

LED headlights, performance tyres, and a power tailgate add to the gear list, but interestingly there’s no V2L - one key feature still missing from the Tesla brand, and something which adds a slight advantage to its rivals from Kia and Hyundai.

Of course, the software is the biggest sell. As though to prove Tesla is a software company first and a car brand second, the software in this car is by far the best on the market.

It’s super slick, and offers the most feature packed and functional app. It’s stuff like this which is hard to go back from, and is still keeping Teslas feeling more futuristic than most electric rivals.

It’s worth noting: even at this inflated price, the Model Y Performance still seems like decent value given how quick it is.

The only comparisons, cars like the Porsche Taycan, Audi e-tron GT, and BMW iX cost more, with the exception of the Kia EV6 GT which is similarly priced and offers similar specs and features.

Tesla does not officially talk about the power and torque specs of its electric motors, although generally the brand’s performance aspirations has them performing well compared to rivals.

Hardware seems to be identical to the Model 3, which means more than adequate punch, although, with the additional weight, it doesn’t feel quite as sharp as its sedan sibling.

The Model Y RWD ships exclusively with the brand’s latest LFP battery. This means an increase in range over its more traditional lithium-ion predecessor, but also avoiding the need for the controversially-sourced cobalt in its production.

As a reminder, this means the base Rear-Drive model can travel 455km on a single charge, while the Performance can travel 514km on a single charge. Great range for an EV in this class.

Tesla, always mysterious when it comes to hard specs, does not offer official power and torque figures for any of its models. Just the ever-impressive 0-100km/h sprint times.

However, looking at documentation the brand has officially filed in China (where the Model Y for our market is built) reveals specs of 220kW/440Nm for the rear motor, and 137kW/219Nm for the front motor, placing it pretty far up there in the EV performance charts.

It’s not just raw power, either. The Model Y performance also scores a lowered ride, bigger brakes, impressive torque vectoring software to keep everything under control, and interestingly, what Tesla tells us is a new suspension tune (even newer than the set-up we tested when the Model Y first arrived in Australia in late 2022.)

It’s all very impressive-sounding, but does it work? Read on to find out.

The Model Y Rear-Wheel Drive we tested has an official energy consumption claim of 14.6kWh/100km which is excellent for something in this size-bracket. Our testing of the car actually managed to best this number, with my three days of testing involving over 300km of mixed conditions landing at 14.3kWh/100km. Surprisingly good.

The Performance variant is slightly less efficient at a claimed 15.4kWh/100km, but you’ll have to wait for a follow up test for us to validate that number.

Before you go nuts customising your Model Y, keep in mind larger alloy wheels can be significantly detrimental to range on an EV, our car had the most eco-friendly standard wheels with aerodynamic hubcaps.

When it comes to charging, the Model Y is the same as the Model 3, offering a solid 11kW charge rate on AC, the same as its key rivals, but a well above par 250kW on a DC charger.

The brand says using one of its ‘Supercharger’ locations you can expect around 300km of range to be added in just five minutes. The battery has a pre-conditioning system which preps it to the optimal temperature if you set a supercharger location as the destination in the navigation system. We suggest using it if you’re in a hurry.

While the Model Y doesn’t offer V2L, it is able to make use of the most extensive set of charging hardware in the country, thanks to its ability to charge at the usual public EV locations, as well as the Tesla ones, which are software locked to other EVs.

The Model Y Performance has an official, WLTP-rated consumption number of 15.4kWh/100km, which grants the car a 514km driving range.

Few EVs manage to get over the 500km range mark, so this fact alone is pretty impressive.

In our testing the car returned a higher figure of 18.7kWh/100km, reducing range to the mid-400s on a full charge.

We only had the car for three days, so I expect, like the standard Model Y, it would be possible to get close to the official number with a longer-term test.

When it comes to charging, the Model Y can hit an impressive 250kW on a fast DC charger, allowing a charge time of around half an hour on a compatible unit. Expect more like an hour and a half on a more common 50kW unit.

Meanwhile the slow AC charger will hit a peak of 11kW, allowing the Model Y to charge from 10 per cent in more like seven hours. Still, adding roughly 75km of range an hour is worth it for longer stays at shopping centres or the like.

Interestingly, the Model Y doesn’t offer V2L, that is - the ability to power devices from its charging port. It seems to be one key piece of EV equipment missing from its spec list.

I was lucky enough to have tested the Model Y back-to-back against an equivalent-spec Model 3, and things were quite revealing.

As mentioned earlier, the driving position is immediately quite beneficial, with a better view of the road out front, and the more commanding aspect which SUV buyers love.

The rear, however, manages to have an even more limited view than the Model 3 due to the sloped roof and high boot lid, leaving you with only a tiny letterbox aspect to see directly out the rear.

The Model Y maintains the same key interactive elements to the Model 3. This means a somewhat artificial steering tune, which is also a little heavy, even in its lightest 'comfort' mode.

Acceleration is instantaneous, making the Y feel rapid and agile, and while the steering is heavy, it is also responsive, making this heavy EV feel quite reactive and fun.

It’s not quite as fun as the Model 3, though. The extra weight and ride height means performance is blunted a little, and it feels burdened in the corners. It simply doesn’t stick to the tarmac as well, and is more inclined to punish its tyres.

Still, it is absolutely possible to have a blast in this SUV, even if it doesn’t quite have the urgency or confidence of its little sibling.

Then there’s the ride. The Model Y rides hard. Unnecessarily hard. It’s the same issue which is present in the Model 3, only you notice it more with the Y’s additional heft over sharp bumps and frequent corrugations.

To its credit, it means it handles better than it probably would with a significantly softer treatment, but it would mean a world of difference to take the harsh edge off of it. I think most family focused buyers (i.e. the target audience for an SUV) would make the trade.

The radar screen and software looks great, and for the most part is okay to use, especially the radar display, but it’s a shame this car hasn’t compensated for the lack of a digital dash by adding even a holographic display.

It means you have to direct your eyes a significant distance from the road to peer at your speed on the centrally-located panel. While each context menu on this screen is packed with info, some of the touch elements are also small and annoying to jab at while your trying to drive. Even the climate functions are like this.

It’s a shame to have a system which looks this good, but is at times quite annoying to use.

One thing the Model Y is excellent at, though, is how smooth its drive characteristics are. Once you get used to its regenerative braking, the experience of driving this car is just nice.

The deceleration has an exponential aspect to it, so you can just gradually let the accelerator pedal out to come to a near-stop. It’s similar to the 'i-pedal' system used in Hyundai Group EVs, although feels a bit smarter in the way it rolls the regen on.

It's very efficient, too, using the regen or blended braking in the little gaps where some other EVs would simply use mechanical brakes.

While we have covered some negatives here, the Model Y is still an excellent EV to drive. It’s undeniably rapid, more so than most other SUVs in this size and price bracket, it’s quiet in the cabin, and has those smooth regen characteristics which most EV buyers love.

It’s just a little odd it doesn’t have a more family-friendly ride and the option for lighter steering.

I’ll just cut to the chase here: Sorry Musk haters, the Model Y Performance is truly, deeply impressive.

I didn’t stopwatch test its 0-100km/h sprint time, but 3.7 seconds certainly feels possible, and totally visceral.

Yes, the Model Y Performance will turn your groceries into a fine paste on the back of the boot if you stick your foot in, but the sprint time is far from the most impressive part of the drive experience.

I’d hand this honour over to the handling. The Model Y is simply incredible at holding onto the road.

Try as I might on one of Sydney’s best and curviest roads, the Model Y simply wouldn’t misbehave.

It’s almost surreal feeling the computers work their magic in the corners, taming the physics of a 2.0-tonne SUV, constantly fighting understeer or oversteer on the fly to keep it all tidy.

It does all of this in silence, with just the tyre roar to indicate your velocity. I must admit. I didn’t expect such ferocious ability from this car.

I certainly expected speed, but not this level of tidiness for something heavier and taller than a Model 3.

The trouble for a traditional car enthusiast, then, is the fact the Model Y is almost too good. It’s clinical in the way it attacks the road, and feels almost unfair, artificial, as though a computer is doing the work for you (it might as well be).

It feels risk-free, drama-free, feedback-free. While the experience of driving such a machine is nothing short of incredible, I somehow think it’s not the kind of thrills combustion enthusiasts are looking for.

Even the steering is artificial, with three heavily computer-assisted modes. I must say, 'Sport' and 'Standard' are a bit too heavy, with my preferred steering mode being the 'Chill' setting, which is the lightest and makes the car feel a bit easier to wrangle in the corners.

The three regen modes will actually appeal to a variety of tastes, allowing the car to behave either like a single-pedal EV (my preferred mode) or more like a combustion car, with a creep mode and a roll mode which will be more familiar to those who haven’t experienced an EV before, or are not fans of regenerative braking.

The new suspension has improved the ride significantly, with the Model Y Performance lacking the brittle edge which I experienced when the Model Y first arrived a few months ago.

It feels like it deals with sudden jolts a bit better, but make no mistake, this is still a firm ride, and the Y still has a firm frame.

While the ride has improved, it is still susceptible to significant amounts of jiggle, with the ride being notably busy over poor road surfaces. Still, it’s good to see this common issue with Teslas starting to move in the right direction.

Teslas are very impressive when it comes to safety, with an almost unprecedented number of sensors, and, importantly, great software to process what the car sees.

This is best seen through the radar screen which the car displays alongside the map, which is constantly collecting data on what the car sees around it.

It gives you confidence the car has seen and categorised a potential threat, usually before you have, and if ANCAP’s testing is anything to go by, it works, too.

The Model Y, including this Performance variant, wears a maximum five ANCAP stars, performing extremely well across all categories, with a particularly high score in ‘adult occupant protection’, and ‘Safety Assist’ which considers the abilities of its automatic safety systems.

While the Model Y’s suite is broader than individual standard active safety items offered by other brands, equivalents of most systems like auto emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, lane keep assist, and things like traffic sign recognition are on-board.

Even the adaptive cruise control is one of the best on the market, remarkably good at lane keeping and steering assist, but I’d question whether it’s worth splashing for the controversial 'Full Self Driving' option.

Coming in at more than $10,000, it’s questionable if any of the included software features are even legal to use.

As with the rest of Tesla’s range, the Model Y has a disappointing four-year and 80,000km full-car warranty, behind only BMW when it comes to mainstream automakers.

Tesla is hoping its eight-year and 192,000km battery and drivetrain warranty will be enough to win consumers over. I can’t help but wonder what happens should the main panel fail in any way, though.

It is a lot cheaper to run an electric car than it is to fuel one up, though, and Tesla’s limited list of service items (coolants and filters mainly, EVs require minimal parts) seems reasonably priced.

It is worth noting all Model 3s and Ys ship with expensive EV-specific Hankook or Michelin tyres. You’ll want to keep these in good shape and replace them on time as a badly worn set, or change to a cheaper or non-EV specific set will detrimentally impact energy consumption.

The Model Y has condition-based servicing, meaning it will tell you when it wants to go to a Tesla workshop. 

It’s a good question: What’s it like to own a Tesla. Some of the numbers aren’t promising, like, for example, the four-year and 80,000km warranty promise which is one of the shortest new car warranties on the market right now.

However, Tesla does cover the high voltage battery and drive components for a much longer eight years and 192,000km, guaranteeing 70 per cent of the car’s original battery capacity at that time.

Teslas have condition-based servicing (because, of course they do), meaning the car will tell you when it wants to visit a Tesla workshop based on various inputs. Seems logical, but not very transparent.