Help me to decide: M3 LR or MY LR

[Teslitored]

Hi everyone,

Each day I'm more convinced to replace my ICE vehicle with a Tesla... the big question for me now is between the M3 or MY.

I just test drove the M3, I loved it...and will schedule to test drive the MY sometime next week.

Beside the price difference between the M3 LR vs. MY LR (around $4K).... what's are the reasons for you to decide the MY over the M3 ??? Pros, cons., life experience... I really appreciate your comments...thx

 

[thesmokingman]

Have kids or sometimes need to haul stuff? Like to buy bigger items from time to time? Ever go long distances and have a strange desire to sleep in the back of your MY? Cuz all that is a helluvalot easier in a Y.

 

[glide]

MY has the hatch which I found to be incredibly useful. I also like the ride height better than the Model 3.

The tow hitch and electronics were also a major plus for me.

I had the Performance version for whatever that is worth.

 

[Teslitored]

MY has the hatch which I found to be incredibly useful. I also like the ride height better than the Model 3.

The tow hitch and electronics were also a major plus for me.

I had the Performance version for whatever that is worth.

When you say "...electronics were also a major plus for me.", do you mean that the MY has better electronics/tech than the M3? If so, can you explain more??

 

[thesmokingman]

When you say "...electronics were also a major plus for me.", do you mean that the MY has better electronics/tech than the M3? If so, can you explain more??

The Y has an optional tow hitch and it comes with a tow mode and connections for the trailer integrated. The 3 does not...

 

[jcanoe]

If you ride bicycles the Tow Hitch option enables you to install a bike rack on the Model Y.

 

[Dennisis]

As Glide mentioned, the ride height and the hatch are big pluses for the MY - I sold my M3 for those reasons and the incredible amount of space. It was a big upgrade for me!

 

[Romeo Alpha]

Have both and if I had to chose one I'd go with the Y. I feel like it rides a bit smoother and I prefer the height and the storage room.

 

[kishkaru]

I love the Model 3. That's the car I would've bought. However...
Model Y: liftback + tow hitch =

My previous vehicle was a small-ish car (Volt) but it had a liftback. I was able to fit a 65" TV in there (box and all). Very impressive! Can't go back to having a trunk after having that kind of utility.

The tow hitch is useful for things other than towing! Bike racks, baskets!
And yes, I know you can install aftermarket hitches on the Model 3, but I have e-bikes, and putting that much weight on the back of a Model 3 is risky. I had a Class 1 / 1-1/4 hitch on my Volt and the installer highly discouraged putting e-bikes on it. I still did, but it was very scary and I drove very slow on the freeway. I think it will be something similar on the Model 3.

If I can get these 2 features above on the Model 3 from factory, that's the car I would've gotten. But alas, Model Y is a terrific vehicle as well!

 

[Gadget63]

We bought our first Tesla in 2018 and it was a M3 LR. We absolutely loved it, but it was rather low to the ground and a little hard for my wife and I to get in and out of. I'm 65 and she is 63. When the MY came out, it was a no brainer for us. It sits higher, more head room, and no problem to get in and out of. We also love having a hatchback. Some people complain about the rear window being too small to see out of, and they may be right, but being an old trailer jockey, I never used a rear view mirror anyway, and still don't. It all boils down to personal preference and what you're comfortable with. For me, I'll never give up a hatchback ever again.

 

[whisperingshad]

2 reasons to go Y instead of a 3

1. More room, especially back seats
2. Hatchback to put bigger stuff in.

Other than that I would have went 3

 

[MrTuna]

Reasons for a 3:

save a few bucks
Tiny bit faster
Tiny but more range

everything else is a win for the Y.

Range is the only thing I am sad about in my Y, but it’s not that big.

 

[OldEVDude]

Also got the Model Y over the 3. Like many others here it was the extra room and towing capacity that made the decision.

If you put three adults in the second row, the extra width increases the comfort. Putting the seats down gives a very large amount of interior storage space.

When I ordered the towing package, I wasn't planning on actually towing anything. Rather, I wanted to use it for a bike rack. As it turned out, I hadn't had the car for a month before my daughter needed some furniture in a U-Haul from Cleveland to Columbus. The Model Y handled the job like a champ. Now when my son moves later this month.....

All that said, it is a larger car than the Model 3. And it handles like a larger car. If you don't intend to do things like bike racks and trailers, you should test drive both to make sure the larger size of the Model Y is worth the somewhat less "sporty" handling of the Model 3.

 

[OldEVDude]

Also got the Model Y over the 3. Like many others here it was the extra room and towing capacity that made the decision.

If you put three adults in the second row, the extra width increases the comfort. Putting the seats down gives a very large amount of interior storage space.

When I ordered the towing package, I wasn't planning on actually towing anything. Rather, I wanted to use it for a bike rack. As it turned out, I hadn't had the car for a month before my daughter needed some furniture in a U-Haul from Cleveland to Columbus. The Model Y handled the job like a champ. Now when my son moves later this month.....

All that said, it is a larger car than the Model 3. And it handles like a larger car. If you don't intend to do things like bike racks and trailers, you should test drive both to make sure the larger size of the Model Y is worth the somewhat less "sporty" handling of the Model 3.

Oops, that should read "somewhat less sporty handling compared to the Model 3"

 

[glide]

When you say "...electronics were also a major plus for me.", do you mean that the MY has better electronics/tech than the M3? If so, can you explain more??

I mean the towing electronics.

 

[Gigaron]

I come from a Prius and wanted a M3 but lower back problems prevent me from getting in and out of it. It is too close to the ground and the sill to top of door height is too short and I almost have to bend over double to get in and out.

 

[SouthBayGuy]

I have a single motor LR 3 and a LR Y. The LR3 is clearly more energy efficient than the LR Y. That is why I always take the LR3 on road trips. But as a DIY kind of guy, I need the LRY to haul stuff.

I know of someone who sold his 3 and bought a Y. He said getting in and out of a Y was easier.

 

[iamnid]

We have both. The 3 is HUGELY more efficient that our Y, it isn't even close. The Y is better for carrying our dogs and other big stuff but the 3 looks better and drives better.

 

[Teslitored]

I was reading this article about issues of the MY and why not to buy it... have you had any major issues with your MYs that make you think you shouldn't have bought it?

Why You Should Hold Off on Buying a Tesla Model Y | MotorBiscuit

 

[Dennisis]

We have both. The 3 is HUGELY more efficient that our Y, it isn't even close. The Y is better for carrying our dogs and other big stuff but the 3 looks better and drives better.

That’s interesting. I averaged 250 over 13000 miles in my M3 with 19’s vice 265 over 10000 miles in my MY with 20’s - negligible difference really, similar drives. Wonder why yours would be so different…