What happened? Build issues or ?
@magicnote I'd also like to know please
Ok, here is my longer explanation. First of all, I'm experiencing issues with ear pain/pressure related to some kind of booming resonance or buffeting when I drive over even moderately rough roads in the Y. I don't know if this is a defect with my particular car, or a design issue with all Model Ys that especially bothersome to me, or just something that can be fixed with a service appointment. You can read all about that in another long thread in these forums if you feel like it. I will just leave that out of my assessment since it's something that could potentially be fixed.
Here is my take on the Model Y LR AWD in particular. I have owned a Model S and Model 3. The S was a great car. I loved the power, the smooth ride, and the cargo space. I did find the car to be too big for city driving and a little too heavy for my taste. My model 3 was the best car that I have every owned. The ride was a little stiff for urban streets and it was tight on space for road trips, but the handling was amazing and I loved every drive in that car.
After owning both of those cars, and not really needing both of them, I decided that I would sell them both and get the Model Y. It seemed like it would be a great middle ground between the other two Teslas that I had - more cargo/passenger space and a smoother ride, but still nimble and sporty. Instead, I feel like Tesla gave us the worst of both worlds.
I had heard that the Y had a stiff ride, but since I was coming from a Model 3 with stiff ride I figured it had to be better than that. I was wrong. The ride on my Model Y is much rougher, and the driving is not as sporty as the Model 3. There is no reason for this to be true. People that want a true performance driving experience can get a performance Model 3 or Model S. And if you need the small SUV form factor and can have only one car, then the performance Model Y is a great option. The SR and LR AWD Model Ys should have a smoother ride. That is what most buyers of small SUVs want and expect. You can read all about people buying after-market suspension kits to try to fix the ride on the Model Y. I get why they are doing that, but it's ridiculous that they have to do it. Tesla should have taken care of that with the design of the car. The stock tires are no pleasure either. They are loud and ride hard. I'm sure that's directly related to the low rolling resistance that Tesla needs to try to get the estimated range higher, but you still have to deal with the terrible ride. Sure you can replace the tires, and many people do. But if you have to replace the tires and suspension that come with a car, maybe the manufacturer is doing something wrong.
As for the extra cargo space, that's nice. In retrospect, it's not worth it for me to have that if it means a degraded everyday driving experience. My Model 3 didn't have enough cargo space for some of the long trips I went on with my family. It's my own fault for thinking I should get a car with more interior cargo space. I should have just bought a roof box for my 3 and put in on the car for the handful of times in a year that we needed it. The rest of time, I could have enjoyed the driving dynamics of the Model 3. I know I said I would leave the ear pressure issue out of this, but the increased interior volume might be contributing factor to that booming resonance.
Ok, that's the end of my rant. I'm sure there are lots of people that love their Model Ys, and I'm happy they are driving a car that they love. Maybe if I can get my issues resolved, I will be one of those people too. I will say that my car doesn't have any issues with paint, panel gaps, interior trim, or any of that kind of stuff that seemed to be a problem in the past. The design choices around the ride and suspension are bugging me though. Anyway, that's just one perspective from a former Model S and Model 3 owner.
Buy the car that works for you and enjoy it!
