Just sold my Model Y - Parting thoughts

I just sold my Model Y to Driveo. Great price BTW - 62,500 for a May Build 2021 Model Y with 20" wheels. It was a quick and smooth experience.

Since this was my first Tesla, I thought I'd share some thoughts on the car having owned it for almost 7 months.

Highs:
1) Powertrain. Power deliver was very impressive - especially given this was the LR and not the Performance model.
2) Phone Key. I love the phone key. It is so simple and I don't know why every OEM doesn't implement it in the same way. This is one of those things other companies over complicate.
3) Some other cool nuggets in software - I like the built-in streaming services, the ability to open and close garage door based on proximity, the simple and intuitive user profiles and the way you set them up.
4) Space. The Model Y is extremely well packaged with lots of interior space and lots of storage. It's really amazing.
5) Value. At the $52k price this car sold for new, it was untouchable in terms of value.
6) 5 standard heated seats and heated steering wheel. This was very impressive to me and is one of the things that makes Tesla appealing on the used market. You don't need to worry if it has this or doesn't have it depending on how it was specced.
7) Impressive resale value.

Lows:
1) Rigidity. The car did not feel very rigid. You could sense a the chassis flex every time you drive. It felt cheaply built compared with a German car. They went with style over engineering. I would prefer a more rigid car than an uninterrupted glass roof.
2) Rough suspension. The suspension on the Model Y is pretty poor. You feel everything. I know some will say it is because I got the 20" wheels. However a lot of cars have 20" wheels with low profile tires and don't have this issue. This is one area they should have done a better job.
3) Autopilot. I like the Autopilot, but I also hate it. I regularly found myself in situations where it would tell me auto steering is disabled for the rest of the drive. I've never experienced that with any other brand.
4) Extreme minimalism. No roof blind or blackout function. No instrument cluster. Cheap doorhandles. No ambient lighting. Lack of physical buttons and switches to an extreme.
5) Range falls short of EPA estimates.

Overall I would say I leave Tesla with a positive impression of the brand, but I also feel there are a few areas they badly need to address if they want to stay leaders in this segment. The lows I described above will be important to address as the competition catches up in other aspects.

 

[Wooloomooloo]

Tesla told me that I needed brake replacement 18 months ago, but I did couple of procedures like for brakes bead-in, and that cleared out rust/rotting in. I did this just a couple months ago and passed safety certification afterwards.
This for 5 years old Model S with only 30K miles (47KKm), sitting outside in Toronto winters... You may want to try it before the service.

Thanks for the tip. I passed inspection but the shop told me the pads were at less than 5% of their original. Additionally I found out that independent shops (in the US at least) cannot order Tesla brake pads (this is for the Performance Model). I honestly don't know if that's true, but I have not been able to source them myself anywhere.

 

[EmbersDC]

Interesting. Maybe "Tesla cars" should be changed to Model Y Tesla cars? Some are purely subjective, and many do not apply to the MS or MX. As for insurance, I pay less with Tesla insurance than my son pays for his older Infinity - under $100 per month for full coverage with 100/300/100 for a car that cost $96K out the door is pretty good... I have liked the UI updates (Even 11) but that is subjective. I have had zero service issues because nothing has ever needed service in three years and 50K miles, although the 50k service was a little pricey. Rims? no plastic anywhere on mine. I have been hauling my dog (pictured to the left) in the back seat for almost three years and the rear cleans up like new. Never had a single part of the interior break or malfunction - I was sure when I got the car that the rear cupholders would break immediately, but no. I control three different garage openers with the car and love that I can use the app to do this. No issues with interior lights. I have used "regular' car washes regularly. Spare tire thing is correct and a little concerning.

I agree with your last paragraph.

My last four vehicles were all $50k luxury cars. My annual insurance was about $300 or less. My 2022 Model Y's insurance is $750. Nothing changed (no speeding tickets, etc). In terms of interior lights, I notice they are very dim IMO. I have a kid and she can't see her seat belt insert at night. Never had that issue before (Acura, Lexus, Infinity, Audi). But, even with the issues...still the best car I've driven.

 

[j_grange]

Me neither. I have borrowed both an ID3 and ID4 for several hours and was completely underwhelmed by both. I’ve driven the S,X and 3 extensively and the 3 is in a different league to the VWs. A shame because I really wanted the VWs to be good.

I have also driven all of them , the only way I will give My model 3 performance is for another model 3 performance maybe in 5 years when battery tech advances. I would not mind a solid 400 mile real world in winter , but too me that is the only thing really lacking.

Interestingly enough I was never sold on the S , X , Or Y. But I love the 3.

 

[Stealth.Pilot]

I have also driven all of them , the only way I will give My model 3 performance is for another model 3 performance maybe in 5 years when battery tech advances. I would not mind a solid 400 mile real world in winter , but too me that is the only thing really lacking.

Interestingly enough I was never sold on the S , X , Or Y. But I love the 3.

Yeah I get it. There are also people who are convinced their Toyota Corolla is the best car ever built. Gets from A to B, inexpensive, efficient, and unrivaled reliability. Some of us just want more.

 

[j_grange]

Yeah I get it. There are also people who are convinced their Toyota Corolla is the best car ever built. Gets from A to B, inexpensive, efficient, and unrivaled reliability. Some of us just want more.

Like ? We were comparing against a VW. Which in my opinion comes up lacking in all categories.

I don’t want a car that goes from point a to b, and I have owned Audi S4 , Lexus , etc. so not sure what that comment about a Toyota is about.

 

[Epradox]

Re: EPA numbers. If I recall correctly, currently only Tesla and Polestar uses the so-called 5-cycle test while everyone else uses the 2-cycle test. Apparently the 5-cycle test results in "optimistic" numbers while the 2-cycle test consistently get near or below real-time numbers. In that sense I don't think Tesla is doing anything wrong with their EPA estimates. I think Tesla/Elon stretches the truth on a lot of stuff, so I'm not being a fanboy defending them. But when it comes to the EPA range estimate, I don't think they're doing anything wrong.

As for the OP, I'm guessing a lot of us would trade in our MYs for an EQS if we're able to do it. LOL! I'm pretty sure I would even though I love my MYP.

Honestly, EPA should fine themselves... Why in the world is there 2 different tests?? So if an OEM pays more, they get better ratings? thats just bribing and absurd. split the difference make some 3.5 cycle test that costs the same to everyone. There should only be 1 EPA test...

 

[specialgreen]

where I typically travel, I would need to drive at least 120 miles to get to a SC, which is always in the back of my mind when I'm on road trips.

Similar for me... my hometown is 295 miles from a service center. I am there once a month. I have AAA Premier. I can get a tow 200 miles to a hotel, then another 100 mile tow the next day from the hotel to the Tesla service center. Obviously pretty inconvenient, but at least the cost is predictable.

 

[specialgreen]

Interesting post - I wish you'd have told us what your next vehicle is going to be, and why.

I am almost certainly going to get the ID Buzz (or possibly an ID4 if the Buzz only comes as a people carrier) and will sell the my Model 3 Performance within the next year.

We're also looking at possibly trading our Y for an off-lease Buzz (which is probably in about 3-5 years). Similar for us, we spend summers camping. A camper conversion would also interest us. If we jumped, it would probably be before the Tesla warranty expired.

 

[Pianewman]

ID Buzz: I can't hold my breath any longer, awaiting the often promised VW Microbus. I'll be into my 70s before its actual (vs. projected!) arrival.

Sigh...enjoy the camper version. I've waited more than 2 decades for one.

 

[lakefiller]

I find it hilarious when someone is given the option to choose ride quality (19 in) wheels and then instead choose 20/21 in wheels and then complain about the ride quality. Even more hilarious when the regret sets in that instead of just swapping 19in wheels they decide to go through the entire trouble of buying a different vehicle that is generally worse at being an EV.

Granted air suspension should be included at this price point but please be smart instead of make irrational purchasing decisions.

 

[Pianewman]

(Re: air suspension. Test drove 2 different 2019 Model S, both with air. I was NOT impressed! Both were just as jiggly as my MY was prior to MPP coilover install.)

 

[specialgreen]

I find it hilarious when someone is given the option to choose ride quality (19 in) wheels and then instead choose 20/21 in wheels and then complain about the ride quality. Even more hilarious when the regret sets in that instead of just swapping 19in wheels they decide to go through the entire trouble of buying a different vehicle that is generally worse at being an EV.

Granted air suspension should be included at this price point but please be smart instead of make irrational purchasing decisions.

We haven't picked-up our Y, and I've got the 18" wheels and tires already waiting. I'll put those on an hour as soon as I get it home.

On a road trip, my wife likes to knit when not driving. My impression is that good road-feel is helpful & fun for the driver, but rarely for the passengers. Also, our primary use of the Tesla is road-trips, and nobody needs 12 hours of "fun engaging sporty driving." We just want to be 3 states away by nightfall, without fuss or fanfare.

 

[lakefiller]

We haven't picked-up our Y, and I've got the 18" wheels and tires already waiting. I'll put those on an hour as soon as I get it home.

On a road trip, my wife likes to knit when not driving. My impression is that good road-feel is helpful & fun for the driver, but rarely for the passengers. Also, our primary use of the Tesla is road-trips, and nobody needs 12 hours of "fun engaging sporty driving." We just want to be 3 states away by nightfall, without fuss or fanfare.

Smart! People (and Tesla IMO) are forgetting the point of a crossover is also to be more practical. If I wanted to be sporty with low profile I would have kept my 3.

 

[AmpedRealtor]

I find it hilarious when someone is given the option to choose ride quality (19 in) wheels and then instead choose 20/21 in wheels and then complain about the ride quality. Even more hilarious when the regret sets in that instead of just swapping 19in wheels they decide to go through the entire trouble of buying a different vehicle that is generally worse at being an EV.

Granted air suspension should be included at this price point but please be smart instead of make irrational purchasing decisions.

It's hilarious that some don't see the irony in recommending smaller wheels as a fix for a suspension issue. With a Tesla you have to choose between comfort and sporty feel. With other brands like BMW, you get both. If you're relying on wheels—the point of contact between the vehicle and the physical world—as a primary mode to change ride dynamics, the suspension has failed to do its job.

Ever driven a BMW iX? That's an almost 6,000 lb EV that rides on rails that Björn Nyland called a "magic carpet ride". I don't mean this towards anyone here, but I generally imagine those defending Model 3/Y as pimply faced teenagers who play video games all day long in their mom's basement, and don't know what a real car is supposed to feel like. I can understand how to people like that a Tesla might feel premium.

I sold my Tesla not that long ago and I am no longer a member of the cult. I haven't been drinking the koolaid for a few years, giving me much needed perspective to rediscover what I once loved about cars. You see, after joining the Tesla Cult I would defend the company and cars against all threats. I wrapped my identity so far up into that Model S that sometimes you couldn't tell where the car ended and where I began. I had to accept deficiencies that every other car owner would laugh about, that every other manufacturer but Tesla seemed to get right. But none of that mattered to me—it's electric, dammit!

Fast forward to 2022. It's not just Teslas that are electric now. There are BMW. Mercedes. Audi. Polestar. All who know how to build a car 10x better than Tesla. And then there's Tesla's "big lie" about range. The Porsche Taycan and Audi e-Tron achieve real-world numbers that are pretty much the same as Tesla because Tesla's EPA figures are baloney. Of course Tesla is acting within the EPA rules and guidelines, but the fact that they are using a 5-cycle alternate methodology to everyone else's 2-cycle—resulting in EPA figures nobody can replicate in the real world—makes the figures de facto misrepresentations. If those numbers are not achievable in the real world, what is the point of those numbers other than to misrepresent the car's capabilities to consumers as an inducement to buy?

 

[Jim R]

"No ambient lighting. Lack of physical buttons and switches to an extreme."
There is ambient lighting in mine. Lack of physical buttons and switches is a plus feature in my view.

 

[advocate8]

It's hilarious that some don't see the irony in recommending smaller wheels as a fix for a suspension issue. With a Tesla you have to choose between comfort and sporty feel. With other brands like BMW, you get both. If you're relying on wheels—the point of contact between the vehicle and the physical world—as a primary mode to change ride dynamics, the suspension has failed to do its job.

Ever driven a BMW iX? That's an almost 6,000 lb EV that rides on rails that Björn Nyland called a "magic carpet ride". I don't mean this towards anyone here, but I generally imagine those defending Model 3/Y as pimply faced teenagers who play video games all day long in their mom's basement, and don't know what a real car is supposed to feel like. I can understand how to people like that a Tesla might feel premium.

I sold my Tesla not that long ago and I am no longer a member of the cult. I haven't been drinking the koolaid for a few years, giving me much needed perspective to rediscover what I once loved about cars. You see, after joining the Tesla Cult I would defend the company and cars against all threats. I wrapped my identity so far up into that Model S that sometimes you couldn't tell where the car ended and where I began. I had to accept deficiencies that every other car owner would laugh about, that every other manufacturer but Tesla seemed to get right. But none of that mattered to me—it's electric, dammit!

Fast forward to 2022. It's not just Teslas that are electric now. There are BMW. Mercedes. Audi. Polestar. All who know how to build a car 10x better than Tesla. And then there's Tesla's "big lie" about range. The Porsche Taycan and Audi e-Tron achieve real-world numbers that are pretty much the same as Tesla because Tesla's EPA figures are baloney. Of course Tesla is acting within the EPA rules and guidelines, but the fact that they are using a 5-cycle alternate methodology to everyone else's 2-cycle—resulting in EPA figures nobody can replicate in the real world—makes the figures de facto misrepresentations. If those numbers are not achievable in the real world, what is the point of those numbers other than to misrepresent the car's capabilities to consumers as an inducement to buy?

Your points are noted, and there’s something to some of it. And I’m not blind to faults like soft paint on my last one and mediocre bodywork.
But the drivetrains are the best made. The range thing is true vs Porsche but their drivetrains aren’t a known quantity yet and have had some issues. BMWs are too heavy at this point ... I think they will get it right in the next generation in two years....but not quite yet. And Audis are just junk, EV or not. Huge bang for buck off showroom floor traditionally, then fall apart three years later. Terrible resale value and super high cost for aftermarket add-on warranties tells you all you need to know.
But one has to ask, if Teslas aren’t important to you anymore what are you doing wasting your time on a Tesla site? Dont you have something better to do?

 

[Fairchild]

It's hilarious that some don't see the irony in recommending smaller wheels as a fix for a suspension issue. With a Tesla you have to choose between comfort and sporty feel. With other brands like BMW, you get both. If you're relying on wheels—the point of contact between the vehicle and the physical world—as a primary mode to change ride dynamics, the suspension has failed to do its job.

Ever driven a BMW iX? That's an almost 6,000 lb EV that rides on rails that Björn Nyland called a "magic carpet ride". I don't mean this towards anyone here, but I generally imagine those defending Model 3/Y as pimply faced teenagers who play video games all day long in their mom's basement, and don't know what a real car is supposed to feel like. I can understand how to people like that a Tesla might feel premium.

I sold my Tesla not that long ago and I am no longer a member of the cult. I haven't been drinking the koolaid for a few years, giving me much needed perspective to rediscover what I once loved about cars. You see, after joining the Tesla Cult I would defend the company and cars against all threats. I wrapped my identity so far up into that Model S that sometimes you couldn't tell where the car ended and where I began. I had to accept deficiencies that every other car owner would laugh about, that every other manufacturer but Tesla seemed to get right. But none of that mattered to me—it's electric, dammit!
&
Fast forward to 2022. It's not just Teslas that are electric now. There are BMW. Mercedes. Audi. Polestar. All who know how to build a car 10x better than Tesla. And then there's Tesla's "big lie" about range. The Porsche Taycan and Audi e-Tron achieve real-world numbers that are pretty much the same as Tesla because Tesla's EPA figures are baloney. Of course Tesla is acting within the EPA rules and guidelines, but the fact that they are using a 5-cycle alternate methodology to everyone else's 2-cycle—resulting in EPA figures nobody can replicate in the real world—makes the figures de facto misrepresentations. If those numbers are not achievable in the real world, what is the point of those numbers other than to misrepresent the car's capabilities to consumers as an inducement to buy?

Nickel and Dime

And now they are taking away the charging cable with new vehicles and making you buy it for $275. Come on bean counters you're working really hard to try and drive customers away. First the garage door opener became a buy it yourself option, then it was the premium entertainment package, and now there goes to charging cable. And OEM tires have 7/10 tread.

Will future models even have steering wheels and pedals? Oh ya. They are Disappearing as well. That should be fun for driving on country roads and roads covered with snow where the techno can't function.

FSD before 2030 is a pipe dream.

A $60,000 standard Y option?
Whadda ya nutz!!

 

[Pianewman]

"...And OEM tires have 7/10 tread..."

Didn't you resolve this issue you had, and learn that the tires were NOT defective or worn prior to purchase?

 

[Fairchild]

"...And OEM tires have 7/10 tread..."

Didn't you resolve this issue you had, and learn that the tires were NOT defective or worn prior to purchase?

No.
Found out that OEM tires have less tread and no tread warranty.

 

[buddhafree]

... I generally imagine those defending Model 3/Y as pimply faced teenagers who play video games all day long in their mom's basement, and don't know what a real car is supposed to feel like. ...

You have vivid imagination but disconnected from reality. Tesla is not a cheap car, many here drove high performance expensive cars before.