Anyone that thinks there is not a significant difference between the driving experience in a 3 and Y needs to do more driving. The ride, handling, feel, etc is very different. Sure some people drive different than others. When I test drove a Y I was not sure how I could give up my 3 and even the steering wheel on the Y would not go as low and it felt more mini van like in comparison to the 3 in handling. Trade offs. My S was a great road car but did not compare fun wise to my 3.
-
Want to remove ads? Register an account and login to see fewer ads, and become a Supporting Member to remove almost all ads.
Model 3 vs Model Y
- Thread starter traxion
- Start date
android04
Active Member
The only reason Tesla changed the air dam under the rear bumper to add the removeable cover was to only make one part number instead of two. They made the change in early 2019 when they were set to ship the first Model 3 to Europe, where the tow hitch is "supported" by Tesla. I'm sure it made manufacturing, inventory, and assembly easier to just have one part with the hatch. It's almost 3 years later and Tesla has not offered a tow hitch for North American Model 3s and likely never will.
Which means the car uses a hitch, you basically said it as there is no difference in the car in Europe, it's not as though the car was not intended to have a hitch.
This.
The Model 3 SR+ drives great. The Model Y... meh. It's fine. It's fast and handles well but not exciting. It could be the high seating position that makes you feel the Gs in turns + lane changes.
The Mach-E drives like a Model 3 because it is almost as low as the 3 and it has some SUV (not as much as the Y though).
gtbguy
Member
I test drove both the Y and 3. It was a hard decision but I ended up with the Long Range Y. I love the 3 for almost a rocket feel ride., The 3 is friction fast. Yes, the 3 is lower and we used to have a Mercedes with a low front end and we are always hitting curb stops. I plan on keeping this Y for at least 5 years so I figured having more space and a bit higher would be better on the long run. At the end of the day, the decision is yours and either you can't go wrong. A Tesla is truly a remarkable vehicle.
The two quotes above really hit the nail on the head.
We have an old Model S, it was the only car for our family for many years. Recently got a M3P as a 2nd car. The decision vs MYP/MYLR was very easy, the 3 is so much better to drive, and we still have the S for hauling bigger cargo or passengers. The ride, handling, wind noise level, and overall feeling moving down the road of either M3LR or M3P is just much better than the MYLR I tested (all 2021 models). Plus Track Mode v2 is M3P only.
However...I don't think we could do the 3 if we didn't have the S or other larger car with a liftgate. Y is just way, way better for hauling cargo and adults in the back seat. The 3 back seat is practically on the floor (even lower than the S), it's NOT comfortable on long trips for anyone tall, Y back seat is so much better. The 3 trunk is a decent size, but the opening still really limits cargo hauling, Y is in a different league there as well. When our S eventually needs replacement, I imagine Y will be on our test drive list again, but I cannot see us replacing it with a 3. (Maybe a 3 wagon or hatchback if Tesla ever makes such a thing!)
To me as a (former? once again?) driving enthusiast, the 3 is legit fun while the Y is a good utility vehicle. They're very different in character despite looking and feeling closely related.
boulder.dude
Member
Storage/Hatch/Visibility - Y wins
Y also wins in egress. As you get older getting in and out of a car becomes more important. I am still pretty spry but I test drove my son-in-laws S recently before I test drove a Y and having to crunch the knees that low is just not fun any more. Sliding into a car that matches my height wins over the sports car ride.
Y also wins in egress. As you get older getting in and out of a car becomes more important. I am still pretty spry but I test drove my son-in-laws S recently before I test drove a Y and having to crunch the knees that low is just not fun any more. Sliding into a car that matches my height wins over the sports car ride.
thesmokingman
Active Member
lol, I feel ya there on the height. I've got an old Porsche I need to restore then sell as the market is insanely high on them. But anyways the roof is 47in high and the seat bottom is literally 11in off the ground. It's almost like opening the door then sliding in only to sit on the ground. Compared to the wife's Y, the Pcar's roof is only 4in higher than the Y's lower window sill.
Last edited:
thesmokingman
Active Member
You can add also Acceleration Boost to the LR, drops the the LR down to 4.1-4.2 ish. This is great if you were going back and forth between a MYP 5 seater vs LR 7 seater, since the MYP is only 5 seats. Now if that 3.5 to 60 is tops then yea, MYP is the way.
Real talk, it is pretty damn fast but I don't really use that speed all the time, like rarely. I don't want to get caught and go to jail ya know so there's not many chances to open it up. Just saying... The LR w/ AB is almost at the same level almost and but it's still more than enough to get the lights chasing you. Plus off the line given Tesla's immense traction and torque advantage, there isn't much that's gonna take it off the line.
My MY with acceleration-boost runs a 4.15 without rollout. The MYP is 3.5 with rollout and 3.7 with out rollout. The difference is 0.45 seconds, and most of that is 0-30. Don't get me wrong... 0-30 almost a half second faster (1.45 vs 1.9) will feel a lot different. It also means 2-3 car lengths in the first 2 seconds. Oddly, the MYP lead doesn't grow after that. They have about the same ~114 MPH trap speed too.
Last edited:
@shakeel LR vs P range difference is all (or almost all) from the different wheels and tires. You can change those out easy if you want. If you just want the OE MYLR 19" setup I bet you could make a small profit selling / trading 21" MYP wheels. (I haven't checked going prices to verify that.) Though if you might want to sell the MYP in a few years, maybe better to hold onto the original wheels for resale.
LR vs LR+AB vs P: If actual 0-60 / low speed acceleration is important to you, $4k extra for MYP seems like a good deal, it includes better brakes too. I would get that over $2k AB. On the flip side, accelerating from highway speeds is about the same, at 70+ mph I can't feel any difference between LR vs P.
If you're more concerned about high speed acceleration, save up for an S (even MSLR / base model is quicker) or wait for Tesla to trickle down more of that high speed goodness to the MYP and M3P.
boulder.dude
Member
I don’t know if it is still the case, but MYPs we’re delivering much sooner than MY LRs (a few months).
I have an LR and wouldn’t want anything faster… nor would I want heavy staggered wheels and a spoiler coming off.
I have an LR and wouldn’t want anything faster… nor would I want heavy staggered wheels and a spoiler coming off.
Tha_Ape
Active Member
I have yet to see a rolling 30-70 video of a MYLR+AB vs. a MYP, but Im really curious. If I knew someone with a MYP, I'd do it myself (but I'd have to add the 7-seat disclaimer... I'm sure it adds weight). I only know people with M3LR, M3P, MX, MS 85D. Everyone I know with a Tesla has a different Tesla
I have the same dilemma and thought I would search the forums before posting. This thread has basically made up my mind, but I'll see if I can get some confirmation.
I was originally looking at a MYP because the MY is what everyone (read: most new videos) are talking about on YouTube. Of course, everyone talks about the unlimited torque off the line for an EV compared to an ICE vehicle. So, I'm sure any EV I get into will be a huge difference over any car I have owned before. However, I am more of a driver than someone just riding in a vehicle from point A to point B.
I currently own a 2019 MX-5 manual with soft top. It's an excellent vehicle, just not as practical compared to just about anything else on the road. I would like to keep it for Summer and weekends and get something a little more practical for commuting. Although I have a large family, I have two teenagers who drive and my wife owns a fairly new CR-V.
I feel like I will VERY rarely have more than one extra person in the car with me and almost never use the vehicle for long trips. In that case, the extra room of a MY is near worthless. Favoring speed and performance, I feel I will be disappointed down the road (pun intended) should I settle for anything other than the M3P.
Does this logic seem sound to anyone else?
I was originally looking at a MYP because the MY is what everyone (read: most new videos) are talking about on YouTube. Of course, everyone talks about the unlimited torque off the line for an EV compared to an ICE vehicle. So, I'm sure any EV I get into will be a huge difference over any car I have owned before. However, I am more of a driver than someone just riding in a vehicle from point A to point B.
I currently own a 2019 MX-5 manual with soft top. It's an excellent vehicle, just not as practical compared to just about anything else on the road. I would like to keep it for Summer and weekends and get something a little more practical for commuting. Although I have a large family, I have two teenagers who drive and my wife owns a fairly new CR-V.
I feel like I will VERY rarely have more than one extra person in the car with me and almost never use the vehicle for long trips. In that case, the extra room of a MY is near worthless. Favoring speed and performance, I feel I will be disappointed down the road (pun intended) should I settle for anything other than the M3P.
Does this logic seem sound to anyone else?
Yep, if I was you I would get the 3. The Y is more fun than any other SUV I've driven but there's no getting around its extra height and weight. The 3 would be more fun than the Y, and still practical enough to do most everything you need it to.
gx9901
Member
I think you should go with the M3P since you don't really need the extra space in the Y. I went with the Y because at one time I told myself it's either minivan or 2-door sportscar/coupe for me. Since I still do need some space, the MYP was the compromise. I will say that I do personally find the Y to be slightly better looking than the 3 due to better proportions from the front, so that's a small bonus going with the MYP for me.
Similar threads
