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Model S 2022 to Model Y 2022 - Should I switch?

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I have to say after owning the Y as my first Tesla, and then going to the S and a 3, I think my Y is the least favorite. It has none of the fun factor of the 3 and none of the refinement of the S. I think the only real benefit is a bit more room so more utilitarian and another benefit in the US is you can get a tow hitch from the factory.

I can fit car seats fine in the back of the 3 and S. Both are more efficient than the Y in my usage. I took a trip on my S that I did in my Y. The Y used about 15% more energy and wasn't near as loaded as my S. The Y feels clumsy if you want to push it much in the turns. For being bigger you don't get that much more room over the 3 but I think the real advantage is the hatchback which thankfully the S has.

It feels as cheap as the 3 but at a much higher price point. TBH, at the price the Y is currently, I'd serious shop the competition. Acuras in the 40k range have much nice interiors than the Y pushing 70k now. I get the whole drivetrain part but cheap feeling is still cheep feeling. I was more willing to excuse it at 50k than where it is now. At that price point the lack of ventilated/cooled seats is a major issue for me in Texas. I hate getting in my 3 on a hot day because of it.

At the end, the Y was sort of a boring car. It had reasonable acceleration, fair amount of room, good tech stack, but I never felt it was much fun to drive nor did I ever really feel much of a connection to the car. The 3 makes me want to go find some turn, or hyperbole or even a fun blast up through the gear so to speak. The S is a lot more refined, Lambo quick, more efficient than the Y and more versatile than the 3 thanks to the hatch. On a hot day I don't miss the cooled seats from our last cars.
 
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I have to say after owning the Y as my first Tesla, and then going to the S and a 3, I think my Y is the least favorite. It has none of the fun factor of the 3 and none of the refinement of the S. I think the only real benefit is a bit more room so more utilitarian and another benefit in the US is you can get a tow hitch from the factory.

I can fit car seats fine in the back of the 3 and S. Both are more efficient than the Y in my usage. I took a trip on my S that I did in my Y. The Y used about 15% more energy and wasn't near as loaded as my S. The Y feels clumsy if you want to push it much in the turns. For being bigger you don't get that much more room over the 3 but I think the real advantage is the hatchback which thankfully the S has.

It feels as cheap as the 3 but at a much higher price point. TBH, at the price the Y is currently, I'd serious shop the competition. Acuras in the 40k range have much nice interiors than the Y pushing 70k now. I get the whole drivetrain part but cheap feeling is still cheep feeling. I was more willing to excuse it at 50k than where it is now. At that price point the lack of ventilated/cooled seats is a major issue for me in Texas. I hate getting in my 3 on a hot day because of it.

At the end, the Y was sort of a boring car. It had reasonable acceleration, fair amount of room, good tech stack, but I never felt it was much fun to drive nor did I ever really feel much of a connection to the car. The 3 makes me want to go find some turn, or hyperbole or even a fun blast up through the gear so to speak. The S is a lot more refined, Lambo quick, more efficient than the Y and more versatile than the 3 thanks to the hatch. On a hot day I don't miss the cooled seats from our last cars.
Thanks for this!!! That may have helped my decision
 
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Hello, I wanted to check any refreshed Model S Long Range owners tried (or switched to) a Model Y 2022 and what your thoughts on it.

I have a reservation for a Model Y Long Range and I am thinking, shold I switch ot it when it becomes available. I currently own 2022 MSLR and I LOVE it. But I am also trying to weigh in my options on the economics of it.

I believe I have about 20k+ equity on my MSLR given that I booked mine almost 18 months back and the price went up by 25k+ I might be wrong on this assumption, but I am sure I will still get more than what I paid for given the current config of my car is $107,940 before taxes. I currently own this for over 4 months and has less thank 5k miles on it.

My Model Y Long Range is went up by over 4K after my reserved price and I want to take advantage of this price and equity.

I have not driven a Model Y and I am not sure how the drive experience given to the Model S is. The advantage I see is definitely the price and also, I am used to SUVs until I got my MSLR and I definitely like the higher seats compared to the MS.

Other than the price difference I mented above, here are a few other things:
- The 0 to 60 is 4.8 sec vs 2.4 sec
- There is only one Screen on the Y on the front, vs 3 screens on the S
- Mileage - The Y has 330 vs S 405
- Seats - The Y does not have Ventilated, but better head room seats higher than the S
- Steering - Round vs Yoke

Did I miss anything? What do you guys think? Should I consider switching?

My biggest regret would be, if the driving experience in the Y is considerablely less than what I am used to on the S.
Thank you for this post - it EXACTLY mirrors what i'm thinking about. I"m looking forward to the answers, but I predict I would feel a lot of loss - between the yolk, air suspension, handles, and the "happy" feeling i get walking up to my beast....
 
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I just read all the posts - it seems the OP is satisfied with the Y. I got the S over the Y, but the Y was the one I was inclined to get. I figured if I bought the performance package, it would be 3.5 vs. 3.1 seconds, and i'd be unlikely to notice the difference in acceleration, but yeah, taller, more bouncy maybe, etc.
I also considered selling the S, pocket the cash, later take a hit on the Y when I sell it, but then get a new S that should be even MORE refreshed than they are now (late january, 2022, no matrix lights or updated tail, but hey, i got key fobs and a charger - yeah me!) - but also i figure the prices SHOULD drop on the S per elon, after inflation settles, lucid, rivian, and every one else's attempt to chip away at tesla, etc. may help lower the S.
I'll probably do nothing, i love my S too much, and already sold one Y without keeping it, and may do so again.
This thread was great --- THANK YOU!
 
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I honestly am not missing the matrix light nor the refreshed tail. My headlights work pretty well even on some dark rainy Florida roads where I am at on vacation. There is some scatter and they could have controlled the beam pattern better but actually that seems to be more of an issue for the oncoming drivers sadly. The lights that illuminate when you turn do a pretty good job lighting up the car next to me at night ;) as well as the road I am turning onto.

I'll wait for the next refresh of the S assuming it has more meaningful upgrades. The matrix lights have promise but totally unrealized at the moment and seem to have some black spots in the beam pattern that would annoy me.

Hopefully when they do Plaid 2.0 they go with upgraded brakes and differentiate it more from the LR, then I'll be a buyer.
 
I drive in both a 2022 S and 2022 Y purchased earlier this year. The S is definitely nicer, quieter, and faster. The Y is no slouch, and I think it has gotten quite a bit better since the earlier years. I do like the seating position in the Y and the back seat is a bit more comfortable. It helps to have 19" tires for a better ride (both cars). The tires with thinner sidewalls make for much a stiffer ride. Overall, both cars came without any defects or anything missing (we did get the MC in both cars).

I created an extensive feature/functional comparison here: Vehicle Comparison Selector – TeslaTap
 
Have a 2022 MSLR and 22 MYP. Have owned a 22 MYLR, 2019 M3SR+ and 2019 MX.

Model s is the best of the bunch, but taking into consideration that you reserved the Y at a time machine price. I would buy it and own both for awhile and then get rid of one while making money at the same time.

Love love love my MSLR refresh, second favorite being the Model 3, but I needed an SUV and sold my X. Compensated with a Y performance. It probably is my lease favorite of the 4 also (but still an awesome car)
 
I’m going to throw my opinion here as it may help some people trying to decide on a Y or S.

I have a plaid S and plaid X as well as a Perf Y. For the money, the ‘22 Y Perf is the tesla sweetspot. Just fun enough in performance, space and looks. Ride comfort is totally fine even in the NorthEast near Philly.

If I had to choose only 1 Tesla, it would be Perf Y.

However, the S is much more comfortable and WAY more fun to drive. But it’s a Plaid not LR.

Issue being $$? Perf Y is the only car I’d get

Issue being anything else? Model S.

If you can afford both, keep what you have OP. S and Y.

Y is an outstanding car, Tesla’s best overall but the S is much nicer in almost all aspects.
 
I thin C&D really nailed the MYP in their review. A lot of it applies to the base Y as well, especially around the handling. At the current price point, I think their are too many compromises in the Y platform. Paying mid 60k and you can't get ventilated seats. I hated my Y's (and now 3's) seats every day in the Texas sun.

 
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I had a few model S’s in the past, and while Y is definitely stiffer and cheaper build quality it’s good enough for me. I like the extra interior space and higher driving position. I think it’s a better family car. You have to try one for a few days before you make the decision.

Or just make another model S reservation so you get a way to go back to the S in a few months if you end up not liking the Y.
Definitely agree! We had a 2019 Raven Standard Range S that I loved but my wife was too afraid to drive it. We now have a 2021 Y Long Range that was supposed to be “my” car but the wife has taken over.

The S is the most beautiful Tesla and probably my favorite just for me, but I love the Y more for our family needs. The S air suspension was great but I also dealt with continued shudder, even after both front half-shafts were replaced…twice! We bought the S back when it was $72K new and came with free lifetime (but slower) Supercharging. I have no regrets trading that all in for our Y. The Y on 19s has a more than acceptable ride. It is not as smooth as the S but neither does it suffer from shudder issues. Surprisingly, the one thing I miss from the S isn’t the air suspension and extra performance, it’s actually the dual screens! But now I read Tesla eliminated the energy graph from the driver screen on the new refreshed S. A shame they did that.

I may still get a used S again later down the line but I can’t see the value of $100+K for a new S, especially when our family is more comfortable on long trips in the Y compared to the low seating of the S. Heck, the Y even has more 2nd-row legroom than an X! Definitely go test drive a Y. Overall, I think the Y is a pretty compelling combo of performance, comfort, utility, size, and value. I say value because we ordered our Y last year when it was $15K cheaper.
 
I may still get a used S again later down the line but I can’t see the value of $100+K for a new S, especially when our family is more comfortable on long trips in the Y compared to the low seating of the S. Heck, the Y even has more 2nd-row legroom than an X! Definitely go test drive a Y. Overall, I think the Y is a pretty compelling combo of performance, comfort, utility, size, and value. I say value because we ordered our Y last year when it was $15K cheaper.
After owning a Y, at $67,500 base now before taxes, I don't really get the value proposition any more. We replaced our Acura RDX Advance with the Y originally. If were back in the market for a CUV, I'd buy the Acura and pocket the 18k savings. The thing I appreciated most about the Y than my RDX was acceleration. The RDX had better materials, more comfortable seats that were cooled in the front. It was more nimble on its feet on a backroad, had a pano roof that opened, adaptive cruise that didn't have phantom braking, CarPlay, heads up display and more. Acura fit and finish is worlds better than Tesla regardless of what model Tesla. An ~18k difference would buy a lot of gasoline. My insurance was also less than half the Y as well.

I am glad I got the Y. It was a good intro to Teslas. I have to say though that in recent memory there are few, if any, cars that ownership didn't even remotely live up to what I thought it would be before purchasing. My 3 and S have been better than I anticipated (not withstanding the yoke on the S). Maybe I got off on the wrong foot with my Y since the adaptive cruise control should have been called "Phantom Brakinator" as the number of phantom braking events were too numerous to mention. All you really get with the Y is a guppy sized 3 that loses most of the good character the 3 has. It is the epitome of a compromise. Its not a bad car but it clearly isn't a great one.

Getting in the S reminds me immediately why I got rid of the Y. It might be the ideal vehicle for a lot of people but I'd look long and hard and trying to squeeze into a 3 over the Y. If money wasn't an issue, I'd go with the S hands down over the Y.
 
After owning a Y, at $67,500 base now before taxes, I don't really get the value proposition any more. We replaced our Acura RDX Advance with the Y originally. If were back in the market for a CUV, I'd buy the Acura and pocket the 18k savings. The thing I appreciated most about the Y than my RDX was acceleration. The RDX had better materials, more comfortable seats that were cooled in the front. It was more nimble on its feet on a backroad, had a pano roof that opened, adaptive cruise that didn't have phantom braking, CarPlay, heads up display and more. Acura fit and finish is worlds better than Tesla regardless of what model Tesla. An ~18k difference would buy a lot of gasoline. My insurance was also less than half the Y as well.

I am glad I got the Y. It was a good intro to Teslas. I have to say though that in recent memory there are few, if any, cars that ownership didn't even remotely live up to what I thought it would be before purchasing. My 3 and S have been better than I anticipated (not withstanding the yoke on the S). Maybe I got off on the wrong foot with my Y since the adaptive cruise control should have been called "Phantom Brakinator" as the number of phantom braking events were too numerous to mention. All you really get with the Y is a guppy sized 3 that loses most of the good character the 3 has. It is the epitome of a compromise. Its not a bad car but it clearly isn't a great one.

Getting in the S reminds me immediately why I got rid of the Y. It might be the ideal vehicle for a lot of people but I'd look long and hard and trying to squeeze into a 3 over the Y. If money wasn't an issue, I'd go with the S hands down over the Y.
Yea, even I question the value of a Y at current prices. But even $18K only buys us 3.5 years worth of gas based on our current annual net fuel savings of $5K this past year (versus driving our Lexus that gets about 20 MPG combined, about what an RDX gets). I would still consider another Tesla, just not in this market. A PoleStar, Hyundai EV6, or Rivian are starting to intrigue me too. I can’t go back to a gas car…at least not willingly.
 
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Yea, even I question the value of a Y at current prices. But even $18K only buys us 3.5 years worth of gas based on our current annual net fuel savings of $5K this past year. I would still consider another Tesla, just not in this market. A PoleStar, Hyundai EV6, or Rivian are starting to intrigue me too. I can’t go back to a gas car…at least not willingly.
In my area for that kind of fuel costs, you'd have to be driving about 35k miles a year (for RDX at ~24mpg and gas at $3.50/gallon). Is that across 2 vehicles or 1? I'll be honest, when my Teslas are out of warranty, I am selling them. So if you are putting that kind of miles on a Y, to eat up the difference in fuel vs electricity on one car, that would I could put about 122k miles on the RDX.

Based on my past experience with most Japanese cars, given my usage patterns, I am betting the RDX will be in better shape than a Y would be if I drove both the same way at 120k+ miles. I am pretty certain I'd have less issues out of warranty with the Acura than Tesla. Given the absolutely horrid customer service with Tesla, all the defects I had with my S/3 when delivered, I will definitely be looking for other options when time to replace these cars. The lack of things like ventilated or cooled seats at almost 70k is just a huge oversight on the 3/Y.

If I were to come back net new into the market, I think I'd really look at PoleStar and Hyundai. I like Rivian but I still have concerns about the long-term viability of the company. Maybe unfounded but if I dropping 70-100k on something, I want to be pretty sure they'll be around in the future. All the recent layoffs have me concerned. Hell if the BMW didn't have such an ugly grill and a lot more weight than it should I'd be really interested. I drove one of the I4's and they actually drive pretty nicely. Based on past experience, I know they'll take care of me if I have issues.

I appreciate how much Tesla has moved the EV market but I think they really need to adjust their focus a bit. Sort of reminds me years of ago it was hard to go wrong with IBM in tech and then suddenly it wasn't.
 
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In my area for that kind of fuel costs, you'd have to be driving about 35k miles a year (for RDX at ~24mpg and gas at $3.50/gallon). Is that across 2 vehicles or 1? I'll be honest, when my Teslas are out of warranty, I am selling them. So if you are putting that kind of miles on a Y, to eat up the difference in fuel vs electricity on one car, that would I could put about 122k miles on the RDX.

Based on my past experience with most Japanese cars, given my usage patterns, I am betting the RDX will be in better shape than a Y would be if I drove both the same way at 120k+ miles. I am pretty certain I'd have less issues out of warranty with the Acura than Tesla. Given the absolutely horrid customer service with Tesla, all the defects I had with my S/3 when delivered, I will definitely be looking for other options when time to replace these cars. The lack of things like ventilated or cooled seats at almost 70k is just a huge oversight on the 3/Y.

If I were to come back net new into the market, I think I'd really look at PoleStar and Hyundai. I like Rivian but I still have concerns about the long-term viability of the company. Maybe unfounded but if I dropping 70-100k on something, I want to be pretty sure they'll be around in the future. All the recent layoffs have me concerned. Hell if the BMW didn't have such an ugly grill and a lot more weight than it should I'd be really interested. I drove one of the I4's and they actually drive pretty nicely. Based on past experience, I know they'll take care of me if I have issues.

I appreciate how much Tesla has moved the EV market but I think they really need to adjust their focus a bit. Sort of reminds me years of ago it was hard to go wrong with IBM in tech and then suddenly it wasn't.
August 8th was our one-year anniversary with the Model Y and it was at 21,500 miles. My wife and I overwhelmingly always choose the Y for any driving needs as Costco gas around here is still about $5.50 for regular (down from $6.50 a gallon). We fill up the other Lexus about once every three months. Seldom enough that I worry about the gas going stale. It has held up well after 150K miles but I loathe driving the Lexus as it feels so archaic, but the ventilated seats do still work really well in the summer. We would replace it with another Tesla but we only need the second car literally 5% of the year.

We come from decades of Toyotas and Lexuses, including a couple of flagship LSes. I am still active in the ClubLexus forum and the consensus for many years has been 2000-2006 was the peak of Japanese reliability. My 2013 Lexus LS 460 had a long list of amenities but it clearly was not as reliable as my previous LS 430. Yes, the LS 460 still rode very well and was quiet at 100K miles but I was afraid of its fragile air suspension. I actually have more faith in the Model S air suspension than the Lexus design. I don’t consider Japanese cars as the pinnacle of dependability anymore. The competition has caught up to Toyota and surpassed Honda/Acura. I am probably more likely to go with a Hyundai/Genesis than an Acura or another Lexus. That is, if I was still interested in a gas car. The new RAV4 hybrid is intriguing but it’s the only mildly interesting product from Toyota. I liked Acura’s MDX at one time but the rest of the lineup is just so ho-hum. Electric vehicles are a simpler design with less maintenance and less parts to break down. I expect our Tesla to easily hold up past 100K miles and the battery and motors will still be under warranty. Perhaps my sensibilities have changed but I want more excitement from my daily conveyance than pure reliability.

More competition is coming in the EV space and I am open to alternatives to Tesla but legacy automakers like Toyota and Honda are not on my list because they simply do not provide a product I desire. How ironic is that? Our family were die-hard Toyota/Honda loyalists for almost 40 years and today I would rather get a Ford (Lightning or Mach-e) than a Toyota. That is not to say Toyota/Honda make bad cars, they just don’t make anything I want to drive and that’s been the case for many years now.
 
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I have both S and Y. Here are a coupe of more points of comparison:
  • The trunk spaces are similar in volume, but the S trunk is wider and lower. I can put my mountainbike in the S without taking the front wheel off, something I can't do in the Y because its too narrow.
  • The rear seat is where they Y is bigger than the S. Especially since you can stretch your legs out under the front seats in the Y.
  • Suspension difference is BIG. The Y gives you head toss as it bounces side to side as well as back and forth. The S stays balanced and level even on bumpy roads. For being a somewhat sporty car, I would even say that S is exceptionally comfortable. Also, the Y suspension sometimes comes into harmonic bounce with the stop-go action of FSD, at least in the current release.
My subjective opinion is that S is twice the car for only 50% more money, so it is the better value.
 
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