Model X interior space thoughts, from a Model Y parent of 2 kids

[shingles]

We recently migrated over from a 2021 Model Y Performance. Wanted to share some thoughts about the Model X interior as a parent of two young kids. Our oldest is 2.5 years old and the younger one is 5 months old. We moved to the Model X because we wanted something larger than the Y and wanted a more "usable" 3rd row. We often take the grand parents out to dinner etc. Trips aren't super long so ultimate 3rd row comfort isn't needed, but access to 3rd row needs to be reasonable. Model Y 7 seater simply won't work for us. The 6 seater in concept would work.

Trunk Space
The trunk is larger. I temporarily used my Model Y trunk mat today as I don't have any for the MXP just yet. This gives you a really good idea of the size difference. The mat is at the top of the 3rd row seats in the picture below.

So as you can see, the space is larger. It's not a huge difference, but I think is meaningful if you have to load up on a field trip.

Here's another comparison. Loading a Veer wagon in the back. Top picture of Model Y, bottom is Model X.

Model Y:

Model X:

The above comparison shows where the larger trunk space of the Model X comes in handy. I am able to add an extra Graco compact folding stroller in the X where I can't in the space position in the Y. In the Y, putting another stroller in the same way would not allow the hatch to close.

So the truck in the larger, a win.

Second Row/First Row
Second row leg space is a bit less than Model Y. The specs say that it's about 2" shorter, that seems about right. The car seats we are using are: Chicco Keyfit 30 for the 2.5 year old and the Nuna Revv for the 5 month old. The front facing is behind the driver and the rear facing is behind the passenger seat. For the front facing seat, the reduced space was less of an issue. My 2.5 year old could touch and kick the back of the Model Y seat anyway, so the difference is inconsequential. Unfortunately, the impact to passenger comfort is pretty substantial. There are two issues here: the ~2" less legroom and the way the passenger footwell is shaped. First, the footwell is shallow and combined that with the need to push the seat up so the rear facing could fit, the final seating arrangement isn't the most comfortable. It reminds me of the old box van... you sit fairly straight up and down, feet straight down, and the footwell is short because the engine is pushed way back. I was hoping that because of the pedestal seats, that it might sit higher and would therefore allow the rear facing to come above the curve of the front seat... but that's not the case. I will say that the Nuna Revv is pretty "long". We are both short-ish. I am 5'6", wife is 5'5". If you are taller than this... this arrangement would be not great. Luckily this is obviously a relatively short term problem, but still... I wished the 2nd row could be pushed back another 2" or so.

One note: The original Graco infant car seat (in the Model Y picture below) we were using is about 1.5" shorter when installed. So if we have kept that seat, it would have helped a bit.

Model Y:

Model X:

 

[shingles]

A follow up on interior space.

Been shuttling the kids to and from day care for the past week. I can say that the 1st and 2nd row seats in the Model X are definitely smaller than the Model Y. Tesla's own number says that it is and you can definitely feel it. I am only 5'6"... I don't know how taller driver would fair (in context with car seats in the 2nd row). I suppose one thing you could do is to raise the driver seat so it's more of a "bar stool" seating position. The steering wheel is fairly low though, so even if you angle it upwards, you'd be driving semi truck style, if you will. Over all, while the interior of the Model X is larger, I think it's a bit compromised. From a leg room perspective, the Model X is compromised to give the 3rd row more livable when all 3 rows are up. But when you don't need the 3rd row, you've lost a bit of space in the front two rows. The extra width is nice and can be felt. The interior does generally feel less cluster-phobic. I would have been ok if the wheelbase of the Model X was another couple of inches longer. For context, the Y is ~113", the X is ~116, BMW X7 is about ~117, Rivian R1S is ~121.

 

[EbS-P]

Little thought was given how to fit rear facing car seats. It really had potential to be a great people mover platform but that was not the decision. It’s the anti minivan. And I can say day to day moving people kids and stuff in and out I really like my minivan better. Way better. I fantasize About What a tesla van would be like.


I like the 6 seater for lots of kids. Makes in and out easier.
There is no way to put a rear facing car seat in and sit in front of it if you are over 5’9”.

 

[cnnn____]

+1. I’m 5’11” and just got our 6 seater. Our 2yo seats behind the driver seat and rear facing, and I immediately noticed the driver seat had to seat straight to avoid pushing the car seat. This is absolutely less comfortable than our 7-seat Mercedes GLE. Our 4yo seats behind the passenger seat and now he can easily kick the back of passenger seat. The third row is better than our Mercedes, thanks in part to the passage between captain seats allowing for some leg rooms for one passenger. I wonder if the overall leg rooms in 5-seater and 7-seater might be better.

 

[stonelance]

I have two kids. One rear facing, and one in a booster. I used a small pad of foam to adjust the angle of the rear facing seat (Diono seat), but otherwise fits well and my wife and I can have our seats at a reasonable position (I'm 6' wife is 5'9). My 5yo can kick the back of my seat, but she is also tall, so I doubt there is really a vehicle which would avoid that. Not a great picture, but it is the one I've got right now:

Edit: Went and took another one, although the lighting is not great. I guess the length of the Diono helps me here. It is pushing against the headrest of the front seat, but not by much. I do wish the front seat leg space did go a little further under the dash in the passenger side, but it isn't uncomfortable.

 

[mswlogo]

I had an X. I wouldn’t want kids around the Falcon Wing Doors. They are an accident waiting to happen.

 

[VT_EE]

Thankfully child seat days are past for me. I had to get a minivan to haul kids around due to crappy rear facing seat design. New mandates that kids have to be rear facing until something like 2 years old are stupid. They perpetuate the need for massive vehicles.

 

[shingles]

I had an X. I wouldn’t want kids around the Falcon Wing Doors. They are an accident waiting to happen.

Is it really any different than sliding doors of a minivan? Or really any doors around little kids? They need to be taught to be careful and parents need to keep an eye out. The falcon wing doors is actually a specific reason for us buying the Model X. Having to load two kids into car seats a few times a day, it is a fantastic nice to have.

 

[Operator64]

I had an X. I wouldn’t want kids around the Falcon Wing Doors. They are an accident waiting to happen.

As is an unfiltered mouth.

 

[mswlogo]

Is it really any different than sliding doors of a minivan? Or really any doors around little kids? They need to be taught to be careful and parents need to keep an eye out. The falcon wing doors is actually a specific reason for us buying the Model X. Having to load two kids into car seats a few times a day, it is a fantastic nice to have.

No, they are massively heavier than a sliding door. They would crush bones vs break if something goes wrong. They are way more likely to hit a head than a sliding door. Note heads are made of bone. I never used the fob or the car screen to open or close. I was always right there inside or outside the door to monitor things because I learned the hard way to not trust them.

They were cool, eye catching, I enjoyed them (no kids), useful at times, a nuisance more often than not and I’m glad I don’t have to worry about them any more.

 

[shingles]

No, they are massively heavier than a sliding door. They would crush bones vs break if something goes wrong. They are way more likely to hit a head than a sliding door. Note heads are made of bone. I never used the fob or the car screen to open or close. I was always right there inside or outside the door to monitor things because I learned the hard way to not trust them.

They were cool, eye catching, I enjoyed them (no kids), useful at times, a nuisance more often than not and I’m glad I don’t have to worry about them any more.

They could crush bones... so could sliding doors. There are protections in place to help prevent those things. I am glad you don't have to deal with it for your sake. For the rest of us, we are happy to haven them while loading our kids.

 

[daftskunk]

I had an X. I wouldn’t want kids around the Falcon Wing Doors. They are an accident waiting to happen.

This take is...a little extreme.

 

[Eskimo YoYo]

Dad of 5 with a 3 row y and 6 seat x. X has way better ingress/egress into all rows and yea I believe Monroe said seat pans are all the same for front row. Foam is different yes but front seats are same size no? 2nd & 3rd row in x is way more premium. I like driving the y more on backroads and zipping around but the x is sublime in all aspects of driving. Even bought a 6x8 trailer for these teslas yesterday because they're so good at just about everything.

 

[shingles]

4 month and 5,000 miles later...

My main comment/opinion for those looking to move from a Model Y to model X is: do it for the Falcon Wing Doors and the access to the second row, do it because you want air suspension, do it because you want a larger cargo space (behind the 2nd row with 3rd row folded), do it because you want the Plaid, but don't do it because you think you'll get more leg room for 1st and 2nd row. The seating just isn't that good when car seats are involved in the 2nd row. The front passenger side is especially bad if you have a rear facing behind it in the 2nd row. A big part of the problem is there is less room in the front passenger footwell. There's something down there that cuts out about 2-3" worth of space. I suspect it is the HEPA filter. With a rear facing seat behind the passenger side, it's just not as comfortable as it could be.

 

[Stealth MD]

Little thought was given how to fit rear facing car seats. It really had potential to be a great people mover platform but that was not the decision. It’s the anti minivan. And I can say day to day moving people kids and stuff in and out I really like my minivan better. Way better. I fantasize About What a tesla van would be like.


I like the 6 seater for lots of kids. Makes in and out easier.
There is no way to put a rear facing car seat in and sit in front of it if you are over 5’9”.

Father of 3 boys: 7, 4 and 1. I have a ‘22 Sienna Platinum and a ‘23 X LR. If it’s for long road trips and comfort, I’d rather take the Sienna . For around town, dry weather driving, I’ll take the X.

 

[Richbot]

All I can say to all of this is, rear facing is temporary but model Xmas memories are forever

Driving something weird on purpose so the kids remember it is varsity level parenting

 

[daftskunk]

All I can say to all of this is, rear facing is temporary but model Xmas memories are forever

Driving something weird on purpose so the kids remember it is varsity level parenting

+1 - I vowed I would never be caught dead in a minivan and the tighter quarters in the passenger seat when we have the car seat behind it is a small price to pay for me.

 

[shingles]

Don't understand why people have such phobia of a minivan. I LOVE MY MINIVAN. I want a manufacturer to make an EV minivan and I'd be ALL OVER IT. The ID.Buzz may be the closest thing to one though it's actually relatively small. If someone wants to judge me in my minivan, let them have at it.

My 2.5 year old asks for the Tesla, but he doesn't understand it's different... he just likes the screen in the back. lol

 

[Richbot]

I love minivans. They’re great Ubers and rentals. If I had been caught up in the SWA debacle the first thing I would have done is rent a minivan to go to Florida from STL.

But even the nicest one I’ve been in, a recent Elite trim Odyssey, was loud at the A pillars (even louder than Model X which is saying something!), didn’t ride let alone handle particularly well, slow, and boomy inside over expansion joints. If you can live without the raw cargo capability I don’t know why you’d do that to yourself when things like the V60 exist. Now, compared to any big box SUV, they’re an improvement in everything but ground clearance, but the Model X isn’t a big box SUV, it’s more like they got a little carried away making a wagon version of the S.

As soon as you get to 3-4 kids that math gets a lot more minivan-friendly, but for us with two and a couple of midsize sport utility dogs, X is plenty big. Now if the VW had been available at the time, that might have pulled us away, because I suspect it’s going to handle like a slightly tall ID4.

 

[daftskunk]

Don't understand why people have such phobia of a minivan. I LOVE MY MINIVAN. I want a manufacturer to make an EV minivan and I'd be ALL OVER IT. The ID.Buzz may be the closest thing to one though it's actually relatively small. If someone wants to judge me in my minivan, let them have at it.

My 2.5 year old asks for the Tesla, but he doesn't understand it's different... he just likes the screen in the back. lol

Different strokes for different folks? Calling different preferences a “phobia” seems a little hyperbolic.