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Model Y delivery yesterday - few thoughts relative to a 2017 MX P100DL

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Had a long range Model Y on order and heard that the local SC had a few Y's that had become available. The long range in Midnight Silver was claimed about an hour earlier, but there was a Performance model available in Midnight Silver so we said "Yes please!".

So this is a Model Y Performance with the 21’’ Überturbine Wheels. Been driving a 2017 Model X P100DL with AP2 and MCU1....so a few differences stood out right away and I figured I'd put them into a thread for anyone interested.

Driving:

- The size doesn't feel tremendously different from the X. Smaller obviously, but sometimes you get into a smaller or bigger vehicle than you're used to and the size difference is striking....definitely not the case here.

- Steering feeling is one immediately obvious difference. The Y has almost no dead zone to the steering, so it feels really quick and responsive. Even on the X with steering in Sport mode, there's a bit of sponginess. I like the actual tactile feeling of the steering wheel itself on the X, there's a bit more grip and I believe it's a bit bigger overall. But going back and forth to the X, the steering just feels slower and a touch lifeless in the X. The Y is incredibly fun to drive, in my opinion.

- The ride is certainly firmer on the Y. 21" wheels are certainly a factor. The X currently has winter tires on, but even on 21" tires it doesn't feel as firm as the Y. I'm guessing the air suspension is a factor here.

- The Model Y performance doesn't quite have the "pin you to your seat" acceleration off the line as the MX P100DL. Roads are a bit damp, but I don't think it's a traction control thing. Feels like the acceleration from a stop takes about a second to really start clipping. The P100DL in ludicrous mode really is ludicrous (even without launch mode), feels much more like a roller coaster launching. The Y is definitely easing you into it more. At about 20mph and above, they're feeling pretty similar in terms of "punch", it's really just from a standstill that it's noticeable. If the difference in 0-60 times is say 2.9s vs 3.5s, I'd say that 0.6s difference largely happens in about the first 0.6s of acceleration. None of this is unexpected of course, but I was a bit surprised at how different 2.9s vs 3.5s feels.


Interior:

- I'm really missing that additional screen that's in the X. I'm guessing the Model 3 style single screen interior takes some getting used to and since it's a similar interior, the issue has probably been talked to death. The screen looks great in the Y, but not quite as convenient or driver-friendly as the X.

- The overall finish and build quality seems really good. No strange air whistling on the highway, no door seals that look slightly mangled like I've seen on our X, a really quiet ride overall. The entire vehicle seems like a much tighter build than the 2017 X overall....not sure if this comes down to QC improvements, an easier to build design, or both of those....but they've done a really great job with it from what I've noticed so far.

- Felt like my lower back was getting a bit warmer in the Y seats for some reason. Seat heaters were off, so maybe it has to do with the material. Our X has a cloth interior, so perhaps that breathes a bit more.

- The storage is just awesome. The X has tons of storage as well, but the Y really doesn't feel like a big step down....add in the ability to install roof racks and the Y is really impressive here. I know I've moved a few things in the X that probably wouldn't fit in the Y, but there's still a lot of real estate in there.

- The front wireless phone chargers/pad are great. My Note 8 has a fairly thin rubber case, and that seems to be enough to prevent the Qi charging from engaging (even though it's fine on other desktop wireless chargers I've tried), but it was fine with the case off. The size, position, grip etc is great though....so long as phones don't get any bigger! The Note 8 just barely fits from top to bottom.

- Like the use of magnets on the mirrors and console lids. Feels premium, no cheap clicks and nothing mechanical that seems like it'll stop working over time.

- Homelink missing is a drag. Sounds like it can be added/installed and I'll probably do that at some point. So odd to be driving around in an insanely futuristic (and still expensive) vehicle and have an old garage door opener from the 90's sitting in the center compartment! I'm assuming there's some licensing/cost reason and this was just one of those things that had to go to hit a certain price.

- The single piece of glass over the cabin of the Y is really impressive....but there's an asterisk here.....it's really impressive if you're sitting in the back seats! From the driver's seat, your field of view pretty much ends at the top of the windshield, so you really see zero of that amazing glass in your peripheral vision. The windshield on the X is just striking from the front seat position, it feels like you're in a helicopter and it's hard to not be constantly impressed by how open it feels....but obviously that effect is lost in the back seats of the X to a large extent. So I'm torn on this one....the single piece of glass is really impressive...but the X windshield is also really impressive and the overall effect depends on where you're sitting. Since I'm usually driving, I'm kind of missing that X windshield but wouldn't take anything away from how impressive the "roof" glass is on the Y.

- The optical effect that happens on wet X glass is again, pretty striking. Doesn't exist on the Y. I've had so many people comment on the crazy orange colour that appears with droplets on the X glass, quite a few people have though that it was some kind of custom or after-market thing. Just doesn't exist on the Y. Taking delivery at the SC yesterday, it was hard not to notice an entire row of Model X's with their magical orange glass in the rain yesterday.

Exterior:

- I really dig the look of the Y. The carbon fiber spoiler looks great and the black trim (versus chrome) certainly looks more modern. I do love the adaptive spoiler on our X, I believe those stopped being available about a month after our build date. I don't know how much the adaptive spoiler on the X really effects performance, but it looks great and it's one of my favorite differentiating features on the P100D. The Y is a really nice design though, I really like the shape of the lower rear spoiler/lip/diffuser/whatever-its-called around the rear bumper.

- I wish I could tow! I use towing on the X fairly frequently. I've tried to read up on what the deal is with the Y, if it will ever be something that can be retrofitted (guessing not) or if it's only going to exist in European markets. Whatever the status of all of that, I'd love to be able to put a hitch on the back.

I can't directly compare to a 3 because I haven't driven one, and it's been quite a while since I've driven an S, but feel free to ask any relevant questions and I'll try to weigh in.
 
heh heh... as an M3 (only) owner, I recently drove an S loaner, and was like "Man, this instrument cluster is TOO CLUTTERED" :)

Ha! Yes, the X shows you a ton of information that you don't necessarily need. It's not so much the information design that I'm having a tougher time adjusting to, it's really the positioning. Glancing down and "through" the wheel on the X/S feels pretty natural.....the offset screen is just an odd position but I understand that it's a tough problem when you're constrained to a single "do it all" screen that is also meant to be visible to passengers.

I do like all of the driving visualizations showing up on this current hardware/software combo. Our X has FSD but hasn't received the HW3 (and assuming the MCU2) upgrade yet. On the Y, streetlights etc are cool...I think I'm also seeing stacked boxes or something like that in my garage. Seeing turn lanes is also really cool, surprised to see them pass by in oncoming lanes as well.
 
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heh heh... as an M3 (only) owner, I recently drove an S loaner, and was like "Man, this instrument cluster is TOO CLUTTERED" :)

Similar experience here. I prefer my M3 centre console because:
  • I can adjust the steering wheel down lower where I like it without obscuring my view of anything important.
  • I can have that awesome smaller steering wheel, I love the smaller steering wheel and think any other steering wheels feel ridiculously large and cumbersome now.
  • On the M3 all my nav info is in one place. Having to switch my focus between the centre console and the binnacle on the MS was driving me batty. Also, even with the steering wheel at it's highest (awkward!) and seat at it's lowest, I still couldn't see the binnacle map without ducking my head down and leaning to the right a little to see under the steering wheel. Very inconvenient. Yes, I've got a long back.
  • More knee room in the M3.
Give it time, I think you'll simply end up more used to whichever you use more frequently.
 
A few other notes that probably apply to M3 owners as well. Really liking the permanent magnet motors, and more specifically the STOP mode and more aggressive nature of the regen. I realize this will really come down to preference, but I immediately liked the overall feeling of this and true one-pedal experience versus the 2017 MX, where you're still using the brake and where the regen (particularly in colder climates) doesn't feel as strong.

Still impressed by the visualizations....realized that it's displaying garbage bins fairly accurately (both in my own driveway and also driving by others) and it has picked up a feel other objects I didn't expect. It's perhaps a little "cone crazy"....like everything that is slightly bright colored is a cone...including every fire hydrant I've driven by so far. Guessing that "traffic cone" represents a category of objects right now.

Standing by the comments on the glass roof....I was just driving around with my kids for a bit and the glass roof didn't even cross my mind...then I turned around to talk to them at one point (while parked) and was like, Oh Wow, look at that impressive glass! You really don't notice it from the front seat until you turn around.

Loving the handling, there's a really great balance between the weight of the steering, pep of the acceleration, and strength of the regen.....hard to describe, but they all work together to feel nicely balanced and certainly not floaty or soft at any point.
 
What is the ride height like? Do you feel higher than other road users?

It feels about what I'm used to given that I usually keep the X at Low or sometimes Very Low.....when I got in (that moment when the feel of a new car hits you), I didn't think "Oh wow, this feels so low". It felt very similar to the X. Last time I got in an S, I was taken aback by how low it felt. With that said, the X feels low compared to other similar sized SUVs though, I feel like most comparable vehicles I see around here are often sitting much higher than me....so it's rare that I feel higher than most other road users even in the X let alone the Y. I'm 6ft and climbing in doesn't feel like I'm doing squats or trying to "throw" myself down into the drivers seat.
 
That “crazy orange color” when wet also occurred on my model 3. Interesting if they added different material to the glass roof of the model y to alleviate that odd (not bad) phenomena.

They have multiple glass mfg now, so it depends on which one your car got its glass from. On model 3's, you can get orange, or you might not. All with the same model year.
 
heh heh... as an M3 (only) owner, I recently drove an S loaner, and was like "Man, this instrument cluster is TOO CLUTTERED" :)
I agree but only after having owned and driven an S for 7 years and now a 3 for a few months mixed with the now rather slow & mellow S, I find it a bit difficult to look through the steering wheel at a screen. The 3 (Y) layout is so nice...especially with the screen tilted towards the driver a little.
It's nice they made the Y! seems like a sick cross of all 3 prior cars. I have my S for dogs and hardware and the 3P to race. otherwise a Y would be sweet.

I'd be curious to hear in few weeks how you like the 1 screen vs the X layout.

I feel like the 3 is way more driver friendly than the S when I switch back now.
 
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I agree but only after having owned and driven an S for 7 years and now a 3 for a few months mixed with the now rather slow & mellow S, I find it a bit difficult to look through the steering wheel at a screen. The 3 (Y) layout is so nice...especially with the screen tilted towards the driver a little.
It's nice they made the Y! seems like a sick cross of all 3 prior cars. I have my S for dogs and hardware and the 3P to race. otherwise a Y would be sweet
There are aftermarket solutions for tilting the monitor, though in my brief experience behind the wheel of an M3, I didn't see the need. I got used to the monitor immediately.
 
There are aftermarket solutions for tilting the monitor, though in my brief experience behind the wheel of an M3, I didn't see the need. I got used to the monitor immediately.
I was used to it instantly as well, thought I liked it totally fine as is too but I saw the aluminum tilt bracket (a bit too $$ imo) before I got my car and ordered one. The fact that it moves the screen a few inches lower is awesome but the tilt is really nice too if you mostly are driving alone no reason to have the screen flat. It didn't come for almost a month after I was driving the 3 but once I finally put it on it is super nice. Moved someone else's 3 for them at work and was shocked how much better I like the new position.
 
I was used to it instantly as well, thought I liked it totally fine as is too but I saw the aluminum tilt bracket (a bit too $$ imo) before I got my car and ordered one. The fact that it moves the screen a few inches lower is awesome but the tilt is really nice too if you mostly are driving alone no reason to have the screen flat. It didn't come for almost a month after I was driving the 3 but once I finally put it on it is super nice. Moved someone else's 3 for them at work and was shocked how much better I like the new position.
I think the best argument for making the screen adjustable is to deal with glare.

I know there are various aftermarket screen protectors, but I've had nothing but bad experiences with these kinds of things for laptop-sized screens. Cellphones are different, of course.
 
A few other notes that probably apply to M3 owners as well. Really liking the permanent magnet motors, and more specifically the STOP mode and more aggressive nature of the regen. I realize this will really come down to preference, but I immediately liked the overall feeling of this and true one-pedal experience versus the 2017 MX, where you're still using the brake and where the regen (particularly in colder climates) doesn't feel as strong.
I know it's a preference thing but I refuse to use STOP mode when pulling my Model 3 Performance with ~ 450 HP into my garage with just the throttle pedal.
 
Completely agree/ I had a 2016 X P90D and I actually like the Y much better. For me it seems like the Y has a bit more storage space than my X had. Also the passenger leg room in the Y seems a bit larger than the X. (I never liked those mounts for the seats in the X. )
There is plenty of power in the Y but I agree they need to tweek the software to give you that pinned back feeling. Overall I am very happy with the Y over the X.
 
Be aware that OP is comparing a 3 year old X to a new generation Model Y.

New Raven design Model X (and S) have many of the same features he prefers in the Y.

The new adaptable suspension has firm/soft/sport settings. This can give owners choices as to the feel they prefer. Also had an automatic setting that gives a soft quiet ride when cruising, but firms up when driving enthusiastically or at higher speeds. Much improvement for high speed sweepers.
The steering weight is also adjustable for light/medium/firm. Again gives driver choice over their preference.
Raven has the latest V3 computer. Shows cones and trash cans. Now stops for stop signs and red lights with latest updates.
Most drivers (OP has a long back) can easily see through the steering wheel at the drivers display. Gives much more information to the driver and does not require them to take their eyes off the road over to center screen.
Ravens have the new front motor, allowing full one pedal driving. Comes to a full stop without using the brake pedal.
They now come with wireless cell phone charging and come standard with Homelink installed.

Believe the biggest advantages for the Model Y is that they cost way less, are smaller and lighter weight. More nimble and sporty feeling. Easier to park in congested areas and may fit is a garage that is a bit too tight for an X. Roof rack is also a plus, but lack of towing kind of balances that off.
 
Correct on all of those points! I can only compare back to my 2017 X, but totally understand and it's worth repeating that there have been so many upgrades to the X since then, particularly with the Raven platform.

Would definitely not rely on STOP pulling into my garage, it's already a tight fit, but I do like it a lot for driving around down.

The Y definitely doesn't feel like it has more storage space. I just did a run to recycle cardboard and loaded up the rear of front of the Y as much as I could. It was pretty clear that I could fit more in the X (6 seater), particularly in the front where it seems like the Y has maybe half the frunk volume. Not to take anything away from how much space the Y does have given its size, but if you're used to jamming the X packed with crap (which I am), the difference in cargo space will be pretty obvious.

I'll climb in the back shortly and try to get a sense of how well a 6-foot person could fit for camping...
 
Own a LR RWD 3 and a 2018 P100D X and recently experienced the performance Y over the weekend. The Y is a great car and will be very popular. It handles nice and is quick. Road noise seems to be improved over the 3 and the hatch trunk is pretty convenient. The UI and everything from the drivers seat feels just like the 3 except your slightly higher and rear view visibility is worse. Power liftgate and easy fold down seats are probably the biggest standout features over the 3.

The X feels much larger in the 6 seat configuration. Legroom and open cabin feeling in the X can't really be compared. Also the doors in the Y felt kind of small, similar to the 3. It's still a challenge loading a baby into a rear facing car seat in the Y, that was my biggest disappointment in the car. I'm not sure how it stacks up to other crossover SUVs or we may just be spoiled by the FWD on the X that allows us to simply walk and put the baby in without any gymnastics.

We were considering getting a Y performance to replace the 3 down the line but don't think we can justify it at this time. The legroom, width, passenger comfort levels didn't feel much different at all compared to the 3. For those who don't have a 3 but wanted a bit more space this car is amazing and you won't be disappointed. If your coming from a larger SUV like a MDX, Q7, X5, pilot etc I think the Y might not cut it and you may be better off getting a used X.
 
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