Model Y initial impressions after delivery

Took the delivery of my first electric car, Tesla model YLR on 2/4. After almost a week with the car, here are my impressions.

-Coming from busy instrument clusters of Audis and BMW’s, the interior is plain and simple and has grown on me. I still think there should be at least a small screen in front of the driver. I still miss the awesome Audi interiors though.

-The acceleration on this is amazing! Just puts a smile to my face when I hit go.

-Very roomy interior in comparison to my prior car Audi Q7. It looks small but the Model y is pretty big inside. Very comfortable and quiet inside. Love the frunk

-regenerative braking: when we drove the car home, my wife was following me and said how come I rarely hit brakes and she didn’t see the brake lights come on. That freaked me out so I changed it to “creep” mode and after a week of driving I am more comfortable with the regenerative braking. One pedal driving is a game changer in my opinion. I am still nervous and look at the screen when I lift the foot off the pedal.

-Love that I can charge at home and every morning I have a full gas tank

Negatives:

-Safety- this may be just me but Tesla touts safety but there is no rear traffic cross alerts. Without the USS, and no park distance control..things are hard for no reason. My garage is super packed and I have my wife guiding me in and out of the garage. On a 60k car, this should be a standard. I know Tesla vision is coming but what about rear traffic cross alerts. Lane assist is also a miss for me. I have to yet hear a chime on lane assist, maybe it’s the settings but I don’t hear any audible. I have not looked if the car next to me turns red but if you are trying to change lanes..but it’s not as simple as adding a sign or lights on mirrors like other cars. Overall the car may be safe but 20k corollas have more safety features

-First few days the battery drained 10% in a day or so, played with the settings and it’s ok now(1-2% drain) but not many gas cars lose gas while doing nothing. I know it is not a big deal and battery work differently but if you were to leave your car in an airport parking lot for a 40 day vacation not sure how much charge would be left.

-The Gemini wheel covers are ugly. Look like 1990s Nissan Sentra wheel covers. No clue why a 60k car can’t have a good looking set of covers

-sunroof: I have had sunroofs since I was 16..so feels a little weird with not having the option to
Open the roof. Yes glass roof is awesome but 70s and open sunroof in a spring day is something of a life necessity

-Minor cost cutting like not giving a license plate frame, or included mobile charger is a shame. On a 60k car this should be standard. The carpeted floor mats are also of cheap quality.

Overall I am really happy with the car and love driving it. But some lack of features especially park distance control make me feel handicapped for no reason..feels like I have gone back to 90s when had to have your head on a swivel when backing out or parking. At age 45 that’s hard to do than age 16.

"Tesla Model Y Classic-Gala 2022 1X7A0411" by Alexander Migl is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Admin note: Image added for Blog Feed thumbnail

 

[GoVols!]

I agree. I miss the rear cross traffic alerts from my Prius. They worked really well.

Has Tesla never had this RCTA? I would be bummed to not have this feature for busy parking lots.

 

[arbitrage000]

Has Tesla never had this RCTA? I would be bummed to not have this feature for busy parking lots.

I don't think so. Most cars use the rear side bumper radar units that they also use for Blind spot monitoring to do RCTA. Tesla doesn't have rear side bumper radar. I think when they did have radar it was only front facing.

 

[jcanoe]

I don't think so. Most cars use the rear side bumper radar units that they also use for Blind spot monitoring to do RCTA. Tesla doesn't have rear side bumper radar. I think when they did have radar it was only front facing.

My past GM and Ford vehicles had blind spot warning with cross-traffic alert when reversing. The Tesla Model Y does not have radar in the rear quarter panels that enabled this feature in my previous vehicles.

If you spend any time using a Tesla Supercharger or otherwise back in to charge you will find backing into a parking space to be easier than trying to see over and around the hood and front fenders. If you can pull through one parking space into the space in the adjacent row when parking your Tesla Model Y will enable you drive away without backing out of the parking space.

 

[Maxdriver]

I think all the Tesla wheel covers are unattractive. One of my first mods would be to take them off. I realize they increase range, but the amount is not enough for me to leave them on.

 

[cusetownusa]

I think all the Tesla wheel covers are unattractive. One of my first mods would be to take them off. I realize they increase range, but the amount is not enough for me to leave them on.

I agree...good thing there are some aftermarket wheel covers that look great without losing range. I replaced mine the minute I got home from the delivery center.

 

[GoVols!]

Now that I’m seriously considering a MY, I have always assumed Tesla was ahead of the game in safety features. I am surprised to see they don’t have an active front facing camera and cameras in the mirrors so you don’t curb your wheels, especially when navigating around low concrete bump outs like you in drive thrus and parking garages near toll booths.

 

[Mario Veras]

Now that I’m seriously considering a MY, I have always assumed Tesla was ahead of the game in safety features. I am surprised to see they don’t have an active front facing camera and cameras in the mirrors so you don’t curb your wheels, especially when navigating around low concrete bump outs like you in drive thrus and parking garages near toll booths.

Whoever told you that misled you. Teslas have front facing cameras and side cameras so you can see the curb and avoid curb rash on your rims. In addition, the side mirrors tilt down so you have another view of the curb.

What was mentioned earlier was the lack of cross traffic warning which is what you need when you are reversing onto a road and the system alerts you a car is approaching to pass behind you. That is what Teslas are missing. For that to work, the car needs side sensors in the rear bumper. And Teslas HAVE the needed sensors unless you have a 2022 and newer model. The problem is, they are not configured to alert you of cross traffic behind you.

 

[jcanoe]

Whoever told you that misled you. Teslas have front facing cameras and side cameras so you can see the curb and avoid curb rash on your rims. In addition, the side mirrors tilt down so you have another view of the curb.

What was mentioned earlier was the lack of cross traffic warning which is what you need when you are reversing onto a road and the system alerts you a car is approaching to pass behind you. That is what Teslas are missing. For that to work, the car needs side sensors in the rear bumper. And Teslas HAVE the needed sensors unless you have a 2022 and newer model. The problem is, they are not configured to alert you of cross traffic behind you.

The backup camera, with or without the integrated side-repeater camera view, is only an aid when reversing the Tesla Model Y. The front cameras cannot see over the hood or help with avoiding objects close to the front bumper or front fenders when driving forward into parking space or a drive-thru lane. Every Tesla Model Y owner eventually develops a feel for the boundary of the Tesla Model Y, often only after having curbed a wheel or two.

 

[galimpic]

The back camera has wide enough angle to make the cross traffic warning largely unnecessary.

 

[jcanoe]

The back camera has wide enough angle to make the cross traffic warning largely unnecessary.

When I owned my Chevy Volt with radar based blind spot warning with cross traffic alert the cross traffic alert could sense, alert me to vehicles 100 feet away while I was backing down my driveway. Even if you could see the vehicle in the backup camera it would be small and difficult to see especially in dim light.

 

[Mario Veras]

The back camera has wide enough angle to make the cross traffic warning largely unnecessary.

I have to disagree. The backup camera does not give you 180 degree viewing which is what you need if backing out of a driveway. And I would argue you need more than 180 degrees. Should be more like 200 degrees for shopping carts, people or pets that may want to cross behind you.

Even if the backup camera had that level of wide angle, anything or anyone approaching to try and cross behind your car would look too small to be noticeable. A warning beep from a sensor is much safer.

When I owned the Prius Prime, I was amazed how quickly it detected cars coming in the distance which I was totally unaware and unseen by the backup camera.

 

[GoVols!]

When I owned my Chevy Volt with radar based blind spot warning with cross traffic alert the cross traffic alert could sense, alert me to vehicles 100 feet away while I was backing down my driveway. Even if you could see the vehicle in the backup camera it would be small and difficult to see especially in dim light.

Exactly. Our BMW has a great backup camera but it won’t see a fast car, road cyclist, etc. until it’s in view, but the radar warns us before the camera sees it. Not sure why Tesla can’t figure this out.

 

[GoVols!]

We decided to hold off purchase of the MYP for now. I expect when buying a high tech car, it comes with high tech equipment. My high school daughters 2019 Tiguan has more safety features. Heck, my Land Cruiser that many folks call old tech, has 360’ drop down view so I can see exactly where the tires are lined up when parking or off-road. Come on Tesla! I really want a MYP with the tech goodies.

 

[galimpic]

We decided to hold off purchase of the MYP for now. I expect when buying a high tech car, it comes with high tech equipment. My high school daughters 2019 Tiguan has more safety features. Heck, my Land Cruiser that many folks call old tech, has 360’ drop down view so I can see exactly where the tires are lined up when parking or off-road. Come on Tesla! I really want a MYP with the tech goodies.

When I want the usual high trim features, I drive my wife's Bolt EUV which has pretty much all the bells and whistles. When I want a fun or long drive, I hop into my M3. Win/win.

 

[GoVols!]

When I want the usual high trim features, I drive my wife's Bolt EUV which has pretty much all the bells and whistles. When I want a fun or long drive, I hop into my M3. Win/win.

I totally get that but when I think of Tesla as a non-owner, I think of techie cool features fitting of an Ev. Now that I’m shopping for an EV and see other competitors, it surprises me how quickly those great features I would expect Tesla to have, is in first or 2nd year models of other companies. I’m really pushing for Elon to bring these obvious feature to the MY soon so I can not have a half featured EV. To not have a front camera or 360 view is pretty odd for a vehicle and company that aims for high safety standards. This is not a bash, just an observation from a real consumer looking to buy a Tesla.

 

[ThePirate]

All good points here.

However...I have a hard time believing that smaller mirrors saved costs. I bet that's all about efficiency. I would LOVE to see a careful test on how much efficiency is lost with bigger side view mirrors. I would totally get them if they didn't cost too much range on 80 MPH road trips.

The rearview mirror is useless in anything but the brightest sunlight. That has to do with the stupid decision to make everyone have tinted back window whether they wanted it or not. If you like tinted windows fine, but it's soooo obvious this profoundly affects visibility, it was a really bad decision to make it stock.

The rear view cameras are not great in the dark, either. I would consider buying brighter backup lights.

I think the OP said they wanted a sunroof they could open. I drove an EV6, and it was dark and claustrophibic inside. Tesla light and airy inside probably due to the roof. HOWEVER, I think the design of the roof it what makes it necessary to have fat roof pillars just where you want to look, making this general design (and all the imitators, including the EV6) have terrible, awful, miserable, piss-poor visibility. Given the choice, I would have gone for a little sunroof, no tinted windows, and roof pillars where they don't block visibility*.

That said, I don't have a choice - no good road-tripping cars under $100k scheduled to market for years. And I do love my MYLR (and I will never stop loving giving the middle finger to oil companies, starting now, not years from now). It's just way, way imperfect.

-TPC.

* Like a truly fine car like my old Civic. Excellent visibility all around there.

 

[jcanoe]

All good points here.

However...I have a hard time believing that smaller mirrors saved costs. I bet that's all about efficiency. I would LOVE to see a careful test on how much efficiency is lost with bigger side view mirrors. I would totally get them if they didn't cost too much range on 80 MPH road trips.

The rearview mirror is useless in anything but the brightest sunlight. That has to do with the stupid decision to make everyone have tinted back window whether they wanted it or not. If you like tinted windows fine, but it's soooo obvious this profoundly affects visibility, it was a really bad decision to make it stock.

The rear view cameras are not great in the dark, either. I would consider buying brighter backup lights.

I think the OP said they wanted a sunroof they could open. I drove an EV6, and it was dark and claustrophibic inside. Tesla light and airy inside probably due to the roof. HOWEVER, I think the design of the roof it what makes it necessary to have fat roof pillars just where you want to look, making this general design (and all the imitators, including the EV6) have terrible, awful, miserable, piss-poor visibility. Given the choice, I would have gone for a little sunroof, no tinted windows, and roof pillars where they don't block visibility*.

That said, I don't have a choice - no good road-tripping cars under $100k scheduled to market for years. And I do love my MYLR (and I will never stop loving giving the middle finger to oil companies, starting now, not years from now). It's just way, way imperfect.

-TPC.

* Like a truly fine car like my old Civic. Excellent visibility all around there.

The tinting of the rear glass isn't the only issue. The Tesla Model Y, as with so many of today's vehicles, has a high belt line that places the rear window at a height that makes it difficult to be able to see any vehicle or object behind the Model Y. A vehicle must be a couple of meters behind the Model Y to be visible in the rear view mirror.

 

[Mario Veras]

The tinting of the rear glass isn't the only issue. The Tesla Model Y, as with so many of today's vehicles, has a high belt line that places the rear window at a height that makes it difficult to be able to see any vehicle or object behind the Model Y. A vehicle must be a couple of meters behind the Model Y to be visible in the rear view mirror.

My cousin just bought a Model Y and he told me the same thing after comparing it with my Model 3.

But to be honest, the Model 3 doesn’t have the best rear/side view either. In my previous car, a Prius Prime, the visibility all around sides and rear was significantly better so I didn’t need to rely much on cameras and mirrors.

 

[starise]

Tesla has said they will have a fix for the missing radar sensors. This will either make or break the final outcome to new Y buyers who liked having those features. My Mazda CX-5 touring has these features, as do most other later model cars. I expected Tesla would have them as well.

If they re introduce the sensors to later models, this is basically an admission they made a mistake. Present owners who decided to buy a Tesla are out in the cold if we happened to buy a model that doesn't have it. "We made a boo boo and we need to change it. "

My hunch is someone at Tesla believed they could come up with a solution using only the cameras. One can only hope they tried it in a test car before they removed USS. The fact that the 'fix' is taking awhile is concerning. Yes, I am still buying the car, however if they don't have some sort of a solution, which we were told was coming, this will tell me something I don't like about Tesla.

Since I have been involved with various electronics my mind tries to find ways for a camera system to replace a radar system. My first thoughts are radar isn't as dependent on weather. A thick drizzle won't affect it, so the idea doesn't look 100% feasible to me. AI cameras need to understand visual preception in distance. If they can pull that off I am indeed impressed. For regular frequent parking spaces maybe the cameras can be set in memory to recognize fixed distance, but that doesn't work for different situations.

I am still hopeful they can figure it out for the 1 million Ys they are making to keep up with demand. Somewhere in the chain, someone made a decision that is potentially affecting a huge portion of Tesla owners. And given the history and timelines of other promises, I'm not holding my breath. To be fair until my last few cars I never used cross traffic alerts because I didn't have it. This does not mean I wouldn't like to have it in addition to letting the windows down to listen, backing out s-l-o-w-l-y and watching everywhere humanly possible.

 

[arbitrage000]

Tesla is probably adding some form of HD-radar to the future cars but they are unlikely to be adding back USS unless they really FU with vision only parking.
HD-radar should have nothing to do with parking features.
The vision only parking features are likely tied to the FSD v.11 neural net programming. Now FSD v.11 has been with internal testers for a good while. Release notes were leaked last fall. Best guess is that once FSD v.11 is released the parking features will be released for the non-USS cars...at least one can hope. Supposedly v.11 is releasing to a limited number of FSD customers this week....but then again Elon says that all the time and so far it hasn't happened.