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Model Y test-drive experience (not a current Tesla owner)

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Just to chime in here, I do find the Model Y ride very precise and certainly harsher than other recent EV's I have had. What I mean by that is you will feel every crack and bump in the road, and you do feel "bobbly" at times. If you are after a smooth comfortable ride then the this car isn't for you. Yes, you can lower the tire pressure to 39 PSI and it does help, but it only helps, it fundamentally can't solve the issue due to the type of suspension/shocks that are in the car. I have lowered my tire pressure to 39 PSI and as I said it does help, but for me as someone who leans more to the comfort side, the Y is disappointing and frustrating because otherwise it's such a perfect car.

As a reference point my last car was a 2018 Nissan Leaf and that car was MUCH better at handling bumps and imperfections on the road. And it still is a bit sporty. Obviously it doesn't hold a candle in handling or performance compared to the Tesla, but for a more comfortable ride, Nissan nailed it with that car's suspension (at least for my tastes). Before that I had a 2018 Volt and again that car was smoother - not quite as good as the Nissan but close.

The Model Y is a very stiff car and this can make the car rattle or squeak because of it. It's not really rattles in my car but vibrations and sound resonating because of the stiff suspension.

Having said all of this, Tesla is more geared towards performance and driving dynamics so those who designed the car obviously made it that way on purpose for superior handling/cornering etc. Their priority was not a comfortable ride. I personally think more care should have been taken with the suspension and ride quality/comfort given the target market for the CUV/Crossover segment: lots of families and soccer moms who do not necessarily want a stiff ride. In my opinion this is a mistake Tesla made. There are rumours of an Air Suspension for the Model Y - perhaps that will come in the future and solve the issue.

So it is what it is: If you want a Tesla Model Y *today* with all of it's advantages you will have to settle for a stiffer, harsher ride, which leans heavily towards handling and performance and thus a harsher ride. Lowering the tire pressure is about the only thing you can do to help. Perhaps different tires would help too.

Yes, you can spend thousands to replace the suspension but I would expect not many are willing to do that.
 
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I'd like to weigh in on the motion sickness that @Tslgrl mentions. I experience motion sickness when reading in moving vehicles or when sitting in the back seat/etc. However I do not experience it when driving the car myself. I first drove a friend's model 3 about 2 years ago, and after the 10 minute drive I had a headache. Granted, he had me mashing down on the go pedal and testing autopilot. A few weeks ago I test drove a model Y and had it for an hour. By the end of the hour I again had a headache. I felt it was due to the regen braking and how it took me pretty much the full hour to nail how to smoothly start and stop without the car jerking which I feel caused my headache/motion sickness. I also was looking at the screen a great deal, watching when the brake lights were activated when I slowed down with regen braking, etc. This likely contributed to my motion sickness in combination with the jerky regen driving.

We are test driving the Y again next weekend and I'm going to pay closer attention to driving more smoothly and possibly adjusting the mode to chill to see if it helps me avoid the motion sickness. My wife is also coming along this time and experiences motion sickness so I'll be curious to see what her take is on it.

With all of this said, I do have a Y on order for Summer delivery. It's my assumption that as I drive it more and fully get the smooth starting and stopping I won't have motion sickness issues.

(Thanks for your test drive writeup @Tslgrl !)
 
I'd like to weigh in on the motion sickness that @Tslgrl mentions. I experience motion sickness when reading in moving vehicles or when sitting in the back seat/etc. However I do not experience it when driving the car myself. I first drove a friend's model 3 about 2 years ago, and after the 10 minute drive I had a headache. Granted, he had me mashing down on the go pedal and testing autopilot. A few weeks ago I test drove a model Y and had it for an hour. By the end of the hour I again had a headache. I felt it was due to the regen braking and how it took me pretty much the full hour to nail how to smoothly start and stop without the car jerking which I feel caused my headache/motion sickness. I also was looking at the screen a great deal, watching when the brake lights were activated when I slowed down with regen braking, etc. This likely contributed to my motion sickness in combination with the jerky regen driving.

We are test driving the Y again next weekend and I'm going to pay closer attention to driving more smoothly and possibly adjusting the mode to chill to see if it helps me avoid the motion sickness. My wife is also coming along this time and experiences motion sickness so I'll be curious to see what her take is on it.

With all of this said, I do have a Y on order for Summer delivery. It's my assumption that as I drive it more and fully get the smooth starting and stopping I won't have motion sickness issues.

(Thanks for your test drive writeup @Tslgrl !)
Hey @suprax -- definitely try the chill mode and see if it helps. In particular, I found it helped me when accelerating away from lights as the 'back of head slammed into head rest feeling' was mitigated.

I also put the screen on a much lower brightness setting and I found that helped a lot as it was less distracting for me, which I suspect had originally contributed to some of the nausea.
 
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I have owned Audi's, BMW's, Mercedes, VW, GMC, Ford and I can say, the steering wheel stinks. It's small and toy like and not in keeping with the cool factor of the vehicle. Honestly cannot understand how there isn't more outrage about how silly it feels in your hands when you drive. I wasn't expecting a BMW M sport wheel but my god for $80,000 please come out with a wheel that makes the driver feel they are getting some interior value other than a screen.
Oops - I meant to respond to the steering wheel item in my original reply. Is your dislike related to the physical form of the wheel, or the driving feel? If it's the latter, there's yet one more setting I wanted to mention: on the Driving tab, alongside the Acceleration and Regenerative Braking settings, there is also a Steering Mode setting. Steering mode can be set to Comfort, Standard, and Sport. Do you know what it was set to, when you test-drove? Comfort mode gives a loose-ish feel to steering, compared to Standard and Sport, which have progressively firmer feel, and require progressively greater effort to steer.

When I took delivery of my car, Steering was set to Comfort. I now use Standard as my normal mode, sometimes switching to Sport.
 
Oops - I meant to respond to the steering wheel item in my original reply. Is your dislike related to the physical form of the wheel, or the driving feel? If it's the latter, there's yet one more setting I wanted to mention: on the Driving tab, alongside the Acceleration and Regenerative Braking settings, there is also a Steering Mode setting. Steering mode can be set to Comfort, Standard, and Sport. Do you know what it was set to, when you test-drove? Comfort mode gives a loose-ish feel to steering, compared to Standard and Sport, which have progressively firmer feel, and require progressively greater effort to steer.

When I took delivery of my car, Steering was set to Comfort. I now use Standard as my normal mode, sometimes switching to Sport.
Oh wow! Didn't know that. Thanks for pointing it out.
 
I've had my Long Range Model Y for almost 10 months. My Model Y has the standard Tesla 19" wheels and Continential ProContact RX tires. My total mileage with nowhere in particular to go is low, just under 3000 miles. Two things I have noticed are that the Model Y's suspension seems to have softened a little after 3000 miles. The second is that after experimenting with different tire pressure settings of 41 and 42 PSI in summer and fall, then 43 to 44 PSI this winter I have found that there is a sweet spot somewhere around 43 or 44 PSI where the ride improves and becomes less harsh with more of a cushioned ride.

I recently checked the tread depth of my Model Y's tires. After just under 3000 miles the tread depth of all 4 tires is down approximately 1/32" from the factory spec of 9/32". My tires appear to be wearing evenly. Whenever I am at a place where I can experience the full power and acceleration of my Model Y (I have not purchased the AB, don't intend to) I always do so from a rolling start of at least a few MPH to try and minimize extra wear on the tires.
The factory spec for those tires is actually 10/32”. Lol, after 3000 miles you really barely put a dent in them.
 
Tesla certainly has fit and finish problems however the two ford MachE’s I looked closely at had the worst exterior fit and finish of a production car I have witnessed since the 1982 Jeep! The interiors were however very good.
 
Just to chime in here, I do find the Model Y ride very precise and certainly harsher than other recent EV's I have had. What I mean by that is you will feel every crack and bump in the road, and you do feel "bobbly" at times. If you are after a smooth comfortable ride then the this car isn't for you. Yes, you can lower the tire pressure to 39 PSI and it does help, but it only helps, it fundamentally can't solve the issue due to the type of suspension/shocks that are in the car. I have lowered my tire pressure to 39 PSI and as I said it does help, but for me as someone who leans more to the comfort side, the Y is disappointing and frustrating because otherwise it's such a perfect car.

As a reference point my last car was a 2018 Nissan Leaf and that car was MUCH better at handling bumps and imperfections on the road. And it still is a bit sporty. Obviously it doesn't hold a candle in handling or performance compared to the Tesla, but for a more comfortable ride, Nissan nailed it with that car's suspension (at least for my tastes). Before that I had a 2018 Volt and again that car was smoother - not quite as good as the Nissan but close.

The Model Y is a very stiff car and this can make the car rattle or squeak because of it. It's not really rattles in my car but vibrations and sound resonating because of the stiff suspension.

Having said all of this, Tesla is more geared towards performance and driving dynamics so those who designed the car obviously made it that way on purpose for superior handling/cornering etc. Their priority was not a comfortable ride. I personally think more care should have been taken with the suspension and ride quality/comfort given the target market for the CUV/Crossover segment: lots of families and soccer moms who do not necessarily want a stiff ride. In my opinion this is a mistake Tesla made. There are rumours of an Air Suspension for the Model Y - perhaps that will come in the future and solve the issue.

So it is what it is: If you want a Tesla Model Y *today* with all of it's advantages you will have to settle for a stiffer, harsher ride, which leans heavily towards handling and performance and thus a harsher ride. Lowering the tire pressure is about the only thing you can do to help. Perhaps different tires would help too.

Yes, you can spend thousands to replace the suspension but I would expect not many are willing to do that.
Did you test drive the SR/LR or the Performance Model Y?
 
The factory spec for those tires is actually 10/32”. Lol, after 3000 miles you really barely put a dent in them.
I looked around for the factory specification; Tire Rack has a spec table for the Continental Pro Contact RX tires that states that the tread depth (when new) is 9/32 not 10/32. Most passenger vehicle tires have a tread depth of 10/32 when new,
 
Considering buying a Model Y and Tesla were kind enough to provide us with an overnight test drive.

Some thoughts feelings but some disclosure first:
- I am a 'young-ish middle aged' woman (been driving for over 25 years, will leave it at that)
- I don't currently own a Tesla
- I do own a PHEV and am used to one pedal driving. This PHEV is currently our only car and we have a Level 2 charger in the garage.
- We are looking to stay a one car fam
- I am not an Elon Fan Girl
- I am not a luddite
- I typically own cars for 4-5 years
- We live in Southern Ontario (hot summers, cold and snowy winters).
- Most of my daily driving is sub 100km but with summer and weekend holidays as far as 350-400km.

As our PHEV starts to creep up km on the odometer we are due to make a decision on a new car. Hubs and I have decided we are ready to take the plunge into full BEV. This automatically narrows down our choices substantially. Polestar2, Bolt, All 3 Teslas, Mach-E, Etron, Kona, I-Pace have all been considered. The Mach-E is exceptional and frankly after test-driving it anyone who writes it off because it is a Ford is really being silly. It's not only a super fun car to drive but it is far more relatable for most coming from an ICE setup (cluster in front of driver, superb interior finishings). The drawback with the Mach-E is the inferior DC Fast charging network in Ontario (probably most of Canada) and frankly some very questionable supply/allocation issues to our local dealers. One doesn't need to document the inferior experience in a Big 3 dealership but yeah, it's stone-age like, still.

So fast-forward to my Model Y experience.

I have VERY bad motion sickness. I can't read on trains or as a passenger in a car and I usually take to driving as it occupies my mind and I have always found it helps with my motion sickness. First day was horrific. The one pedal driving in a Tesla is not like a PHEV. I narrowed this down in the end to the acceleration and I found "Chill" mode helped me a tonne. Also, I should note here that the acceleration in this mode is still plenty and anyone who tells you otherwise I would question.

I also should mention that I think some of the unsettling feeling I experienced may have come from the movement on the screen. The left side portion of the screen with the image of your car in relation to other cars on the road, road signs etc I'm sure some people love; I do not. It would be great if in future iterations you could have this disappear with your speed posted in a larger font or maybe have the map take up the whole screen. I'm actually sort of surprised that people find much purpose to this dual screen within a screen. It's distracting without a doubt.

Voice controls should help reduce the screen distraction although there were next to no music voice controls -- perhaps that hasn't come out yet or I didn't say the right thing? Not sure. But it would be nice to have "change music to X." The functionality seems a bit nascent still.

I have owned Audi's, BMW's, Mercedes, VW, GMC, Ford and I can say, the steering wheel stinks. It's small and toy like and not in keeping with the cool factor of the vehicle. Honestly cannot understand how there isn't more outrage about how silly it feels in your hands when you drive. I wasn't expecting a BMW M sport wheel but my god for $80,000 please come out with a wheel that makes the driver feel they are getting some interior value other than a screen.

Suspension is firm, like driving an X5, but it's almost too bumpy and I cannot figure out if it was the stock tires or the way the car is tuned?

Now for the good stuff...

LOVE the sound system. Far and away one of the best I've ever experienced. Really just wanted to listen to music the whole time and not my husband (who was riding shotgun).

LOVED the supercharger experience. Would imagine most of my charging to be at home but I really like that you have peace of mind that you can charge quickly if you are on a road trip. So called 'range anxiety' is a non-issue.

The cargo capacity in the Model Y is really ample. I was really surprised. The rear seats fold nearly flat and that is such an important thing not to overlook as I have found that most car manufacturers do not have rear seats that fold anywhere near flat.

The driver and passenger seat are ridiculously comfortable. I herniated two discs last year and I have to be honest, these seats are dreamy. I could easily see myself driving for 3 hours with no problems and no need for a stretch break (same cannot be said about my Big 3 PHEV).

The Model Y corners brilliantly for a vehicle that size. Sometimes you forget you are in a Crossover/SUV. I took it on tight country roads, narrow two lanes, up and down hills and it handled really well in all those conditions (albeit it was dry).

I have some concerns about the exterior and interior fit and finish which makes me have some concerns for the wellbeing of those Space-X astronauts. How can a car manufacturer be satisfied delivering a car to dealer where there were no less than 4 visible issues inside (2 with the fabric around the glass roof and 2 with the rubber seal around the interior passenger doors). On the exterior of our demo there were 3 visible issues (paint disclouration, panel misalignments). And again, let's pause here to remember this is a $80,000 CAD car on the road. For that money I could buy a BMW M2. Perhaps I'm being anal but that is a lot of money for most people and it's pretty discouraging to know that the only response Tesla has is "well take notes at delivery and we will try and fix it and if not you can get a new VIN or get your deposit back."

So all told, it's a real contender for us. The cargo room would fit our one-car needs. It's fun to drive. The screen and functionality takes some getting used to but the same could be said for every new car purchase. But I can't shake that head vs heart dichotomy that is at play. Something tells me that all these finishing issues are not something to brush off and that I should be listening to my head here before purchasing.

Would welcome and love to hear others opinions. Thanks!
Coming from someone who just bought a model Y 3 months ago I am in love with it. I did have a couple build issues which Tesla immediately fixed. However, the 2021 models seem to be built a lot better than the 2020 models.
On the steering wheel it is comically small, however I wouldn’t change it now. Tesla gave me a Model S for a loaner the other day, and now all steering wheels feel huge! They shrunk the wheel because there is no instrument cluster behind it.
In regards to the ride quality, I ditched the factory Goodyear’s and put a set of Michelin’s on it. Rides so much better! Unfortunately it kinda stinks to buy a new vehicle and promptly change tires.
If I had it to do over again I would still buy one. Every time I drive it I am happy and always turn to look at it when I’m walking away.
My only recommendation is to get PPF put on it promptly after purchase. Tesla paint is soft and chips quickly (they use water borne paint. Better for the environment?)
Hope this helps!
 
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@Tslgrl ... I am in the market for a Y though in Australia, where they are not available yet; drove a 3 for a week... and all I can say is: your experience is just that, yours. There are at least 1,000 car models to chose from, and all have 'fans'. The key thing to remember is: the Tesla is like no other, hence, the 'like no other' experience. The Tesla is a true EV, from the ground up, not an EV shoehorned into an ICE chassis. Tesla has been doing this for 10 years, other have not even started. Problems others encounter, Tesla solved years aog. And as everything has two sides, there will be things we like, and others we don't.
While this may not be too helpful for you, my point is, forget what others have to say... I tend to hire the car I want for a week and do a 1,000 km (~600mi) on it; then I have an idea what it can do for me. I will be 'converting' form a Mercedes S350 to a Y, the noise will be a rude awakening, but I am aware of it, take this on the chin for other features the Merc will never have (or can compete with). :) I had a look at the EQA, and have nothing good to say about it.
In any case, good luck in finding 'your' next ride.
 
@Tslgrl ... I am in the market for a Y though in Australia, where they are not available yet; drove a 3 for a week... and all I can say is: your experience is just that, yours. There are at least 1,000 car models to chose from, and all have 'fans'. The key thing to remember is: the Tesla is like no other, hence, the 'like no other' experience. The Tesla is a true EV, from the ground up, not an EV shoehorned into an ICE chassis. Tesla has been doing this for 10 years, other have not even started. Problems others encounter, Tesla solved years aog. And as everything has two sides, there will be things we like, and others we don't.
While this may not be too helpful for you, my point is, forget what others have to say... I tend to hire the car I want for a week and do a 1,000 km (~600mi) on it; then I have an idea what it can do for me. I will be 'converting' form a Mercedes S350 to a Y, the noise will be a rude awakening, but I am aware of it, take this on the chin for other features the Merc will never have (or can compete with). :) I had a look at the EQA, and have nothing good to say about it.
In any case, good luck in finding 'your' next ride.
Good on ya! You will thoroughly enjoy it. Worth every shilling! Noise has improved considerably with laminate glass upfront. You can also install a cover in the back and an insulation bead around the glass roof and I think you find that it will be quieter than you Merc., especially during acceleration!
Take a quiet ride on the autobahn at 121 km

Watch Tesla Model Y Go From 0 To Top Speed On Autobahn
 
Had our LRMY for 15 months and 20K. Our only car, drive to Florida from Wisconsin for the winter. Had to replace the tires and had 1 service issue on the a/c that was fixed in 2 hours. Certainly has a few misfit issues on the body panels, but they don‘t affect any driving. The supercharger network is terrific, no range issues at all. The navigation is extremely easy to use. Costs about $20 month for charging at home which is 90% of our use. But the most important thing is that is simply a hoot to drive, nothing compares to it. I’ll never go back to an ICE car.
 
Obviously don’t think that an EV will be without issue. So always have a backup car or plan.

Considering buying a Model Y and Tesla were kind enough to provide us with an overnight test drive.

Some thoughts feelings but some disclosure first:
- I am a 'young-ish middle aged' woman (been driving for over 25 years, will leave it at that)
- I don't currently own a Tesla
- I do own a PHEV and am used to one pedal driving. This PHEV is currently our only car and we have a Level 2 charger in the garage.
- We are looking to stay a one car fam
- I am not an Elon Fan Girl
- I am not a luddite
- I typically own cars for 4-5 years
- We live in Southern Ontario (hot summers, cold and snowy winters).
- Most of my daily driving is sub 100km but with summer and weekend holidays as far as 350-400km.

As our PHEV starts to creep up km on the odometer we are due to make a decision on a new car. Hubs and I have decided we are ready to take the plunge into full BEV. This automatically narrows down our choices substantially. Polestar2, Bolt, All 3 Teslas, Mach-E, Etron, Kona, I-Pace have all been considered. The Mach-E is exceptional and frankly after test-driving it anyone who writes it off because it is a Ford is really being silly. It's not only a super fun car to drive but it is far more relatable for most coming from an ICE setup (cluster in front of driver, superb interior finishings). The drawback with the Mach-E is the inferior DC Fast charging network in Ontario (probably most of Canada) and frankly some very questionable supply/allocation issues to our local dealers. One doesn't need to document the inferior experience in a Big 3 dealership but yeah, it's stone-age like, still.

So fast-forward to my Model Y experience.

I have VERY bad motion sickness. I can't read on trains or as a passenger in a car and I usually take to driving as it occupies my mind and I have always found it helps with my motion sickness. First day was horrific. The one pedal driving in a Tesla is not like a PHEV. I narrowed this down in the end to the acceleration and I found "Chill" mode helped me a tonne. Also, I should note here that the acceleration in this mode is still plenty and anyone who tells you otherwise I would question.

I also should mention that I think some of the unsettling feeling I experienced may have come from the movement on the screen. The left side portion of the screen with the image of your car in relation to other cars on the road, road signs etc I'm sure some people love; I do not. It would be great if in future iterations you could have this disappear with your speed posted in a larger font or maybe have the map take up the whole screen. I'm actually sort of surprised that people find much purpose to this dual screen within a screen. It's distracting without a doubt.

Voice controls should help reduce the screen distraction although there were next to no music voice controls -- perhaps that hasn't come out yet or I didn't say the right thing? Not sure. But it would be nice to have "change music to X." The functionality seems a bit nascent still.

I have owned Audi's, BMW's, Mercedes, VW, GMC, Ford and I can say, the steering wheel stinks. It's small and toy like and not in keeping with the cool factor of the vehicle. Honestly cannot understand how there isn't more outrage about how silly it feels in your hands when you drive. I wasn't expecting a BMW M sport wheel but my god for $80,000 please come out with a wheel that makes the driver feel they are getting some interior value other than a screen.

Suspension is firm, like driving an X5, but it's almost too bumpy and I cannot figure out if it was the stock tires or the way the car is tuned?

Now for the good stuff...

LOVE the sound system. Far and away one of the best I've ever experienced. Really just wanted to listen to music the whole time and not my husband (who was riding shotgun).

LOVED the supercharger experience. Would imagine most of my charging to be at home but I really like that you have peace of mind that you can charge quickly if you are on a road trip. So called 'range anxiety' is a non-issue.

The cargo capacity in the Model Y is really ample. I was really surprised. The rear seats fold nearly flat and that is such an important thing not to overlook as I have found that most car manufacturers do not have rear seats that fold anywhere near flat.

The driver and passenger seat are ridiculously comfortable. I herniated two discs last year and I have to be honest, these seats are dreamy. I could easily see myself driving for 3 hours with no problems and no need for a stretch break (same cannot be said about my Big 3 PHEV).

The Model Y corners brilliantly for a vehicle that size. Sometimes you forget you are in a Crossover/SUV. I took it on tight country roads, narrow two lanes, up and down hills and it handled really well in all those conditions (albeit it was dry).

I have some concerns about the exterior and interior fit and finish which makes me have some concerns for the wellbeing of those Space-X astronauts. How can a car manufacturer be satisfied delivering a car to dealer where there were no less than 4 visible issues inside (2 with the fabric around the glass roof and 2 with the rubber seal around the interior passenger doors). On the exterior of our demo there were 3 visible issues (paint disclouration, panel misalignments). And again, let's pause here to remember this is a $80,000 CAD car on the road. For that money I could buy a BMW M2. Perhaps I'm being anal but that is a lot of money for most people and it's pretty discouraging to know that the only response Tesla has is "well take notes at delivery and we will try and fix it and if not you can get a new VIN or get your deposit back."

So all told, it's a real contender for us. The cargo room would fit our one-car needs. It's fun to drive. The screen and functionality takes some getting used to but the same could be said for every new car purchase. But I can't shake that head vs heart dichotomy that is at play. Something tells me that all these finishing issues are not something to brush off and that I should be listening to my head here before purchasing.

Would welcome and love to hear others opinions. Thanks!
Considering buying a Model Y and Tesla were kind enough to provide us with an overnight test drive.

Some thoughts feelings but some disclosure first:
- I am a 'young-ish middle aged' woman (been driving for over 25 years, will leave it at that)
- I don't currently own a Tesla
- I do own a PHEV and am used to one pedal driving. This PHEV is currently our only car and we have a Level 2 charger in the garage.
- We are looking to stay a one car fam
- I am not an Elon Fan Girl
- I am not a luddite
- I typically own cars for 4-5 years
- We live in Southern Ontario (hot summers, cold and snowy winters).
- Most of my daily driving is sub 100km but with summer and weekend holidays as far as 350-400km.

As our PHEV starts to creep up km on the odometer we are due to make a decision on a new car. Hubs and I have decided we are ready to take the plunge into full BEV. This automatically narrows down our choices substantially. Polestar2, Bolt, All 3 Teslas, Mach-E, Etron, Kona, I-Pace have all been considered. The Mach-E is exceptional and frankly after test-driving it anyone who writes it off because it is a Ford is really being silly. It's not only a super fun car to drive but it is far more relatable for most coming from an ICE setup (cluster in front of driver, superb interior finishings). The drawback with the Mach-E is the inferior DC Fast charging network in Ontario (probably most of Canada) and frankly some very questionable supply/allocation issues to our local dealers. One doesn't need to document the inferior experience in a Big 3 dealership but yeah, it's stone-age like, still.

So fast-forward to my Model Y experience.

I have VERY bad motion sickness. I can't read on trains or as a passenger in a car and I usually take to driving as it occupies my mind and I have always found it helps with my motion sickness. First day was horrific. The one pedal driving in a Tesla is not like a PHEV. I narrowed this down in the end to the acceleration and I found "Chill" mode helped me a tonne. Also, I should note here that the acceleration in this mode is still plenty and anyone who tells you otherwise I would question.

I also should mention that I think some of the unsettling feeling I experienced may have come from the movement on the screen. The left side portion of the screen with the image of your car in relation to other cars on the road, road signs etc I'm sure some people love; I do not. It would be great if in future iterations you could have this disappear with your speed posted in a larger font or maybe have the map take up the whole screen. I'm actually sort of surprised that people find much purpose to this dual screen within a screen. It's distracting without a doubt.

Voice controls should help reduce the screen distraction although there were next to no music voice controls -- perhaps that hasn't come out yet or I didn't say the right thing? Not sure. But it would be nice to have "change music to X." The functionality seems a bit nascent still.

I have owned Audi's, BMW's, Mercedes, VW, GMC, Ford and I can say, the steering wheel stinks. It's small and toy like and not in keeping with the cool factor of the vehicle. Honestly cannot understand how there isn't more outrage about how silly it feels in your hands when you drive. I wasn't expecting a BMW M sport wheel but my god for $80,000 please come out with a wheel that makes the driver feel they are getting some interior value other than a screen.

Suspension is firm, like driving an X5, but it's almost too bumpy and I cannot figure out if it was the stock tires or the way the car is tuned?

Now for the good stuff...

LOVE the sound system. Far and away one of the best I've ever experienced. Really just wanted to listen to music the whole time and not my husband (who was riding shotgun).

LOVED the supercharger experience. Would imagine most of my charging to be at home but I really like that you have peace of mind that you can charge quickly if you are on a road trip. So called 'range anxiety' is a non-issue.

The cargo capacity in the Model Y is really ample. I was really surprised. The rear seats fold nearly flat and that is such an important thing not to overlook as I have found that most car manufacturers do not have rear seats that fold anywhere near flat.

The driver and passenger seat are ridiculously comfortable. I herniated two discs last year and I have to be honest, these seats are dreamy. I could easily see myself driving for 3 hours with no problems and no need for a stretch break (same cannot be said about my Big 3 PHEV).

The Model Y corners brilliantly for a vehicle that size. Sometimes you forget you are in a Crossover/SUV. I took it on tight country roads, narrow two lanes, up and down hills and it handled really well in all those conditions (albeit it was dry).

I have some concerns about the exterior and interior fit and finish which makes me have some concerns for the wellbeing of those Space-X astronauts. How can a car manufacturer be satisfied delivering a car to dealer where there were no less than 4 visible issues inside (2 with the fabric around the glass roof and 2 with the rubber seal around the interior passenger doors). On the exterior of our demo there were 3 visible issues (paint disclouration, panel misalignments). And again, let's pause here to remember this is a $80,000 CAD car on the road. For that money I could buy a BMW M2. Perhaps I'm being anal but that is a lot of money for most people and it's pretty discouraging to know that the only response Tesla has is "well take notes at delivery and we will try and fix it and if not you can get a new VIN or get your deposit back."

So all told, it's a real contender for us. The cargo room would fit our one-car needs. It's fun to drive. The screen and functionality takes some getting used to but the same could be said for every new car purchase. But I can't shake that head vs heart dichotomy that is at play. Something tells me that all these finishing issues are not something to brush off and that I should be listening to my head here before purchasing.

Would welcome and love to hear others opinions. Thanks!