Model Y - Test Drive

[Rooster6655]

I would hold on purchasing any aftermarket parcel shelf, hopefully it may come with one according to the U.K. manual -> Model Y Owner's Manual | Tesla

Thanks will be screenshooting that for the future, I did note in an article that those in HK will be getting the parcel shelves retrofitted for free too

 

[Rooster6655]

Can anyone confirm if the Model Ys for the test drive have a parcel shelf? Based on this they should?

MIC Tesla Model Y Now Comes Standard With Cargo Cover: Video

The Made-in-China (MIC) Tesla Model Y from the Tesla Giga Shanghai are now equipped with a new cargo cover.

insideevs.com

Screenshot the owners manual and use it for the future incase it doesn't come with one

Model Y Owner's Manual | Tesla

Learn how to open and close the rear trunk and access the cargo area.

www.tesla.com

I wouldn't put it past Tesla to rush those demo cars out whilst the actually cars will have the cargo cover

 

[kitenski]

Out of interest what do you do if you have boxes in the boot and leave the car say in a public car park?

Never worried about it! in 10+ years of driving those 3 cars. Been over Europe in the Volvos and taken overnight bags into the hotel on the way down and left other stuff in there

 

[UrbanSplash]

I can’t tell from the photo of the demo car, but is the ledge there for the parcel shelf? As per the Twitter post. Could it be simply that the shelf was either missing or had been taken out?

 

[duncans]

No ledge for the parcel shelf in these - see earlier post

View attachment 754868

 

[Rooster6655]

I can’t tell from the photo of the demo car, but is the ledge there for the parcel shelf? As per the Twitter post. Could it be simply that the shelf was either missing or had been taken out?

There is no ledge but these cars could just be one offs for test drives rather than coming off the line with the other cars

 

[MrT3]

Out of interest what do you do if you have boxes in the boot and leave the car say in a public car park?

Damned if you do and damned if you don't to a certain extent. If you have something of interest on show you could get the vehicle broken into and it stolen, but if you have it covered up someone might still break in to check if there is anything in there.

Personally I alway use a parcel shelf unless I have to take it out to carry something large and then always put it back - I believe it lowers risk as the number of people willing to break in on the off chance that something is in there is less than if it were on show and they know something is in there. Plus you get the benefit of insulating some of the sound that comes from through from the rear wheel wells and hatch.

 

[Rooster6655]

Plus you get the benefit of insulating some of the sound that comes from through from the rear wheel wells and hatch.

Yes there is a notable difference when the seats are down in the 3

 

[ajbrun]

You're all tempting me to find a slot at Manchester. Based on all the positive reviews and that everyone seems to love their cars, I was just going to jump right in (from a 2009 Fiesta) straight to a brand new EV, but given the amount being spent, it's probably at least sensible to get a drive prior. Bit of a trek from York though...

 

[Doudeau]

Just back from test drive at Thorpe Park.

As I’m going to back out of the purchase I love the fact that the team there don’t even ask you what you thought about the drive.

My opinions :
Good :
Acceleration is still sufficient - I took it out of chill mode before I set off (and changed steering to sport)
Even tho I have 18” wheels on my M3 I didn’t find the MY much harsher - the speed bumps leaving the car park are pretty bad and I’d expect most cars would be uncomfortable going over those.

Not so good:
Car handling was OK but nowhere near that of the M3
Agreeing with an earlier post, I found the driving position far too high. I moved the seat to lowest setting during the drive but it still felt too high and probably exaggerated the feeling of a high centre of gravity.
Rear window is obviously smaller.

If I had a dog or regular need to carry rear seat passengers then I might be tempted but I can easily fit two sets of golf clubs in the back of the 3 and have found I’ve also managed to ship a surprising amount of stuff each time when helping my daughter with a house move recently.

Great car and I’m sure it’s going to steal a lot of sales from the M3.

 

[Tony Hoyle]

You're all tempting me to find a slot at Manchester. Based on all the positive reviews and that everyone seems to love their cars, I was just going to jump right in (from a 2009 Fiesta) straight to a brand new EV, but given the amount being spent, it's probably at least sensible to get a drive prior. Bit of a trek from York though...

There will definitely be test drives nearer you soon.. Tesla will be going all around the country.

See if you can get some time in both a Y and a 3.

 

[ajbrun]

@ajbrun seems to be the only person with solid info from Tesla that they have actually applied for the Model Y to be on the list…..maybe we just have to be patient. It is the government after all

FYI, I've just responded to their original email asking if they have an update:

Thanks for the response, although after waiting a few weeks, the Model Y still isn't yet in the government's eligible vehicles list to obtain the grant. Can you please reconfirm with them that it is indeed being added and ideally find how long this process will take?

I don't believe I can book an installer without this being completed with the government, and with the scheme ending on 31st March, this doesn't leave a lot of time if installers have low availability.

 

[Bathurst]

Just back from test drive at Thorpe Park.

As I’m going to back out of the purchase I love the fact that the team there don’t even ask you what you thought about the drive.

My opinions :
Good :
Acceleration is still sufficient - I took it out of chill mode before I set off (and changed steering to sport)
Even tho I have 18” wheels on my M3 I didn’t find the MY much harsher - the speed bumps leaving the car park are pretty bad and I’d expect most cars would be uncomfortable going over those.

Not so good:
Car handling was OK but nowhere near that of the M3
Agreeing with an earlier post, I found the driving position far too high. I moved the seat to lowest setting during the drive but it still felt too high and probably exaggerated the feeling of a high centre of gravity.
Rear window is obviously smaller.

If I had a dog or regular need to carry rear seat passengers then I might be tempted but I can easily fit two sets of golf clubs in the back of the 3 and have found I’ve also managed to ship a surprising amount of stuff each time when helping my daughter with a house move recently.

Great car and I’m sure it’s going to steal a lot of sales from the M3.

So I managed to arrange a last minute test drive at 7.30pm last night and I have a White MYLR on 19's on order. I drive a current model Audi Q7 with air suspension, like others I was worried about all the reviews online talking about a harsh ride on 20's. I arrived early so had the car from 7-7.45pm and both my wife and I drove the car. On smooth surfaces I had no issues with the 20's whatsoever, so the dual carriageway outside and around Thorpe park were perfectly fine, on slightly bumpier surfaces and riding over cats eyes there was a jiggle but nothing that was a show stopper, I suspect on really bad surfaces it could be a little unsettling and not as well absorbed as my Audi, however the handling characteristics are great and I found it to be very responsive and sharp. My other car is a E63 AMG so I have some experience in order to make a comparison. Getting back in to the Audi Q7 afterwards made it feel more boat like even when put in its firmer dynamic setting. So I'd say its a trade off, if you are an enthusiastic driver and like a decent handling car then you should have no issue with the Model Y's suspension set up, I suspect the 19's will offer a marginal improvement over the 20's however I don't think its going to be a night and day comparison. I've instructed Tesla whilst at the demo centre last night to change my order to the 20's based on my experience as I prefer them cosmetically over the 19's. I have seen some video's on Youtube and the Tesla rep's also mentioned that you can take off the gemini covers and either paint them with a black plasitdip spray or the alloys underneath and get the best of both worlds if you don't like the silver. From my research the gemini wheel covers only offer you better range whilst at motorway speeds and less so around town so unless you do a lot of long commuting you may not see a lot of range improvement over the 20's or the 19's with the wheel covers off driving locally.

In terms of sound insulation, we had some vibration in the rear, when I pulled over and swapped over to my wife driving we noticed the middle rear seat was down and folded over but not clicked in so we just put in back to its upright position and the noise issue was gone. We drove mostly with the radio off to get a good feel for the insulation levels and again coming from the Audi I found it fine. I cannot confirm if this would be the same at constant motorway speeds but I didn't notice anything to put me off.

Only negative I can see was the rear view visibility out of the back window was like looking through a letter box but once you get use to the on board cameras it should be less of an issue.

Hope that helps (have also posted this in another model y thread).
T.

 

[prabhu]

My opinions from a model Y test drive today (Thorpe park). I had a model 3 test drive a couple of weeks ago on the same route.

Suspension (3 out of 5)
--------------------------
With the 20 inch wheel the ride is not comfortable. My wife complained far too many times today which is not a good sign. Model 3 was fine and my current car Audi A5 is relatively superb in the same stretch. I hope the 19 inch wheel is ok, otherwise will be regretting my purchase since I don't think the problem can be resolved via software.

Comfort and Practicality (4 out of 5)
----------------------------------------
Superb space, plenty of options to configure the seat and height although not perfect like a Q5 or X5. Nice heating (although a bit louder). There is no easy control for washing windscreen and controlling wipers. Hilariously the voice command worked to open the setting.

Driver assistance (3.5 out of 5)
------------------------------------
Adaptive cruise control - Good
Lane assist with auto steering - Average. Made few mistakes if the lane markings are not perfect or if there is a parked car on the kerb. It kept slowing down for every signal even when green?
Auto park - Betaish. I tested 2 times at Sainsbury's and once at Halford. On two occasions, it completely missed the obstacle. Once it missed a car in the front left and second time it missed a barrier at bottom right. Both the obstacle were clearly visible so I was able to apply the brake and the gap was less than 4 inches. It is quite possible the car has some blind spots due to the position of the camera. I don't believe model 3 suffers from this problem.
Automatic blind-spot camera - Good and thanks to the seating position it is also fully visible. Rear visibility is poor, so hopefully a clean camera would help

Steering (4 out of 5)
----------------------
Even in the comfort mode the steering is sporty and comparable to the auto mode in Audi. The comfort mode in Audi is far too comfortable and effortless. I believe this can be improved over time with software.

Braking (4.5 / 5)
------------------
The car was initially set to hold (max regen) and it was terrible for me. Roll (light coasting) is a bit bearable until I can get used to the regen effect.

Range (5 / 5)
--------------
I saw a range of 287 with 83% battery on the GOM. Even after average driving for 30 mins the usage in the history was normal. Model Y is, in fact, a bit efficient compared to my leaf in this cold weather.

Verdict
--------
We have decided to keep our model Y order. It is not a Q5 or X3 in terms of comfort but as an EV SUV it is either good or better than anything else in all aspects. But if I don't need the space or don't have Audi A5 then model 3 is a far better choice compared to Y. I don't believe model Y would outsell 3 yet.

 

[ISKM3]

Few slots now available for tomorrow (Saturday 15th) at Thorpe Park:

Drive Model Y - Thorpe Park Theme Park

Join us at Tesla Thorpe Park Theme Park to test drive Model Y.Be among the first to sit inside Model Y in the UK and experience the premium interior, maximum versatility and enough cargo space for skis and luggage.With up to 315 mi (WLTP) of range, 1,600 kg of towing capacity and plenty of...

www.tesla.com

 

[jlz78]

I missed my test drive slot at Thorpe P yesterday for a variety of reasons beyond my control. The Tesla Team were very helpful and I turned up today at lunch time and was given the grey Y without an appointment for a decent 30 min test drive. I have a model 3 LR 2021 with heatpump and standard 18'' wheels, so my back to back comparison with the M3 is a good test.

Model Y - rides slightly firmer on the 20'' Inductions than the M3 on 18's - (no surprise there), but the ride is nowhere near as harsh as I expected. I had originally ordered 19'’ Gemini's due to concerns with range and comfort, but have changed my order to 20'' Inductions after today's drive. The Y ride is generally smooth with some low speed vertical jiggle which is similar to the M3. The suspension harshness (crashing and upset by potholes etc) is less in the MY with 20'' than the M3 with 18'', but the main difference I found was that road noise and general tyre noise in the MY was significantly better than the M3, particularly at motorway speeds. I don't think this is just down to the rear double pane glass, which I confirmed was fitted before the test drive.

I was pleasantly surprised at the NVH levels, which overall I would say are better in the MY than the M3. The suspension doesn't crash over potholes (and I went looking for them on some truly crappy roads around Staines and Heathrow) and it rides significantly better than my previous BMW 1 and 3 series cars on MSport suspension with runflats, and arguably better than my nearly new model 3.

The steering feels tighter than the M3 and the car corners flat with minimal roll. The driving position is noticeably higher, but felt natural very quickly and is possibly more comfortable than the M3 due to height above the floor and leg angle. I would have no problem doing long range in the Y.

There is noticeably more electric motor 'whine' in the Y than the M3 ( due to being quieter than the M3?), possibly due to the newer hairpin wound motor which my M3 doesn't have. Acceleration punch is similar to the M3 from around 30 mph, and while it’s not quite as extreme from a standing start, it is still more than enough for my acceleration needs.

The grey MY had already been kerbed on the back left, and there is not a huge amount of rubber to protect the alloy, but that is similar to the Gemini 19's, and with 1/2 inch difference between the rubber sidewall on the 19 vs the 20, I wouldn't purchase gemini's to reduce the likelihood of kerbing.

As both 19 and 20 are the same width, there is not likely to be much in it for road noise either, so I'm going with my aesthetic demons on this one, and with today's published increase in range; most likely due to a larger battery, I'm comfortable with my choice of the vastly better looking Inductions.

Netflix loads in less than 10 seconds with AMD Ryzen, vs over 20 on the Intel Atom, and the satellite view on the Nav refreshes faster, but that's about all of the chip upgrade benefits I could spot.

I do really want the parcel shelf, so I'm hopeful the Tesla reps are as clueless as usual, despite stating to a TMC user today that only german built Y will have the parcel shelf. The parcel shelf was first spotted on a MIC Y, so I'm calling bull on that one.

 

[rx80]

The suspension doesn't crash over potholes (and I went looking for them on some truly crappy roads around Staines and Heathrow)

I'm quite confused with all the youtube reviews, where most of the UK reviewers actually complained about the ride quality.
Was thinking of the possibilities:
1. Reviewers are not used to firm cars? - highly unlikely
2. Their test cars suspension haven't been broken in
3. They tested on worse roads?

I'm following this with interest as I think B roads in UK are quite similar to ours here in AU

 

[jlz78]

I'm quite confused with all the youtube reviews, where most of the UK reviewers actually complained about the ride quality.
Was thinking of the possibilities:
1. Reviewers are not used to firm cars? - highly unlikely
2. Their test cars suspension haven't been broken in
3. They tested on worse roads?

I'm following this with interest as I think B roads in UK are quite similar to ours here in AU

I think it’s almost certainly down to personal experience. The ride is firm, but not harsh. I too read the reviews thinking the suspension would be crashing all over the place. That is what I expected going into the test drive, but it wasn’t what I experienced. It’s no air suspension floaty ride, but it’s also not harsh either.

 

[kitenski]

I'm quite confused with all the youtube reviews, where most of the UK reviewers actually complained about the ride quality.

Cynical answer - clickbait ? It's great buy it probably doesn't get as many views/clicks/like??

 

[HaggisMan]

I'm quite confused with all the youtube reviews, where most of the UK reviewers actually complained about the ride quality.
Was thinking of the possibilities:
1. Reviewers are not used to firm cars? - highly unlikely
2. Their test cars suspension haven't been broken in
3. They tested on worse roads?

I'm following this with interest as I think B roads in UK are quite similar to ours here in AU

Another possibility - early review cars being LHD and reviewers placing the car a bit further onto the left hand side of the road toward all the ruts and grates

Unlikely that a seasoned journo would fall for this one though I imagine