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Toyota Mechanic Reviews the Model Y
- Thread starter Maxdriver
- Start date
Fairly good review but he over-emphasizes the negatives to an extreme degree. I'm a Toyota guy as well and he is a good mechanic.
100% agree that Tesla needs to keep improving and iterating the quality of manufacturing, materials and assembly.
He can say it's empty and cheap but everyone that's been in a Tesla that I know, does not come away with that impression. It's usually the opposite.
Body and interior durability? Yes, agree that it is the weakest point.
Tesla has to focus on quality to consumers, value in long term reputation and pride in making the best possible product.
I hope they shift from extreme cost cutting, and numbers to focus on putting profits back into make a better product.
If Tesla reinvested year on year, just a fraction of the profits, the Y would be a bank vault on the premium ev platform right now.
but... they didn't.
Right now legacy makers are the exact opposite. Great build and traditional interiors but piss poor electronics and mechanicals.
They are still generations behind in that regard. Just as Tesla is a generation behind in build quality.
As someone that cares more about mechanics, as this review is, that's why the Tesla appeals the most.
It just objectively is a better overall package than any other ev. It's also the only ev that is regularly proven to 100k miles and beyond.
100% agree that Tesla needs to keep improving and iterating the quality of manufacturing, materials and assembly.
He can say it's empty and cheap but everyone that's been in a Tesla that I know, does not come away with that impression. It's usually the opposite.
Body and interior durability? Yes, agree that it is the weakest point.
Tesla has to focus on quality to consumers, value in long term reputation and pride in making the best possible product.
I hope they shift from extreme cost cutting, and numbers to focus on putting profits back into make a better product.
If Tesla reinvested year on year, just a fraction of the profits, the Y would be a bank vault on the premium ev platform right now.
but... they didn't.
Right now legacy makers are the exact opposite. Great build and traditional interiors but piss poor electronics and mechanicals.
They are still generations behind in that regard. Just as Tesla is a generation behind in build quality.
As someone that cares more about mechanics, as this review is, that's why the Tesla appeals the most.
It just objectively is a better overall package than any other ev. It's also the only ev that is regularly proven to 100k miles and beyond.
gx9901
Active Member
I think a lot of people equate bland or spartan interior with cheapness, including, apparently, this reviewer. Heck, the first time I sat in a friend's '20 Model Y, I thought my daughter's Subaru Impreza felt more premium. But my opinion changed with an extended test drive in a '21 (the updated interior helps), and I think the material quality is just fine now that I've logged over 30k miles in my MYP. Everything still look new and at least to me, the materials feel pretty solid. I spend a lot of time in the car due to current life stage (non-stop kids activities), and I have to say I really enjoy being in the MYP.
But other than him trashing the material quality, I find the review to be pretty fair.
But other than him trashing the material quality, I find the review to be pretty fair.
He is a Toyota mechanic. He just strikes me as an old school type guy who wouldn't like the car even if it was perfect. Yes Tesla has some shortcomings but the negative was exaggerated here. Bottom line he doesn't like the car.
You believe Tesla hasn’t reinvested money over the last 4 years to improve the product?
When it comes to manufacturing, no one matches high end Toyota/Lexus. They are amazing products in that regard.
LC500 is amazing and that motor is a work of art. The level of precision and craftsmanship really makes it feel special.
He's a dinosaur who will roam the earth no longer in a decade or two. He's not the target customer for Tesla
Amd (that is his name) is spot-on - and I own a new Model Y LR and a ’17 Land Cruiser. The interior materials on my MYLR are cheap and I’ve had to have the headliner re-attached to the car roof twice. The seats are incredibly comfortable, but I’ve had a few squeaks and rattles that the service center hasn’t been able to cure - and wheel cover “creak” at speeds < 15 MPH. In about 80k miles with the LC, the worst thing I’ve had to deal with was warped disk rotors - which I got replaced under warranty. But I’ve had no other issues with it otherwise; no creaks, rattles, etc., but it is a large, lumbering pig of a vehicle. Why have both? Because each is almost perfect for its’ intended use and we have the garage space. MYLR: nimble, easy to park, quick, comfortable, cheap to operate, wife loves it. LC: roomy, reliable, the perfect road trip car for the places we go (remote). If Toyota would have made a real EV, I would have given it a look because of my history with reliable Toyota vehicles, but they don’t. So I went Tesla and we’re really liking it - even if the quality levels aren’t as good as our other vehicle.
That '17 Land Cruiser is the epitome of simple, built like a vault, with supreme quality and manufacturing. One of the most durable automobiles on the planet.
I don't fully agree with Amd but my objections are to his opinions, not the facts he stated.
Toyota is so far behind at this point, I'm not even sure a giant like Toyota will survive in 20 yrs. That's shocking and sad to say but their blinders-on ev's attitude the last decade has come home to roost in a very hard to swallow way.
Sadly, this is 100% accurate. And Toyota’s arrogance gave Tesla their opening to start and build a brand that, in all likelihood, will give them a HUGE challenge.
BitJam
Active Member
Tesla spends more on R&D than any other car maker:
Tesla spends the most R&D and least in advertising per car sold
A new report shows that Tesla is spending more in research and development (R&D) per car than any other automaker...
electrek.co
According to the article Tesla spends nearly $3K per car on R&D which is nearly 3x what their competition spends. It says Tesla has been investing more than 2x what Ford and GM combined have been investing.
The improvements to the Model Y over the last two years have been stunning:
- Larger main battery
- Li-ion low voltage battery
- Bioweapon defense mode
- More comfortable suspension
- Ryzen processor
- Heated wipers
- Cargo cover
- Improved rear door emergency release
- Heated steering wheel
- Comfort suspension
- Laminated double pane glass
- 128gb USB drive now included
It seems to me Tesla could be the poster child for re-investing profits and improving their cars. They recently revamped the X and S. They are ramping up two more gigafactories, ramping up 4680 production, doing a revamp of the Model 3, and switching to gigacasting which Sandy Munro gushes over.
Tesla has a big advantage in that they don't advertise. They have great R&D, and I love the engineering.Tesla spends more on R&D than any other car maker:
Tesla spends the most R&D and least in advertising per car sold
A new report shows that Tesla is spending more in research and development (R&D) per car than any other automaker...
According to the article Tesla spends nearly $3K per car on R&D which is nearly 3x what their competition spends. It says Tesla has been investing more than 2x what Ford and GM combined have been investing.
The improvements to the Model Y over the last two years have been stunning:
Many of these improvements were requested or suggested by customers. The free OTA software updates have also been amazing.
- Larger main battery
- Li-ion low voltage battery
- Bioweapon defense mode
- More comfortable suspension
- Ryzen processor
- Heated wipers
- Cargo cover
- Improved rear door emergency release
- Heated steering wheel
- Comfort suspension
- Laminated double pane glass
- 128gb USB drive now included
It seems to me Tesla could be the poster child for re-investing profits and improving their cars. They recently revamped the X and S. They are ramping up two more gigafactories, ramping up 4680 production, doing a revamp of the Model 3, and switching to gigacasting which Sandy Munro gushes over.
That's why we own one.
Lets talk about the subject of criticism here in the video and the weak point of Teslas.
The build quality and assembly, materials.
They are simply not there with these and some points of manufacturing piss me off with how bad it is.
It's also very clear these are cost cutting decisions.
You are confusing features for build quality, assembly and materials. They are two seperate things.
One can argue that they are adding features that should be there in the first place, or the poor execution of some of those features.
Maybe read my post history because this seems to happen when people speak honestly about the product.
I don't have any interest in demonizing Tesla or falsely propping it up. I own the vehicle and heavily researched all my choices.
If Tesla does listen to customers, speaking the truth about what needs improvement may indeed improve the product.
The frustrating thing is that if Tesla did reinvest in putting out the best product, with build quality, no one could complain about anything.
They have the engineering generations ahead, and if they focused on quality instead of speed of output, the only thing people could say is they don't like how it looks.
Haha. At the end of the day , if I had to go flying off a 250ft cliff, I’d would much rather be in my Model Y than any Lexus or Toyota bar none !
that dr from pasadena prolly wishes he had any other car than his tesla
shinebox
Member
I watch most of his videos and he is a straight up mechanic and knows his sht. Not doubt about him being a Toyota/Lexus fanboy but I don't blame him, they are great cars. I agree with some of the cons he said but it was just too exaggerated and some are subjective. My only gripe with tesla is the interior could use more premium materials, some areas just feel and looks like an basic entry level economy car.
I have watched other videos of his and find him to be very knowledgeable and balanced with his opinions. Difficult to find two more different brands than Toyota and Tesla. Toyota takes forever to update their vehicles and over engineers their parts, as a result they have stellar reliability.
He does praise the thermal management system and vehicle software. He spends little time on driving dynamics, which is a plus for Tesla. Vehicle looks are obviously subjective, you know what you are getting in that area and up to the individual if one likes it or not.
He does praise the thermal management system and vehicle software. He spends little time on driving dynamics, which is a plus for Tesla. Vehicle looks are obviously subjective, you know what you are getting in that area and up to the individual if one likes it or not.
