Unbiased 2-month review of 2022 Model Y

Disclaimer: I'll admit I was pretty naïve and uninformed about most things Tesla when I took delivery of my Y in October, 2022. I did minimal research about the Y beforehand so I ended up learning most things on the go and am definitely still figuring some stuff out.

As a non-biased first time Tesla owner I wanted to give a simple summary of some pros and cons that I've personally identified in the first two months since I took delivery.

Major PROS:
- No more ICE! It is quite liberating to drive past gas stations and know that I'll never have to stop ever again.
- Performance (duh!). I test drove the Y once, back in February, 2022 so I only had minor exposure to the performance and handling beforehand. The Y is a very fun vehicle to drive. Passing on non-divided highways is a breeze compared to my previous 1/2 ton truck.
- Overall, the tech is pretty impressive and makes the user experience quite enjoyable.
- Comfort: Long road trips in the Y are much more comfortable than I have experienced with any other vehicle in the past and I travel quite a bit.
- Superchargers: charging time is impressive and they are generally located in convenient areas for one or more of: meals, bathroom breaks, snacks, shopping, etc.
- 3500lbs towing capacity is impressive in comparison to other vehicles of a similar class.

Minor PROS:
- I love the sound system, it can feel like you are at a live concert and contributes to a fun ride.
- The regen braking is impressive and delivers noticeable range + when applied regularly. It should also contribute to a very long brake pad life as you can easily drive all around town without applying the brake pedal even once.
- The look: Unlike the X and 3 (IMO), the Model Y has a great sporty look and really catches the eye. I also like the S. That's just my opinion though.
- The range: It's mostly reasonable... in comparison to other current EVs anyways.
- Cargo capacity is significant considering the overall size of the vehicle.
- Sentry mode is a nice feature when you are leaving the vehicle in a "sketchier" area.
- Winter handling is pretty good overall.
- Battery pre-conditioning when navigating to Tesla Superchargers. This is handy (though, when activated it does speed up the rate of battery loss for obvious reasons).
- There are many other minor pros but they aren't necessarily game-changers.

Minor CONS:
- The effective highway range is quite low in anything but the most favorable conditions. I've been on several road trips with the Y and the best effective range I have achieved is about 400km (240 miles) - this is with favorable temperature and wind conditions and travelling closer to 65mph. In extreme cold and a good headwind the range is basically shredded in 1/2. My effective highway range in -15 C and a good 40 km/h headwind was slashed to about 200km (120 miles). Freeway speeds (120km/h + - 75 mph+) also reduce the effective range quite a bit (generally about 300km - 185 miles). This is all vs. the advertised range of 531 km (330 miles).
- Supercharging costs in Canada (where I live) are quite high -> the $ saved (vs. gasoline) compared to extra time spent charging is marginal when on road trips and relying on superchargers.
- Quality of he build is definitely suspect. One of the clips on the passenger sun visor mirror was broken when I took delivery. It was a piece of cheap plastic and clearly wasn't quality control tested before delivery (or someone didn't care). Other finishes are disappointing, like the rubber on the window-edges not being uniform or flush in the corners, etc.
- The tech can be glitchy - Bluetooth will randomly tweak out, navigation will glitch out, etc. Most of these issues are resolved by a screen reset but this can be of annoyance if they occur when you are driving.
- The headlights are great - if you need to see into the future. Otherwise, they aren't designed super well if you are considering oncoming drivers. They are too bright; I regularly get flashed by oncoming vehicles at night when I do not have the brights engaged.
- The vehicle clearance is pretty low - don't plan on driving in deep snow, uneven terrain, or up/down steep driveways.
- The battery doesn't precondition when travelling to non-Tesla fast chargers. Seems like something easy that could be updated.

Major CONS:
- As it stands, the Autopilot function is a COMPLETE JOKE. It is essentially like owning an $80,000 vehicle that doesn't have a functional cruise control - in 2022! I went on a long road trip last weekend and dealt with over 30 phantom braking events. These ranged from minor application of the brakes all the way to significant slowdowns that violently threw myself and my wife forward in our seats. No - there was never any hazards that required braking. Some of these were seemingly random with no obvious explanation as to what could be confusing the sensors. The most common culprit, however, is cresting a slight rolling rise - for some reason right as the vehicle crest the roll the sensors get confused and slam on the brakes. Shadows, dark asphalt patches, trees, buildings, etc. are other causes of sudden, unnecessary phantom braking. This issue alone has soured my attitude quite a bit towards my new Model Y. For the love of all that's holy Tesla, fix the issue or allow me to fully disengage anything other than a conventional cruise control!
- Controlling climate on the touch pad is a nightmare - especially when driving alone. I am 6 ft tall with a good reach and can still barely manage to reach and drag (omg so sensitive!) the tiny dot when I want to adjust the fan speed. Who thought this was a good idea? No - I don't want to rely on the voice activation to do this, especially when there is a passenger. It is clunky and awkward to interrupt the music every time I want to change the fan speed by 1 tick. I knew I would hate the climate control functions before I took delivery and those fears were confirmed.
- Supporting a company that EM "owns". Yes, that man is a complete tool.

I am fully expecting responses that undermine some of my complaints - like I said, I am still trying to figure out some of the features, etc.

 

[Avi8or_co]

Does anyone think the problem with AP has to do with the sensor removals and going straight to cameras. I feel that people with earlier models are tending to have less issues like the ones that have the cameras backed up with the little sonar things on the bumpers.

 

[ScoobyDoo82]

Does anyone think the problem with AP has to do with the sensor removals and going straight to cameras. I feel that people with earlier models are tending to have less issues like the ones that have the cameras backed up with the little sonar things on the bumpers.

The Ultrasonic Sensors (or “sonar things” as you put it) only work for detecting objects (at slow speed) at a range of less than 15feet. They were never a part of AP when traveling down a freeway at 65mph. The little swatches of yellow and red that would appear around your car when other vehicles would get close to you providing spatial awareness are the only use of USS when driving. The lane keep assist and blind spot monitor has always used the cameras for detection. In other words, the USS were/are only used when navigating the car (slowly) into a garage, parking spot, or around objects/hazards at speeds below 10mph. It’s been widely discussed that AP doesn’t use the USS - hence why new cars don’t even have them.

You might be confusing the USS and Radar. It’s been some peoples’ opinion that the radar system worked better. There some people that believe that the Camera only (Vision) system works better.

 

[Steve Stack]

Disclaimer: I'll admit I was pretty naïve and uninformed about most things Tesla when I took delivery of my Y in October, 2022. I did minimal research about the Y beforehand so I ended up learning most things on the go and am definitely still figuring some stuff out.

As a non-biased first time Tesla owner I wanted to give a simple summary of some pros and cons that I've personally identified in the first two months since I took delivery.

Major PROS:
- No more ICE! It is quite liberating to drive past gas stations and know that I'll never have to stop ever again.
- Performance (duh!). I test drove the Y once, back in February, 2022 so I only had minor exposure to the performance and handling beforehand. The Y is a very fun vehicle to drive. Passing on non-divided highways is a breeze compared to my previous 1/2 ton truck.
- Overall, the tech is pretty impressive and makes the user experience quite enjoyable.
- Comfort: Long road trips in the Y are much more comfortable than I have experienced with any other vehicle in the past and I travel quite a bit.
- Superchargers: charging time is impressive and they are generally located in convenient areas for one or more of: meals, bathroom breaks, snacks, shopping, etc.
- 3500lbs towing capacity is impressive in comparison to other vehicles of a similar class.

Minor PROS:
- I love the sound system, it can feel like you are at a live concert and contributes to a fun ride.
- The regen braking is impressive and delivers noticeable range + when applied regularly. It should also contribute to a very long brake pad life as you can easily drive all around town without applying the brake pedal even once.
- The look: Unlike the X and 3 (IMO), the Model Y has a great sporty look and really catches the eye. I also like the S. That's just my opinion though.
- The range: It's mostly reasonable... in comparison to other current EVs anyways.
- Cargo capacity is significant considering the overall size of the vehicle.
- Sentry mode is a nice feature when you are leaving the vehicle in a "sketchier" area.
- Winter handling is pretty good overall.
- Battery pre-conditioning when navigating to Tesla Superchargers. This is handy (though, when activated it does speed up the rate of battery loss for obvious reasons).
- There are many other minor pros but they aren't necessarily game-changers.

Minor CONS:
- The effective highway range is quite low in anything but the most favorable conditions. I've been on several road trips with the Y and the best effective range I have achieved is about 400km (240 miles) - this is with favorable temperature and wind conditions and travelling closer to 65mph. In extreme cold and a good headwind the range is basically shredded in 1/2. My effective highway range in -15 C and a good 40 km/h headwind was slashed to about 200km (120 miles). Freeway speeds (120km/h + - 75 mph+) also reduce the effective range quite a bit (generally about 300km - 185 miles). This is all vs. the advertised range of 531 km (330 miles).
- Supercharging costs in Canada (where I live) are quite high -> the $ saved (vs. gasoline) compared to extra time spent charging is marginal when on road trips and relying on superchargers.
- Quality of he build is definitely suspect. One of the clips on the passenger sun visor mirror was broken when I took delivery. It was a piece of cheap plastic and clearly wasn't quality control tested before delivery (or someone didn't care). Other finishes are disappointing, like the rubber on the window-edges not being uniform or flush in the corners, etc.
- The tech can be glitchy - Bluetooth will randomly tweak out, navigation will glitch out, etc. Most of these issues are resolved by a screen reset but this can be of annoyance if they occur when you are driving.
- The headlights are great - if you need to see into the future. Otherwise, they aren't designed super well if you are considering oncoming drivers. They are too bright; I regularly get flashed by oncoming vehicles at night when I do not have the brights engaged.
- The vehicle clearance is pretty low - don't plan on driving in deep snow, uneven terrain, or up/down steep driveways.
- The battery doesn't precondition when travelling to non-Tesla fast chargers. Seems like something easy that could be updated.

Major CONS:
- As it stands, the Autopilot function is a COMPLETE JOKE. It is essentially like owning an $80,000 vehicle that doesn't have a functional cruise control - in 2022! I went on a long road trip last weekend and dealt with over 30 phantom braking events. These ranged from minor application of the brakes all the way to significant slowdowns that violently threw myself and my wife forward in our seats. No - there was never any hazards that required braking. Some of these were seemingly random with no obvious explanation as to what could be confusing the sensors. The most common culprit, however, is cresting a slight rolling rise - for some reason right as the vehicle crest the roll the sensors get confused and slam on the brakes. Shadows, dark asphalt patches, trees, buildings, etc. are other causes of sudden, unnecessary phantom braking. This issue alone has soured my attitude quite a bit towards my new Model Y. For the love of all that's holy Tesla, fix the issue or allow me to fully disengage anything other than a conventional cruise control!
- Controlling climate on the touch pad is a nightmare - especially when driving alone. I am 6 ft tall with a good reach and can still barely manage to reach and drag (omg so sensitive!) the tiny dot when I want to adjust the fan speed. Who thought this was a good idea? No - I don't want to rely on the voice activation to do this, especially when there is a passenger. It is clunky and awkward to interrupt the music every time I want to change the fan speed by 1 tick. I knew I would hate the climate control functions before I took delivery and those fears were confirmed.
- Supporting a company that EM "owns". Yes, that man is a complete tool.

I am fully expecting responses that undermine some of my complaints - like I said, I am still trying to figure out some of the features, etc.

View attachment 886717

I agree with the range and phantom breaking. For the range, my 2022 Y gets about 240 also and gets old if you have to recharge every 3 days. If you add the cost up, it is not far from a gas car prices. Also mine has phantom breaking so either decelerates slowly or quickly without warning. Just happen today on the interstate.

 

[chek39]

driving 2023 MY LR (19 inch wheels) from last 4 days and it is my first tesla
1.. i feel very noise cabin. coming from almost year on Ioniq 5 and couple of months on ID4 (trade in ID4 to get tesla) and the last 15+ years driving quite cabin cars. Y reminds me my early 2000 honda accord on road noise.. dont understand the logic behind front windows with double pane and rear with single pane..and very poor insulation.. Y rides like a sport car but shouldnt be with noise cabin. my conversations on bluetooth over interstate speeds not good at all for me. probably takes some time to adjust. reduced to 39 psi and felt some smoothness but not that much on cabin noise.
2.if car rides on road gaps, un even rough road surfaces etc.. Y glass (rear) makes shutter noises.. i assume glass on both ends not resting on good insulation or my car has defect. i hate if any of my car makes any squeeze noises.
3. Y drive is good with control, pickup, tech especially big screen, responsive time (presented very fast navigation route with my voice),app and options.

 

[richyrich]

I went on a long road trip last weekend and dealt with over 30 phantom braking events. These ranged from minor application of the brakes all the way to significant slowdowns that violently threw myself and my wife forward in our seats.

Either you're doing something very wrong, or there's something wrong with the vehicle. Raise a service ticket and find out.

 

[dachshund]

Do we think phantom braking is less of a problem in areas that have more Teslas driving around? Meaning there’s more data about the roads in those locations?

 

[djjimgreen]

Do we think phantom braking is less of a problem in areas that have more Teslas driving around? Meaning there’s more data about the roads in those locations?

I don't think that'd be the case.. I'm in Vegas with tons of teslas and I got some PBing yesterday. :\

 

[navguy12]

Either you're doing something very wrong, or there's something wrong with the vehicle. Raise a service ticket and find out.

I’ve had the same events happen on lonely stretches of HWY 401 at 0430 (4:30 am) with no other traffic around.

Since day one of ownership, my only disappointment with this car is the lack of “dumb” cruise control so I wouldn’t have to drive for two vehicles if someone happens to be riding my rear bumper.

 

[SSonnentag]

Sounds like a lot of Tesla owners are a bit triggered by Elon these days. LOL

Well, it is winter in the northern hemisphere, and the snowflakes do show themselves this time of year.

 

[JetFalcon]

My friends keep talking about how they love their Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic because it can access a gas station and it gest 40 miles per gallon. And they don't like the electric part where it takes too long to charge.

Well, if you can charge at home or have a home base for overnight charging, then you never have to stop. It's also cheaper, I don't know how cheap but my last SCE statement was about $200 which I think includes the house and the EV charging.

Road trips is the only hassle for the slow charging, but if you try hard enough try have all your destinations revolve around a supercharger or level 2 charger and maybe you can top off while doing something. I just need passengers who will sell out to the Tesla and work our destinations around the Tesla chargers. If they will not sell out, then it kind of sucks, like we could charge and eat Carls Jr thus not waiting too much but maybe someone wants In n Out instead, so it ruins everything.

 

[pbcsd]

Do we think phantom braking is less of a problem in areas that have more Teslas driving around? Meaning there’s more data about the roads in those locations?

I think it's more to do with the fact that Tesla can't seem to figure out how to figure it out. Or maybe isn't bothering to try.

 

[navguy12]

I think it's more to do with the fact that Tesla can't seem to figure out how to figure it out. Or maybe isn't bothering to try.

IMO some of the problem is that somehow “map data” takes precedence over incoming vision based data for dealing with TACC speed issues within a few car lengths of one’s present position.

Another issue is when an overhead gantry sign will cause a braking episode to occur, even though the other (surrounding) vehicles being painted by the vision software on the UI are all travelling at the same perceived obstacle at full speed; the software logic should understand that all those surrounding vehicles aren’t blindly driving into what it thinks is an obstacle.

 

[Thepaperlion]

Autopilot is really bad, I almost got rear ended today because of it. I had an Ioniq 5 and it's driver assist features were much better than teslas. I switched to the Model Y because I needed reliable fast charging but now that Tesla is opening up the network I'm considering switching back.

 

[dachshund]

IMO some of the problem is that somehow “map data” takes precedence over incoming vision based data for dealing with TACC speed issues within a few car lengths of one’s present position.

Another issue is when an overhead gantry sign will cause a braking episode to occur, even though the other (surrounding) vehicles being painted by the vision software on the UI are all travelling at the same perceived obstacle at full speed; the software logic should understand that all those surrounding vehicles aren’t blindly driving into what it thinks is an obstacle.

Thanks. I'm still trying to piece this together. The AI Day videos on the occupancy network always mention overhanging objects and I wasn't sure why.

 

[BailMY]

Disclaimer: I'll admit I was pretty naïve and uninformed about most things Tesla when I took delivery of my Y in October, 2022. I did minimal research about the Y beforehand so I ended up learning most things on the go and am definitely still figuring some stuff out.

As a non-biased first time Tesla owner I wanted to give a simple summary of some pros and cons that I've personally identified in the first two months since I took delivery.

Major PROS:
- No more ICE! It is quite liberating to drive past gas stations and know that I'll never have to stop ever again.
- Performance (duh!). I test drove the Y once, back in February, 2022 so I only had minor exposure to the performance and handling beforehand. The Y is a very fun vehicle to drive. Passing on non-divided highways is a breeze compared to my previous 1/2 ton truck.
- Overall, the tech is pretty impressive and makes the user experience quite enjoyable.
- Comfort: Long road trips in the Y are much more comfortable than I have experienced with any other vehicle in the past and I travel quite a bit.
- Superchargers: charging time is impressive and they are generally located in convenient areas for one or more of: meals, bathroom breaks, snacks, shopping, etc.
- 3500lbs towing capacity is impressive in comparison to other vehicles of a similar class.

Minor PROS:
- I love the sound system, it can feel like you are at a live concert and contributes to a fun ride.
- The regen braking is impressive and delivers noticeable range + when applied regularly. It should also contribute to a very long brake pad life as you can easily drive all around town without applying the brake pedal even once.
- The look: Unlike the X and 3 (IMO), the Model Y has a great sporty look and really catches the eye. I also like the S. That's just my opinion though.
- The range: It's mostly reasonable... in comparison to other current EVs anyways.
- Cargo capacity is significant considering the overall size of the vehicle.
- Sentry mode is a nice feature when you are leaving the vehicle in a "sketchier" area.
- Winter handling is pretty good overall.
- Battery pre-conditioning when navigating to Tesla Superchargers. This is handy (though, when activated it does speed up the rate of battery loss for obvious reasons).
- There are many other minor pros but they aren't necessarily game-changers.

Minor CONS:
- The effective highway range is quite low in anything but the most favorable conditions. I've been on several road trips with the Y and the best effective range I have achieved is about 400km (240 miles) - this is with favorable temperature and wind conditions and travelling closer to 65mph. In extreme cold and a good headwind the range is basically shredded in 1/2. My effective highway range in -15 C and a good 40 km/h headwind was slashed to about 200km (120 miles). Freeway speeds (120km/h + - 75 mph+) also reduce the effective range quite a bit (generally about 300km - 185 miles). This is all vs. the advertised range of 531 km (330 miles).
- Supercharging costs in Canada (where I live) are quite high -> the $ saved (vs. gasoline) compared to extra time spent charging is marginal when on road trips and relying on superchargers.
- Quality of he build is definitely suspect. One of the clips on the passenger sun visor mirror was broken when I took delivery. It was a piece of cheap plastic and clearly wasn't quality control tested before delivery (or someone didn't care). Other finishes are disappointing, like the rubber on the window-edges not being uniform or flush in the corners, etc.
- The tech can be glitchy - Bluetooth will randomly tweak out, navigation will glitch out, etc. Most of these issues are resolved by a screen reset but this can be of annoyance if they occur when you are driving.
- The headlights are great - if you need to see into the future. Otherwise, they aren't designed super well if you are considering oncoming drivers. They are too bright; I regularly get flashed by oncoming vehicles at night when I do not have the brights engaged.
- The vehicle clearance is pretty low - don't plan on driving in deep snow, uneven terrain, or up/down steep driveways.
- The battery doesn't precondition when travelling to non-Tesla fast chargers. Seems like something easy that could be updated.

Major CONS:
- As it stands, the Autopilot function is a COMPLETE JOKE. It is essentially like owning an $80,000 vehicle that doesn't have a functional cruise control - in 2022! I went on a long road trip last weekend and dealt with over 30 phantom braking events. These ranged from minor application of the brakes all the way to significant slowdowns that violently threw myself and my wife forward in our seats. No - there was never any hazards that required braking. Some of these were seemingly random with no obvious explanation as to what could be confusing the sensors. The most common culprit, however, is cresting a slight rolling rise - for some reason right as the vehicle crest the roll the sensors get confused and slam on the brakes. Shadows, dark asphalt patches, trees, buildings, etc. are other causes of sudden, unnecessary phantom braking. This issue alone has soured my attitude quite a bit towards my new Model Y. For the love of all that's holy Tesla, fix the issue or allow me to fully disengage anything other than a conventional cruise control!
- Controlling climate on the touch pad is a nightmare - especially when driving alone. I am 6 ft tall with a good reach and can still barely manage to reach and drag (omg so sensitive!) the tiny dot when I want to adjust the fan speed. Who thought this was a good idea? No - I don't want to rely on the voice activation to do this, especially when there is a passenger. It is clunky and awkward to interrupt the music every time I want to change the fan speed by 1 tick. I knew I would hate the climate control functions before I took delivery and those fears were confirmed.
- Supporting a company that EM "owns". Yes, that man is a complete tool.

I am fully expecting responses that undermine some of my complaints - like I said, I am still trying to figure out some of the features, etc.

View attachment 886717

lookup the sexy buttons for that climate control issue, pretty sure they can cover that. stupid that you have to pay for an accessory for a better A/C interaction on a 50k+ car. But it is what it is.

hows your noise level (with radio off obv)

 

[tevman]

Do we think phantom braking is less of a problem in areas that have more Teslas driving around? Meaning there’s more data about the roads in those locations?

Probably not due to volume of Teslas. But you have an interesting idea in wondering if the dataset that Tesla's compute center is chewing on might be biased by the number of cars in an area. Not that the bias affects PB or other on-board detection systems but it might be causing the NN training to place low priority on special situations like roads with ice and snow or downpour rain or high winds. Just a WAG (Wild Ass Guess) on that front.

 

[dachshund]

The other thing I find really puzzling is the wide variety of experiences. Some people have lots of horrible phantom braking, slamming on brakes, having to keep things strapped down, no coffee allowed in the cab, etc. And others have a smooth experience, with hardly any PB.

I'm a retired software developer but never worked on anything like neural networks. This is all fascinating - and weird in a lot of ways!

 

[J Neptune]

Thank you for your highly biased review.

Lol. What made it a biased review? Mentioning cons. Lol.

 

[DrChaos]

Probably not due to volume of Teslas. But you have an interesting idea in wondering if the dataset that Tesla's compute center is chewing on might be biased by the number of cars in an area. Not that the bias affects PB or other on-board detection systems but it might be causing the NN training to place low priority on special situations like roads with ice and snow or downpour rain or high winds. Just a WAG (Wild Ass Guess) on that front.

Yes, no doubt the training set is optimized on relatively crowded urban highway driving, i.e. California, as that's where many of the cars are. I'm temporarily in a major Virginia city, but the density of teslas is at least 20x less than SoCal.

Snow and ice make the assumptions in the control system invalid and would be unsafe so they could probably detect that the car isn't actually moving correctly according to its control inputs.

The other frequent case of phantom braking is very uncrowded non-divided rural highways with no other cars. It gets confused by undulations in altitude and mirages in road ahead. US interstate highways have stricter requirements on grade control and the divisor make the car less likely to believe there is anything coming head on (presumably the reason for strong phantom braking)

 

[richyrich]

Yes, no doubt the training set is optimized on relatively crowded urban highway driving, i.e. California, as that's where many of the cars are. I'm temporarily in a major Virginia city, but the density of teslas is at least 20x less than SoCal.

Snow and ice make the assumptions in the control system invalid and would be unsafe so they could probably detect that the car isn't actually moving correctly according to its control inputs.

The other frequent case of phantom braking is very uncrowded non-divided rural highways with no other cars. It gets confused by undulations in altitude and mirages in road ahead. US interstate highways have stricter requirements on grade control and the divisor make the car less likely to believe there is anything coming head on (presumably the reason for strong phantom braking)

Well I’m into my fifth year of autopilot driving (a lot), second Tesla and I’ve yet to encounter anything I’d call phantom braking. I deal with all the things you mention - don’t live in Cali, use many types of road and have many months of snow and ice. I still think there’s an element of vehicle-specific factors or calibration issues with people who have regular phantom braking issues.