[MUSIC PLAYING] LAUREN MCCAY: So we bought a Model Y. And two years, 730 days, and 25,000 miles later, we've got answers for you on how this thing measures up now. In this video, I'm checking in with you about how it's been going. And you're not going to want to miss all we've experienced so far. You'll hear some feedback from our team members, including myself, about a few points we think you should consider before buying one yourself.
If you like these long term testing updates, go ahead and hit Like and Subscribe right now so we can do more of them. And while you're at it, head over to edmunds.com for all your car shopping needs. Now we usually sell our cars that we purchase within about a year. But since Tesla is constantly updating the Model Y's software, we figured we'd hang on to it a little bit longer.
Here's exactly what we bought. We decided to go big with our Model Y, ordering the all wheel drive performance trim, which then, the starting price was $61,000. We paid a little over 68,000 for it. And in two years, that price has jumped. We also got the Model Y's no cost performance upgrade that adds 21 inch wheels, upgraded brakes, a lower suspension, and the all important aluminum alloy pedals. The upgrade changed our range a bit but increased the speed to 155 miles per hour.
And just for kicks, we got this Tesla in a bold red color. We also kicked it up a notch for the optimum driving experience checking the full self-driving capability box that we paid an extra 5K for, an option that now will cost you 15K. But unfortunately, it is still not self-driving as promised. Is it worth it? Probably not. But along the way, the Model Y has been on the highways, byways, land, and sea. OK, not sea. It just felt good to stay in the moment.
But we have raced it a ton of times on the track.
SPEAKER 1: He's coming.
SPEAKER 2: Oh here it is. Here it is.
SPEAKER 1: Dang it.
SPEAKER 2: More power. Whoa, there we go.
LAUREN MCCAY: The point is we've driven this Model Y just about everywhere you'd likely take it, which means we have the inside scoop on what it's really like to own one. While most in our team will agree the Model Y is a fun ride, the hiccups we've found so far haven't really been anything wildly major, but more a combo of small issues that you'll have to decide are either worth living with or deal breakers for the 71K or more that you're going to be spending getting one.
What am I talking about exactly? For starters, we're not really fans of the ride quality. But the bigger deal has been the build quality as well as some tech, and our experience getting maintenance done. But before I get into all of that, let me start with what we do like first. Start with the positive.
It's the performance for us. And I say that meaning that this Model Y really lives up to its name. The speed on this thing is impressive, especially since it's an SUV. Several of our team members have raved about how quick this thing is. And I think it's especially good to note the Model Y is an Edmunds Drag Race champion, only getting beat a couple of times, once by a Corvette.
And come on, you can't even be mad at that one. The great thing about owning a Tesla is the charging network continues to be a strength. Our team members were able to take it on the road for trips like from LA to Vegas without having a problem finding a charger along the way.
This Model Y has delivered when it comes to space as well. With the frunk included, it has a maximum cargo capacity of 76 cubic feet. Wow. So taking a short trip is no biggie because there's space to put all your things. And even though a few people had a little bit of trouble folding the rear seat down initially, overall, we found the extra space to be useful.
JOHN ADOLPH: To have a rear seat that reclines made it really, really easy to adjust my daughter's car seat to more reclining position. And she fell asleep almost immediately. So good one there.
LAUREN MCCAY: Another plus to the Model Y that has really stuck out to us so far is the battery range prediction calculator that appears at the top of the screen. It seems to be pretty accurate and consistent, which is not always the case in other EVs. That said, the battery range over these past two years has been slightly affected by battery degradation. So here's a little something you might not know.
In the first five to 10 years of owning an EV, it's normal for an EV battery to decrease in capacity at least a percentage a year. With our Model Y, we've definitely seen a bit of a decrease, about 3% of a loss, in just two years. So it's just a smidge above what's standard. Is it a deal breaker? Well, I think that's something I'm going to let you decide. But for us right now, it's not. It's just something to be aware of.
It's time for the negatives. Sorry to say. I've got a story for you. I'm driving down PCH. And I want to check on my lipstick at a stoplight. So I pull down the sun visor, open this up, this popped off, and then this just started to hang. And then I'm at the stoplight like-- this sun visor and this mirror have been the bane of our existence for the past two years we have had it, which brings me to my point of build quality.
CARRIE KIM: I would say my experience in the Model Y was surprising. For $68,000, I was expecting a full blown luxury car. Instead, I thought there was a lot of noise, a lot of squeaks, and a lot of plastic.
LAUREN MCCAY: Overall, the build on this Model Y feels a bit rushed and cheaply made. We've had loose trim pieces, seats not aligned properly, the loose sun visor, and a fog light that sunk into the bumper. I will say in the past, the Teslas we've owned have gotten a bit better over time, like the Model 3. And we did get this Model Y as one of the first release. So some of the quirks we've had with this one may not be the same when you purchase one now.
The quality of the ride on this Model Y has been unanimously disliked. Several of our team members have said they don't like how uncomfortably stiff this ride feels. The suspension and larger wheels seem to be the main culprit, allowing you to feel the depth and punch of every bump in the road.
JONATHAN ELFALAN: I notice that when I'm driving on a bumpy road and I'm rolling up the windows in our Model Y Performance that the windows will sometimes go back down. And what I think is happening is that the suspension is so stiff that it's triggering the anti pinch sensors in the window. Whether or not it has overly sensitive anti pinch sensors, or the suspension is just that stiff, this is an issue that I've encountered more than once.
LAUREN MCCAY: Here's the deal with tech. It's safe to say there are some pros and cons to the features here. It turns out the over-the-air updates only work with a decent Wi-Fi connection. So that can be annoying. Adding insult to injury, it doesn't have Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. And some of our drivers also had issues with the main touch screen just flat out not working. Just listen to what one of our editors had to say.
And I quote, "our Model 3 literally fell apart in my hand. And now our Model Y, everything breaks in some way. And it's not minor enough to overlook at any price point. It's been months since I've driven our Model Y. But I got back in it for a few days this week and it didn't disappoint to disappoint. In a strange neighborhood, while I was trying to plug an address into navigation, the entire screen and HVAC system quit on me. Total blackout."
Because everything in this Model Y is controlled by this central screen, I'm talking air, heat, mirror position, you name it, everything right here, our team, including myself, found it very distracting to try and control all this while also trying to focus on driving. So what's the maintenance on this thing look like after 25,000 miles? Well, considering we did buy the first generation and we picked it up in its early stages, it's actually rather minor.
But we've had to fix that sunken fog light, a faulty window regulator, a few recalls, the air conditioning, and a suspension issue. Our biggest complaint, though, comes from our experience at the Tesla service center once an appointment has been made.
RONALD MONTOYA: The Tesla service experience was a little bit mixed. On the one hand, we had the home repairs that was very convenient. And we didn't have to leave home to get those taken care of. But when we needed something a little bit more advanced, we had to go into the service center where they were really overloaded with cars. They didn't have any loaners available for us. And they ended up giving us Uber credits instead.
There wasn't much communication with regards to when the car would be ready. And on one particular occasion, it took about four days to get our car back from service because either the parts weren't available, or they never got into contact with us. If you could avoid the service centers I would but ultimately it's a bit of a mixed bag.
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LAUREN MCCAY: After 25,000 miles, we can safely say that if you're looking for an EV with top notch reliability and build quality, there are better choices. But if you want great handling, long range, a consistently updated infotainment system, and the best charging network there is, then this is a good place to start.
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