[MUSIC PLAYING]
CARLOS LAGO: We bought
a Tesla Model Y.
And I'm driving it right
now, which feels really good.
We'll get into the specifics
of what we're doing,
but a Tesla Model Y is now
in our long-term fleet.
And that's where our diverse
range of staff and editors
use the car just
like you would--
commute it, take it to
work, run errands with it,
and so on and so forth.
Now, what's interesting
about this Model Y is
we actually bought a
$35,000 Model 3 recently,
because we thought the
Model Y would show up
a bit later than
it actually did.
But fool us.
Tesla actually got the Model
Y into the hands of customers
way earlier than we
thought, and way earlier
than I think they even
promised, which is cool.
Before we get into the specifics
of this particular car,
though, I'm going to
hand off to Ron Montoya
to talk about the
delivery process,
because, in today's
current pandemic,
it's worth knowing about.
RON MONTOYA: I
want to talk to you
a little bit about the sales
process for the Tesla Model Y.
We received a notification
that the vehicle was
ready on a Wednesday.
It gave us either a Friday
or Saturday to choose from.
We chose Saturday.
A couple of days
later, they gave us
a window of about
two hours of when
the vehicle would be ready.
A lot of the paperwork
was handled ahead of time.
The only thing that we had
to do was we had a trade-in,
and we had a paper check.
And these were some things
that sort of complicated this,
and it didn't quite become
a touchless delivery.
So the representative
arrived probably
on the tail end of the
window that he said.
So he was on time.
And one of the things that we
did that you would normally
get as part of a Tesla delivery
is an overall explanation,
or tutorial, on the vehicle.
And so we forgoed that due to
current times and just kind of
to make things go a
little bit smoother.
So that was most of it.
He had to show me where to
sign, so he didn't quite
stay within the six feet
that people are recommending,
because he only had one form,
and he needed it to be signed
and wanted to make sure
that I signed it correctly.
But once we took care
of that, I actually
paid through an
electronic check.
And we were probably
done in about 10 minutes.
And that was a pretty
good experience overall.
CARLOS LAGO: Before we go any
further in this video, though,
I want to highlight that
I am shooting this myself,
because we are
carefully observing
all the social
distancing guidelines.
And I'm social distancing
myself, and it's really nice.
Let's talk about the Model
Y we actually bought.
It's obviously red.
We got the performance edition
with the performance upgrade.
Now, what does it get you?
It gets you a higher top speed--
155 miles an hour
instead of 145.
Hopefully, we can test
that during ownership.
It gets you these 21-inch
Uberturbine wheels.
It gets you
"performance brakes,"
quote unquote, and "performance
suspension," quote unquote.
We also opted for the
Autopilot-enabled full
self-driving capability,
which doesn't exist yet.
But we think that it
might during the course
of our ownership,
so we wanted to make
sure we got that feature
on this car as well.
It's, again, obviously, red,
and it looks pretty sharp.
Compared to previous
Teslas out there
and all the ones
we've owned, it's
somewhere between a combination
of a Model 3 and a Model X.
In terms of design, it has
the, quote unquote, again,
"coupe-style design" that a
lot of German SUVs have been
adopting lately, where they sort
of slice the rear roofline down
to get more of a swoopy look.
And that traditionally
sacrifices some cargo area
and some of your headroom.
But as we get inside,
you'll see it's actually
pretty decent in there.
The only other big difference
versus other Teslas--
and it's a really small
one, so to call it
a big difference is
kind of a misnomer--
is the black trim around the
glass and on the door handles.
Ever since Teslas
first came out,
they've always had that bright
finish around those pieces.
And I've always wondered
what it would look like if it
was a matte or a dark color.
And on here, it actually
looks really good.
One of the biggest advantages
to get a Model Y is back here.
But before we talk
about that, I want
to talk about build quality.
As customers of one Model S, one
Model X, two Model 3's, and now
a Model Y, we can
say, with authority,
that build quality has
been an issue for Tesla.
But overall, it
seems strong so far.
You should have pretty
high expectations
when you're paying
around $50,000 to $60,000
for a vehicle.
And Tesla appears to
be getting better.
Now, from the cargo area
itself, it's pretty spacious.
You have, of course, the
charging adapter right here,
which has a quasi-velcro bottom.
Open that up.
There's the cable right there.
And then there's pretty
generous storage.
The trick, though, that I really
like is this rear under-floor
storage with--
you pull this up here,
and you have access
to a pretty deep compartment
to store all kinds of stuff
that you want to
have out of view.
You can also drop down the rear
seats with these two buttons
here.
And they should fly
down automatically
like this right seat.
But the left seat
actually worked that time.
Previously, the first
few times I hit it,
it didn't quite
fall down by itself.
And I've also noticed
that, putting it back up,
they're surprisingly heavy--
not that it would prevent
you from doing it.
But start working out.
See?
Surprisingly heavy.
And sorry if this looks bad.
I have no idea what I'm
doing with a camera.
So here you go.
From the back seat, you really
see the benefit of the Model Y
on top of the cargo
volume behind me.
I have the front
seat set for myself.
So I'm sitting,
effectively, behind myself.
I'm about 5'10", and I have
plenty of space back here--
about that much
room between my head
and this giant
panoramic glass roof,
about that much space between
the driver's seat and my knees.
Lots of space to spread
out, which is really nice.
As far as compartments
and stuff to do,
it comes up a little short.
Underneath this armrest--
two cup holders.
Armrest works fine.
I've got two USB-C
ports, which is nice
if you have a phone that could
plug into USB-C. I've also
got center
console-mounted vents,
but no way to control them or
the heated seats back here.
I guess you could say I've
got voice commands for both,
because I could just yell at the
driver to turn them on or off.
But still, not
optimal, let's say.
As far as compartments, pretty
generous cubbies in the doors.
But what really makes
this work is the space.
The seat bottoms are
pretty comfortable.
The seat backs are
somewhat upright.
And the head headrests
are fine, let's say.
What's also
unfortunate is there's
no way to recline the seat backs
or adjust the seat forward--
the seat bottom
forward and back.
But that's the way it goes.
Altogether, the space
is really the highlight
of the Model y back here.
As we get to the
front seat, this
is where the Model Y begins
to feel really familiar.
It's the exact same
layout as a Model 3.
So if you own a Model 3 and
you're interested in a Model Y,
skip ahead.
You know exactly what this
layout looks and feels like.
If you haven't
been in a Model 3,
let's walk through
some of the basics.
First off, seats.
These are Model 3
seats, and these
are much more comfortable than
the first generation of Model 3
seats.
We had a first gen Model 3.
We bought a later Model
3-- a $35,000 one.
And the difference in seat
quality was palatable.
These seats-- these front
seats-- are so much nicer now.
Power-adjustable-- forward,
back, tilt-- all that stuff.
They feel really good.
The center console layout
is straight forward.
I've gone on about the downsides
of piano black interior
layouts.
I won't smear my greasy
hands over them this time due
to current pandemic issues.
I realize people are
sensitive to that.
But the layout works.
So you have a center
console right here
with a removable tray and a
pretty deep well right there.
In front of that, you
have two cup holders.
And then you have this
bi-folding setup right here,
which is nice, provided you're
OK with piano black trim.
I'll stop complaining
about that, I swear.
What's nice is you now have a
wireless charging pad that can
hold a pretty good sized phone.
You can also lift this up
to reveal additional storage
space in the front.
And that's nice, because you
have a pretty sizable amount
of space here to put
stuff-- handbags or whatnot.
And you can cover it up when
you park, which is pretty neat,
too.
Steering wheel-- nicely
sized, fits well in the hands,
has nice support for
proper hand placement,
and enough adjustability to put
your hands where you want it.
The interior trim is fine.
This wood paneling
does the job that you
would expect interior trim to.
But it does feel pretty barren.
Let's talk about the screen.
95% of the controls of the Model
Y are handled in this screen.
If you want to change
the side mirrors,
for example, you
do the adjustments
by turning on the
mirror adjustment mode,
and then using these controls
to actually adjust them.
Ditto for steering wheel.
If I want to adjust
the telescoping
or tilt of the
steering wheel, I do so
by activating a switch
here and controlling it.
Yeah, if you don't jump between
dozens of cars in a given
month, it's not that
big of an issue,
because you would
set it and forget it.
But it speaks to the
amount of control
that has to happen in here.
Is it the end of the world?
Is it a deal breaker?
I don't think so.
It's more of a preference.
But I'm still calling it out.
I would like physical controls
for the air conditioner
settings, for example-- for the
stereo settings, for example.
I would like to
be able to adjust
that stuff that way
out of preference,
because, if you control it by
feel, that means you don't have
to look at the
screen to make sure
you're hitting the right button.
But-- there's a but--
your phone integration
is just Bluetooth.
And wireless charging is
nice, but just Bluetooth.
This does not support Apple
CarPlay or Android Auto.
And those features are
really nice in new cars,
because, if you have a
phone that supports it--
and let's face it, pretty
much all of us do--
you plug your phone in, and your
phone's operating system just
appears on the screen.
And more importantly,
the voice commands work.
And my experience with both
Android and Apple devices
is that's the way I want
to control my entertainment
experience when I'm driving.
I just want to be able
to hit the talk button
and tell the phone what to
do, and that just happen.
In my experience, what I
don't like about Teslas is
the Bluetooth controls are
somewhat unsophisticated.
If I want to change
audio tracks,
for example, I actually
have to hit something
on my phone and not the
screen, which kind of defeats
the purpose of the
connection to begin with.
Again, deal breaker?
No, but stuff you
should be aware of.
I think it's time to
drive this car now.
What makes EVs, in
general, the ones
that are configured this way--
what makes them a pleasure
to drive is that the
heaviest parts of the car
are at the lowest
part of the car.
The big battery
pack weighs a ton--
not a literal ton,
a figurative one.
And because it's so low,
it really gives these cars
a tightness and a
responsiveness that's engaging,
that's really fun to drive.
You can feel that difference
in every Tesla product.
It really stands out.
What also stands out is
the acceleration response.
As soon as you stand
on the go pedal, wow.
Pretty much all
Teslas feel powerful,
but especially this
performance spec-outfitted one.
This is going to sound really
obvious to people who are
familiar with EVs, but I
need to keep stressing it,
because there are
people who aren't.
A really powerful car-- a
traditional car with a gasoline
engine, turbo charge,
transmission, blah, blah,
blah--
when you step on
the gas pedal, it
takes time for that
transmission to downshift.
It takes time for the intake
manifold to fill with air.
It takes time for those
turbos to spool up.
It happens quickly
nowadays, relative
to other high performance cars.
But versus an EV,
it takes forever.
When you're in an EV, you
stomp on the go pedal,
you go immediately.
And that's what makes
these so much fun to drive.
And that's what makes them work
really well as daily drivers,
because you just have
that power on tap always.
And boy is it the same
with Model Y. Watch.
Whoa.
[BLOWS RASPBERRY] [LAUGHS]
Acceleration like that
just makes you giggle.
And the fact that it's so
accessible and so ready
to go at all times feels great.
Steering, pedal feel,
handling, right?
OK.
So we're in the performance
spec Tesla Model Y,
and it comes with
21-inch wheels.
That's massive.
And I was worried that the
ride would be rather poor,
because, generally, the
larger wheel you have,
the worse your ride gets.
And yes, you can sense the
weight of those wheels.
It's kind of hard to ignore.
But it's not as
bad as it could be.
In fact, I think
our first Model 3
might have actually
rode worse when it comes
to specific types
of ride quality.
I would like to drive
one of these cars
with smaller diameter wheels to
see if there's a benefit there.
Now, when it comes
to steering response,
Teslas have always
been very good
when it comes to steering
feedback and feel.
And the irony is
these are cars that
have Autopilot and, allegedly,
self-driving capabilities.
They don't.
We'll talk about that.
But the best way to
enjoy them is to actually
steer the car yourself, because
the feedback and response
and delivery is so good.
I have the powertrain
in sport mode,
but I have the steering
in the normal setting,
because it's a nice balance
between effort and feedback
that really works for this car.
Pedal feel works great.
A familiar EV trope is
true one-pedal driving.
So when you lift
off the accelerator,
the electric motor switches
to regenerative braking.
It helps slow the vehicle down
without using the brakes--
the physical brakes themselves--
that are recuperating power.
And that trade-off
feels really good
and allows you to accomplish
most of your slowdowns, most
of your stops, without actually
touching the brake pedal.
It takes a second
to get used to,
but once you drive
like that, you
find it's the way you'd
want to drive all the time.
On the downside of the
Model Y is visibility.
This is an SUV, and the
rear window is tiny--
I want to say almost
Chevy Camaro tiny.
It's really small back there.
The side view
mirrors are adequate.
But these massive front
windshield pillars,
which you would call the A
pillars, are pretty darn thick.
So when you're-- through some
of these turns right here,
I'm actually looking
for oncoming traffic
and can't really see it, because
it's blocked out by the A
pillar.
Now, end of the world?
No.
You can make do with a
lot of the safety settings
and controls that the
Model Y comes with--
the proximity alert system,
the blind spot monitoring.
It's all very good
at telling you
what's going on around
you and behind you.
But you've got to
know that visibility
isn't as good as it should be.
Also, when you get in the
car, you look over the hood,
and you realize
you can't see it.
That's normally a
thing that you find in
nicely done sports cars, is
the hood kind of slopes down
and disappears.
And it helps you feel
closer to the front axle,
or the front wheels.
At least it does
in my experience.
In this car, you can't see the
hood from the driver's seat.
It should feel good.
But because this is a little
tall and a bit heavier
than your typical sports car
that's set up the same way,
you kind of think
about your overhangs
a lot more when you're parking.
And your overhang is
how much of your car
is hanging out in
front of the wheel
or behind the wheel in the back.
You think about that space--
those parts a bit more--
because you can't see them.
And that can be a
potential concern
if you're sensitive to that kind
of thing in tight parking lots,
if you really want to
have that visibility.
Otherwise, it drives great.
We've got to talk
about Autopilot.
We ordered this car with
full self-driving capability.
Can it drive itself?
Absolutely not.
It has a smart cruise control.
Autopilot is a
smart cruise control
that can change lanes by itself,
that can follow lane markings.
But you should never rely
on it to drive itself.
It doesn't do it.
And that's how you can get
yourself hurt or killed.
Let's be honest.
Tesla says all the
appropriate disclaimers
in the system that says,
yes, this is in beta.
Yes, you have to keep your
eyes on the road at all times.
Yes, you need to keep your
hands on the steering wheel.
But that doesn't stop people
from thinking that these cars
drive themselves.
They don't.
Stop thinking that.
Now, Autopilot is a godsend
in a couple of situations,
specifically heavy traffic.
When I'm commuting
home in rush hour,
and it's nothing but
a sea of brake lights,
turning on Autopilot
and just relaxing really
takes the stress
out of that commute.
That's about the only
time that I actually
use really smart adaptive
cruise control systems.
I've found, in my
experience, the way I drive,
Autopilot isn't quite up to my
expectations or my standards.
It's a little too late
to react on steering
to maintain its
position in the lane,
and it can be too delayed or
too sudden in both braking
and acceleration inputs.
So because of that,
I seldom use it.
So that's this arrival
quasi-review of the Model Y.
Our first impressions are nice.
How could they not be?
This is a taller, more
accommodating and powerful
version of the Model 3.
Range is solid.
We're seeing, on a full
charge, about 275 miles
of range so far.
But remember that Tesla
recommends you charge to 90%.
And you can do the math to
figure out what that number is.
We certainly will as
we own this vehicle.
We're going to do a
lot with this car.
We still need to do the
performance testing with it.
We're going to compare it.
We've got to rate it.
We've got to do all
the natural Edmundsy
stuff that Edmunds does.
And then we're going to
spend the foreseeable future
driving this car as part
of our long-term fleet.
Our long-term test fleet has
a diverse range of drivers who
use the car just like
you would in real life--
going to work, running
errands, all that fun stuff.
If there's anything you'd like
to see us do with this car,
like drag race it, for
example, against maybe--
I don't know-- a GT
500, let us know.
We can find a way
to make that happen.
Thank you for watching.
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Edmunds for your next car.
