If you have read any of my articles about Tesla you will know that while I appreciate the engineering that goes into their cars, I am no particular fan of the company. That being said, they have come out with a new crossover which I assume has been done in attempt to fill a gap in the market and compete with other mainstream manufacturers. So inevitably, I must provide my opinion.

Before we go any further I must make it very clear, I don’t like crossovers. The market in recent years has become saturated with an unacceptable amount of absolutely horrid crossovers. Of these, I like very little of them and would consider buying an even smaller amount of them. So, my question is has Tesla used their intelligence and cleverness to finally create a crossover that isn’t a dissapointment.

For the purpose of comparison I shall be using the Porsche Macan, another crossover that matches up well with the Model Y. The Macan over the past couple years has become a well established car in the market and is the vehicle that I believe is one of the front runners in the market for luxury crossovers. To me, in order for the Model Y to be a good purchase it must hold its own when compared with the Macan or even in some areas prove to be better.

The Model Y comes with 68 cubic feet of cargo space opposed to the Macan’s meager 53 cubic feet, a number that I presume is a result of the fact that electric motors take up less space than a combustion engine. Tesla also claims that the Model Y can hold up to seven passengers, but I suspect that with its sloping roof line space will be a little compromised for that last row. The range of a Model Y equipped with the performance package is 315 miles, a number that is somewhat consistent with what the rest of the Tesla lineup offers. What is impressive, however, is that half of this max range can be recharged in about 15 minutes when using one of Tesla’s superchargers. The interior is typical Tesla, minimalist and sleek with plenty of games to play on your 15 inch touch screen. Nothing special at this point, but certainly not subaverage. 

Now, onto the truly exciting figure: 0-60 times. The Model Y with the performance package can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds, a figure which is miles ahead of even what the top of the range Macan Turbo can offer (4.3 seconds). A more basic version of the Model Y will do the same 0-60 in a slower time of 4.8 seconds, but this is still rather quick when comparing it to a base version of the Macan (6.3 seconds). Granted, the Macan with its combustion engine will post much higher top speeds at all ends of the spectrum, but I figure that on public roads acceleration will be a more accessible excitement than top speed.

Stacked up against its competitors, the Tesla shines in a few apparent places, but what truly makes it worth the consideration is its price. A base Model Y will cost you around $48k, but Tesla no longer is taking orders for this variant, so if you were to place an order you would be placing one for the long range model ($53k) or the performance model ($61k). A base Porsche Macan would cost around $50k while the top of the range Turbo costs well over $80k. 

Overall, as a purchase the Model Y makes rather good sense. It is a practical, spacious family car that costs considerably less than its big brother, the Model X, and is still good value compared to a sizable portion of its competitors. At the same time it still provides all the fun excitement you would not usually receive from a crossover thanks to its acceleration and the various assortment of funky features that Tesla is now famous for. In the most practical and abject terms that I can put it, the Model Y makes sense. It is not a car that a true car lover can admire, but I can’t deny that for a family or any individual who desires more practical uses of their car it would be a top option.

Citations:

“Porsche Macan – Porsche USA”. Porsche HOME – Porsche USA, 2020, https://www.porsche.com/usa/models/macan/macan-models/macan/. Accessed 13 Apr 2020.

<!– –>Tesla Model Y Review: Price, Release Date &amp; More<!– –>. “2020 Tesla Model Y Prices, Reviews, And Pictures | Edmunds”. Edmunds, 2020, https://www.edmunds.com/tesla/model-y/. Accessed 13 Apr 2020.

“Model Y | Tesla”. Model Y, 2020, https://www.tesla.com/modely. Accessed 13 Apr 2020.