We sent a Tesla owner to test drive the new Model Y – here’s what they thought

Tesla owner and Independent reader Ben Franklin heads out for a test drive in a Model Y Launch Series to decide if he should upgrade

The new Tesla Model Y is now on sale in the US, with orders open for the Launch Series car at a price of $61,630 before any federal tax credits. (The Independent)

Ben Franklin is a relatively new Tesla Model Y owner. He’s had his Long Range All-Wheel Drive car for about a year now. Like most Model Y owners, he’s curious to know how much better – if at all – the all-new Model Y is and whether he should consider an upgrade.

Ben went along to the Tesla store in Kierland Commons near his home in Scottsdale Arizona, where the new Model Y is already available for test drive. There he joined the queue and took his turn in a brand new, Launch Series Model Y with pearl white paint and Tesla’s Full Self-Driving, which he put to good use.

So what did Ben think, firstly with the looks? “I like the looks,’ he said. “I like the front end with the new front light bar, and I like the design touch that they did on the side mirrors with a tiny bit of aerodynamic improvement.

“I like the looks of both cars. I honestly find my Model Y extremely attractive still, and I find the new one... well, I find it a little bit more mainstream. That gives me a slight feeling of disappointment because I prefer the more radical look of the old car.

“Everyone seems to be doing these full-width light bars now and it might be harder to pick the Tesla out from something like a Hyundai.”

Updated materials and a fresh interior give the new Model Y an edge over the existing model (Tesla)

Ben was more positive when he got inside. “The car feels so much more solid and for some reason it just feels bigger inside. I know it’s not, but maybe it’s the new materials and slightly updated design.

“When you get in the new one, you're immediately impressed with the feeling of solidity. And I think the screen is improved. It seems much sharper, at least to me.

“I think the materials have improved. The seats have become more supportive, a little firmer. And the steering wheel has changed, although I don’t know why Tesla feels it needs to reinvent the wheel.

“One improvement that really struck me was you now have a microphone button on the steering wheel for commands – I find that a big improvement. Another thing I soon learned is that you use the scroll wheel to go in and out of self-driving or autopilot.

“So there are now three buttons on the right side of the steering wheel: one is the speaker, one is a scroll. The third one, which I really, really like, allows you to operate the cameras from the steering wheel. You can set it up so that you push the button and get an all-around view, which personally I find very useful.

Improved range performance means the new Model Y should reliably hit 300 miles well into its lifespan. (Tesla)

One of the biggest criticisms from owners of the new Tesla Model 3 is the lack of stalks on either side of the wheel. The left-hand side indicator stalk has been replaced by buttons on the steering wheel. Tesla has reacted by putting an indicator stalk into the new Model Y to the left of the steering wheel, although the stalk on the right-hand side to operate the gear selector and Auto Pilot has gone. So, how did Ben get on with that?

“My car has a stalk on the right, and the new model Y only has the turn indicator on the left. I I thought that I would react very negatively to the lack of a drive stalk on the right, but I found the drive and park button on the screen okay. You swipe up and down on the screen for going forward or back, and apparently if you open the door it'll automatically put the car into park.”

Tesla claims that the new Model Y is over 20 per cent quieter on the move, thanks to new acoustic glass and improvements to body rigidity, too. Did Ben agree?

“It's very much quieter,” he said. “I noticed as soon as I got in and shut the door, but it’s even more apparent when you’re on the move.”

Tesla’s efforts to improve the ride quality – one of the biggest bugbears among owners of the original Model Y – appears to have paid dividends, too. “The ride quality seemed better to me,” said Ben. “I think it’s definitely more comfortable. The steering seemed smoother to me, too.”

In the US, Tesla is offering current owners the option to end their lease early to upgrade to the new Model Y. (Tesla)

Tesla also claims to have made big strides in overall quality, which Ben picked up on. “I drove my car down Scottsdale Road on my way to the test drive and I can hear rattles here and there,” he said. “Then I drove the new Model Y down the same stretch of road and there were no rattles at all.”

Ben is already a big fan of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving tech on his own Model Y, as he explained: “The big issue for me, and I didn't anticipate this with Tesla, is that I find myself driving less and less. I find myself using the Full Self-Driving more and more.

“I think if there is any improvement in Full Self-Driving in the new car it’s because the chassis reacts to inputs more positively than in the existing car.”

Range is also important to Ben, and he described the increase in range as being one of the main tipping points when deciding to upgrade. “I calculated the range on the new car that I drove as being about 326 miles. So, even after time I think the new one will stay comfortably above 300 miles in range. My current Model Y is getting just under 300 miles.”

The return of the indicator stalk was a popular move with our Tesla Model Y test driver. (Tesla)

When it comes to the all-important decision, will Ben be upgrading from his current Model Y to the new one? “Oh, definitely,” he said. “I'm so enthused about it: the increased range, the improved ride, the quietness, and I love the new buttons on the steering wheel.”

Ben’s even starting to think about doing the deal as soon as he can. “What I understand is that, here in the US, Tesla will forgive you the last three months of your lease and allow you to upgrade.

“I’ll be doing that, without a doubt.”

The Tesla Model Y is now on sale in the US, with orders open for the Launch Series car at a price of $61,630 before any federal tax credits. In the UK the Launch Series car costs £60,990.