Tesla Model Y Test Drive #2

In July of 2020, I test drove a Tesla Model Y as soon as the local store had a tester available (see my review here). It was the Performance MY, which is not the model I am interested in. So, while the drive was great, I really felt like I needed to drive the Long Range AWD model as well, which is what I plan to order. I was finally able to do this on January 15, and it was even my preferred colors of blue and black nd had the 19 inch Gemini wheels. The only thing I'd add is the tow hitch (for a bike rack).

I went into this drive wanting to determine a couple of things - how the ride quality was with the 19" wheels and tires, how the performance was compared to the MYP and to have my wife drive it! All three aims were accomplished......

I never felt that the ride of the Performance model was terrible. It is definitely stiffer than the LR AWD model, as the 21 inch performance tires have a rubberband-like sidewall height. The MY does have a reputation as a vehicle with not-the-smoothest ride, but I prefer it firm to loose. The LR AWD with the 19" tires was perfect, to my mind. Firm but still a bit more cushy than the Performance model. And handling is great, with the low center of gravity and really quick steering (even on Standard mode). So one box checked.

Performance is basically stunning with either MY. It wasn't a totally fair comparison, as the MYP was set to 'Chill' mode which softens performance a bit, which the LR AWD was set to Standard. But the acceleration pushes you back in your seat in either car, and the .5 second difference to 60 mph isn't really noticed, at least not by me. It's fun! So another check box.

My wife Kathleen did get a chance to drive it and she also loved it. Took her a few minutes to adjust to the quick steering (as it did me) as well as the regenerative braking (more about that in a minute) but she had no complai9nts about the car at all. 

Mission accomplished!

I mentioned the regen braking - when we picked up the car, it had 310 miles of range indicated so about 95% state of charge. Typically, at a high SOC, regen braking is eliminated or reduced. Since the regen puts energy back into the battery, at a high SOC, there is no room for that energy to go back, so the car automatically reduces the amount of regen available, and you need to use the friction brakes more than you might with, say, a 50% SOC. So the regen was basically non-existent until we drove the car a bit and the SOV went down. So Kathleen didn't get the full 'one pedal driving' experience. When I drove the MYP last summer, the SOC was more like 30%, so plenty of regen was available. It makes a big difference in the driving experience.

A couple of other notes. The car we drove was VIN #66xxx, so a likely September build car. It did have the double-paned windows but did not have the updated steering wheel or USB port in the glovebox. A little irritating the way Tesla just trickles the updates out. New builds have the steering wheel and glovebox USB port, and are just starting to come out with the heated steering wheel. New Model 3 cars are coming with updated headlights; haven't seen either those or the updated console on the new MY yet. I'd like those things.

I'm up in the air on the wheels, to be honest. To cover or not to cover. There was a MY in the showroom that had the wheel covers installed on one side, and the naked alloy wheels on the other. I haven't seen any definitive info on range impact without the covers, although some have suggested a 1 - 2% hit (which would be between 3 and 7 miles). Doesn't seem like much, although I suspect that it might be more at highway speeds. I'll probably start out keeping them on and test the range and without.

Right now, my plan is to order on January 30 - my birthday! Hoping for early March delivery. Can't wait!