The Car Connection Expert Review
Bengt Halvorson Senior Editor
January 18, 2023
Likes
- Quick tablet-like touchscreen
- Mighty acceleration
- Spacious cabin
- Road-trip charging experience
Dislikes
- Unattractive profile
- Inconsistent build quality
- No Apple CarPlay or Android Auto
- Full Self-Driving sideshow
Buying tip
The $15,000 Full Self-Driving package promises something that Tesla might not be able to deliver. If you do a lot of highway mileage, we recommend Tesla’s Enhanced Autopilot package instead, at $6,000.
features & specs
AWD
Long Range AWD
Performance AWD
MPG
Coming Soon
MPG
Coming Soon
MPG
Coming Soon
MSRP
$47,740
MSRP
$48,990
See Full 2023 Tesla Model Y Specs »
“The 2023 Tesla Model Y delivers excellent driving range, performance, and interior space, but its pricing and features won’t convince everyone.”
What kind of car is the 2023 Tesla Model Y? What does it compare to?
The Tesla Model Y is an electric crossover SUV that seats up to seven passengers. In some configurations it provides well over 300 miles of range, keeping it ahead of rivals like the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Ioniq 5, and Volkswagen ID.4.
Is the 2023 Tesla Model Y a good car?
Top-notch safety scores, impressive acceleration, decent handling, and a crisp, intuitive interface make the Model Y a competent package in all respects, with only underwhelming styling, a lackluster list of options, and subpar build quality holding it back. Keep the controversy of “Full Self Driving” out of this discussion, and it earns a TCC Rating of 7.5 out of 10. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
What's new for the 2023 Tesla Model Y?
The Model Y is offered in Long Range and Performance versions. Standard Range versions may rejoin the lineup later in the year, if EPA filings are any hint. Tesla tends to introduce new features when they’re ready, and some 2023 Model Y vehicles will have heated wipers, a different suspension tune and, depending on where they were built, different battery configurations.
Compared to the Model 3 sedan on which it’s based, the Model Y offers superior cargo and passenger volume, but the bubbly greenhouse results in proportions that are far less balanced. Inside, the Model Y goes ultra-minimalist, skipping conventional switches and buttons in favor of a center-mounted 15.0-inch touchscreen. Both models have a dual-motor layout, with 330 miles of range for the Long Range and 303 miles for the Performance. But the Performance is much quicker, sprinting from 0-60 mph in just 3.5 seconds versus 4.8 seconds in the Long Range. Tesla’s Enhanced Autopilot package costs $6,000 and includes adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitors, and active lane control. The Full Self-Driving suite is offered for $15,000 with the promise of hands-free city driving in the future—although that will still require constant driver attention so it’s all a misnomer. How much does the 2023 Model Y cost? After various price hikes in 2021 and 2022—and the deletion of Standard Range versions in 2021—prices on the Model Y have stabilized at a starting price of $54,380 in Long Range form. Performance versions start at $58,380. The seven-passenger interior layout is a $4,000 option. Standard equipment includes 12-way power front seats, heated front and rear seats, a heated steering wheel, four USB ports, and a glass roof. A more affordable standard range version powered by a lithium ion phosphate (LFP) battery pack may become available sometime during the model year, but there is no word on its debut yet. Where is the Model Y made? The Model Y is made in Fremont, Calif., and Austin, Texas.
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2023 Tesla Model Y Styling
The Model Y stretches the Model 3’s look upward, and the resulting proportions aren’t perfect.
Is the 2023 Tesla Model Y a good-looking car?
From most angles, the Model Y looks a bit like Tesla took the Model 3’s profile and stretched it upward. While that might not win you over, the roomy, super-minimalist interior, essentially borrowed from the Model 3, just might, and the interior earns a point for a total of 6.
In profile, the Model Y has a more rounded roofline with a somewhat higher beltline than the Model 3 sedan. The Model Y has a great stance from the front or rear, and it’s worth noting that it’s as low to the road as a car, with only 6.6 inches underneath. The Model Y’s greenhouse is also 5.9 inches taller than the Model 3’s, and the raised roof makes for a more pleasant backseat experience. Everything runs through the 15.0-inch landscape-oriented touchscreen atop the dash, in easy reach of both passengers. Materials inside don’t look luxurious, but it’s cheerful enough for those who appreciate simplicity.
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2023 Tesla Model Y Performance
The Tesla Model Y offers quick, satisfying performance while staying lean and efficient.
The Model Y deploys its instant torque with glee, leaping off the line with the same suddenness as its sedan counterpart. It gets a 7 on our scale for its prodigious acceleration.
Is the Tesla Model Y AWD?
All of them, yes. Dual-motor all-wheel drive comes standard on the Long Range and Performance models. There have been rear-wheel-drive Model Y versions for other markets, but not the U.S. How fast is the Model Y? The Model Y, even in its more leisurely Long Range configuration, can blast to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds. The Performance version takes a scant 3.5 seconds, and will out-accelerate other electric crossovers. Just as in the Model 3, it rides on the firm side, with bumps transmitted into the cabin—especially so in the Performance version. The low-mounted battery pack gives the Model Y an almost performance-coupe level of cornering prowess. The Model Y doesn’t offer the kind of ground clearance needed for trail driving, but there is an Off-Road Assist feature for loose surfaces. Add the $1,000 tow hitch, and its towing capacity tops out at 3,500 pounds with an optional tow package. Keep in mind that Tesla only provides regenerative braking when you lift the accelerator, not as you press the brake pedal. There are several regenerative braking settings, the most aggressive of which allows one-pedal driving—meaning you can make gentler stops and starts without using the brake pedal much, if at all. But in “Chill” mode, the Model Y is much easier to drive around smoothly with passengers.
6
2023 Tesla Model Y Comfort & Quality
The Tesla Model Y shows a lot of efficiency in packaging, with plenty of passenger and cargo space—and an optional third row.
The Tesla Model Y has one of the smallest parking footprints of any U.S.-market vehicle to offer three rows of seating. Truthfully, the Model Y offers generous passenger space acceptable for five adults, plus impressive cargo space and versatility, including the convenience of a frunk for other odds and ends. But Tesla hasn’t shown a lot of signs that it’s cured its build-quality issues, so that reels it back a point here, arriving at a 6.
Tesla boasts that the interior is “all vegan.” What that means is that the upholstery doesn’t feel nearly as plush as the leather in some rival luxury models priced in the same range. Tesla says the synthetic leather is more durable, stain-resistant, and “significantly more sustainable” versus conventional materials.
The Model Y’s interior is a pleasant place, although the rather firm seats lack the plushness that some may seek. What helps give the whole cabin an airy look and expansive feel is the bright glass roof overhead—a configuration that doesn’t rob headroom in the process. The cargo space and seating space itself in the Model Y is impressive whether it’s just you or whether you plan to carry the whole family around. Cargo space for five-seat models is 30.2 cubic feet behind the rear seats, expanding to 72.1 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down. For the seven seat layout, there is 12.8 cubic feet behind the third row, 26.6 cubic feet behind the second, and 67.9 cubic feet with both rows folded. We still haven’t been inside a seven-seat Model Y, but it’s hard to imagine using the space for anything more than a child seat in a real pinch. The Model Y’s elegantly simple dash and front-seat space are the highlights. Throughout the cabin, the fit, finish, and trims in this cabin can be weak—or at least highly inconsistent—versus equivalent mainstream-brand EVs, let alone those with luxury badges.
9
2023 Tesla Model Y Safety
The Model Y offers top-notch occupant protection. Just beware the claims of “Full Self Driving.”
How safe is the Model Y?
The 2023 Tesla Model Y has an enviable set of crash-test results, including five stars from the NHTSA and a place on the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ list. Its safety set is robust, and all that we see as the essentials are on the standard feature list. That adds up to a 9 out of 10 here.
Automatic emergency braking, active lane control, and blind-spot monitors come standard on the Model Y. Outward visibility is great in all directions, however the low hoodline can leave you guessing about the front edge. Tesla’s Enhanced Autopilot package costs $6,000 and includes automatic lane changes and a Smart Summon feature that will allow the vehicle to find you or be sent to a specific space (within private parking lots). Full Self Driving is the other option; for $15,000 it will react to traffic lights and stop signs, and claims future automatic steering on city streets. The misuse of the inaccurately named features may have caused fatal car crashes, prompting the NHTSA to launch a criminal investigation into the company.
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2023 Tesla Model Y Features
Tesla builds on the smartphone experience, for better or worse, with its interface, while a limited number of builds don’t leave a lot of choices.
The Model Y offers a robust set of standard features plus a quick, sharp-looking infotainment screen. That brings the Model Y up to a 7 in this category.
Nothing else is enough of a bonus or demerit to budge it from that position, although if your priority is sheer simplicity of interface, you’ll want to bookmark this possibility. All eyes go to center console touchscreens nowadays, and in the Model Y’s case it’s a good one. Beautiful, placed well, and offering a flat, intuitive menu structure, it’s a great hub for just about everything the Model Y has to offer. Forget about a gauge cluster; the speed and idiot lights are in the upper left corner of the screen. Switchgear? Seemingly all but the legally required pieces have become screen menus. But the font is clear and the toggles are all very iPad-like.
Standard features also include 12-way power front seats, heated front and rear seats, a heated steering wheel, four USB ports, and the glass roof. Some vehicles might also include heated wipers. At face value, Tesla’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty is competitive, plus it has 8-year/100,000-mile (or 150,000 mile) coverage for the battery and drive units. Add the seven-passenger interior option (for $3,000), and you get USB-C charging ports back there, a sliding second row with adjustable seatbacks, and a setup that allows both the second and third rows to fold flat (with releases in the trunk area) for cargo. Which Tesla Model Y should I buy? Most drivers will find the Long Range version to be plenty quick, while its stronger efficiency makes it the better choice year-round. Get the Enhanced Autopilot if you tend to pile on the highway miles. How much is a fully loaded Model Y? If you start with the Model Y Performance, add premium paint, a tow hitch, the black-and-white interior, Full Self Driving, and a mobile charging connector (charging equipment not included), the Model Y adds up to $77,380. That puts the Model Y in the vicinity of larger, more luxurious electric SUVs like the tri-motor Audi E-Tron S SUV, or the dual-motor BMW iX with options that aren’t even offered on the Model Y, like a head-up display and augmented-reality navigation.
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2023 Tesla Model Y Fuel Economy
Compared to most other electric crossovers, the Tesla Model Y goes more miles with less energy.
While much about how and why the Model Y excels comes down to personal preference—and the convenience of the Tesla ecosystem—it’s irrefutably better in efficiency than other electric crossovers offering this kind of space and all-wheel-drive traction.
For 2023, the Model Y earns an estimated range of 330 miles for the Long Range and 303 miles for the Performance. That, and its nearly 3.6 miles per kwh on the EPA cycle, earns it a full 10 points in this category.
Tesla has also certified a lower-cost Standard Range version of the 2023 Model Y, and it stands at 279 EPA miles of range, with efficiency comparable to Long Range versions. But the company has made no indication of when it might become available. Both of the longer-range variants feature a lithium-ion pack with about 80 kwh of usable capacity. Tesla doesn’t offer home-charging technology that’s any more advanced than other EVs, but these models’ greater efficiency means that on a 240-volt Level 2 home (or destination) charger, the Model Y gains back about 45 miles of range per hour of charging. You’ll do much better yet on the Supercharger DC fast-charging connectors exclusive to Tesla vehicles found throughout the nation near major highways. In its latest version, it can add 162 miles of range back in 15 minutes.
