Autobayng News Team
I really didn’t mean to waste a salesman’s time—but the opportunity presented itself.
I happened to be en route to return the Premium-trimmed Tesla Model Y I had been testing for our Breakthrough EV of the Year awards when my eagle-eyed self spotted it: a person driving a brand-new Model Y Standard. I didn’t realize the new budget-oriented version of Tesla’s most popular car was on sale yet, which made me curious to look at one in person. At least, in a more substantial way than just rubbernecking in traffic, hoping to sneak a glance in the window of a stranger’s car.
Since it was the day before Thanksgiving and I had a bit of time to kill before any holiday festivities, I drove to the Tesla store to see if it had any in stock I could take a passive gander at. I was in luck; it had one on display. Initially, I just wanted to look around the car. But within two minutes, a salesman noticed me on the lot, unlocked the car, and let me take it for a spin.
Photo by: Kevin Williams/InsideEVs
Oops. Oh well. I’m not going to let a test drive go to waste, so here are some impressions of the all-new Tesla Model Y Standard, judging from about 45 minutes I spent behind the wheel and in the car.
Tesla Model Y Standard: First Impressions
The Standard Model Y and the more upmarket Premium trim look very similar to one another, but there are more than a few exterior changes that set the cheaper model apart from its higher-dollar sibling. Up front, there’s no full-width light bar, and the bumper cover itself is actually shaped a lot differently. Same with the rear; the Cybertruck-inspired full-width light bar found on the Premium car is gone, and the bumper and trunk lid are simpler than its more expensive cousin’s. Add in the balloon tires and kind of ugly hubcaps, and the Standard-trim Model Y definitely looks downmarket. Photo by: Kevin Williams/InsideEVs
And yeah, there’s definitely a price difference between the two cars. Tesla intended for this model to help bump sales via a lower cost of entry. The Standard Model Y costs $39,990 before destination fees, while the Premium model will run you $44,990.
The real cost cutting is evident in the car’s interior, though. The frunk’s lack of lining is the most obvious here; whereas the higher-end model has a frunk nicely trimmed out with plastic pieces, Tesla removed all that stuff for the budget trim. Pop the frunk, and you’ll see a shoddy plastic hole in the midst of the bodywork where you’re able to see the mechanical structure underneath. Photo by: Kevin Williams/InsideEVs
The rest of the interior is okay, but it is definitely meant to be cheaper to buy and make. The leatherette vinyl seats are swapped out for cloth ones, which I actually don’t mind. The center console has been mostly removed, which does make the interior feel a little less confining. However, the glass roof has been covered with a trim panel, which has the opposite effect, making the Model Y’s interior feel a little less airy.
There are also no pillar-to-pillar mood lights, which change the interior’s ambiance. It’s not like the Model Y’s interior has ever been especially warm and inviting, but this budget model really feels sterile and spartan. Photo by: Tesla
Driving the Standard Model Y
On the road, I’d wager that most drivers would have a hard time telling the dynamic difference between the Standard and Premium trims.
Photo by: Kevin Williams/InsideEVs
According to Tesla, the Standard trim has less sophisticated dampers. Yet the Standard trim doesn’t feel like it rides any better or worse than its Premium sibling. Perhaps the big tires are why it’s so good at ironing out bumps and imperfections. Supposedly, the thinner glass should contribute to higher levels of road and wind noise, but it felt negligible compared to the Model Y I had earlier that day.
Still, despite the lack of options and downmarket position, the Model Y Standard can still access Full Self Driving (Supervised), which was enabled on my test drive.
On one hand, aside from some strange cost-cutting decisions, the Standard Model Y feels just as good as its higher-trimmed siblings. If you’re a fan of the Model Y’s snappy screen interface, swift performance and sporty handling, then you’ll be just fine. The Standard still has all of the good bones that made people like the crossover in the first place.
On the other hand, the Standard trim’s omissions don’t feel like they’re worth the price, something made very apparent when the salesman and I talked numbers. True, the Standard Model Y is about $5,000 cheaper than the Premium one. However, Tesla doesn’t offer a lease for any of the Standard models. So, the savings would only be felt by buyers paying cash or financing, somewhat of a rarity for people who are looking to get behind the wheel of an EV. Even the salesman himself thought that buying a Premium model would be the wisest course of action. Photo by: Kevin Williams/InsideEVs
Now, I don’t think the Model Y Standard is a bad car, but I think suffering from the same issues that the Chinese-market Model Y L does; it just feels like a low-effort attempt to capture a new market. For months, Tesla talked about creating a new entry-level model for the brand, and instead we got a Model Y with no FM radio and ugly hubcaps. The price isn’t actually much more affordable, either.
If you’re looking to buy a Model Y, I’d just go ahead and skip the Standard trim. It’s not worth it.
Contact the author: kevin.williams@insideevs.com
More Tesla Related Articles
Click here to see all articles with lists of the best EVs We want your opinion! What would you like to see on Insideevs.com? – The InsideEVs team
