Escalation. It happens in arguments between friends, international conflicts, and every time the server at your favorite restaurant upsells you on a slightly more expensive entree for dinner. Escalation can explain plenty of human history's most important moments, but it can also explain some of the least consequential decisions that individuals make on a daily basis.
The sad truth is that upselling almost always works. So when I recently test drove a Tesla Model 3 with my friend Ryan, who is in the process of finding a new car to replace his Volkswagen GTI leaser, I had a feeling the story wasn't quite done. Even during the first few minutes behind the wheel of the cheapest rear-wheel-drive Model 3 available for purchase, Ryan already seemed in the mood for something more, something better.
His car search comes down to needing a bit more room for his growing family, but he also doesn't want to sacrifice the potential for a bit of fun driving here and there. (Somewhat hilariously, when I published an extremely critical review of his GTI and sent it to him, his response was, "I thought the carsickness was just me!")
As soon as we returned the Model 3, it was only a matter of time until he wanted to take out a Tesla with a bit more performance on tap. That time came this week when we headed down to the Tesla salesroom in Santa Monica to drive the dual-motor Model Y in Long Range AWD trim. This was an exercise in escalation, both in terms of power and price—exactly the kind of decision making that Elon Musk and his Tesla salespeople bank on.
Choosing Wheels And Tires
Ostensibly, one of the main reasons we test drove the Model Y was to check out its wheel-and-tire combo. While configuring his potential Model 3 and Model Y online, Ryan found himself wondering which wheels and which tires he'd prefer. Given how quickly we'd reached the limits of traction of the Model 3 during some tail-happy drifting, I couldn't blame him. Plus, the styling differences come into play.
The wheels on the Model Y come in 19 and 20-inch variants, the former of which wears an easily removable hubcap. When our salesman took us upstairs to check out the Model Y, he casually allowed us to pop off the plastic piece and reveal the metal underneath. I liked the simple look more; Ryan wasn't 100% sure. Another plus for the Model Y's pros-and-cons list comes in the form of upgraded tires compared to the Model 3's Michelin Primacy MXM4 setup. In this case, either Continental ExtremeContact or Goodyear Eagle F1 rubber, depending on the wheel size.
Behind The Wheel Of The Model Y
The need for higher-quality tires on the Model Y became immediately obvious the second we left the parking garage and headed for the Pacific Coast Highway. Sure, the Model 3 was a revelation in terms of instantaneously available torque made possible by a single, rear-mounted electric motor. But the dual-motor and all-wheel-drive Model Y was downright brutal with every lightest touch of the accelerator pedal, when the initial jerk (the uninventive-yet-accurate scientific term for the derivative of acceleration) slams heads back into headrests. And this wasn't even the Performance version!
Straight-line speed isn't everything, though, no matter what Detroit's Big Three may promote hoping to sell muscle cars. The Model Y proved itself faster-than fast throughout the course of our 35-minute test drive (we were offered up to 90 minutes) but both Ryan and I came away thinking the Model Y had lost something that made the Model 3 so great.
Perhaps the increased weight—up to 4,416 pounds compared to the base Model 3's 3,552 pounds—just made the Model Y too pendulous, especially when combined with a more upright design that results in a bit more body roll. Or maybe it was the larger wheels with lower-profile tires that kept our hindquarters well informed of every crack in the pavement—unlike the Model 3's almost deceptively smooth ride.
Impressive Radar Display On The Central Touchscreen
One detail that I spent some time checking out more closely than I had in the Model 3 was the radar display on the central touchscreen, which would come into play in a big way during autonomous driving modes (not available on the base Model 3 but standard on the Model Y Long Range AWD). The impressive system accurately recognized the panel van seen above, even the rate at which it was turning in addition to its height and depth. We also passed some trash cans that perfectly popped up on the screen.
Practicality And Pricing
The simple design of the Model Y hearkens directly to the Model 3, which comes as no surprise given that the two cheaper Teslas share about three-quarters of the same parts bin. But the Model Y also costs a lot more than its sedan sibling, so Ryan and I both expressed surprise at the fact that it wasn't at least a little bit nicer on the inside. Details like the plastic dials on the steering wheel seem acceptable in a Model 3 that starts in the $30,000 range—they start to feel cheap on a Model Y creeping up towards $50,000.
Quality Control Concerns
The radar display, touchscreen functionality, and the generally electronified driving experience all give Ryan significant reason to hit pause on a potential Tesla purchase. The Model Y only magnified reliability concerns for a startup EV manufacturer with a track record of serious delays when things, inevitably, do go wrong.
Again, possibly due to the increased weight, the brutal acceleration, and the less compliant ride, the whole interior creaked and rattled much more than the Model 3. The rear motor also made a very noticeable whining noise throughout the entire drive and the speaker mesh ahead of the dash was clearly delaminating—this in a brand-new car.
Even More Legroom And Headroom, But Not Necessarily Comfort
One major difference between the Model 3 and the larger Model Y comes in the form of more upright seats that allow, incredibly, for even more legroom and headroom. That more upright driving position wasn't necessarily as comfortable in my opinion, seeming more like a minivan than anything else, even if it did accentuate the enormous panoramic sunroof to a new degree.
The Huge Panoramic Sunroof
In the rear, the back seats are also roomier, and they fold down to reveal a large cargo area that would be great for Ryan's bikes and surfboards—when the kids and the dog aren't coming with, that is. Just look at that sunroof, though. Would it be ideal for the kids in their car seats on a 100-degree day in Southern California?
Rear Seats Folded Down Revealing A Dirty Trunk
Part of the reason Ryan started considering Tesla, after he'd begun his car search planning to focus more in the $20,000 used-car range (specifically a well-maintained Porsche Cayenne or Macan), was the idea of being able to commute in the carpool lane with a zero-emissions sticker. But that portion of driving would be all alone, rendering the additional cost of the dual-motor Model Y Long Range AWD and its roomy interior somewhat pointless.
As is the case whenever things start escalating, dropping back down to Earth with a more reasonable, single-motor Model 3 certainly doesn't seem likely now. But then again, bumping up to the dual-motor Model 3 means creeping up in price closer to the Model Y—the question becomes whether Ryan wants to escalate in performance, price, and proportion all at once.
For me, the all-wheel-drive performance came across as extremely impressive and climbing back behind the wheel of my 220,000-mile Mitsubishi Montero, I immediately found myself missing all that instantaneous torque. And yet, after a few minutes, the daydream had passed as I happily inched through LA traffic in my dead-bolts reliable and incredibly affordable internal-combustion car.
Sources: Inside EVs, Tesla, Car and Driver, and IOPscience.