Sleek Interior, Simple Charging, Distracting Screen

• I was blown away by the Model Y when I first drove it. 
• The $65,990 Model Y offers spacious and fun driving. It is also easy to charge. 
• Its all-digital interface can take some getting used too and could be confusing for those who love buttons. 

I’ve had the good fortune to test over a dozen electric cars from various brands over the years, but never a Tesla — until now. The company does not provide press cars so I borrowed a 2022 Model Y a friend gave me and put it through its paces. 

Mostly, The Model Y was a great experience. — especially its effortless charging experience — but a few negatives stood out, too. 

Amazing tech features

Model Y features a variety of tech features accessible through its iPad-like touchscreen. 

A blind-spot camera view appears when you activate the turn signal. After I had stopped to charge the car for 20 minutes, I was able to play a racing game using the actual steering wheel. You can also blast fart sounds outside of the car, which is another bizarre feature.

As I was walking around the car, taking photos for this story. The SUV’s Sentry Mode spotted me and began recording. The navigation system was very easy. 

Overall, Tesla’s interface reminded of an Apple product more than clunky cars software. 

However, not everyone can afford the big screen.

What’s Not so goodTesla has removed almost all buttons from the touchscreen and instead placed most basic functions in the touchscreen. It can be difficult to use the controls while driving. 

You want to turn on the butt warms, adjust the speed of the wipers or direct the air vents? All of these will require tapping or a voice command. You can see things that are normally displayed in an instrument panel (e.g. speed, battery level and cruise-control settings) on the screen.

Despite all the advanced features of Teslas, they lack Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. 

Tech enthusiasts who enjoy living at the forefront of technology may find this a welcome advancement towards a smarter and more efficient era of car design. Others may find it more complicated than necessary to answer a question no one asked. 

It’s a thrill to drive

The Model Y can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds and has the instant acceleration of EVs. This will get you back in your seatStartle unwitting passengers. The steering is precise and tight. The down side is that the Y rider can be a little stiff. 

The Performance version will hit 60 mph in 3.0 seconds. However, the Long Range model is still fun and offers all-wheel drive. 

Many options

Many EVs sacrifice range for increased performance or vice-versa. The Model Y is able to tick both boxes, with an EPA rating of upto 330 miles.

Effortless Supercharging

Maybe it is the Supercharger network is best reason to buy Tesla.This includes Some 1,500 locationsThis is only available to Tesla owners. It allows you to charge your car seamlessly. 

The car will automatically add the necessary charging stops to your route when you plot it. You can simply pull up to a Supercharger and plug in. Other EVs are also available. Charges can be complicatedSometimes, you will need to swipe a credit card, sign up for a membership or download an app.

Interior design that is refreshingly minimalist 

It is difficult to see how busy interiors of other cars are until you drive a Tesla. The Model Y’s minimalistic and clean interior is a delight and it was a pleasure to spend time there. 

The large glass roof gives the space a feeling of openness. 

Cargo space galore

Tesla did a fantastic job in maximising space for passengers, and their stuff. The Model Y offers 76.2 cubic yards of cargo space. Beating out competitors of similar size. It’s more than other popular gas-powered crossovers, such as the Toyota RAV4 (or Nissan Rogue). 

The Model Y features a front trunk, and a surprising amount of under-floor storage in the rear.