Is it worth buying a Tesla today? This Tesla Model Y review can help you decide. I bought a new Model Y and have driven it 30,000 miles. To say the least, I have some insight to share. You’ll find some of the top pros and cons below…
To start with one big benefit, you can already buy a better Model Y at a lower price. Here’s the full Model Y price history…
For the latest updates and predictions, check out the link above. And to kick off this Tesla Model Y review, here are the topics where I tend to get the most questions…
Tesla Model Y Review
- Buying a New Tesla Model Y (Process and Delivery)
- Tesla Model Y Maintenance (Quality and Costs)
- Charging a Tesla Model Y Long Range
- Should You Buy Now or Wait?
The cost to buy a Tesla is changing and the total cost depends on the state you live in. I’ll share some financial insight throughout the review. And my finance brain is kicking in. Buying a used gas car is still the better move on average.
Buying a New Tesla Model Y
What’s the process for buying a new Tesla Model Y? One of the first things you should consider is distance from a showroom. If you’re near big cities, you should have easy access.
However, in my case, I had a one-way five-hour drive to the nearest Tesla showroom. I was originally routed eight hours away to Minneapolis. But after calling in, I was able to switch it to the closest one (near Denver).
Depending on the showroom and distance, Tesla provides drop off delivery. That might be useful for you. And if you’re further out, there are third-party deliveries that come with a fee.
Either way, you’ll want to plan for the time and extra costs when taking delivery of your new Tesla Model Y. And other than that, the ordering and pickup process was easy…
To order, it’s a smooth process through the Tesla mobile app. Once the order was in, it was easy to work with the Tesla delivery employees as well. On pick up day, it only took an hour to review the Tesla and finalize the delivery. Although, this brings me to my first negative for my Tesla review…
When buying my long-range Model Y, I also bought the mobile chargers. However, it defaulted to an old shipping address for those. I caught the mistake on the day I ordered but I couldn’t change it in the app. I then called multiple times… but the reps couldn’t change it. They kept on saying it was a separate team and they didn’t have mobile chargers on hand. So, I had to wait and have a friend pick them up and re-ship them.
That wasn’t fun because I couldn’t slow charge at home, and I didn’t have a backup while traveling. As a new Tesla owner, I still had to learn the ins-and-outs of charging (more on that below). Also, if you want a breakdown of costs to buy a new Tesla Model Y long range, here’s a look at costs when I bought. The prices have changed but this can help you know what to expect…
Tesla Model Y Maintenance and Costs
I’ve driven my Model Y over 30,000 miles and so far, no maintenance costs. One benefit of electric cars is not having to change the oil. On top of that, I rarely use the brake pedal thanks to regenerative braking. I might never have to replace the brake pads or calipers.
One negative tradeoff with EVs is that they’re heavier than gas cars due to the big batteries. As a result, the tires wear down faster, but so far, my tire treads look good. They look even across the tires, and I haven’t needed to rotate them. Although, I’m not an aggressive driver. Your mileage may vary 🙂 Nonetheless, this will be an upcoming expense.
Outside of adding a few accessories like Tesla roof sunshades, I haven’t made any modifications. I skipped adding paint protection film and only have a few small paint chips. A lady also bumped my Model Y with her truck and caused some scratches. But luckily, she left a note and reimbursed me for a Tesla paint repair kit.
Stepping back a bit… if you want to include windshield wiper fluid, my Tesla maintenance costs haven’t been zero. That tacks on a few dollars. And it bumps up if adding in a few times through a car wash.
I’ve run into plenty of Tesla owners. Some have driven hundreds of thousands of miles and have had great luck with little ongoing costs. One owner had over 500,000 miles! Most of the issues I’ve heard about are from initial delivery… but you can take them back in for free fixes (still an annoying process).
The other big issues result from accidents but should be covered by insurance. As of writing this, I pay close to $150 a month for insurance. I wish I could get insurance through Tesla, but it’s not currently available in South Dakota.
If you don’t get a lemon and treat your Model Y well, it should last a long time. People also point out the big cost of replacing the battery. They degrade over time and charging cycles. But looking into it, I might have roughly 90% of the original “capacity” after 200,000 miles.
On top of that, battery innovation and scale are picking up. The Model Y is already one of the top five best-selling cars in the U.S. (this includes the best-selling gas cars). If and when I’ll need a battery replacement, I’ll probably get an improved battery at a lower cost. Maybe a 600-mile Tesla battery?
Charging a Tesla Model Y Long Range
If you’re buying a new Tesla as a daily commuter, the standard range is likely the better buy. If you don’t need extra space, a standard range Model 3 might be even better to save money.
Depending on your home setup, an electric car can save you time as well. Imagine never having to go to a gas station again and just plugging in at home. If you’re driving less than an hour or two a day, a standard wall outlet (with mobile chargers) should give you enough juice.
I bought the long-range Model Y because I wanted to road trip across the U.S. It was also great for sleeping in a Tesla. On long driving days, the supercharger network had me covered most any place I wanted to travel. And depending on the state (lots of different energy and utility rules), I might pay $20 for close to a full charge.
For the faster chargers, I averaged roughly 30 minutes. On a 10-hour driving day, you might spend close to an extra hour and a half compared to gas cars. The long range can also give you a little more travel and charging flexibility.
If you do a lot of long road trips and are time sensitive, electric might not be the way to go. That’s a key takeaway for this Tesla Model Y review. Even if you’re buying a long-range Tesla, a good gas car will save you travel time.
Luckily for me, I wasn’t in a rush last year. This gave me the benefit of finding free slow chargers around the U.S. With the mobile charger and connectors, I charged for free lots of places. To learn how to find free Tesla charging, here’s how…
Should You Buy a Tesla or Wait?
There are many factors to consider. As mentioned above, buying a used gas car on average will still be a better financial move. But if you’re set on buying a Tesla, should you wait for lower prices? Should you wait for new upgrades to the cars?
There are hardware updates but that’ll always be the case. And on the software side, here’s a general rule to live by… don’t buy tech with the promise of future updates. If it’s not good enough as-is, don’t buy it. If and when over-the-air updates come through, that’s just a nice bonus.
On the price side, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few more small price cuts. Tesla Model Y supply has increased. Tesla is pumping out more cars than ever before and all the while, buyer demand is softening. Higher inflation and interest rates are taking a toll.
Every situation is different and it’s hard to predict economic shifts. I could dive deeper into the economic trends, but I digress… I’ve covered some of the big questions in this Tesla Model Y review. If you have any specific questions, please feel free to reach out. You can contact me directly or leave a comment on any of my YouTube videos.
You can also compare changes with the Tesla Model Y price history and Tesla Model 3 price history. Which one is better for you?