130 - 148
295 - 460
1 speed, Automatic
Electric
All Wheel Drive, Rear Wheel Drive
You can already see them everywhere in suburban America, as the Tesla Model Y SUV has quickly gained popularity since its 2020 debut. Tesla based the Model Y on the compact Model 3 sedan, but with more space, similar performance, and a comparable driving range. The Model Y should be on the shopping list for small families, couples, and even singles looking for an electric vehicle (EV).
Photo: Jim Resnick
Tesla updates the Model Y for 2026 with a revised body, including a new front and rear design, slimmer headlights, more comfortable seats, and a new dashboard. It is also quieter inside than previous models.
Tesla continues to produce the Model Y solely as a four-door crossover SUV with a liftgate. The available variations are based on drivetrain configurations, offering single-motor/rear-wheel-drive (RWD) and dual-motor/all-wheel-drive (AWD) options. Starting prices begin in the mid-$40,000s and go up to the low $50,000s, including destination charges for shipping the Tesla SUV from either Fremont, California, or Austin, Texas, to your local dealership.
For this 2026 Model Y review, I rented a brand-new vehicle with the Long Range AWD trim, equipped with the following notable options:
The test vehicle's manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) was $59,975, including Tesla's required $250 ordering fee and the $1,390 destination charge. The price does not reflect any current rebates, incentives, or price adjustments since Tesla built the test vehicle.
Additionally, note that the long-standing $7,500 federal EV tax credit for EVs assembled in America, which is tied to the vehicle's purchase date rather than its manufacturing date, is no longer valid as of September 30, 2025.
Photo: Jim Resnick
After five years on the market, Tesla redesigned the Model Y's body for the first time, introducing new front and rear bodywork, slimmer headlights, and revised taillights. The overall appearance makes the Model Y sleeker, with a lower nose and simplified details. I like it and prefer it over the pre-redesign Model Y.
Inside, more comfortable seats welcome you, along with a redesigned dashboard. I must say the materials used inside have improved in quality, but they do not match those found in luxury brands like Audi, BMW, Cadillac, or Mercedes-Benz SUVs. Instead, they are more comparable to the higher trim levels in modern Honda and Toyota hybrids, which is not a bad thing at all. Nonetheless, for buyers expecting a high level of luxury, this vehicle is not quite there.
You will benefit from an impressive six extra inches of rear legroom in the new Model Y compared to the Model 3 it’s based on, along with 1.6 inch more rear headroom. Power adjustments both recline and fold the rear seatbacks. With the spacious back seat, if you are choosing between the Model 3 and Model Y and you actually have rear passengers, there's your answer.
The Model Y provides plenty of storage space up front, including a deep compartment in front of the cupholders and another under the center armrest. Door pockets can fit large water bottles and other smaller items.
The Model Y's rear cargo area provides 29 cubic feet with the rear seats up, compared to other EVs like the Ford Mustang Mach-E, which offers 29.7 cubic feet, and the Hyundai IONIQ 5's 26.3. However, when the rear seats are folded down, the Model Y can hold 71.4 cubic feet of cargo, exceeding the Mach-E’s 59.7 and the IONIQ 5’s 58.5. The Model Y frunk also provides 4.1 cubic feet of space.
Photo: Jim Resnick
The new 2026 Model Y lacks instruments or gauges in front of the driver on the dashboard. Additionally, unlike almost all other cars that have switches around the driver on the doors, stalks from the steering column, hard buttons on the dashboard, and on the center console, the Model Y eliminates nearly all of these.
Most controls and switches in the new Model Y are integrated into the large 15.4-inch infotainment screen. The only controls outside the touchscreen are for seats, windows, door releases, turn signals, hazard lights (which are oddly placed on the roof), and those on the steering wheel.
Tesla's touchscreen infotainment system includes a lot of standard features, including:
Tesla's infotainment touchscreen acts as the central control hub for almost everything in the Model Y. It includes controls for climate, navigation, Autopilot, streaming services, Bluetooth, lights, side mirrors, and even the transmission selector, with some options available through sub-menus.
The new Model Y reduces the challenge of unfamiliarity by placing commonly adjusted items in a fixed row of icons at the bottom of the display. Press and hold the temperature readout, and the virtual climate controls appear. Press the navigation icon, and you gain full navigation access. It takes less time to get used to this setup than you might initially think.
The touchscreen worked instantly and without any glitches. Immediately after this, I tested several other vehicles: one with a touchscreen that took 20 seconds to wake up and froze twice. A sports car costing $250,000 had a glitchy digital assistant and backup camera. Many Tesla owners believe their vehicles are more advanced than others, and this scenario reinforces that perception.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring are not available in the Model Y, not even as options. While you can connect your smartphone via Bluetooth, it only functions as an audio source, and the connection lacks significant features. You must control that directly from the phone. When connected through Bluetooth, you can answer calls, but by 2025, a lack of smartphone integration is simply unacceptable.
The Model Y lets you connect your smartphone to turn it into a digital key for locking and unlocking the vehicle. I could not activate this feature with my iPhone, so I used the Tesla key card instead, unlocking and locking the car by touching the card to the B pillar.
Photo: Jim Resnick
The 2026 Model Y's entry-level version is the Long Range RWD with 295 horsepower. For this review, I tested the AWD model, which has two motors combined for 375 hp. During my 300 miles of testing the Model Y, it averaged 28.5 kilowatt hours per 100 miles, or 118 MPGe, which is slightly worse than the EPA's official combined estimate of 123 MPGe.
Unlike combustion engines, electric motors deliver their maximum torque instantly, without needing to spin up; traditional combustion engines in cars usually have to rev between 1,500 and 4,000 rpm to reach their torque peak. The result is that the AWD Model Y accelerates like a muscle car without the noise.
The Model Y responds instantly to throttle input, and for passengers unfamiliar with EVs, the acceleration feels almost surreal. The absence of combustion engine noise highlights this effect.
If the Model Y wobbles at the first turn of a twisty road, all that acceleration wouldn’t matter much. Based on the Model 3 sedan, the Model Y inherits a well-tuned suspension that handles winding, fun roads very well. The Model Y's suspension is slightly too stiff, considering Tesla positions the updated Model Y with a softer suspension compared to the old Model Y.
The quick steering response feels just like that of a sports car. Since the steering wheel has a small diameter and a thick rim, it adds to the sporty feel. The road surface feedback is not fantastic, but few vehicles today with electric power steering provide great steering feel.
Tesla's strong regenerative braking works effectively as well. One-pedal driving becomes a test of perception, mental planning, and smoothness. When I needed to use the brakes firmly, they responded well and were very easy to modulate smoothly. However, after about 10 miles of getting used to it, I rarely had to apply the brakes.
To charge the Model Y during testing, I used Tesla's Supercharger network. Charging sessions were quick and easy. My first drive's estimated 281 miles of range ended after just 72 miles, with a remaining predicted range of 200 miles. That’s about 9 miles (or 11 percent) more optimistic, which isn’t too bad.
Photo: Jim Resnick
Tesla’s Autopilot system has faced scrutiny for various reasons, including its name. The aviation industry’s "Autopilot" term might imply full autonomous driving capabilities for the Tesla. But neither Autopilot nor the optional Full Self-Driving (FSD) features are fully autonomous. However, together, they provide an advanced level of driving assistance that exceeds those of almost any other vehicle on the market today.
Standard advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) on the 2026 Tesla Model Y include:
Full Self-Driving (Supervised) adds the following:
Combining the standard Autopilot with the optional FSD system permits (and Tesla supports) using the system in urban areas, not just on highways, unlike most automakers with similar systems.
Although the FSD (Supervised) feature set costs a significant $8,000, the Model Y equipped with these systems approaches that level of capability more closely than almost anything currently available. With FSD active, the Model Y can also navigate to a destination using the built-in navigation settings.
Like other manufacturers' ADAS suites, Tesla's FSD affects ACC with acceleration and braking, can steer like other systems, and recognizes traffic signals and signs similar to other systems. It differs technically by relying on multiple cameras providing data to the system and not using radar or lidar arrays.
I tested FSD on highways, interstates, and suburban streets. On the open road, it performed very smoothly. It detected everything happening around the car and never acted unpredictably or suddenly. Steering, lane-keeping, and lane-centering worked flawlessly. Remove your hands from the steering wheel, and you will eventually trigger a warning, just like in other vehicles with complete ADAS packages.
Unlike most other vehicles with similar systems, Autopilot and FSD also automatically change lanes, prioritizing maintaining your set speed when the next lane is clear. This can surprise you the first time it starts the process, and it requires a bit of trust to let the system handle this part. However, for me, it worked and never caused any issues.
As of this writing, neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has rated the crashworthiness of the 2026 Tesla Model Y.
According to the JD Power 2025 Initial Quality Study (IQS), the Acura RDX ranks highest in the Compact Premium SUV segment. The Lexus NX and the BMW X4 are the next-highest-ranked models.
According to the JD Power 2025 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study, the BMW X4 ranks highest in the Compact Premium SUV segment. The Porsche Macan and the Jaguar F-Pace are the next-highest-ranked models.
According to the JD Power 2025 U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Ownership Study, the BMW iX ranks highest in the Premium Battery Electric Vehicles segment. The BMW i4 and the Rivian R1S are the next-highest-ranked models.
Other 2026 Model Y competitors include the Audi Q5, BMW X3, and Mercedes-Benz GLC.
