Comparing the 2024 Tesla Model X and the 2024 Tesla Model Y is fascinating because, though the same manufacturer builds them, they are very different. First, there is the difference in size. The Model X is almost a foot longer than its younger sibling, a considerable margin in automotive terms.
But the even more significant difference is the price. At nearly $80,000, the base 2024 Model X costs more than twice as much as the base Model Y. This considerable price difference might explain why the Model Y is one of the hottest-selling models on the market, while the Model X, to put it charitably, isn't. Though both are crossover SUVs that offer two or three rows of seating, the Model Y is conventional, while the Model X offers unusual features like its "falcon-wing" rear doors.
Of course, the two Tesla SUVs have similarities. They offer Tesla's distinctive take on infotainment, featuring giant center screens that eschew staples like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The Model X and Model Y lean into straight-line performance, offering supercar-like zero-to-60-mph acceleration numbers. At the same time, few reviewers would classify either the Model Y or Model X as sporty. Instead, they derive their quickness from their advanced battery-electric drive systems.
If you are seeking an SUV with zero-emission battery power, the 2024 Tesla Model Y and Tesla Model X are undoubtedly worthy of investigation. Here are details on how they compare.
2024 Tesla Model Y
Shoppers for the 2024 Tesla Model Y can choose from three trim levels: Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD), Long Range (LR), and Performance. The RWD version offers the lowest starting price: a manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) of $42,990, not including the $1,390 delivery fee. If you can take full advantage of the $7,500 federal tax credit, the price drops to $35,490 plus delivery. The Performance trim is the top model in the range, with a suggested retail price of $51,490 ($43,990 with the full tax credit, not including delivery).
The 2024 Model Y does not offer free scheduled maintenance but provides owners with roadside assistance coverage for four years or 50,000 miles. Connectivity comes in two tiers. Standard connectivity is complimentary for eight years, while premium connectivity requires a subscription after a 30-day free trial.
Tesla makes the 2024 Model X in two trims: base and Plaid. The base has an MSRP of $77,990, excluding fees and any tax credits, while the Plaid has a suggested base price of $92,990. Both are all-wheel-drive (AWD) vehicles.
As with the Model Y, the Model X offers four-year roadside assistance coverage with no mileage limit but does not offer complimentary scheduled maintenance. Tesla’s standard connectivity is free for eight years. Premium connectivity is free for 30 days, then requires a monthly fee.
Advantage: Tesla Model Y
Why? The smaller Tesla Model Y is significantly less expensive—and arguably much more practical—than the Model X.
2024 Tesla Model X
The Tesla Model Y and Tesla Model X are ineligible for Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) and Initial Quality Study (IQS) awards because Tesla Motors does not allow JD Power access to owner information in the 15 states that require the automaker's permission.
The Tesla Model Y and Tesla Model X do not rank among the top three Premium BEV models in the JD Power 2024 U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Ownership Study, which examines satisfaction among EV owners.
The 2024 Model Y offers a standard four-year or 50,000-mile warranty and a powertrain warranty of eight years or 100,000 miles (120,000 miles for LR and Performance trims). The 2024 Tesla Model X's basic warranty covers four years or 50,000 miles, and its battery/drive unit (powertrain) warranty is eight years or 150,000 miles.
Advantage: Neither
Why? Built by the same manufacturer, the Model Y and Model X have very similar warranty coverage.
2024 Tesla Model Y
Tesla gives buyers of the 2024 Tesla Model Y the choice of three powertrains. Tesla doesn't publish horsepower ratings, preferring to offer zero-to-60-mph acceleration times to help consumers decide. The base single-motor RWD trim is reliably estimated to deliver 295 horsepower. The mid-level LR uses a dual-motor AWD setup that produces 425 hp.
The upstart automaker equips the Performance trim with front- and rear-axle electric motors producing a combined 455 hp. According to Tesla, this high-performance AWD crossover accelerates from zero-to-60 mph in just 3.5 seconds. The base trim will go from zero-to-60 mph in 6.6 seconds, and the LR will do the run in 4.8 seconds.
At the time of writing, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not published mileage and range estimates for the 2024 Model Y, but the 2023 numbers are a good approximation. According to the EPA, the 2023 LR AWD trim is rated at 122 MPGe and has an estimated range of 330 miles. The 2023 Performance trim earned a rating of 111 MPGe and has an estimated range of 303 miles.
The 2024 Tesla Model X might not look like a sports car, but it is almost stupidly fast. The base version features a dual-motor AWD arrangement that is reliably estimated to deliver 670 hp. (As noted earlier, Tesla does not publish horsepower or torque figures.)
The high-performance Plaid trim adds a third motor to generate 1,020 hp. Tesla says the base Model X will accelerate from zero-to-60 mph in 3.8 seconds and claims the Model X Plaid (in Ludicrous mode) will rocket from zero-to-60 mph in 2.5 seconds.
The EPA has not published fuel-economy numbers for 2024 Model X trims, but you can expect they will be very similar to the ratings for the 2023 versions. The base trim gets a 102-MPGe mark and an EPA-estimated range of 348 miles, while the Plaid rates at 98 MPGe with an estimated range of 333 miles.
Advantage: Neither
Why? The Model Y offers better efficiency numbers, but the Model X is quicker and offers more range on a charge.
2024 Tesla Model X
At this point, it is reasonable for any consumer to expect a brand-new vehicle to include the following safety features:
So, how do the Model Y and Model X stack up? Let's take a look.
The 2024 Tesla Model Y gives its owners a standard list of the most common advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). One omission is a dedicated rear cross-traffic warning system. On the other hand, the Model Y features standard adaptive cruise control with traffic-following capability in a system it calls Autopilot. The optional Enhanced Autopilot offers automated lane changes, active parking assistance, and highway self-driving.
For an additional $8,000, the Model Y's Full Self-Driving Capability adds traffic light and traffic-sign recognition and automatic steering on urban streets.
The 2024 Tesla Model Y earned the highest-possible 5-star rating for overall crashworthiness from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) also named it a Top Safety Pick+ for the 2024 calendar year.
The 2024 Tesla Model X offers most of the typical ADAS features listed above, but it lacks rear cross-traffic warning like the Model Y. Like its Model Y sibling, the standard Autopilot system employs adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assistance to drive the SUV in certain circumstances.
The $8,000 Full Self-Driving option offers features like automatic lane changes, hands-free parking assistance, and the ability to summon the vehicle from its parked location, plus semi-autonomous driving on city streets, including stop sign and traffic-sign recognition, provided in a one-month free trial.
As of this writing, neither the NHTSA nor the IIHS has rated the crashworthiness of the Model X.
Advantage: Neither
Why? The Model X and Model Y feature very similar ADAS.
2024 Tesla Model Y
A centrally mounted 15-inch touchscreen is the gateway for the 2024 Tesla Model Y’s infotainment system—and many of its vehicle function controls. The SUV offers standard navigation, natural-voice recognition, and wireless device charging. Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube highlight its entertainment apps, but it doesn't support SiriusXM satellite radio, Apple CarPlay, or Android Auto and doesn't have AM radio.
The Model Y Performance offers an unbranded 13-speaker sound system. The navigation system leverages the SUV's standard connectivity, free for eight years. Live traffic updates, satellite-view maps, video and music streaming, and an internet browser require the purchase of premium connectivity, which costs $99/year or is available via a monthly subscription.
In a departure from the norm, the Tesla Model Y enables its occupants to play arcade-like games on its central touchscreen, a function designed for use when the vehicle is stationary. It also offers a Sentry mode that enables the car to record nearby activity using its outward-facing cameras.
Tesla equips all 2024 Model X models with a 17-inch color touchscreen as home to its infotainment and many vehicle controls. But, unlike the Model Y, it also offers a second digital display in front of the driver. The infotainment system is as notable for what it doesn’t offer as what it does. Smartphone addicts will likely miss Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It also lacks satellite and AM radio, but it does include streaming services like Hulu and Netflix.
Audio comes via a 22-speaker, 960-watt system with active road-noise reduction. The Model X also offers a digital screen for the rear-seat passengers. As with the Model Y, the Model X offers complimentary navigation via its standard connectivity plan for eight years. Premium features—satellite-view maps, live traffic, video and music streaming—require the purchase of Tesla’s premium connectivity.
Those who enjoy singing know that a vehicle is a good echo chamber. The Model X and Model Y exploit that by offering "caraoke" through the central touchscreen and the associated infotainment system. For the benefit of passengers, the function provides instrumental music and on-screen lyrics for many popular songs. Driver's mode allows drivers to enjoy the audio without the potentially distracting on-screen lyrics.
Advantage: Neither
Why? The Model Y and Model X have very similar infotainment and tech offerings.
2024 Tesla Model X
If you are looking for “traditional luxury,” the 2024 Tesla Model Y probably won't satisfy you. Its interior design is essentially devoid of traditional instruments and physical buttons and knobs to control vehicle functions, and some might describe it as stark. The seat coverings are synthetic leather, a bow to eco-friendliness. Depending on the configuration, the SUV can accommodate five or seven passengers, with the option of a third row.
Front and rear seats offer heating, and the individual front seats are power-adjustable. Owners can fold the rear seats flat via electronic releases in the rear cargo area. Each rear seat folds independently, allowing for customizable seating and cargo configurations. Though not as large as the glass windshield/roof of the Model X, the Model Y boasts a panoramic glass roof of its own.
In the five-passenger version, the Model Y offers approximately 30 cubic feet of luggage space behind the second row. With the seats folded, the cargo capacity expands to 72 cubic feet, and a front trunk or “frunk” provides 4.1 cubic feet of cargo storage. Equipped with the optional tow bar, the Model Y is rated to tow up to 3,500 pounds.
Like the Model Y, the 2024 Tesla Model X offers a minimalist (some would say "barebones") interior—very different from the typical luxury-brand SUV. One of the Model X's distinguishing features is its "falcon-wing" roof-hinged rear door design. The doors can make entering the rear seats easier—unless you park the SUV in a garage or other confined space. The Model X offers five-, six-, and seven-passenger configurations with synthetic leather seats.
All Model X SUVs include heated and ventilated power-adjustable front seats, plus heated seats in all seating positions. The Model X's panoramic windshield extends well into the vehicle’s roof, offering an unusual look.
The Model X offers as much as 92 cubic feet of cargo space, including a frunk, depending on the configuration. The Tesla has 13 cubic feet of cargo space with all rows in use, increasing to 68 cubic feet with all rows folded. Tesla outfits the Model X for trailer towing with a 5,000-pound trailering capacity and offers a standard Class II steel tow bar.
Advantage: Tesla Model X
Why? A much larger vehicle than the Model Y, the Model X offers more interior and cargo space, plus the ability to tow up to 5,000-pound trailers.
If you'd like to learn more about these crossover EVs, be sure to research the Tesla Model Y and Tesla Model X. To find out how people like you rate models in this segment, check out our ratings from verified vehicle owners.
Also, please remember that while the information in this article was accurate and valid on May 01, 2024, it may have changed since that date. Always confirm product details and availability with the automaker's website or your local dealership.
Jack R. Nerad has reviewed cars, trucks, vans, and sport utilities for over three decades. He also managed the editorial efforts of Motor Trend magazine, JD Power, and Kelley Blue Book. Jack currently hosts the Sports Byline Network program "America on the Road," available on Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, Audacy, and other outlets.
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