Tesla Model Y ... for about 7 hours instead of 7 days ... definitely a unique experience

[trinacriabob]

I have come to believe that you shouldn’t opt for the manager’s special or wild card to save some money on a rental car.  If you order a specific type of car, it is usually set aside for you or an upgrade is possible.

In this case, the agency's manager’s special indicated that it could include EVs.  I called several days ahead and was told that getting a gasoline powered vehicle was likely if that’s what the customer wanted.  When I got to the airport location, that wasn’t the way it was going to be.  I was given the keys to a Tesla SUV, a twin motor Model Y.  I was told that getting a gasoline powered car would cost me a fairly hefty sum, for which it seemed they made up the rules, and numbers, on the fly.

I wasn’t given much in the way of instructions for getting the Tesla Model Y going, except for how to open the doors.  The flat card style fob was sometimes temperamental in opening the doors.  To start the car, one slid this card near the underside of the opening of the center console and the icons on the main screen came to life.

The Tesla Model Y’s vibe, fittings, and styling seems to be minimalist chic, but there’s not much that’s minimalistic about operating it. I do not care for the strong upright jellybean look of this model and only find the model S offering, with the air slat in its front fascia and its more rakish roofline, to be their most attractive model, albeit an expensive one. The seats, console, and interior appointments are spartan in appearance but, for this kind of money, the fit and finish have to be good.  The leather seats are firm and comfortable enough.  Even with the rear seat up, cargo capacity is generous.  There is also its frunk up front for some extra storage.  This vehicle has a curved glass roof which is far more than what a sliding moonroof would be, and, inside, there wasn’t much in the way of felt heat gain.  In front of the driver and the passenger, there is the dashboard cowl, albeit a low one, and the driver gets a steering wheel, too!  However, the driver just looks out over the road and both the driver and front passenger only have subtly concealed air conditioning vents directly in front of them.  Just about everything to operate this vehicle is in a large laptop-like screen that is in the center and above the center console, and there are a lot of icons.  I was able to adjust the mirrors and the seats, but did not work with a lot of the ancillary settings.  Nevertheless, I started to drive off and, soon, I was on the freeway. 

The Tesla Model Y is stable, firm, and fairly smooth.  It would have been smoother if it had smaller wheels.  I credit the large wheels and tire profile for not being as smooth as it could have been. It is very stable because it basically feels like a tank, but not in the old school American boulevardier sense.  At almost 4,500 lbs., it is a heavy machine.

This Tesla’s steering is fairly nimble and the handling is responsive.  It feels at ease at high speeds, so much so that you may not notice how fast you might be going.  Pushing down on the pedal gets a quick response.  Being electric, the automatic transmission does not have gears.  This Tesla just lurches forward on demand.  Perhaps the strangest thing about this vehicle is that it does not coast when decelerating.  It seems to rapidly slow down when one backs off the accelerator.  Perhaps this has to do with power generation or saving.

I was able to figure out several key settings, such as the air conditioner controls and even searching for a place to charge up the vehicle.  I learned something that afternoon.  Tesla has dedicated stations with their logo that are stations for “supercharging.”  (Yes, the cost to charge the vehicle is less than that of gasoline fill-ups.)  Getting the Model Y back up to the “restricted” 80% charge level at these stations took about 20 minutes.  Even so, I don’t think that a range of 250 miles (+/-) is all that generous. 

Later, I needed to charge this Tesla again and went to a Tesla “destination” station.  Here, it takes upward of an hour to charge it up, hence there was no one there.  I had to drive to another Tesla location to charge it rapidly late in the evening.  The reason for doing this is that I was now in another major city and was going to take it back to the airport to exchange it.  And it wasn’t even about charging issues, but about some simple operations.  I figured that sliding the card fob in the same place would inversely power off the vehicle.  It did not.  There was a search bar on the main screen and I typed in “shut down” to get no hits and then typed in “power off” which took me to a link!  I hit that link and was able to see everything power off.  Only then did I feel comfortable that the vehicle was turned off.  Moreover, the rental agent at the return location had to hunt around a little to find the odometer reading.

Other EVs supposedly resemble and operate more like a regular gasoline powered vehicle in the cabin and in their controls.  That said, I’m for electric vehicles and the direction this technology is going.  However, the operation of one should be more intuitive.  That’s not what I found with the Tesla Model Y.  There appears to be a learning curve.

This vehicle, and brand, have an interesting reputation.  It is supposed to enjoy a long service life in terms of miles because of the simplicity of the electric engine.  However, some of its other quirks seem to bring owners to the service department for repairs.  Tesla vehicle professional and consumer reviews are not faultless when addressing whether they are very reliable and hassle free.  Also, different models have different ranges and, just like with a cell phone, the vehicle should not be overcharged … and this didn’t make for a range which impressed me, or even satisfied me.  Incidentally, at the front of the console are two cell phone sized grommets where a person can insert their cell phone and it will be charged fairly quickly.

I feel it would have been nicer to have more conventional controls and clusters, with some of the controls directly in front of me.  There could be more than one minimalistic pod or screen.  This vehicle may be compelling for some, starting at close to $50,000 MSRP before tax credits, but perhaps, like its creator, they seek to make a statement (in addition to using a greener and cheaper form of energy) and are willing to live with this Tesla’s unconventional side.

I can only vouch for what I experienced with this Tesla Model Y.  I picked it up in the afternoon and returned it just before midnight … perhaps so I wouldn’t turn into a pumpkin.  I’m joking.  I stated above why I returned it.  That said, I can’t opine on how much I would like this vehicle if I could get used to it or, more importantly, if it’s a good vehicle.  It appears that choosing a Tesla is a very personal decision more than anything else.

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PHOTOS FORTHCOMING

Edited September 20, 2023 by trinacriabob

[trinacriabob]

EXTERIOR PHOTOS

This is the vehicle's tall rump, also indicating dual motor

It wasn't that hard to find the charging slot, but it wasn't that obvious, either

This is the 1st of 2 charges and these stylized contraptions mean they're supercharging stations

Upon turning it in, I took this photo ... au revoir

[trinacriabob]

INTERIOR PHOTOS

Front of cabin and console - simple in appearance, but assembly appears to be good

Rear of cabin

A partial view of the somewhat generous rear compartment over the (upright) rear seat showing the charging station

These are the 2 areas at the front of the console where you can charge a couple of phones

Side note:  It looks like I forgot to take a photo of the unique dashboard, so I've uploaded one from available images (credit to the cars sector of US News).

Also, I did not hook up my music, so I'm not able to show you "choice" selections from my music collection.

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END OF PHOTOS