Review: The question is not why but rather Y not as Tesla sets model example

I’m something of a petrol head when it comes to cars.

I must have had every issue of Max Power in the good old days and watched Top Gear religiously.

Like millions I love nothing more than the roar of a powerful V8 engine and have always dreamed of owning a supercar like a Lamborghini.

I would even class myself as an electric vehicle cynic. And not just because of the fuss around range but also cost with most electric cars seemingly coming at a sizeable premium.

So I’m among the last people who would consider a switch to electric. And although I’ve always been intrigued by Tesla vehicles, I’ve always believed switching to one is both out of my personal price range and would take away what’s left of that motoring enthusiasm I’ve had since a young teenager.

That was until last week.

Last September the government set out the percentage of new zero emission cars manufacturers will be required to produce each year up to 2030, following the Prime Minister’s proportionate and pragmatic decision to delay the ban on new diesel and petrol cars from 2030 to 2035.

That news was initially a relief to me and millions of others of the same mindset.

But my outlook has completely changed since being given the chance to have a Tesla Model Y for a week recently.

The chance arose after we reported on Tesla opening its huge new centre in Milton Keynes earlier this month, offering sales, charging and a test driving service.

I was given the Tesla Model Y Rear Wheel Drive with the standard autopilot that comes with the vehicle.

That includes Traffic-Aware Cruise Control which matches the speed of your vehicle to that of the surrounding traffic. And Autosteer which assists in steering within a clearly marked lane, and uses traffic-aware cruise control.

Additional features can also be purchased as part of enhanced autopilot.

The first thing you’ll notice when getting into a Model Y is its minimalism. The large screen in the centre of the car is its beating heart and hub. While the car is aesthetically minimal, you’ll soon find out it is anything but once you delve into the plethora of options and settings on the touchscreen and accompanying app.

The minimalist interior feels a class above with it’s slim wooden flash around the dash. But the touchscreen and computer is a veritable Aladdin's cave for tech-heads.

It’s the smoothest drive I’ve ever experienced bar none and the handling is elegant and responsive to the touch. And when you put your foot down it flies like a jet. It’s like nothing I’ve experienced in that respect – and the Porsche Taycan is the only car marginally faster from 0-60mph.

Autopilot may take some getting used to in terms of your trust of technology. But I soon got used to it when it essentially negotiated one 60-mile journey in grid-lock traffic on the M25 with little to no input from me.

There is so much leg room in the back and front and all the mod cons you can imagine. It also has the brilliant and extremely practical bonus of having two boots.

The one at the rear is very large at a quoted 854 litres. But I made most use of the front boot which, at 117 litres, is big enough for two or three bags of shopping or your back-pack and laptop for example.

The design divides opinion with many feeling it resembles a VW Beetle from the front. There is a fleeting similarity – not that that is necessarily a bad thing is it? – but this is a much more impressive ergonomically designed car that wows inside and out.

It may sound strange but I’ve never known a car that stands out for sporty performance and raw power as equally as it does for being the perfect vehicle for families and professionals.

If I were to get one myself then I’d look to get the Tesla charging port at home for just under £500 as it would pay for itself within a few months. But even when charging while away from home you won’t be left twiddling your thumbs by any means. An in-car wifi package – which includes Spotify – costs around £10 per month if you want it. And then there’s the access to a host of games, Netflix, Disney Plus and the like on the car’s touch screen. There’s even a racing game you can play where you use your actual steering wheel and brake – obviously while parked up – it doesn’t work unless you are.

It means there is plenty to pass the time while waiting if charging while out and about.

There’s a perfect blend of serious and silly with the Model Y. You can control the car from your phone – which also becomes your key. Whether you want to get the car warm before heading out – which includes the ability to heat individual seats – or make the car let out a fart noise (yes you did read that correctly), it’s all at your fingertips. With cameras all around the car you can also activate sentry mode with live view, recording and audio communication capabilities like a video doorbell or home security setup. Someone looking in your car window? They’ll be recorded and you can even speak to them to warn them away in sentry mode.

You may have seen people on social media who get a delivery while out, or are otherwise engaged, telling the driver to put the parcel in their boot. Well that’s no joke. You can open and close the boot remotely at the touch of a button. You can sound the horn, activate the lights and even locate your car in the app so you never have to worry about remembering where you’ve parked again.

I spend around £200-240 per month on petrol as a minimum at the moment. A full tank sets me back around £85-90. When I had the Tesla for a week I spent a total of £44 combined – through home charging off a regular three-prong plug as an experiment – and EV charge-point charging. That was for the equivalent of a full tank plus a half tank in terms of mileage. So it’s over half the price even at current high electricity price rates.

When driving the Tesla Model Y will also charge off braking to keep the battery topped up.

The Tesla Model Y has fully converted me to electric.

So much so I’m not ashamed to admit I was gutted to go back to my regular car when reluctantly handing it back. I did consider driving it away somewhere and trying to keep it! But they’d have been able to track me down with the pin-point GPS of course.

On a serious note, though, against the backdrop of a cost of living crisis Tesla is offering the Model Y at a very affordable rate with lease deals for the spec I had priced at £399. From a personal point of view that’s around £100 more than my current petrol lease vehicle. Not only is my current car vastly inferior in every single aspect, I would also save around £120-150 per month in fuel costs.

I think that’s what they call a no-brainer.

That being said, owning an electric car does take some lifestyle adjustment. Without an at-home charge port, three-pronged charging from a regular socket is great for emergencies but not a realistic option to suit the lives of most busy people. You would need to charge for around 12 hours to get the equivalent of half a tank – or over 115 miles in this case. That only cost me £9, though. Half a tank in my petrol car is over £40.

And you do have to be more organised and plan any longer trips strategically. Again Tesla’s charging point navigation helps out with that, planning your journey – should you need to charge en-route – for what suits you best.

My current lease is up next February but now my mind is made up.

If, like me, you are standing at an electric car switch crossroads, then the question is not why but rather Y not.

Tesla Model Y review score: 4.7/5

You can check out full specs, prices, design and order your Model Y on Tesla’s official website.