For those who have been with me, I have crossed the three year mark of driving the Model Y. I will now give an update on how things are going, and will follow the same format as last year to ensure a clean comparison. I want to point out again that my driving habits may not be the same as the average passenger. Let\u2019s take a look at how things look three years later.<\/p>\n
Before we get into the review, here are some statistics:<\/p>\n
Total mileage: 19,808<\/p>\n
Important features: Great range, full self-learning module, 19-inch Gemini wheels.<\/p>\n
Driving habits: Half the time city trips to local attractions, the other half mini trips to the mountains.<\/p>\n
Settings: Steering – standard, regenerative braking – hold (max), acceleration – normal<\/p>\n
Modifications: Floor mats, matte console covers, screen cover, tow package and ski rack.<\/p>\n
Regular readers know that maintenance has been the bane of my automotive experience. It was also the primary reason for my decision to purchase a Tesla. It\u2019s been three years and it still continues to pay dividends. I love not having to worry about maintenance and potential problems. No dreaded Check Engine lights to mar my parade.<\/p>\n
Here is what I have encountered in the 3 years I have owned the vehicle:<\/p>\n
– 2 windshield wiper fluid refills.<\/p>\n
– Lots of software updates, including a camera update that I really like. I have them installed overnight while I sleep and the car is charging.<\/p>\n
– 1 trip to the store to update a faulty part affecting my heater. (It was really scary).<\/p>\n
– Car wash and interior cleaning about once a month.<\/p>\n
– 2 tire changes.<\/p>\n
I always try to be as honest as possible in these reviews. My goal is not to get you to buy a Tesla or promote the cult of Elon, but simply to provide you with an informed opinion. So here\u2019s what I can say after three years. I haven\u2019t changed my oil, I haven\u2019t changed my brakes, my tires are working properly, and after a year I even lost my only complaint, which was helplessness to change the software. I had a major problem with a factory recalled part and a few minor annoying software bugs, but honestly they seem to have been fixed. Personally, I haven\u2019t had any problems or bugs in the last year. The only thing I can report is that after leaving the garage, the car sometimes takes a few minutes to switch from Wi-Fi to data and reconnect.<\/p>\n
I continue to be completely satisfied with the charging status. Even more so than at the time of last year\u2019s review, as the number of chargers continues to increase dramatically and other major manufacturers are adopting Tesla\u2019s charging technology.<\/p>\n
Once again, having a home charger is an absolute game changer and a must.<\/p>\n
This year has brought some great updates. We continue to improve the self-driving car program, which in my opinion is still in its infancy. More interesting to me has been the improvements to the camera. I feel like the image is clearer and more stable than in the past. Finally, an update that I wasn\u2019t aware of but really like is the addition of an audible beep when shifting gears. A few people have complained that shifting gears is difficult, but the addition of this soft sound has made the moment of shifting more obvious. It never ceases to amaze me how much feedback from drivers goes into the software updates. It\u2019s incredible how much of your driving experience can be changed by an over-the-air update while you\u2019re napping.<\/p>\n
There have been a lot of videos recently about the interior quality of these cars. I\u2019ll just say that this is not my experience. My car has held up surprisingly well, but I will add that I\u2019ve always driven mid-range cars, so I\u2019m not comparing the Model Y to luxury cars costing 200k or more. My seats still look like new, there are no rips, creases, stains, or fading, which is what I want from a car of this class.<\/p>\n
Overall, I am very happy with the interior and how it has been maintained. I wish it had a heated steering wheel and cooled seats, especially at this price of the car, but it\u2019s not crucial to me.<\/p>\n
Teslas are everywhere now, at least here in SLC and other major cities in the US. It doesn\u2019t feel like a Flex anymore, instead it has come to seem completely ordinary. One new thing I see here that will add to your flexibility is the wrap. The matte finish is more popular than ever, and it\u2019s especially common on Teslas. If you\u2019re still looking for that flexibility factor, I recommend doing a matte wrap with colored calipers and maybe some accents. That said, keep the styling in mind. You can see some very well done work online.<\/p>\n
Inflation. We all face it. The last few years have been crazy, and I\u2019m sure it will have a place in future economics textbooks. The used car market has had its heyday and now, if you own a Tesla, you\u2019re probably seeing prices plummet. I thought I would feel worse about my car selling for much cheaper today, but no, I feel like it was worth what I paid for it, and that\u2019s even more true now that the price has come down. Unfortunately, this also means that the value at exchange has dropped. My trade-in value is half of what I purchased the car for. That\u2019s in line with traditional offers, but compared to what I was offered even a year ago, it\u2019s a tough pill to swallow. I\u2019ll probably keep it if I do decide to buy a cybertruck.<\/p>\n
Thank you for being a reader! As always, if you have any questions, ask them in the comments and I\u2019d be happy to chat with you via email as well. I\u2019d love to hear your story of building Tesla and talk about the challenges and successes you\u2019ve faced. And please, please support me!<\/p>\n\n