, with a higher driving position and more space inside. It also has a hatchback boot to make it even more family-friendly. So, on the face of it, the £500 premium over the equivalent Model 3 seems incredibly reasonable.
To find out if the Model 3 is now effectively redundant, we decided to put both cars through the full gamut of What Car? tests.If you know anything about Tesla, you probably know that its cars have a reputation for being fast – ludicrously fast. We’re testing the Long Range rather than flagship Performance versions, but each still packs 434bhp and transfers that power to the road via all four wheels.
The lighter and lower-slung Model 3 is, unsurprisingly, the quicker car, sprinting from 0-60mph in just 4.4sec in our test, although the Model Y will still leave anyfor dead. It can hit 60mph in 5.0sec and gives your neck muscles a real workout every time you stomp on the accelerator pedal. Both cars are equally effortless to drive at lower speeds; it’s easy to pull away smoothly and the brakes are far more predictable and confidence-inspiring than in many EVs.
But while there are plenty of similarities, there are also some surprisingly big differences. The Model 3 has fairly firm suspension, so it isn’t as calm and easy-going as some EVs, including theThe Model Y, however, crosses the line into what we’d describe as uncomfortable. You’re jostled around in your seat continually, and any potholes you don’t manage to avoid will really make you wince.
The Model Y’s extra weight and the fact that it doesn’t slip through the air as efficiently as its saloon sibling have an inevitable impact on range. In our tests, conducted in 16-18deg C temperatures and dry but cloudy conditions, it averaged 3.4 miles/kWh. This works out to a theoretical maximum range of 258 miles. In the same conditions, the Model 3 should be able to manage 276 miles, courtesy of its efficiency of 3.7 miles/kWh.
Which one sounds best?