“The Tesla Model Y seems like the complete package, but its active safety suite is so fundamentally flawed that the whole dish is completely ruined,” said Roadshow by CNet in its first review of the 2021 Tesla Model Y.
The publication tested a 2021 Model Y Long Range in Deep Blue Metallic color, a hidden tow hitch, and white vegan leather interior with the $10,000 USD Ful Self-Driving package. Including $1,200 USD in delivery fees, the configuration ran them a total of $67,490 USD.
After daily driving the Model Y for around three months, Roadshow‘s Tim Stevens was impressed by almost everything the all-electric CUV had to offer, but he refrained from recommending it to readers.
“The Model Y is a phenomenal achievement in many ways, a great blend of range and practicality and even performance mixed with a suite of unique features that are as useful as they are distinct. But, as it stands, you absolutely should not buy one,” he said.
Stevens found that the Model Y’s 330 miles (531 km) range is not only as advertised but is also enough to do away with any range anxiety you might have. Also, the interior may not feel as premium as some other cars for the price but is practical, and the onboard software has a lot of unique, useful features like Sentry Mode baked in.
And of course, buying a Tesla gives you access to the company’s vast and markedly reliable Supercharger network.
Unfortunately, Stevens found a “massive problem” with phantom braking on his Model Y, which would cause cruise control and Autopilot to engage emergency brakes abruptly and harshly after detecting obstacles on the road that weren’t actually there. “The phantom braking issue is a complete deal-breaker,” he said.
The Model Y also had a couple of production and quality control issues that soured his experience with the car. Stevens’ Model Y suffered from gaps in the taillights that resulted in them fogging up, along with a faulty body seal on the frunk that let a good amount of water in when he ran the vehicle through a car wash.
To Tesla’s credit, the company is aware of issues like panel gaps and misaligned components that stem from its inexperience in production and often slip through quality control. The EV maker offers to fix any such problems customers find after taking delivery of their vehicles (free of charge, of course).
Check out the full review over at Roadshow by CNet.
