Tesla Model Y: Unveiling the Secrets Behind the Global Bestseller

The episode explores the Tesla Model Y's features, historical context, and the considerations for buying used. By delving into its technology, practicality, and competitive landscape, we equip listeners with valuable insights for informed car purchasing decisions.

• Overview of the history and market rise of the Tesla Model Y 
• Analysis of key features, including autopilot and over-the-air updates 
• Discussion on the ideal buyer demographic for the Model Y 
• Insights into pricing, battery health, and the importance of pre-purchase inspections 
• Comparisons with other electric SUVs in the market 
• Final thoughts on the timing and benefits of purchasing a used Model Y

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:10

Welcome to the Mega Car Review Podcast from Confounderit, your go-to show for everything cars, whether you're a gearhead or just shopping for your next set of wheels. Every week, your hosts, marv and Claudia, dive into the latest automotive trends, give hands-on reviews and share the insights you need to make the smart decisions in the world of cars From the hottest models to market secrets. Marv and Claudia have you covered. Get ready for expert opinions, lively debates and all the details you won't hear anywhere else. Now let's join Marv and Claudia for another episode of the Mega Car Review Podcast. Hey, everyone, welcome back, ready for another episode of the Mega Car.

Speaker 2 0:44

Review Podcast hey, everyone, welcome back, ready for another deep dive.

Speaker 3 0:48

Absolutely Always ready to get into the details. Awesome, yeah.

Speaker 2 0:51

So today we're going all in on the Tesla Model Y.

Speaker 3 0:55

Ooh, good one.

Speaker 2 0:56

It's everywhere right, but is it all hype or is there something really special about it, Especially if you're looking at buying when used Right? We've got some great excerpts all about buying a used Model Y, so let's break it down. What do we need to know?

Speaker 3 1:10

Okay, yeah.

Speaker 2 1:11

Where do we even begin with this thing?

Speaker 3 1:13

Well, I think maybe a good place to start would be with like the history of it. Okay, you know how it came to be All right. So back to the beginning. Yeah, so the Model Y.

Speaker 2 1:26

First people started talking about it way back in 2013. Oh wow.

Speaker 3 1:28

That's a while ago. Yeah, elon Musk mentioned it, but it wasn't actually unveiled until 2019.

Speaker 1 1:33

Okay.

Speaker 3 1:34

So it was years of anticipation and it's actually built on the same platform as the Model 3, but it offers more space.

Speaker 2 1:43

Right More like an SUV.

Speaker 3 1:44

Yeah, exactly More of that SUV feel practicality, which is really popular these days, and it quickly became one of the best selling electric cars globally.

Speaker 2 1:54

Globally. Yeah, I mean, I see them everywhere now. Yeah, okay, so that's the history, but what about the features? What actually makes it special? What makes it different?

Speaker 3 2:02

Right. So some of the big standout features are well. First, you got autopilot Right, you know, and the the optional full self driving capability.

Speaker 2 2:13

OK, now, this is where it gets kind of interesting, right.

Speaker 3 2:14

Yeah, it's a bit of a it's a bit of a controversial one. So, tesla, they say that this full self driving will eventually let the car drive itself fully. Pretty much, yeah, and in most situations. But you know, the technology is still being developed. Right, it's not perfect in most situations, but you know, the technology is still being developed. Right, it's not perfect. Yeah, and there are, you know, valid concerns about its safety and reliability.

Speaker 2 2:38

Right, some ethical questions there.

Speaker 3 2:39

Yeah, exactly, it's definitely something you really need to research and, you know, think carefully about. But aside from that, you've got what about?

Speaker 2 2:47

okay? What about these, the over the air updates?

Speaker 3 2:50

Oh yeah.

Speaker 2 2:51

This is something that I always hear about with Teslas, yeah it's pretty cool. Never fully understood Like can you give me a specific example? Does the car actually get better over time?

Speaker 3 3:01

Yeah, yeah, it totally does so, like for example in 2020,. Tesla released an update that actually increased the range of certain Model Ys by like 10 miles. Whoa, really yeah. So you know, you could wake up one morning and your car can suddenly go 10 miles further.

Speaker 2 3:19

That's awesome.

Speaker 3 3:19

Pretty cool. So they can improve performance, they can add new features. It's yeah, it's one of the things that Tesla is known for.

Speaker 2 3:26

Right, it's constantly evolving.

Speaker 3 3:27

Yeah, exactly.

Speaker 2 3:28

OK, and then you know we have to talk about the elephant in the room.

Speaker 3 3:31

What's that?

Speaker 2 3:32

That giant touchscreen.

Speaker 3 3:34

Oh yeah.

Speaker 2 3:35

It's like the centerpiece of the car.

Speaker 3 3:36

Yeah, yeah, they've really gone for that minimalist interior and that big touchscreen basically controls well, almost everything in the car. You know, it's a very different design philosophy compared to other cars, it is for sure.

Speaker 2 3:49

Okay, so who? Who is this car for? Who's the ideal buyer?

Speaker 3 3:54

Right, I mean, obviously it's not going to appeal to everyone, but, um, I think the kind of person who's drawn to the Model Y is probably, you know, someone who's tech savvy, who likes, uh, you know a stylish car a practical EV. Um, also families, I think are a big market for the Model Y. You know, a stylish car, a practical EV. Also, families, I think are a big market for the Model Y. You know, need the space, want to be a bit greener.

Speaker 3 4:14

Right right, and then you know, you've also got those people who really care about performance.

Speaker 2 4:18

Yeah, the speed.

Speaker 3 4:20

Yeah, because some of these Model Ys they have ludicrous acceleration.

Speaker 2 4:24

Really, how fast are we talking?

Speaker 3 4:26

Well, you know, some of them can go from zero to 60s in like three point something seconds.

Speaker 2 4:31

Wow, that's super car territory.

Speaker 3 4:33

It is. It's ridiculous.

Speaker 2 4:34

Yeah, okay. So let's say someone's convinced they want a Model Y.

Speaker 3 4:37

Okay, no-transcript. You know it really depends. There's a lot of factors that affect the price, like how old it is, how many miles it's done, what condition it's in the battery health. Oh yeah, you know, whether it has any extra features like the full self-driving.

Speaker 2 5:05

Right right.

Speaker 3 5:06

There's a pretty big range actually. They've got 557 listed right now. Wow, the cheapest is a 2022 with 81,000 miles, and that's going for 23,990 pounds.

Speaker 2 5:18

Okay.

Speaker 3 5:19

And at the top end there's a 2022, but it's practically brand new only 151 miles.

Speaker 2 5:25

Wow.

Speaker 3 5:26

Yeah, and that one's 59,995.

Speaker 2 5:30

Is it a big spread?

Speaker 3 5:31

Yeah, huge spread.

Speaker 2 5:32

Okay, you mentioned battery health. Can you talk a little bit more about that, like, how does that affect the price and how can someone actually assess that when they're looking at a used Model Y?

Speaker 3 5:40

Right, yeah, so as you use the battery, its capacity to hold a charge decreases, right, so the range goes down over time and that's a big deal.

Speaker 2 5:47

Right, yeah.

Speaker 3 5:47

Because it affects how far you can drive on a single charge. Now, when you're looking at a used Model Y, definitely, definitely get a pre-purchase inspection and make sure they check the battery health specifically. It's kind of like you know, checking the engine health if you were buying a petrol car.

Speaker 2 6:02

Right, it's that important.

Speaker 3 6:03

Yeah, it's crucial.

Speaker 2 6:04

Okay, good point Now, when we're talking about these inspections.

Speaker 3 6:08

Yeah.

Speaker 2 6:09

What else? What else should we be looking out for, any other red flags or things to pay really close attention to when you're, you know, kicking the tires on a used Model Y?

Speaker 3 6:22

Yeah, absolutely so. Apart from the battery, definitely check the panel gaps.

Speaker 2 6:27

Panel gaps.

Speaker 3 6:28

Yeah, you know, look for any inconsistencies, any misalignments, because that could be a sign of, you know, previous damage or even just like shoddy manufacturing. Yeah, another thing is check the software version. Is it up to date?

Speaker 2 6:42

Yeah, good point.

Speaker 3 6:43

Because you know you don't want to be stuck with outdated software and then have to like pay to get it updated.

Speaker 2 6:48

Right. Inherit someone else's problems? Exactly, yeah, okay. So now I want to switch gears a little bit and talk about insurance.

Speaker 3 6:54

Okay.

Speaker 2 6:54

Because I know in the UK that's a big deal.

Speaker 3 6:56

It is yeah.

Speaker 2 6:57

How do the different Model Y variants, how do they stack up in terms of insurance groups?

Speaker 3 7:02

Right. So in the UK we have these things called insurance groups, right?

Speaker 2 7:06

Yeah.

Speaker 3 7:07

And they basically assess the risk of insuring a car. Yeah, and different Model Y versions. Well, they fall into different insurance groups and that's mainly because of things like performance, safety features and the estimated cost of repairs. So, for example, a higher performance Model Y that might be in a higher insurance group, which means it'll cost you more to insure.

Speaker 2 7:27

Yeah, that makes sense. Yeah, Okay. Now the big question on everyone's mind running costs. Sure, how does it compare to, you know, your typical gas-powered SUV?

Speaker 3 7:38

Yeah well, the fuel savings with an EV are significant, right? Electricity is way, way chipper than petrol, so you know, think about it. If you drive like an average of 10,000 miles per year, you could potentially save hundreds, maybe even thousands of pounds a year just on fuel alone.

Speaker 2 7:55

Oh wow, that's huge. Yeah, it really adds up, yeah, okay, but what about servicing? What about maintenance?

Speaker 3 8:01

So, generally speaking, evs tend to have lower servicing costs because they have fewer moving parts, less to go wrong. In theory, yeah, but you know you still have to factor in potential Tesla-specific costs, like those battery checks. We talked about potential software issues, and also another thing to keep in mind is road tax.

Speaker 2 8:22

Right.

Speaker 3 8:22

A lot of EVs are currently exempt from road tax in the UK.

Speaker 2 8:25

Yeah.

Speaker 3 8:26

But that could change, you know. It could yeah so that's something to kind of have on your radar.

Speaker 2 8:31

Good to know. Good to know, yeah, okay, so before we wrap up this section, are there any specific like model years that have known issues, anything we should be extra careful about?

Speaker 3 8:42

Hmm, Well, we don't have any specific data on that. Okay, but um, it's always a good idea to do your research. Yeah, you know see if there are any common problems reported for certain model years right, yeah online forums owner reviews, those can be really helpful. Yeah, good resources, yeah just you know, be informed. Do your homework.

Speaker 2 9:02

Absolutely All right. So let's compare right. How does the Model Y stack up against the competition? Who are its rivals? Who are the other players in this game?

Speaker 3 9:13

Right, well, you've got some strong contenders in this segment.

Speaker 2 9:18

Okay.

Speaker 3 9:18

Like the Audi e-tron.

Speaker 2 9:20

Okay.

Speaker 3 9:20

The Jaguar I-Pace.

Speaker 2 9:22

Yeah.

Speaker 3 9:22

And the BMW iX3.

Speaker 2 9:25

Okay, so those are the big ones.

Speaker 3 9:26

Yeah, those are some of the main ones.

Speaker 2 9:27

All right, so let's break it down, starting with technology and features. Okay, how does the Model Y compare?

Speaker 3 9:33

So this is where Tesla really. You know, they tend to stand out.

Speaker 2 9:37

Yeah.

Speaker 3 9:38

The autopilot system. Even though it's controversial, it's still a big selling point. Yeah, and no other manufacturer can really match the continuous improvement that you get with those over-the-air updates. And we talked about that big touchscreen. Some people find it distracting.

Speaker 2 9:55

I can see that.

Speaker 3 9:57

But it really does set the Model Y apart in terms of its tech forward approach.

Speaker 2 10:01

Yeah, it's very different. Okay, what about performance and range? How does it compare in those areas?

Speaker 3 10:05

Yeah. So the Model Y definitely holds its own, especially the performance versions. They have ridiculous acceleration, they can rival, sometimes even beat gas-powered sports cars. And in terms of range, well, it varies depending on the model and the battery, but generally it's competitive with other EVs in its class.

Speaker 2 10:26

Okay, that's good to know.

Speaker 3 10:27

Yeah.

Speaker 2 10:28

And lastly, practicality.

Speaker 3 10:30

Okay.

Speaker 2 10:31

Interior space, all that good stuff.

Speaker 3 10:32

Right yeah, the Model Y does really well here. It's got that hatchback design and there's the optional third row seating.

Speaker 2 10:38

Oh yeah.

Speaker 3 10:39

So it's pretty versatile, you know.

Speaker 2 10:41

Right Good for families.

Speaker 3 10:42

Yeah, you can carry a lot of passengers, a lot of cargo. It's yeah, it's a good all-rounder in that sense.

Speaker 2 10:47

All right, so it sounds like the Model Y has a lot going for it.

Speaker 3 10:50

Yeah.

Speaker 2 10:50

But buying a used one, I mean that requires careful consideration. Oh, absolutely Just like any used car really.

Speaker 3 10:57

Yeah, yeah, definitely you got to do your research, yeah.

Speaker 2 11:00

Okay, so any final thoughts before we wrap up?

Speaker 3 11:09

Any parting wisdom for our listeners? Yeah, I think you know. A good thing to think about is this EV technology is moving so fast? Yeah, so is buying a used Tesla really the best move right now? Oh good point, or would you be better off, you know, waiting a bit and then getting a newer model?

Speaker 2 11:25

Right With newer features.

Speaker 3 11:26

Yeah, maybe with even more advanced features, who knows?

Speaker 2 11:28

It's something to consider, that's an excellent question to leave our listeners with.

Speaker 3 11:32

Yeah.

Speaker 2 11:33

So much to think about. Yeah, all right. Well, that was a great deep dive into the Model Y, but remember, this was just a taste, you know.

Speaker 3 11:41

A starting point.

Speaker 2 11:43

A starting point. We encourage you to do your own research. You know, get out there, look at some cars and make an informed decision.

Speaker 3 11:49

Yeah, good advice.

Speaker 2 11:50

Happy hunting everyone.

Speaker 3 11:51

Good luck.