2025 Tesla Model Y Review: Still the Electric SUV to Beat?
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The worlds top-selling vehicle has received a facelift, but there’s more than a Cybertruck smile added to this new Tesla Model Y (from AUD$58,900 plus on-road costs). There’s a host of new changes underneath to make the car more comfortable, more compliant, and better to spend time in every day. Some features have carried over from the updated sedan, like Auto Shift, but we’re pleased to say that a precision-engineered indicator stalk has been added to remove our key complaint about that vehicle. With increased competition from the 10-plus Chinese owned brands entering our market and a political loose cannon of a CEO to contend with, the Tesla Model Y has to very, very good. However, if there’s one brand that can turn its fortunes around, it’s going to be the worlds most valuable car company. Let’s see how they’ve done! Price and Specs The new Tesla Model Y is priced from AUD$58,900 plus on-road costs (est. $64,094 DA) for the entry rear-wheel drive model. Here’s a quick breakdown of what you get for your money:
2025 Tesla Model Y Rear-Wheel Drive (from AUD$58,900 plus on-roads):
Range: 466km (WLTP) Top speed: 201km/h Acceleration (0-100km/h): 5.9 seconds
2025 Tesla Model Y Long Range All-Wheel Drive (from AUD$66,800 plus on-roads):
Range: 551km (WLTP) Top speed: 201km/h Acceleration (0-100km/h): 4.8 seconds
We were originally scheduled to review the Long Range All-Wheel Drive model, which is priced from $68,900 plus on-road costs (est. $74,594 DA). However, at no point during our review did we wish we were behind the wheel of the more powerful model. The RWD model has more than enough power, but we wish it had more range. Wouldn’t it be great to see Tesla put the larger battery in the Single Motor Rear-Wheel Drive model?
Ultrared | Image: Supplied / Tesla Stealth Black | Image: Supplied / Tesla Quicksilver | Image: Supplied / Tesla Glacier Blue | Image: Supplied / Tesla
Five colour choices are shared across both models, where all colours except white come at an extra cost:
Pearl White Multi-Coat Glacier Blue (AUD$2,300) Stealth Grey (AUD$2,300) Quicksilver (AUD$2,600) Ultrared (AUD$2,600)
The new “Glacier Blue” paint option is exclusive to the Model Y and is similar to the popular “Arctic Blue” paint colour found on the BYD Seal and Sealion 7. When it was originally launched, the “Launch Series” model came standard with 20-inch Helix 2.0 wheels, but they’re now an optional extra priced at AUD$2,400. There’s a choice of black (standard) and white ($1,500) interior colours for both model grades. Finally, you have a choice of Autopilot Packages:
Enhanced Autopilot (AUD$5,100) Full Self-Driving Capability (AUD$10,100)
The standard “Basic Autopilot” functionality includes the two most important driver assistance features of Traffic-Aware Cruise Control that matches the speed of your vehicle to that of the surrounding traffic and Autosteer that assists in steering within a clearly marked lane, and works in conjunction with traffic-aware cruise control. Both of these features are similar to those you’ll find on competitors, and we don’t see any reason to opt for either EAP or FSD. Further Reading You Can Now Play UNO in Your BMW With Latest System Update 1995 McLaren F1 Road Car Sells for Record-Breaking $27 Million
BYD Sealion 7 | Image: BYD Competition There has never been a tougher market for the Tesla Model Y. With slowing demand for electric vehicles and more than 12 Chinese brands entering the Australian market, there’s a plethora of options to consider. Here’s a list of our best electric vehicle alternatives to the new Tesla Model Y:
Zeekr X – from AUD$49,900 plus on-road costs BYD Sealion 7 – from AUD$54,990 plus on-road costs Cupra Tavascan – from AUD$60,990 plus on-road costs Kia EV5 – from AUD$56,770 plus on-road costs Volkswagen ID.4 – from AUD$59,990 plus on-road costs
You should also consider the following vehicles, which we recommend:
Deepal S07 – from AUD$53,900 plus on-road costs Hyundai Ioniq 5 – from AUD$69,800 plus on-road costs Ford Mustang Mach-E – from AUD$64,990 plus on-road costs
2025 Tesla Model Y in Glacier Blue | Image: Ben McKimm / Man of Many Inside
Front trunk – 116 litres Behind first row with second row seats folded – 2,022 litres Behind the second row with seats not folded – 822 litres Maximum total cargo volume with driver and front passenger – 2,138 litres Maximum total cargo volume with 5 passengers – 938 litres
The inside of the new Tesla Model Y is an evolution of the previous generation vehicle, but there’s a notable increase in quality, fit, and finish. It mimics its sedan brother with ambient lighting, front-seat ventilation, and a rear 8-inch second-row display. However, you’ll now find customisable steering wheel switches and a precision-engineered indicator stalk in response to customer feedback. Notably, the touchscreen “swipe” gear-selector has also been introduced on the Model Y, but it’s not a big deal because of Auto Shift from Park that selects the correct gear for you. While the Chinese competition has caught up to Tesla and introduced minimalist cabins and giant touchscreen displays, they still haven’t figured out how to make it all work harmoniously like the Model Y. The cabin doesn’t feel cheap, there’s no smell of glue and cheap plastic, and no obvious cost-cutting to be seen anywhere. There’s a synthetic leather material found everywhere, but it feels premium and runs all the way down to the bottom of the doors, which is unusual to see in the era of cost-cutting. It’s a fake leather, but that’s common practice in the era of sustainability, and this is amongst the best that we’ve ever felt or sat in. We know that sweat was an issue with the previous generation vehicle, and we never found that to be an issue during our week with this new model.
2025 Tesla Model Y in Glacier Blue | Image: Ben McKimm / Man of Many 2025 Tesla Model Y in Glacier Blue | Image: Ben McKimm / Man of Many 2025 Tesla Model Y in Glacier Blue | Image: Ben McKimm / Man of Many 2025 Tesla Model Y in Glacier Blue | Image: Ben McKimm / Man of Many 2025 Tesla Model Y in Glacier Blue | Image: Ben McKimm / Man of Many 2025 Tesla Model Y in Glacier Blue | Image: Ben McKimm / Man of Many
The 15.4-inch front-row touchscreen is a monster, but it’s also where you control everything in the vehicle, so the size works in its favour. This is still the best touchscreen display at this price point, and no other brand has figured out how to make theirs as intuitive and easy to use as Tesla’s. You won’t find Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, but you don’t need it as the native system has navigation with real-time traffic along the route to guide you along the quickest path and music apps such as Spotify, Apple Music, etc., which can be downloaded onto the native system like you would a tablet. But (and it’s a big one) there’s a hitch. There are missing apps (Waze), and that’s especially frustrating because it’s a strategic decision from Tesla to make content like this pay-walled. To access Maps and Weather, Satellite-View Maps, Weather Forecast and Precipitation Maps, Live Traffic Maps, and most importantly, Speed Cameras, you’ll have to pay for Premium Connectivity, which costs AUD$9.99 per month. You also have to pay for this if you want Music Streaming and Video Streaming, which is not uncommon these days, but something to consider. On a more positive practical note, there are two wireless chargers for front passengers, plenty of storage in the centre console, large door bins, and three USB-C ports throughout the cabin supporting up to 65W of power for charging a laptop. You’ll find a fourth USB-A port in the glovebox, which supports a USB flash drive and is designed to store footage captured during Sentry Mode.
2025 Tesla Model Y in Glacier Blue | Image: Ben McKimm / Man of Many 2025 Tesla Model Y in Glacier Blue | Image: Ben McKimm / Man of Many 2025 Tesla Model Y in Glacier Blue | Image: Ben McKimm / Man of Many 2025 Tesla Model Y in Glacier Blue | Image: Ben McKimm / Man of Many
We spend a lot of time in the back of Model Ys as Ubers, and the good news here is that the rear seats have longer cushions with an optimised headrest design. More importantly, the flat-fold rear seats now feature electric recline and fold adjustment so you can set the angle for maximum comfort and Tesla’s Airwave 2.0 ventilation system. These are typically features you’ll only find on high-end luxury SUVs from European brands, but they’re here in the Model Y, and they work very well. Like the new Model 3, there’s an 8-inch touchscreen for rear passengers with 10 functions, including:
Power: Touch to turn the rear climate control system on or off. Rear fan speed: Touch to adjust fan speed. Rear fan: Touch to turn the rear fan on or off, to adjust fan speed and control the direction. Seats: Control rear seat heaters and move the front passenger seat forward/rearward. Media: Play, pause, skip or rewind through the currently playing song (see Media). Video: Access video streaming services. Gaming: For gaming options Settings: Pair up to two sets of Bluetooth headphones, change the brightness or clean the display. Volume: Touch to adjust the volume. Air wave preset: Touch to direct the air flow to the passenger’s head or torso quickly.
The base-model vehicle that we drove comes with 9 speakers as standard, but you can upgrade to a 16-speaker sound system (with subwoofer) if you choose the Long Range All-Wheel Drive model. However, we wouldn’t consider this a deal-maker as the 9-speaker system is still very good, and very likely better than whatever you have in your car right now. 2025 Tesla Model Y in Glacier Blue | Image: Ben McKimm / Man of Many Battery, Range, Charging The battery size and range have been improved slightly for the new Model Y, but it is by no means the industry leader in this section any more. Opt for the Single Motor RWD variant as we tested, and you’ll find 466km of range (WLTP) from a 62.5 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack that sends power to a ‘3D6’ electric motor producing 255 kW at the rear wheels. This is good for a 0-100km/h time of 5.9 seconds, which is more than enough for most buyers. Meanwhile, the more powerful Dual-Motor Long Range variant uses a more advanced nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery that offers a claimed 551km of range (WLTP) and sends power to the ground through a 137 kW ‘3D3’ motor up front, and a 194kW ‘3D7’ motor in the rear for a combined power output of 378 kW. This helps it accelerate from 0-100km/h in 4.8 seconds or 4.2 seconds with a US$2,000 ($3,100) ‘Acceleration Boost’ software upgrade, which should be made available in Australia shortly. You can charge both model variants of the new Tesla Model Y at 250 kW on a DC ultra-fast charger in around 30 minutes (10-80%). During our test, we charged at a 75 kW charger and added 22.424 kWh of energy into the battery in 22 minutes and 54 seconds. This brought us from around 60-96% state-of-charge, and granted us around 150km of indicated range. It cost us $16.37 for the privilege, which isn’t cheap! 2025 Tesla Model Y in Glacier Blue | Image: Ben McKimm / Man of Many Drive Like the updated sedan, the Model Y benefits from serious changes to its chassis and suspension. While the extent of these changes isn’t documented in detail, the brand quotes a “51% improvement in the ability to absorb bumps on rough roads.” So, can you tell when you’re behind the wheel? Yes! The suspension is notably “softer” than before, as many have commented, but we’d prefer to use the word “compliant,” as it’s not like there’s an increase in body roll to offset this softness. Like the sedan, it’s great around town and doesn’t struggle with bumps and rough roads. The biggest complaint about the previous-generation vehicle is that it was too stiff, transferring the small divots and undulations of the road surface through the suspension and steering. However, there was no evidence of this during our test drive. We also believe the claimed “20% reduction in impact noise” should also be taken literally, as there was no knocking from the suspension, even on the worst roads through the NSW Blue Mountains.
2025 Tesla Model Y in Glacier Blue | Image: Ben McKimm / Man of Many 2025 Tesla Model Y in Glacier Blue | Image: Ben McKimm / Man of Many 2025 Tesla Model Y in Glacier Blue | Image: Ben McKimm / Man of Many 2025 Tesla Model Y in Glacier Blue | Image: Ben McKimm / Man of Many
Steering is quick without being twitchy, and there’s a surprising amount of feel given to the driver. Where some EVs struggle with feel, the Y has plenty “on centre.” This is especially true for the RWD model as it’s a lighter vehicle that doesn’t have to balance the extra weight brought on by having a motor at the front axle. You can even go one step further and change the characteristics of the steering through the infotainment screen, should you prefer a heavier weight. Having recently driven the Cupra Tavascan, the RWD Model Y would give it a run for its money on mountain roads. It’s surprisingly fun to drive! The cabin is as quite as ever, with a claimed “22% reduction in road noise” and “20% reduction in wind noise.” It’s amongst the quietest cabins we’ve sat in, and you won’t get quieter unless you look at something with active noise cancellation. Finally, things like the auto high-beam software have also been retuned to stop blinding on-coming traffic, and the brand has standardised the ‘Hold’ setting for the regenerative braking. 2025 Tesla Model Y in Glacier Blue | Image: Ben McKimm / Man of Many Safety and Assistance The new Tesla Model Y carries a 5-star ANCAP Safety rating based on EuroNCAP tests from 2022. It appears these results carry over into the facelifted model, despite some regulatory changes. With seven airbags it remains one of the safest new cars that money can buy, and it scored the following results in tests:
97 per cent for adult occupant protection 89 per cent for child occupant protection 82 per cent for vulnerable road user protection 98 per cent for safety assist technology
Safety features have been added to it’s suite, including a conventional blind-spot monitoring system, rear cross-traffic alert, and front parking camera. However, there is no top-down 360-camera. Here’s a list of the most important safety features found in the new Tesla Model Y:
Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) Adaptive Cruise Control with Traffic Jam Assist Blind Spot Alert Rear Cross-Traffic Lane Assistance with Lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist,and lane-centring assist Road Sign Recognition with Speed Limit Assist Driver Attention Warning with Attention Monitor Front, Side, and Rear cameras
Last but not least, tire pressure monitoring is included. 2025 Tesla Model Y in Glacier Blue | Image: Ben McKimm / Man of Many Ownership and Value The new Model Y is covered by a four-year/80,000km vehicle warranty, and an eight-year warranty on the high-voltage battery pack (160,000km for the RWD, and 192,000km for the Long Range). This is considerably shorter than the industry-aveage five-years/ unlimited km warranty, and even shorter than the seven-year warranty on many of its Chinese-owned competitors. You don’t “have” to service a Tesla and the brand doesn’t quote service intervals. Instead, they provide the following recommendations on their website:
Every 10,000km (or tread depth is 1.5mm or more): Rotate the tyres Every two years: Replace cabin filter (a new one costs $35) Every three years: Replace the HEPA filter and carbon filter Every four years: Check brake fluid health, and replace if needed
Finally, we quoted a few insurance companies, and the vast majority of quotes landed around the AUD$2,800 for a 36-year-old man living in Hornsby, NSW. That’s surprisingly high, but this is a new vehicle so it does make some sense. 2025 Tesla Model Y in Glacier Blue | Image: Ben McKimm / Man of Many Verdict We spent five-days with the Tesla Model Y and it proved that it is still the electric SUV to beat. Others have tried, and the on-slaught of Chinese-owned competitors will continue to be a sales test for the worlds best-selling car, but only the Zeekr X, BYD Sealion 7, and Cupra Tavascan have come close to challenging the Model Y for its crown in our test. The incoming Zeekr 7X will be the biggest test yet, but it’s likely to be priced closer to AUD$75,000 when it lands on our shores before the end of the year. There’s no such things as a “flawless” vehicle but when you consider the price-point, performance, fit, finish, technology, and safety, the Model Y comes very close. With slightly more real-world range, the removal of the Premium subscription feature, and the addition of other small odds and ends like a top-down 360-degree camera it would be pretty bloody close to perfect. There’s just one other problem, and this is quite a large one. The brand perception of Tesla has taken a nuclear hit because of their CEO. We will not make this review about Elon Musk, but it needs to be said that during our time with the car we had multiple people completely dismiss the vehicle because of the political statement it makes. We weren’t going to mention this as it’s anecdotal, but at one point an older couple walked past and said (quite loudly) “I wouldn’t want to own a Tesla in 2025,” under their breathe. That was really eye-opening moment. We’re sitting here taking photos of a car and a person was so blatantly annoyed by the badge on the vehicle, that they thought the need to express their opinions about it. This was in a small town in the Blue Mountains with a population of 80 people! This is a sentiment expressed by so many, and while these people might be missing out on arguably the best value-for-money car on the road, they simply don’t care. What’s the solution? Well, if you want the best electric SUV money can buy, you might have to factor in the cost of this AUD$14.99 sticker.
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