[aneezan]

I had given a short preview of my new Tesla Model Y here: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/elect...ml#post5991498 (Tesla Model Y - A new Crossover. EDIT: Now launched), but i thought why not expand this into a new thread. Probably the first ownership thread of the Model Y on T-Bhp, but readers can correct me.

But before that, the below are purely from a person who has driven only ICE before, hence this is a totally new perspective for me. So here goes...








First Impressions in 10 Days with the Model Y Long Range:-
It’s been exactly ten days since I took delivery of my Tesla Model Y Long Range, and while that’s not nearly enough time to explore everything this EV has to offer, a few things have already stood out — both in delight and in areas that could be improved.



Likes:-
- Acceleration
- Build Quality: Still early days— all improved from what I’ve seen (and read) of earlier Teslas.
- Ease of Use: Coming from ICE cars, this is a completely different experience. Frictionless driving.
- Comfort & Space: This was a big factor in choosing the Y over the Model 3.
- Single Pedal Driving: I barely use the brake pedal anymore.
- Ride Quality: Surprisingly flat for a large SUV.
- Screens and Ambience: We’re all in love with the displays.
- No range anxiety: So far, an 80% charge shows around 440 km. Will update more on this.
- Charging Convenience: Home charging is stupidly simple. Plug it in overnight — done. And with a Supercharger just 500 meters from home, I’ve got the best of both worlds.

Some Dislikes:-
- No direct(heads-up) display. Tesla missed this *again* in the refresh. At-least a small screen should have made it.
- Overzealous Safety Alerts:The car is very cautious with its warnings — sometimes unnecessarily.
- No Spare Tire.
- Climate Control vs Range: The climate system noticeably affects range. It’s more sensitive than I expected.
- Full Autopilot: EU limitations


Delivery Day – Tilburg, Bikes & a Bit of Nerves:-
Tesla has a showroom right here in Eindhoven, but for some reason, they reserve all deliveries for their center in Tilburg — about 40 km away. I have no idea why.
That aside, the whole experience was pretty smooth. The delivery center in Tilburg is massive — rows upon rows of Teslas, all lined up like an electric army, either freshly arrived from the factory or prepped for handover. It’s a sight.
Paperwork was surprisingly minimal. Insurance and registration were wrapped up in just a few minutes. A service advisor (SA) then walked me through the basics — unlocking, safety features, mobile app, charging — a quick but efficient intro.
One thing that stood out: There’s no fixed service interval. No yearly checkups. No “come in at 15,000 km.” Tesla lets you bring the car in when you feel like it, or when the app tells you something’s up. Very un-car-like, in a good way.
Overall, the delivery was quick, no frills, and very Tesla. I was probably inside for an hour, but it felt more like 15 minutes.
Once everything was done, I loaded my bike into the back — another good reason I picked the Y over the 3 — and started the 40 km drive back home. Couldn’t resist trying out some of the Autopilot features on the way. Not going to lie, I was a bit nervous, letting the car “drive” itself,

First view at Delivery:-







Getting acquainted:-
Back home, I finally got the chance to really explore the cabin.

Seats: The front seats are massive. Supportive in all the right places, especially around the thighs and knees. I could almost hear my legs whisper “thank you.” One more reason I’m glad I went for the Model Y over the Model 3. Every seat is electronically adjustable, with the driver’s position — including seat, mirrors, and steering — tied to the driver profile. So if someone else drives it, a tap brings everything back to your setup. It’s a small detail, but a huge daily convenience.


The Steering wheel is small, but feels excellent to feel. Soft, but also durable. Slightly flat bottomed and continues with the minilalistic approach. The left button/roller works as the volume and other audio functionalities. Also multi-funtions as when adjusting the external mirrors and the steering wheel.
Right button is for Auto-Pilot settings.
Also on the steering is the voice control and button to bring up the cameras.
Steering weightage can be adjusted/configured as well. The single stalk on the left for the indicators(relieved that this is not a button on the steering like the previous Y).


-Cabin Space & Design
There’s acres of space everywhere. The cabin feels wide and uncluttered. The armrest is w..i..d..e, and that feeling of spaciousness stretches right into the back seats. The glass roof amplifies it — letting in tons of light and making the whole cabin feel airy and open.

Interior mood lights can be set to any color. A subtle strip running around the front dash and extending halfway into the rear.



The door storage spaces are adequate for a 1.5 L bottle plus a few other knacks.


Press-To-Open Door Switch:-


Center Screen: The heart of the car. It took a little getting used to — especially glancing sideways to see your speed — but that’s part of the Tesla learning curve. More on the screen experience later.



Charging & Storage: Right below the screen, there are two wireless phone chargers — super convenient. Behind that, there’s a cavernous storage area. Deep, wide, and currently a bit of a black hole. I’m definitely getting some organizers or separators soon.
The cupholders sit nicely in reach, and the armrest console beneath is not just wide, but also holds a ton of stuff. Add to that four USB-C ports up front.








Center Screen – The Command Center:-
The center screen is literally the brain/heart of the car. There are no physical buttons — everything from opening the glove box to adjusting ride dynamics, acceleration modes, Autopilot settings, regen braking, climate, audio, and lighting is handled here.
Thankfully, everything is intuitively laid out. Menus are clean, easy to navigate, and more importantly — buttery smooth. No lag, no delays. Just tap, swipe, and it responds instantly. You get used to the interface quickly, and it soon becomes second nature.

Climate Control Screen: Can be easily brought up from the main screen by swiping up. Air flow easily controllable on the screen, pointing the direction anywhere.



A pin can be setup to drive and when enabled, will only allow driving with the pin entered. Excellent safety feature. Better even, is that the pin pop-up is at a different location on the screen each time you start. The screen is a fingerprint magnet, hence this adds further to the "security" aspect.



Swipe up to Drive, Down to Reverse. Hold the middle to Park.




Further options, of which I am still yet to fully explore and configure:-















The 2025 Model Y is equipped with eight cameras. These cameras include a front camera above the grille, a rear camera above the license plate, cameras in each door pillar, cameras on the front fenders, and two cameras mounted above the rearview mirror on the windshield. Additionally, a cabin camera above the rearview mirror monitors the driver's alertness.

Camera view on the center screen:-


Apps & Subscriptions:-
Most major music and media apps come pre-installed — Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, and even built-in karaoke if that’s your thing. You just log in, and you're set. Tesla includes a 1-month free trial for the full connectivity package (streaming, live traffic, etc.), after which it's €10 per month. Personally, I think that's a fair deal considering the features you get.



Ongoing Exploration:-
There’s still a lot for me to explore in the menus. Some controls are tucked away in sub-menus, and I keep discovering new things each day — like adjusting ambient lighting zones or customizing driving profiles further. I’ll keep updating this section as I go deeper in this journey.

[aneezan]

Rear Seats:-
As someone who is six feet tall, the rear seats are very comfortable. Even with the front seats set for my height, I’ve got space to stretch out. The upright position offers decent thigh support — rare in most cars.




The 40-20-40 split and reclining rear seats add flexibility and comfort. Ambient lighting continues to the back, with soft lighting on the floor-well as well.






But the rear center screen is the showstopper — climate control, video streaming, gaming. My kids don’t want to sit up front anymore. And since the front and rear audio systems can operate independently via Bluetooth headphones, its a boon on longer journeys.








The "unique" Tesla door handle. Push the wider side, Pull the other end:-


The back-pockets. Not really ideal:-


The expansive glass roof:-


At the front-manual drive controls(if the screen doesn't work):-



Audio:-
The Y RWD LR comes with 9 speakers, compared to the 15+subwoofer setup in the AWD. But honestly, It’s more than enough.
Bass, mids, treble — all balanced. There’s a reverb setting that mimics theater acoustics, and it works well. For our needs — music, podcasts, streaming — it’s a strong, immersive setup.

The "sound" bar at the front, runs the entire width of the car-


Boot:-
They went massive. Rated 854L with the rear seats up; and a humongous 2,158L with the seats folded down. Could carry everything here. Planning to buy a Tesla mattress for future possible camping trips.






Frunk: 117 L storage


Driving Experience – Silent Speed:-
The 2025 Model Y Long Range RWD comes with:-
-78 kWh battery
-Tesla-claimed range of 622 km
-0–100 km/h in 5.6 seconds
-Top speed of 217 km/h
-Power output of 335 hp and 450 Nm torque
-Max charging speed of 250 kW

Apart from the first couple of days (where I may have overindulged a little), I’ve been keeping the car in “Chill” mode. Mostly because my family couldn’t handle the roller-coaster pull from traffic stops. It’s that instant.
But Chill mode is still quick. There’s a linear, confident acceleration that builds the moment you tap the pedal. For a car this big and heavy, it’s borderline shocking how easily it keeps up with — or overtakes — smaller sedans without even trying.
Sure, this is Europe. You’ll always get passed by someone in an AMG or a Porsche tearing down the autobahn. But in everyday city and highway driving, the Y feels fast without feeling frantic.

Ride & Handling:-
The ride is firm but far from harsh — a huge improvement over earlier Tesla versions I have driven. The 19" Hankook tires do a good job absorbing road imperfections. There’s a level of planted confidence in the way it handles bumps and minor rough patches.



I haven’t done anything wild in terms of cornering yet, but the low center of gravity is very noticeable. The more I drive it, the more confidence it inspires.
For comparison, we recently spent a few days in a Citroën Picasso 7-seater, and that felt like a wallowing boat on the highway. The contrast is stark — where the Picasso begged you to slow down for corners, the Model Y subtly invites you to trust it more.

The cabin insulation is excellent. Most outside noise — wind, engine, traffic — is pretty much gone. What’s left is a faint tyre hum, but even that is minimal and consistent.
The silence makes long drives more relaxing and music or conversation more enjoyable. It also means that when you do push the accelerator, the rush feels even more dramatic because of the quiet.


Charging:-
I decided to purchase the Tesla Mobile Connector along with the car. While I do plan to install a Wall Connector later, the mobile setup has been working just fine for now.

Home Charging:-
I plug the car into a regular 230V socket in my driveway. It’s slower than a wall charger, yes — but I don’t mind. For my driving needs, it’s more than sufficient.
So far, I’ve done two home charging sessions:
The first: from ~320 km to 430 km (80% SOC) — took about 3.5 hours
The second: from ~380 km to 430 km (80% SOC) — took 2.5 hours

We have solar panels at home, and I’ve been tracking our power usage for over a year. I consistently give more back to the grid than I use, so charging the car at home costs virtually nothing.

"Long Range" badging at the rear:-


The Energy Screens. Make it a point to see this at the end of the trips. But not sure how long i will keep doing it. Maybe, at-least till i understand the consumption better.






Supercharging When Needed:-
There’s a Tesla Supercharger just 500 meters from home — honestly, one of the big reasons I chose Tesla over other EVs. I’ve used it once so far, just to test it.
It’s a 250 kW Supercharger
Peak speed reached: 125 kW
Time taken: ~20 minutes to reach 80%

As expected, the charging speed slowed down as it neared the charge limit — Tesla does this to protect battery health. Pricing varies, and during the day it’s €0.34 per kWh, but I still have free Supercharger credits, so my first session didn’t cost me anything.












An evening drive to the border and back. Was a pleasant drive with family. Started late, so was able to soak-in and test the ambient lighting in its different colors as well.

[aneezan]

I haven't done any long trips yet. The max was the 40km drive to the NL-BE border and it wasn't on the highway. These 10 days have been a wonderful experience with the Model Y and we both have been very keen to drive it every day.







I still have my Skoda Rapid as the second car and will keep that too.
Lets see how this electric journey takes us.




On a side note: Both the cars need a good wash!

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[aneezan]

Further random snaps.

Parked in our driveway. Narrow, but serves the purpose for charging at home.


Camera on the Door Pillar


Rear Seat Space in more detail:-


"Tesla" badging on the Plastic door scuff plate:-


The driver pedals and footwell. Pedals are well spaced out


The Tesla Showroom & Service Center right opposite our home:-


Key Card:-


Phone App+Key: Controls most of the car:-


Colors of the night:-

[Porschefire]

Heartiest congratulations, aneezan! Being a fellow Model Y owner who's coming from ICE, I echo all your thoughts completely!

Tesla has a showroom right here in Eindhoven, but for some reason, they reserve all deliveries for their center in Tilburg — about 40 km away. I have no idea why.

It's a Tesla thing. All deliveries happen from a hub as opposed to a showroom, saves them cost from the middlemen. My delivery was on Dec 30th and there were hundreds of deliveries happening that day, was surreal to experience it. Like you, it lasted an hour or so, but the actual 'signing and key handover' took less than 5 mins.

The front seats are massive. Supportive in all the right places, especially around the thighs and knees. I could almost hear my legs whisper “thank you.” One more reason I’m glad I went for the Model Y over the Model 3.

Model 3 feels outright sporty but for long distances, I prefer the Y as it is very comfortable. 800-900kms trips in my Golf were super tiring, but not in the Y!

The single stalk on the left for the indicators(relieved that this is not a button on the steering like the previous Y).

It's only the 3 (and X, S also, I guess) that has it. My Y has stalks for indicators and driving.

Apart from the first couple of days (where I may have overindulged a little), I’ve been keeping the car in “Chill” mode. Mostly because my family couldn’t handle the roller-coaster pull from traffic stops. It’s that instant.
But Chill mode is still quick. There’s a linear, confident acceleration that builds the moment you tap the pedal. For a car this big and heavy, it’s borderline shocking how easily it keeps up with — or overtakes — smaller sedans without even trying.

I haven’t done anything wild in terms of cornering yet, but the low center of gravity is very noticeable. The more I drive it, the more confidence it inspires.
For comparison, we recently spent a few days in a Citroën Picasso 7-seater, and that felt like a wallowing boat on the highway. The contrast is stark — where the Picasso begged you to slow down for corners, the Model Y subtly invites you to trust it more.

I was driving in Chill mode within the city for the first few months due to the fear that I might accidentally step on the Accelerator, which, in Sports mode is dangerous. I slowly got used to Sports mode and now Chill feels too damn slow.
As for the handling, I agree. I'm still amazed as to how a car this heavy can turn the way it turns! Low CoG definitely helps.

The 19" Hankook tires do a good job absorbing road imperfections. There’s a level of planted confidence in the way it handles bumps and minor rough patches.

I have the 21" tires and sitting in a LR with 19" tires felt like I was in different car altogether! I'd suggest you stick with the 19" profile and not upgrade. 20" is still ok but 21" feels way too stiff.

[aneezan]

Originally Posted by Porschefire

Heartiest congratulations, aneezan! Being a fellow Model Y owner who's coming from ICE, I echo all your thoughts completely!

.

Thanks for your comments.
Yes, It was the 3 that i saw the button instead of indicator stalks some years back and thought the same for the previous Y. Thanks.

The "chill" mode is quick for me currently. Starting off in the regular mode a couple of times from stops just hit our guts so hard. You know its going to be fast off the block, but the punch in the gut was too hard to take. Maybe I went hard on the pedal Retaining Chill till I get used to the car!

[Porschefire]

Originally Posted by aneezan

Thanks for your comments.

Forgot to mention, please do invest in the all weather floor mats from Tesla. They are worth it.

[UP!!!!]

Congratulations aneezan on Model Y Long Range. It's a wonderful car and LR RWD should give you enough range to not have range anxiety.

PS - I am also based in Eindhoven and drives MY (not Juniper) Long Range AWD.

[aneezan]

Originally Posted by UP!!!!

Congratulations aneezan..

PS - I am also based in Eindhoven and drives MY (not Juniper) Long Range AWD.

Thank you and good to know that you have the MY.
I recall one of your earlier posts regarding a meetup in the NL. Maybe we should plan one again sometime later this year.

[aneezan]

Also, just realized this made it to the Home Page Reviews Box. Thanks to the mods/T-bhpians.

[the_real_slager]

Congratulations on the new Car! Looks very good in white.

I live near Tilburg and drive an August 2023 Black Model Y AWD Long Range and i echo your sentiments about the car.

I love the rear screen of your car and i think it is the best feature from the facelift that i wish i had, along with the front camera which mine does not have.

Personally, i am not a fan of the connected headlights and the touch screen drive controls.

Coming from only ICE cars before, i took time before getting used to the Tesla but after 45k kilometers within two years, i must say it grew on me.

Wishing you many happy miles! Cheers.

[dileepcm]

Wow! Looks very cool! Congratulations.

[Aditya]

Exceptional, unbiased & detailed ownership reviews of cars have started going to our homepage reviews box. It's the ultimate stamp of trust from Team-BHP (as a platform) because lakhs of visitors every month check out reviews from there & make purchase decisions.

Your review has also gone here. Thank you so much for sharing .

[aneezan]

Originally Posted by the_real_slager

Congratulations on the new Car! Looks very good in white... Cheers.

Thanks the_real_slager. The gizmos are all new and quirky to me too. I have already switched off the auto-wipers. Feel they are a bit too sensitive.

Originally Posted by dileepcm

Wow! Looks very cool! Congratulations.

Thanks dileepcm


A couple of observations on the consumption. Of-course, other Tesla/Electric owners would be aware already.
As expected, almost every factor affects the efficiency. This is just based on drives around the city.
Wind, road undulations, elevation, usage of the brake, climate control, external temparature, acceleration, etc. I am not trying to drive efficiently here, and these are things that would affect ICE cars as well, but I feel these being shown on the screen definitely impacts how we drive.
Still early days.
I appear to have driven more efficiently that expected on some of these drives.







Other things:-
Noticed that the car senses that I am to drive to work in the morning and shows a preview of the route just as I unlock. Nice.



All the interior cabin LEDs are touch sensitive. Just run your fingers over them to turn on/off.


I ordered the tow-bar as well(Tesla's) with the intention of attaching a bike-carrier to carry my bikes when going on trips. Came with a nice Tesla branded packing. Its quite heavy, hence shouldn't be in the car when not in use.




Shopping Run:-