by My wife and I had been driving a Mazda for about 8 1/2 years. Overall, it had been a very reliable car, with only about 65,000 miles on it. However, it began showing its age with respect to its dated technology (software and hardware) and an increase in maintenance.
So, we finally decided to take the plunge and get a battery electric vehicle (BEV). Of course, in early 2024, there were many options available. However, after doing our research, we ultimately decided on purchasing the 2024 Tesla Model Y Standard Range, RWD (Rear Wheel Drive). Let’s discuss the many reasons why we chose Tesla, and in particular the Model Y, in that trim level.
By the way, my wife and I only drive one car and we also don’t drive much…about 5,300+ miles per year, based on the mileage of our last car. I realize that’s well below the average number of miles driven by most people, but it is what it is.
We knew that the Tesla Model Y had begun deliveries of the Model Y in the U.S. as of March 2020. That meant the Model Y had been out 4 years by the time we made our purchase. This gave Tesla the time to refine, what has since become, the best-selling car in the world.
Reasons we made the Switch from ICE to BEV
Lower Maintenance – Saves Time and Money
One compelling reason to make the switch from an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle to a BEV, was to minimize our time and money spent on maintenance. No more oil and oil filter changes, timing belt replacements, radiator fluid flushes, brake fluid flushes, transmission fluid flushes, brake pad and rotor replacement, etc.
And as of early 2022, Tesla vehicles no longer use a standard 12V lead acid battery. Instead, they use a 16V Lithium Ion battery, which should outlast its lead acid counterpart, by several years. Replacing the lead acid batteries in our ICE cars ended up costing us about $200, every 2 1/2 years. So, with our Tesla, not only do we avoid wasting hours sitting at a traditional car dealer’s service center, but we no longer get ripped off with all of the maintenance services, they are so eager to perform.
By the way, all BEVs have regenerative braking, although on some BEVs (not Tesla), you can disable it. Having regenerative braking, enables you to use “one pedal driving”. Because regenerative braking means that the vehicle automatically slows down when you remove your foot from the accelerator pedal, there is usually no need to step on the brake pedal, except for emergency braking situations. Thus, under most circumstances, one pedal driving enables you to use only the accelerator pedal to accelerate and slow down to a stop. It is for this reason, you may never have to change your brake pads for as long as you own/drive your Tesla. Changing brake pads and rotors is expensive and can require hours of your time waiting at the dealership.
Performance
Although the Standard Range, RWD Model Y is the slowest trim, it can still do 0-60 in about 6.6 seconds. But, the Model Y’s instant torque (true of any EV) is simply amazing and makes driving a blast. Our Mazda had a turbocharged, inline 4-cylinder engine, with a very noticeable turbo lag…ugh, it was horrible, especially when you needed to jet into a roundabout or zip into merging traffic.
Convenience and Savings
We love the convenience of charging at home, rather than having to take a trip to the gas station to pump gas. It’s also nice to save money on fuel costs (electricity is pretty cheap). Right now, it costs us about $16 to drive about 250 miles in our Model Y. We drive mostly on local roads, so with regular gas going for about $3.50 a gallon, the cost to drive 250 miles in our Mazda was about $38.
Better for the Environment
Okay, this was not a huge factor in our decision to switch from ICE to BEV, but it was an additional benefit that we certainly liked. Plus, we can have the AC running while listening to music inside our garage, door closed, without having to worry about carbon monoxide poisoning.
Reasons Why We Chose the Tesla Model Y
Although there were a few other BEVs we could have purchased, Tesla was clearly the best choice. Here are some of the reasons why.
Technology and BEV Leader
Tesla, is the pioneer and leader in the global BEV industry, in terms of technology and production/sales. It was important to us, that the BEV maker we chose, have a track record of successfully building reliable BEVs at scale, with the best technology. This is not to say that Tesla is perfect, but we found that Tesla BEVs offer the best mix of technology, range and reliability, especially for the price.
Moreover, we simply would not consider any EV startups, as many appear to have very uncertain futures (e.g. Fisker).
We also did not feel comfortable going with “legacy” automakers, who appear to lack the technological prowess and integration (software and OTA updates) found and implemented successfully in all Tesla vehicles. It seems like a number of legacy automakers are not fully committed to building BEVs from the ground up. And some of the offerings from legacy automakers appeared to be ICE car platforms, adapted for batteries and motors.
Pricing and Incentives
Pricing and incentives in the year 2024 were the best fit for us, with respect to Tesla. At the time we were shopping for the Model Y, Tesla was offering discounted pricing of $42,290 for the Standard Range (260 miles), RWD Model Y in Stealth Grey. Deduct from that, the at point-of-sale, federal tax credit of $7,500 and that brought the price down to $34,790 (excluding tax and registration fees). Wow, who else offers a crossover BEV of that size (storage, roominess) and with that kind of advanced technology, for under $35K? There is literally no other EV in the U.S. market, that offers all that Tesla does, at that price point.
Now, reduce that $34,790 by our trade-in and our out-of-pocket cost was under $20,000 (excluding tax and registration fees). That’s just too good of a deal to pass up!
Since our purchase, Tesla no longer offers the Standard Range, RWD Model Y. Instead, the most affordable Model Y is their Long Range, RWD Model Y with an EPA estimated range of 337 miles at a price of $44,990, before the $7,500 federal tax credit.
While our Standard Range, RWD Model Y offers 260 miles of EPA estimated range, it’s been more than enough for our daily driving needs, which is about 10-20 miles per day. And should we need more, we could always purchase the $1,600 “Energy Boost” software upgrade that unlocks up to 50 extra miles of range. For now, we simply don’t need it.
Aesthetics, Form Factor, Ergonomics
My wife and I really love the design of the Model Y. We think it’s a beautiful, elegant looking SUV crossover. We found the alternatives to the Model Y from other EV makers to be ugly, with gimmicky, if not downright cheesy, styling.
The Model Y has very comfortable seats and we like that the seating position is a little higher up than in the Model 3. My wife and I truly enjoy the clean, minimalist interior layout, with a single screen to control many of the Model Y’s functionalities. Most cars have way too many buttons and dials.
We also find that the Model Y is just the right size for our needs (it’s about 9 inches longer and 3 inches wider, than our old Mazda), with an abundance of cargo space, including a sub trunk and frunk (front trunk). The Model Y also offers plenty of legroom and headroom.
Safety
The Model Y is perhaps one of the safest cars you can buy. In fact, the Model Y earned a 5-Star Overall Safety Rating from NHTSA. So, if crash safety is important to you, as it is for us, the Model Y is a safe choice.
Buying Experience
My wife and I hated going to car dealerships to waste almost an entire day “negotiating” a price. Now, thanks to Tesla, we no longer have to participate in this horrible and unnecessary experience. Instead, we walked into the Tesla showroom, got an estimate for our trade-in within 10 minutes and then placed an order for the Model Y, from our phone. We later learned that we could have simply gone to the Tesla website and gotten a trade-in estimate within minutes. When placing your order, you’ll just need to make a one-time, non-refundable order fee payment of $250. After placing your order, you should get an email confirmation from Tesla with details about when you can expect your vehicle to be delivered. Our delivery day was literally 3 days after we placed the order. No haggling, no stress, no hours of wasted time. How great is that?
Supercharger Network
Although we have yet to take a long trip in our Model Y, it’s always nice to know that when we do, all Tesla vehicles have access to their extensive Supercharger network. In fact, your Tesla vehicle will map out when and where along your travel route, you should charge your car. Not to mention, that the Tesla Supercharger network is the most reliable charging network in the U.S.
Model Y Driving Experience
The 2024 Model Y has a firm, comfortable and generally quiet, ride. I will say that when driving over a road surface that has many smaller imperfections or a rough texture, we do notice it, but not in a jolting or disturbing way. Having test driven the new 2024 Model 3 Long Range AWD, I can say that its ride is definitely more insulated, especially over the aforementioned roads with many smaller imperfections or rough texture.
My wife and I also love the way Tesla handles driver profiles. With the tap of an icon on the vehicle’s touch-screen, our Model Y will adjust to that driver’s profile settings. The profile settings include preset positioning for the driver’s seat, exterior side-view mirrors and steering wheel. We also like that the main display screen offers an option for “Dark Mode”, making it easier to read.
Our Model Y’s voice command is another great feature. So, for instance, if you wanted to increase the fan speed of the AC, you could push the right ball/button on the steering wheel and say “Increase fan speed” and the fan speed would automatically increase by 1. If you said “Increase fan speed by 3″, the AC fan would be increased by 3. Other voice commands include “open glove box” or “enable dark mode”, as well as many others.
Real World Range
Our Model Y has an EPA estimated range of 260 miles. Does our real world driving experience bear that out? It depends.
While we normally charge to 80%, the other day, we charged our Model Y to 95%. Shortly thereafter, we drove 20 miles (according to our Model Y’s trip odometer) on the highway at about 62 mph, with the AC fan speed at 4, the interior cabin temp set to 64°F and the outside temperature at about 88°F. The highway upon which we were driving was a long, slight decline.
Thus, our 20 mile trip (one way) reduced our state of charge (SOC) to 89%, meaning that to drive 20 miles, we consumed 6% of our Model Y’s SOC. Or looking at it another way, for every 3.3 miles driven, we reduced our SOC by 1%. So, theoretically, if we multiply 3.3 miles by 100% SOC, that should give us 330 miles of range.
However, on our return trip, we drove another 20 miles (total round trip of 40 miles) on the highway (long, slight incline) at about 62 mph, with the AC fan speed now at 7, the interior cabin temp set to 60°F and outside temperature at about 96°F, our SOC dropped to 80%.
That was a 15% overall reduction in our SOC, after driving a total of 40 miles. So, for every 2.66 miles driven, we reduced our SOC by 1%. That means at 100% SOC, we should theoretically get 266 miles of range in our Model Y. This is very close to the EPA estimated range of 260 miles. For whatever it’s worth, our Model Y’s odometer stated that at 80% SOC, we had 204 miles of range remaining, but 80% of 260 miles is 208 miles, or a difference of about 4 miles. Keep in mind, that we always have Sentry Mode active, except when our Model Y is parked in our garage at home. It’s been reported that Sentry mode can consume up to 14% of the battery’s SOC over a 24-hour period.
Average energy consumed for that 40 miles was 239 Wh/mi which translates to 4.18 mi/kwh. That is pretty efficient resulting in about 140 MPGe (Miles per Gallon Gasoline Equivalent).
Therefore, the actual range we experience, depends on many factors, including outside temperature, air conditioning usage (fan speed and temperature setting), the speed at which we drive, road incline, etc. We weren’t lead footing our Tesla either, but if we did, that would surely reduce range as well.
What I can tell you is that during our area’s extreme Summer heat, when we are blasting our AC fan speed at 8 or 9, while keeping interior temps at the lowest setting, this dramatically reduces range, sometimes to the point of a 1% reduction in SOC for every 1.2 miles driven. That would effectively give our Model Y a range of only 120 miles. As I mentioned earlier, since we don’t drive a lot and can charge at home, this is more than enough for our daily driving needs. Of course, there is Tesla’s extensive and reliable, charging network, if we ever need to charge our Model Y while out and about.
Features, Features, Features
There are way too many features to list here (Dog Mode, Auto Pilot, various safety features, such as Collision Avoidance Assist, Lane Assist, Speed Assist, etc.), but suffice it to say, one of our favorite features is Sentry Mode. If you don’t already know, Sentry Mode is a motion activated video surveillance system that you can enable to record video of anyone interacting with your Tesla, while it is parked. Moreover, you can set Sentry Mode to exclude your home (for those who park inside their home’s garage).
Of course, you can always purchase or subscribe to FSD Supervised. This is something that we aren’t interested in right now, but it’s a nice upgrade option to have, in case we change our mind.
Fit and Finish
It seems like many YouTubers still recommend that you check for possible fit and finish issues with your new Tesla on delivery day. That said, we did not find anything wrong with our Model Y on delivery day.
Dimensions and Specs of the 2024 Model Y Standard Range RWD
Length: 187 in
Width: 75.6 in (excluding mirrors)
Height: 64 in
Wheelbase: 113.8 in
Curb Weight: 4,212 lbs (approximate)
Tire Size: 255/45R19 XL
Battery Size: 60 kWh
Power: 295 hp
Torque: 310 lb⋅ft
0-60: 6.6 sec
Estimated Range: 260 mi*
* Tesla no longer offers the Standard Range RWD trim. Instead, they now offer the Long Range, RWD with an EPA estimated range of 337 miles.
Final Thoughts
My wife and I have owned many different brands of ICE cars over the years, including BMW, Land Rover, Lexus, Acura, Infiniti, Mini, Toyota, Nissan, Honda and Mazda. However, we feel that our Tesla Model Y is the best car we’ve ever owned, or at least the one we’ve enjoyed the most, so far. It’s quick, quiet, comfortable and safe. It also has lots of storage space and plenty of head and legroom.
We also like the way the Model Y looks (not a fan of the boxy SUV “trend” that seems to be prevalent with other carmakers, lately). Moreover, the software integration and technology is the best in its class. Of course, we also enjoy the convenience (and savings) we get from charging at home.
Should You Buy the 2024 Tesla Model Y?
Since we are in the last quarter of 2024, Tesla should be offering some attractive incentives. These could be in the form of reduced interest rate financing, and/or price reductions on inventory. Regardless, at the time of this writing, the Model Y still qualifies for an up to $7,500 federal tax credit for eligible buyers.
Test Drive a Model Y
Still unsure if you’d like to buy a Model Y? Just schedule a test drive by visiting the Tesla website.
Should You Wait for the “Refreshed” Tesla Model Y (Juniper)?
As you may have heard or read, Tesla is supposed to release a “refreshed” Model Y, at some point in 2025. Speculation is that it will have many of the same updated features (quieter, ambient lighting, rear touch-screen display, etc.) as the refreshed, 2024 Model 3, and possibly more. It all depends on whether you need a new car now, or can wait until next year. For us, the current Model Y met all of our needs, so we had no desire to wait for the refreshed version.
If you are ready to order a Tesla, you could get up to $1,000 OFF using our Tesla discount code link: https://ts.la/john153409
Side Note: Insurance
We opted to get Tesla Insurance because it was by far, the least expensive option, currently costing us about $82/month. However, Tesla Insurance is not available in every state, and the premium can change month-to-month, depending on your driving behavior, represented by a “Safety Score” calculation and the miles driven each month.
With the Tesla mobile app, you can view your daily Safety Score and estimated monthly premium associated with it, after each driving trip. Clearly, Tesla Insurance may not be an appropriate option for everyone. After shopping around, the average insurance quote we got was about $2,300/year. Our 8 1/2 year old Mazda was about $2,400/year.
If you do decide to get Tesla Insurance, the Tesla app will first ask you to select a range of miles you drive per year (e.g. 3,001 – 4000; 4,001 – 5000, and so on). Select the lowest range because the first two months of the premium will, in part, be based on the miles driven range you initially select. So, if you put a higher range, your first two monthly premiums will be higher.
