The Tesla Model Y Has MORE Features Than Model 3

The Model 3 and model y share a lot of similarities, I knew there were some differences but being a model 3 owner, I never had a chance to actually spend time with a Model Y. Well, I finally got my chance, and I'm blown away by how many differences there actually are, so Today I'm going to share all of the differences between the two and tell you all my likes and dislikes, so let's get into it!

How I got a Tesla Model Y

I recently had to drop my tesla off for some maintenance and got lucky to be set me up with a Model Y loaner car since there were no model 3s available. I've had the car for a few days which gave me enough time to discover all of the differences from my model 3 and was surprised to find out there's a lot more than I thought, so while I still have the car I'd like to share with you what I discovered and later ill let you know everything I don't like about the model Y. If you’re considering buying a model 3 or Y, Hopefully, this video will help you in your decision.

Now, this Model Y is a 2020 model, so it has all the same features as my 2021 model 3 except for the updated center console. also, it's worth mentioning this is a long-range model compared to my model 3 which is a performance.

Size and Visibility

The model y is a Much bigger car, I didn't realize how much bigger it was until parking it in my garage where it looks massive, but being a bigger car means - More room overall, which includes more headroom and more legroom, you can definitely feel it as soon as you get inside, everything just feels bigger.

Since the Model Y is a crossover, it sits higher from the ground, not only that but unlike the Model 3 the seats are placed on top of these blocks which puts you even higher off the ground, and this means you get much better visibility out the front window while driving. Compared to my model 3, it feels like I'm driving a truck.

But another thing I noticed about the visibility is that the rear visibility is way less than the model 3, which is not a good thing. Because the model y is a hatchback you get this little hole to look out of, and everything else surrounding is darkness. Here's how the visibility looks in the 3 and Y side by side.

Speaking of visibility, I immediately noticed the mirrors are larger as well, which lets you see much more of what's on the side of you.

The last thing I wanted to mention about space and visibility, is that The Model Y has a full glass roof, unlike the Model 3 which has a bar in the middle of the car. The full glass roof definitely makes it feel much more open, and in my opinion, looks much cooler than the model 3. I'm not exactly sure why this wasn't put in the model 3 but I really wish this was included in my car.

Storage

When it comes to storage there is much more available in the model Y, lets's start with the trunk, since its a hatchback, you’ll find that there is much more available space, The Model Y cargo capacity is 34.3 cubic feet with all the seats in place and 76 cubic feet and when you put the folding rear seats down, that's a ton of space. And speaking of those rear seats, they can fold completely flat, and unlike the model 3, you can open just the middle seat if you want to put longer items in the car without sacrificing seating for your passengers. Two more quick notes about the rear seats are, that since the model y is longer, the seats are longer in both length and width, and with that, you can easily take a comfortable nap if you wanted to do that. And lastly, they can recline as well, which isn't possible on the Model 3, oh and the middle armrest is wider as well.

But let's get back to storage, In the trunk, the area underneath the trunk liner is also much deeper than the model 3, and not only that but there is also another underneath storage option back there under the frunk liner as well as another pocket on the right side of the trunk that the model 3 doesn't have. Even the pocket on the left side is much bigger than the model 3s.

While we’re back here I also found a 12-volt socket, which is great to have when needed. Another thing the model 3 doesn't have.

The frunk of the model y is also deeper, which makes it a more useable location for storage over the Model 3, where the only thing I use mines for is an extra charging cable.

The last place you’ll find extra storage is under the front seats, which can be used for storage from the front or back. And if you look at the back seats there's also room between the front seats, giving you much more legroom over the model 3.

Audio System

Being that I am an audio engineer, I think the Teslas Premium audio system is still the best I've heard in any car, to be clear I'm talking about the Premium system, which does not come in the standard model 3. I always rave about this system, but for some reason, even though both cars use the same system and have the same amount of speakers, it sounds significantly better in the Model Y, it sounds much more fuller and immersive, and the bass response is way better, and I believe this has to do with two things, one there is much more separation between all the speakers, making everything sound much wider, and 2, the subwoofer is located in the trunk of both cars, but since the model y has a hatchback the rear of the car is completely open letting the pressure from the bass fill the car. You should have seen my face when I first turned it on, I immediately went to the settings to see how it's been set up, and it was set to completely stock with the sub level on normal, and it sounded better stock in the model y than with the settings tuned in my model 3.

Extra Features

I'm going to talk about driving the car but I just wanted to mention two more features the model Y has over the 3. One is if you get a model Y there is an option for a tow hitch, which isn't available on the 3. And Second, it comes with a HEPA filter and biodefence mode standard. To get this in my Model 3 I had to buy and install an aftermarket HEPA filter, if you want, you can check that out in my Tesla HEPA Filter Video.

Driving Experience

Now let's talk about driving, the Model Y is a much bigger and heavier car than the model y, and you can definitely feel it when driving. The car still feels peppy and fast but at the same time it feels heavy, and since it's taller, you can feel the body roll when taking corners, sometimes even when switching lanes at higher speeds.

Another thing that I noticed right away was the ride quality, I have a performance model 3 which has bigger rims and thinner tires, which means compared to having smaller rims and bigger tires, you feel much more feedback from the road and get more vibration as well. To me though, my model 3 is very smooth. Now the Model Y long-range has bigger tires and smaller wheels but for some reason, the ride quality is worse, not this is a used Model Y from 2020 so maybe its been through some things, but then again so is my model 3 so I'm not sure what's going on, but the ride quality is much worse this loaner car.

Final Thoughts

So that pretty much wraps up all the differences I found, as you can see there is a lot, and to be honest, If I were to buy a Tesla all over again, I probably would go for the Model Y, it is more expensive than the 3 but you are getting more useful features, there's a lot I do like about it but here's what I don't.

1. There is less rear visibility, which I did expect for being a bigger car.

2. It has a much rougher ride.

3. It feels much heavier when driving

I didn’t get to mention this but the Model Y includes this plastic trim on the sides and rear of the car. The loaner car I have is black, and when new, this plastic trim is a dark black color, I noticed on this 2020 Model all the plastic trim has faded into this light grey color and has gotten permanently damaged from road debris, showing tons of wear, scratches, sun damage and stains that do not come out. I was completely disgusted when I saw this. There are options to protect this plastic material like this 303 Aerospace Protector.

I hope this article was useful to you, if it was, consider subscribing to my YouTube channel for more awesome tesla content, until next time. PEACE

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