Tesla Model Y L vs My Cybertruck, Model X, and R1S

This is my fourth time standing next to a Model Y L. Twice at the BGC showroom in the Philippines on the same car, then West Covina, and now Riverside Tesla. At this point I’m mostly here to catch what’s different about the US version. What I didn’t expect was to walk out ranking it below every other EV I own.

For context: I’ve had three Model Ys, including a seven-seater and a Performance, and now a Juniper Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive Premium. There’s also a Cybertruck and a Rivian R1S in the driveway, and we came out of minivans. Five of them over my lifetime. Those are the benchmarks, not a spec sheet.

The size comparison to the Model X is the one that surprises people. The Model Y L is actually a couple of inches shorter overall at 195.9 inches, but it rides on a wheelbase three inches longer: 119.7 inches against 116.7. Shorter car, longer wheelbase, and that’s where the third row space comes from. Against a regular Model Y it’s seven inches longer.

The Doors Are Great Until You Park

Here’s my unpopular opinion. The rear doors supposedly open wider, and standing there, they really do seem to. That’s genuinely great if you’re loading kids or wrestling with car seats. But how often do you actually get a parking spot with the room to swing that door all the way out?

This is where I keep defending falcon wing doors and sliding doors on minivans. We had our share of issues with the Model X falcon wings and I’d still take them, because they solve the problem in a tight spot instead of needing more space to work.

One small thing I did notice: the rear door feels lighter to open. Ruben felt the same thing, so maybe the hinges got improved. That’s the two of us going off feel, not a spec.

Lumbar Support Is Back, and the Thigh Extender Is New to Me

This is where the Model Y L quietly wins some points. Tesla had pulled lumbar support out of the passenger seats, and you can see it on the floor: the regular Model Y Dual Motor Premium sitting right there has none on the passenger side. On the Model Y L, it’s back, and the Performance has it too.

The Launch Series also has that extra interior light and the thigh extender, which I’d never had in any of my cars.

Fold the second and third rows and you get the other reality check. There’s a step and a real gap in the load floor, so if you’re planning to sleep back there, you need an air mattress. Tesla doesn’t sell one for it yet, so for now that’s a third party purchase. The Performance on the floor had one inflated and it’s soft. Not Tempur-Pedic, but good enough.

Model Y L Staggered Wheels Mean No Tire Rotation

The Model Y L runs a staggered setup, meaning the rear tires are wider than the fronts to carry the extra length and weight. The part people skip: you can’t rotate them front to back. Some shops will cross-rotate if the tire directionality allows it, but standard rotation is off the table. I’ve lived this with the Model Y Performance and the Model X Plaid. You burn through tires sooner and you can’t buy one size to cover the car.

I guessed around $1,400 for a set on the Performance on a good day, and that’s optimistic. A factory set of Pirelli P Zero PZ4s in those sizes runs closer to $2,100 through Tire Rack. The sizes I called out were right: 275s in the rear, 255s in the front. Model Y L, Model Y Performance, Model S, and Model X are all staggered. Cybertruck is still squared. The Model 3 Performance went staggered with the redesign.

Tesla Opened Up V2L, and It’s Still Not an Outlet

I’ve been saying V2L was locked to the Performance and the Model Y L, and that was true until August 15, when Tesla enabled it on the Model Y Premium too. It’s an $80 adapter putting out 2.4 kW at 120 volts and 20 amps. Early Juniper builds don’t have the hardware for it, so check yours before you order one.

My actual complaint stands, though. The adapter clips onto the end of the Gen 3 Mobile Connector and backfeeds through the NACS port. It isn’t an outlet in the car. Ruben’s an electrician and wants to plug tools in and charge equipment off the vehicle. Put a 15 or 20 amp outlet in there and be done with it. The Cybertruck is the only Tesla with real outlets. The EV9 has them, my Rivian has them, even a gas minivan has them. Stop playing games, Elon, and put a damn outlet in these cars.

Model Y L vs Everything in My Driveway

So here’s the breakdown I owe you, and it surprised me too.

Against my five-seater Juniper, I still take the Juniper. The Model Y is best as a five-seater. That old seven-seater was terrible, and the Model Y L is at least built on a chassis that’s seven inches longer instead of just cramming a row in. But I know myself: I’d run the Model Y L as a four-seater almost all the time just to keep the trunk usable.

Against the Model X, the Model X. Air suspension, falcon wing doors, soft-closing doors. Bad luck and all, it gives you things the Model Y L doesn’t. The one feature that goes the other way is second-row ventilated seats, which the Model X doesn’t have. If you live in California, Florida, or Arizona, that’s underrated.

Against the Cybertruck, the Cybertruck, unless you truly need more than five seats. Air suspension can’t be beat, and it isn’t just the ride height, it’s the comfort. Three kids and their gear go in the bed under the tonneau cover. In the Model Y L with all three rows up, where’s any of that going?

Against the R1S, the R1S. It’s a true seven-seater with real trunk space behind the third row.

Ruben would take the truck over the Model Y L all day. Adrian, who rolls around in that China Blue Model 3, said the Model Y L is up there mostly because his girlfriend likes it, but his favorite Tesla is still the Model X for the falcon wing doors.

I didn’t run through every feature this time because I already covered the interior in my third row walkthrough and the first look at BGC. If you’re ordering one anyway, my Tesla referral link gets credits for both of us.

The one thing left is a test drive, and that’s the piece that could flip all of this. Hopefully in the next few weeks. Let me know what stands out to you on the Model Y L that you can’t get anywhere else, because so far the only one I can name is those second-row ventilated seats.