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I took a Tesla new Model Y Demo Drive – Here’s what I learned
The new Tesla Model Y has plenty of improvements that make it much better than its past version.
As the new Tesla Model Y arrived at a local showroom for Demo Drives, I swiftly signed up for one to compare the legacy model to what the company is hoping is an even better version of its best-selling vehicle. Coming off of a Legacy Model Y Demo Drive just two months ago, as I was planning to buy one, I had a good understanding of what was improved and what was not.
To make a long story short, I’m really happy I did not pull the trigger on the Legacy Model Y in February. The new Tesla Model Y is truly a much-improved version of what was already a great vehicle, and while I still think the Cybertruck is the best vehicle in Tesla’s lineup, the new ‘Juniper’ is right up there with it.
First Impressions
The first thing I really took note of was the massively changed exterior. The addition of the light bar on the front and the taillight bar that glows were two modernized designs that Tesla chose to implement on this vehicle.
While I never disliked the look of the Legacy Model Y, this is simply better. It’s more modern, slightly cleaner, and truly starts to give off the vibes of the Cybercab, which Tesla unveiled in October 2024.
Overall, the vehicle, in terms of dimensions, is not incredibly different from the past version. The look is really what changed here, and in my opinion, it’s for the better.
Fit and finish were really great. A quick inspection showed the car had been put together very well, and the Sales Advisor, who recently took a trip to Gigafactory Texas and viewed the new Model Y line, said Tesla has been really paying attention to the condition of these vehicles as they leave the factory.
Tesla had a very distinct focus on eliminating excessive panel gaps and aesthetic issues before they leave the factory.
Interior Changes and Higher Quality Materials
In the past, I’ve been sort of hesitant to buy Teslas because, for $35,000+, I felt like some of the interior parts were cheap. Most notably, the sliders above the storage and cupholders and the center console were things I felt should be of higher quality.
This was a big improvement. All of the compartment doors and covers felt much better in terms of overall quality. Nothing was creaky or cheap feeling, and paying $41,000 for a car (after tax credit) should come with materials that are a much better quality.
The steering wheel had a good shape, and the bottom portion of it being flat was not anything crazy, but it was nice.
My favorite tidbit of information was regarding the ambient lighting. Tesla did not run it as far back on the doors in the new Model Y as it did in the Model 3 Highland. Also, many owners apparently complained about the reflection of the ambient lighting on the windshield when they were driving.
Tesla fixed this by covering the ambient lighting and pushing it into a nook that was designed for the lights specifically. There is no longer any reflection of the ambient lighting on the windshield, so it’s important to note that Tesla didn’t take the Highland interior and put it right inside the new Y.
Suspension Improvements Were the Best Part
By far, my favorite fixes were the suspension improvements. While the fixes to overall interior quality and the look are great, the feel when driving the car is truly more important.
The Model 3 Highland had a really great improvement from its past iteration, as I was able to test it with some spirited driving on Pennsylvania backroads. I felt the same way about the new Model Y. You can truly feel a lot of the things Tesla did to make the ride more comfortable in the new version of the crossover.
The ride feels solid but not rigid. It handles things like bumps, potholes, and other inconsistencies really well. It was never uncomfortable; it felt very sporty and responsive and hugged tight corners at higher speeds.
Room and Comfort
The vehicle was very spacious, and I had a lot of legroom in the back. I also liked the feel of the driver’s seat, and I felt like I was sitting in the cockpit of something sportier than a crossover. It was really very nice, and the seats seemed to hug you.
As far as the rear, it felt spacious and comfortable, and I wouldn’t worry about being stuck back there on a road trip that was 6-7 hours long.
The rear seats are heated, but the middle seat is not. The rear screen also gives occupants in the back of the car something to do, and Tesla even enabled multiple Bluetooth headsets the ability to connect to that center screen.
Other Tidbits
The small improvements from the new Model 3 are what really make the Model Y a great car. The previously mentioned ambient lighting fix is something that is great.
One other thing I really liked was that the trunk privacy cover now has a dedicated storage area, which is seen in the indentations here:
The trunk cover can be folded and removed and placed in those indentations, as opposed to sitting on floor of the trunk, potentially being bent and damaged by whatever you have back there.
This was one thing that was a nice touch.
Final Thoughts
All in all, I was very impressed with the new Model Y. It is undoubtedly better than what Tesla previously offered, and that car was the best-selling vehicle globally for two straight years. I would not be surprised to see many Legacy Model Y owners trade their cars in for this new version.
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- The new Tesla Model Y taillight with no light
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- The new Tesla Model Y taillight with taillight glow
There’s something to be said about a car that fits functionality and fun. The crossover design is popular because it offers so much more space than a sedan but is not the size of a massive, full-sized SUV.
The way this car drives is more like a sedan than a crossover, though, and how the suspension improvements really shine through is where this car is excellent and matches both the wants and needs of many.
While the Cybertruck is still my favorite Tesla to drive, the new Model Y is more accessible to more people and it truly was an awesome experience getting to run around in it for an afternoon.
Elon Musk
Why automakers keep turning down Elon Musk’s Tesla Full Self-Driving offer
Elon Musk confirms no automaker has ever accepted Tesla’s offer to license Full Self-Driving software.
Elon Musk gave a brief answer on X Monday that confirmed that Tesla’s standing offer to license Full Self-Driving to other automakers still has zero takers. Sawyer Merritt wrote that “Tesla has for years openly invited other automakers to license FSD. None of them have accepted,” responding to a prediction from Boom Supersonic founder Blake Scholl that Tesla would eventually open FSD the way it opened its Supercharger network to rival brands. Musk’s reply to Merritt was one word: “Exactly.”
It is not the first time Musk has made this point. He said something similar in November, when he called legacy automakers reluctance to adopt FSD “crazy,” and Tesla has floated the offer publicly since at least 2021. Scholl’s prediction touches on something real. Once NACS became the de facto charging standard, adoption from Ford, GM, Rivian and others followed within about a year. FSD licensing was supposed to work the same way once Tesla built enough of a lead that switching made sense for everyone.
Tesla has for years openly invited other automakers to license FSD. None of them have accepted. https://t.co/kgz4idpoUM
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) September 22, 2026
The case for licensing now is stronger than it was two years ago. Waymo and Zoox are logging hundreds of thousands of unsupervised autonomous miles, along with Tesla’s own Robotaxi fleet. Every automaker still selling driver assist systems that lag FSD has given the robotaxi conversation to Tesla, Waymo and Zoox by default. Licensing FSD would let a GM or a Ford compete on the same field without spending a decade and billions of dollars building a stack from scratch, the same argument Tesla made when it opened the Supercharger network to bring more EVs onto its chargers.
But FSD is not a connector standard. As one reply to Musk’s post pointed out, licensing FSD is not a software license the way NACS was a plug spec. It requires adopting Tesla’s eight camera layout and its onboard compute architecture, meaning a licensee’s cars would effectively become Tesla hardware wearing someone else’s badge. That is the visible obstacle. The less visible one is data. A licensed FSD stack would report back the same telemetry Tesla collects from its own fleet, giving Tesla a continuous read on how a competitor’s cars are actually driven, where they struggle, and how often drivers intervene. For an automaker trying to build its own autonomy program, or simply trying to keep its build quality and safety record private, handing Tesla that visibility could be a bigger cost than the hardware bill. It is the reason the Supercharger comparison only goes so far. Opening a charging plug cost Tesla very little. Opening FSD would cost a rival something it cannot get back.
Tesla has reopened reservations for its long-delayed next-generation Roadster, asking buyers for a $50,000 deposit just days before an October 1 reveal event in Waco, Texas. The move revives a reservation process first launched in 2017 and later paused when Tesla pulled pricing from its website in 2021.
The reservation page requires an immediate $5,000 credit-card payment, described as fully refundable, followed by a $45,000 wire transfer due within 10 days, which is identical to what was expected previously. Reservations are not considered final until the wire clears.
The structure matches the 2017 terms Tesla used when it first collected deposits after unveiling a prototype. Tesla has not published a confirmed retail price or production start date on the order page.
Go buy a Roadster pic.twitter.com/n7rhouAmIS
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) September 21, 2026
The October 1 event is scheduled in Waco, about 90 minutes north of Tesla’s Austin headquarters and near SpaceX’s McGregor rocket test site. Tesla sent invitations to existing reservation holders and posted a “Go for launch” teaser on September 12.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) established a temporary flight restriction over the McGregor area from September 18 through October 2, consistent with plans for a demonstration involving SpaceX-designed cold-gas thrusters. Elon Musk has previously described the optional package as enabling extreme acceleration or brief hovering. Tesla has said the event will include pricing, specifications, and production targets.
The second-generation Roadster was first shown in November 2017 during Tesla’s Semi launch. Musk promised production in 2020, with claimed performance of 0-60 mph in 1.9 seconds, more than 250 mph top speed, and roughly 620 miles of range.
Those targets have slipped repeatedly.
Tesla later pointed to 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025-2026 before indicating production would not begin until 2027 or 2028 at Gigafactory Texas. Design work has continued, with reports of a sharper, Cybertruck-influenced look replacing the original curvy prototype.
Original reservation holders who paid $50,000 in 2017, or $250,000 for the Founders Series, have waited nearly nine years without a production car. Some high-profile customers canceled. Tesla’s decision to reopen orders now, after previously shutting them down, tests whether new buyers will commit substantial funds before seeing a finalized production vehicle. The October 1 event is intended to answer remaining questions about what those buyers will actually receive and when.
Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) is heading to Czechia after the Czech Ministry of Transport recognised the Dutch RDW’s provisional type approval, making the country the seventh EU member state to clear the system for public roads. Tesla Europe announced on 21 September 2026 that “FSD Supervised is now approved in Czechia” and that rollout “will begin soon.”
The decision marks a notable reversal. Earlier in 2026, Prague had declined to automatically recognise the Netherlands’ April approval, citing concerns over speed-limit compliance, traffic-sign recognition and driver-attention monitoring, and arguing that a coordinated EU approach was preferable. Officials said months of expert review, talks with Tesla and other member states, and real-world data from countries already using the system resolved those issues.
🚨 Tesla FSD heading to Czechia 🇨🇿 pic.twitter.com/mkzlM9QjrB
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) September 21, 2026
“Safety remains the top priority,” the ministry stated.
FSD Supervised remains a Level 2 driver-assistance system: the driver must stay engaged and is legally responsible. Eligible vehicles need AI4, the company’s most up-to-date hardware version. Tesla is expected to push the feature over the air in the coming days, following the pattern seen after earlier national approvals.
Europe’s rollout began when Dutch regulator RDW issued a provisional EU type approval on 10 April 2026 after extensive testing. Mutual recognition then produced a rapid cascade: Lithuania (20 May), Estonia (29 May), Denmark (9 June), Belgium (10 June) and Slovenia (7 September). Czechia now completes that list of seven.
The approvals cover only a modest share of the EU population, but they add political weight ahead of a 6 October vote by the Technical Committee on Motor Vehicles. A qualified majority, at least 15 of 27 member states representing 65 percent of the EU population, could open the remaining markets, including large ones such as Germany, France, Italy and Spain that have so far preferred to wait for a bloc-wide decision.
For Czech Tesla owners, the immediate prize is access to the same supervised highway and city driving already available in the other six countries. For Tesla, each new market generates additional European driving data and strengthens the case that FSD Supervised can operate safely under the continent’s varied road rules. The Czech approval is therefore both a local milestone and another incremental step toward a wider European launch.
Why automakers keep turning down Elon Musk’s Tesla Full Self-Driving offer
Tesla Roadster is available for order once again following brief hold
