Today, a friend of mine sent me a text, stating that his sister was in town with her brand new Tesla Model Y Long Range (with Full-Self-Driving). Would I like to check it out? To which I said, of course! Before we get too deep into my thoughts on the Y, I’d like to thank Kristi for taking me for a spin!!! Up to this point, I’ve seen the Model Y in photos, and videos, and even been passed by a few on the highway, but I had yet to see one stationary.

Walking up to it, there is no doubt that it is related to the Model 3. Having said that, The Model Y has a presence all its own. Especially when wearing the Pearl White Multi-Coat paint, with the 20” Induction wheels in black, and the dark trim that comes as standard. I appreciated the lack of chrome trim, especially the dark door handles. The front seats and dashboard look nearly identical to the Model 3 sedan. The backseat felt much roomier than the Model 3. I am six foot and had LOTS of head room. In addition to the roomier backseat, the cargo area is positively cavernous, with two underfloor compartments in the 5 seat configuration. On top of that, the “frunk” is fairly large. I would guess that it can easily hold two good-sized bags in the front alone. Road trip with myself, my wife, our three kids and luggage for five? Piece of cake.

How does it ride? Great! I was quite happily chauffeured around town, with nary a complaint, even after a long stint at the day job. Up to this point, I haven’t really spent much time in the presence of Tesla’s with the FSD option. When we found an empty parking lot to try out Summon, I stayed in the back seat, while everyone else hopped out. So cool to watch it do it’s thing up close.

Overall, I find the Tesla Model Y to be a very compelling package. It’s large inside, but not huge on the outside, with scads of storage space. I like that it can pull 4,000 pounds when equipped with the tow package. And the glass roof is great. Jay Leno’s thoughts on the Model Y are spot on. It’s fantastic.

Personally, I am very interested to see what the optional third row looks like, before placing an order for one. With three kids, an extra seatbelt or two could be very handy to have around. I suspect, as have many before me, that they will be rear-facing seats. I can’t recommend enough taking one for a spin if you get the chance! I am including Doug DeMuro’s thoughts on the Model Y, as well as the official launch video from Tesla below. I was so excited to check out Kristi’s Model Y, that I didn’t think to take a single photo or video, oops! Enjoy!