New Tesla Model Y | Hacker News Reader

New Tesla Model Y

tesla.com

27 pointsplun950 comments

As much as I like the crash safety results of a Tesla, at the end of the day I can't help but dislike the ergonomics of Tesla's cars.

The touch screen being the major control method for many things including the act of putting the car in reverse, is just bad.

The handles being electric, instead of mechanical. (An issue with many modern electric cars actually)

The wheel, not being a wheel. (Although I like that they tried something new)

Yes, and never forget Tesla refuses to sell repair parts when people have cash in hand, partially arbitrarily and otherwise deliberately. Also, their CEO performs Sieg Heil, and don't let anyone tell you it's a "Roman salute" because this is merely a cinema factoid. This is likely unavoidable when such a weirdo is placed on a pedestal like Henry Ford or William Randolph Hearst.

I am not sure if this was intentional but both Ford and Hearst were fascists and big nazi supporters.

Agree 100%

I also think the 3/y/truck displays are really cluttered, trying to share status and controls on the same screen with small touch targets.

I think tesla has lost its way. They went past simple/elegant to confused deletion of the bathwater, the baby and the diapers.

I figure that tesla is doing all the other manufacturers a favor - they can enter the market and compete by just listening to customers, and adding thoughtful nice features.

"We have physical buttons"

drops mic

I never understand the ergonomic/"unintuitive" complaints of the 3/Y. I've been driving one for a year, and I'm utterly befuddled by my friend's Outback (or any other car I drive).

It only takes a couple drives to get used the old-fashioned, unintuitive, massive array of buttons :).

(seriously)

Subaru's got an unusually complicated infotainment setup.

If you'd like to do a more meaningful comparison, Mazda might be interesting, since they do focus on simplicity and use real buttons and switches.

The main thing with physical buttons, is that you don't need to look at them. You can feel for the control without taking your eyes off the road. Can't do that with a Tesla. The touch screen doesn't give you any tactile signals.

The iPhone virtual keyboard is the obvious comparison for the hand wringing about the loss of physical controls. The advantages of a flexible layout, the cost of physical buttons, and most importantly: people got used to typing on a screen. I was sad to see the Blackberry go away, but I don't miss it a minute now.

I listen to a couple auto podcasts (shout out to Autoline After Hours!), and every episode bemoans the loss of buttons. I guess you just have to drive a Tesla for a few days to appreciate what you're not missing.

Ok, but the iphone isn't remotely the same situation, work load, stress or risk; compared to a car.

I relatively consistently mistype on a touch screen keyboard. That's not too much of an issue.

However, me taking my eyes off the road in a car, (stationary or not) to fiddle with a touchscreen is a major risk. I personally just enjoy the fine tuning I can do with physical controls. And the best part, I don't need to look at the control to use it. With a touch screen, sight is a requirement.

Just my experience, but I don't futz with the controls when I'm not at a stop. Defrost is the most "complicated" (two taps) action I regularly do, but that's once, and before I start driving.

The risk of the screen is more on the user, IMO. It's not the necessary actions, it's all the fun things you can do, and Tesla doesn't have any of the nanny systems so common in other makes (which I very much appreciate).

Looks nice. I've owned 3 Teslas, and I'm almost definitely never buying one again.

Why? Besides not supporting Elon Musk, I have found the driving and handling on BMW's electric cars to be significantly better than Teslas

Significantly more expensive too

I'm with ya. I've owned 4 (Model S P100D, Model S Plaid, Model X, Model Y) over the past 10+ years. When the lease on my Plaid expired, I couldn't bring myself to get another one.

I took a long look at the Taycan as the used ones are "almost" sensibly priced but the first 2 generations are simply not great cars. The new 2025 (3rd Gen) is much nicer but the pricing is doesn't make sense.

Hopefully 2-3 years from now brings a much bigger diversity of performance electric cars. The BYD sports cars look very interesting.

Does it come with this screen saver? https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFKlMtUoiBE

I don’t think so

To misquote Douglas Adams:

>In other words—and this is the rock-solid principle that underpins their entire facade—their most profound character flaws are entirely masked by the sheer distraction of their glaringly obvious, superficial character flaws.

This quote was transformed using a transformer.

Tesla Model 3 Owner here for a year now. There is no question in my mind that was a Sieg Heil on stage, at our nations capital while standing behind the Presidential seal and being watched by millions. Twice!

I am currently shopping for alternatives and would gladly trade mine in even at a small loss. I wasn't a fan of his before, really, but didn't pay much to it, his company produces a product I drive.

My M3 is the most buggy car I ever owned and has had warranty service three times in that year. Little stuff like seat-belt sensor warning, window switch and foam-dislodging in one of the tires causing major shaking at speed. Service department has been friendly as they come out to my house for two of them, so that is nice. They also quickly gave me a loaner for the tire issue without even prying. The road noise is also horrible on the car. Way worse than even my Mazda6 I had before it. Whistles in the driver window area on the highway. Lose pillar trim.

But I'm not finding much STILL that competes with Tesla in the USA really. In price or looks as an EV. I still love the way it drives/handles and would have a difficult time leaving EV back to ICE at this point. I haven't had to change oil, stop for gas, check fluids, etc.

We have the obligatory LED bar across the nose, I see. How else would we know it’s an EV?

Edit: the rear too! Thank god

A few questions:

• Is this replacing the current Model Y or will it be offered in addition to the current Y?

• Looking at the differences between the current and new, I'm having trouble seeing what justifies a $15k higher price, but I'm not really a fancy car guy (I've driven a 2006 Honda CR-V for 19 years) so may be underestimating how desirable some of the new features are.

It looks like the differences are ventilated front seats, rear seats are power folding instead of manual, added a touchscreen to the back row, updated suspension and noise reduction, 8 cameras instead of 7, 15 speakers instead of 7 to 13 in the old models, hands free trunk opening, aluminum instead of wood interior detailing and wrap-around ambient lighting, second row air vents are now power actuated, and there's in infrared reflective coating on the glass.

Are some of those a much bigger deal than I guess they are? Or is this one of those "they are all little, but a whole bunch of little things can add up to making the experience a whole lot better" situations?

• The prices listed, $31490 for the current modem and $46490 are the prices after estimated savings. Those savings are the $7500 tax credit and $6000 estimated saving in gas over 5 years.

Is it normal to include estimated gas savings in the price? When I've looked at dealers or manufacturers sites for other cars I think I've usually seen the tax credit included but don't recall seeing gas savings included.

I'd prefer that gas savings not be included, because that is too dependent on how much you drive. I don't drive a lot. Over the last five years I've driven 7382.2 miles spending $1639.62 for gas. I just want to know for any car I'm looking at what I'm going to pay to drive it off the lot.

Most of that price different is FSD. If you were going to get that anyways, the difference is only $3000. If not, probably best to wait for different trims without FSD to arrive.

Was hoping for bigger upgrade, ie 360 cameras, electronic rearview mirror, v2l, powered frunk, steer by wire.

Stalks should’ve been an option as steering wheel buttons are clearly future.

Putting more screens without ability to shut them off pisses me off.

Ventilated seats big one that was missing.

Tough sell these days:

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jan/20/trump-elo...

Especially in Europe.

What's that phrase people used to use?

Oh right Moral Turpitude.

They kept the wrong stalk :/ I wanted the mode stalk kept, I don't mind the buttons for indicators.

In right hand drive countries, the indicator and mode change are now on the same side, so you have to do them with the same hand one after the other.

The Bay Area tech companies talk a lot about progressive-ish values. But now we'll see how many tech workers still buy new Teslas, and how many get rid of their existing Teslas.

Not buying new Teslas sure, but getting rid of an existing Tesla doesn't somehow pull money back from Musk.

There's also the implied endorsement, though.

is there? is living in the US an implied endorsement of President Trump?

You didn't buy your own personal Trump (at least I hope not).

Musk has made himself synonymous with the Tesla brand. Buying Tesla means supporting Musk, whether you want it to or not.

so everyone should sell their car (at a huge loss) and buy a new one, because the CEO of the company you bought from 5 years ago went crazy?

It depends how much you want to compromise yourself.

These days being associated with Musk in any way is going to make you look bad. Musk goes out of his way to make sure you look bad.

He's trying Nazi jokes now: https://www.axios.com/2025/01/23/elon-musk-nazi-joke-adl

you paid $100k to live in the US?

Nothing a bumper sticker can't fix (seriously)

Interesting. You're thinking the bumper sticker would have an overtly counter-Musk/Trump message, or simply a progressive message?

I wonder whether the former would eventually get your car vandalized (or road-raged), and whether the latter would seem half-hearted.

kvirani is probably thinking of these bumper stickers:

https://heatmap.news/electric-vehicles/anti-elon-bumper-stic...

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MadPufferStickers

Small business owners on Etsy give me hope for humanity through:

- Funding civilians in war-torn areas like legit Kyiv Ukrainian addresses

- 3D-printed vintage car parts

- Handmade confrontational ceramics spicing up mundane objects like coffee mugs

- Ultra-niche items corporate retailers refuse to carry due to the ruthless tyranny of SKU profit maximization

- And, of course, anti-establishment bumper stickers suitable for the petite et moyenne bourgeoisie

Everyone that buys a used one isn't being a new one.

Who cares about the virtue signals, buy and drive what you like.

Certainly, there will be some people who will decide not to drive Tesla for "virtue signal" reasons, but there will also be some people who decide not to drive Tesla on principle. Two different things, and both exist.

Doesn't seem to have the 7 seat option anymore. Base price increased by $15,000.

Looks like a 2016 Nissan.

Looking forward to the Sandy Munro teardown!

yah, tesla sucks ... the faster they go away the better

Giving major Cylon vibes at the back there.

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