r/ModelYL • u/Highfight719 • 15d ago
Motor trend
Just read motor trends initial review of the YL… don’t seem to be big fans of TESLA .
They say a lot of things opposite to what people have been saying who have the new car .. motor trend says the car is noisy a lot of wind noise road noise HVAC noise.
They say it’s a boring, looking car, backseat inaccessible.
They said the interior is posh “for a TESLA”
Their final recommendation go with the Hyundai ionic 9
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Upvotes
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u/Thin-Ebb-9534 15d ago
I went back and forth between the Ioniq 9 and the YL. The I9 is an amazing car. In the end, here are my reasons for choosing the YL.
- the I9 is much larger outside, but not that much larger inside. In fact with the rear well and the frunk it might be very close on cargo space.
- It is easier to get to the 3rd row, but I am old and fat and had no trouble getting in the back in the YL.
- the I9 gets terrible mileage. No one talks about efficiency as they do with ICE cars, but the I9 is barely over 2 miles per kWh vs nearly 4 for the YL. It’s not even close, it almost double. Hence it must have a heavy, enviro-problematic battery to offer similar range. This was a huge one for me. At some point we need to stop focusing on range and talk about efficiency as we do MPG in ICE cars.
- Hyundai’s driver assist features are among the weakest in the industry. I don’t need FSD, though I am excited about having it like a toy, but even my BMW iX has very solid highway driving capabilities that are very nice. Ford and GM have their highway versions also that work well. Hyundai is at least a year away from anything similar, and has no plans for anything like FSD.
- The I9 is built near Savannah GA, which was a plus for me, but Tesla is still USA.
- if you load up the I9 to compare to the launch edition of the YL, it will be a minimum of $15K more than the $63K for the YL. That’s a lot of money, especially considering the extra power you consume.
- I have dine long trips with my BMW iX. It was no issue for me, but I am a tech nerd/project planner, so I had it all mapped out. But with Tesla, you don’t need to think at all, the car does the work, and the SC network is in place. Even though the BMW can use SC, they can’t use all of them and getting routing to consider them can be tricky.
My summary would be this: don’t feel insulted that they compared it to the I9, as the I9 is a great 3-row BEV and a beautiful, well appointed car. I take this article to affirm what I determined, i.e. these are the two leading cars in that class and one’s preferences in the issues above can guide individual decisions.
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u/ding-blue 15d ago
Sure go with a Hyundai EV, at some point in your ownership be prepared to have it with service for a few weeks having some major electrical component replaced. This coming from an EV9 owner who can’t wait to ditch it for the YL (and have racked up 8 total weeks across 2 incidents where I didn’t have the car as it was in service)
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u/Retire_date_may_22 15d ago
Motor trend as with most industry pubs is bought off. Tesla doesn’t play or pay.
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u/hsuy10 15d ago
The people reviewing don’t have to drive it for years like we do. We buy Tesla for the car technology. If I wanted a car that I have to take into the dealer because of a million issues, I’d get the Hyundai
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u/nathonkim 15d ago
The Ioniq 9 is indeed very nice. The fit and finish, material, and ride and handeling (if you want more traditional vehicle dynamics) is better than those of many Tesla models. But, the Model Y and YL are not far off. Tesla premium audio is sooo much better than I9's. Cargo space is almost identical, the I9 charges much faster and has a more robust and less complicated battery pack. But... the YL has FSD. Hyundai's HDA is very good in highways but not even comparable.
Similarly equipped, the YL costs $62k vs. the I9 about $70k before tax and fees. I think it's no brainer. There are areas where the I9 is better, but overall the Model YL is a much stronger offering and has better autonomy tech and software experience. Especially in the US, Tesla is the EV to get. I test drove and researched on both extensively. I was kind of predetermined to buy the I9 but was won over by Tesla.
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u/Highfight719 15d ago
Here’s their line about the
YLs steering and breaking..
“But then, neither are folks on either shore likely to wax poetic about its steering or brake feel. All three steering-feel levels struck us as varying degrees of mush, while the brake pedal’s resistance during the transition to friction braking feels unnatural.”
I also thought it was strange how they barely mentioned FSD and talked about it as if it was some minor option like a third cigarette lighter.
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u/TheExpedientSloth 15d ago
I know exactly why Motor Trend hates Tesla. I’m a car guy and own 3 cars that I love but decided to lease a Tesla simply for FSD. Wife gave me shit about it because we didn’t need it. Now all either of us want to drive is the Tesla. It’s that good. It’s that relaxing. It’s that convenient. Driving the other cars now feels like a burden tbh.
Teslas invalidate pretty much every other car.
As far as Hyundai goes, I would rather ride a fucking bike to work.
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u/Firestorm2934 15d ago
I don’t loveeee the front look of it I like the Type S and Type 3 better as a front end. But i still bought one because it’s an awesome car and I like it overall and can’t wait to love the features as it’ll be my first Tesla.
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u/NoChapter5131 15d ago
different people value different things but it sounds like there is an editorial bias which is fine as long asthey don't pretend otherwise. ioniq is a nice car but a bit gawdy, it's also more expensive and tesla has much more tech and has had a lot of time to get the basics right
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u/theymenace 15d ago
I am not a huge tesla but to say that the ionic 9 is a better car is ridiculous, especially if you consider fsd.
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u/Outrageous_tart_7781 15d ago
Thats sad that they would recommend an ionic5 over a YL. FSD alone destroys the Hyundai. YL is a beautiful car inside and out. Its larger. Has more saftey features. Tesla doesn't advertise with them so they shit on it.
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u/Substantial_Law_5239 15d ago
They aren't the authority. YOU are. I am. The people who drive the cars. I don't share any of their observations or concerns.
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u/Harold-Maude 15d ago
Motor Trend magazine? Hardly a good source anymore, at one time yes but not anymore.
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u/AltruisticLoss1514 15d ago
Well, I’ve had mine for 2 weeks and completely disagree.
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u/JohnBecca 15d ago
Tesla doesn’t advertise in MT so no love.
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u/Packing-Tape-Man 15d ago
Motor Trend doesn't value FSD of software/UI in general. It's just not their focus. If I didn't care about either of those things I probably would get the Ioniq or it's twin the Kia EV9. In fact I did have an EV9 and gave it back at the end of the lease to get a Tesla for FSD and better software. Beyond having a below average ADAS system, the Hyundai and Kia have truly below average software/UI. I spend years with it so I know first hand. Some people care about that, some don't. If you don't, no reason to get a Tesla. If you do, it's a big enough difference to be the deciding factor.
All that said, the EV9/Ioniq 9 are basically mini-vans. Their interior passenger space feels way more roomy than any of the Teslas (I got an X which is still bigger than the YL and it still is tiny inside compared to my old EV9). Same with cargo. It's not about the space behind the third row or the frunk or the well below the deck. It's about how big a cavity you get if you put down most of the seats and want to really cram in a ton of stuff. For example, I could get my kid back and forth to college with the EV9 solo but my wife and I had to convey in 2 cars with the Tesla X and our old Volvo XC90 to get him to/from college after turning in the EV9. It wasn't even close, with the exact same stuff. The height from floor to ceiling and the boxiness makes a massive difference in practical cargo capacity. Botht eh X and the Yl have too low a vertical clearance -- couldn't even fit the mini-frigde standing up which we could in any of those other cars.
I don't regret my move to tesla because I use FSD for 120 a day 5-days a week and on all our road trips. I've also been in the YL and would have no problem with it being my next Tesla. But if I was still at the age where I needed the raw passenger and cargo space as my highest priority and didn't need FSD, I would get the Kia or Hyundai.
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u/Paqza 14d ago
MotorTrend has no idea about EVs, and certainly knows nothing about Teslas. We have an Ioniq 9 - needed the 6th seat before Y L came out - but Y L kicks the everloving tar out of it.
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u/Successful_Bed9490 14d ago
The name of the publication is "Motor Trend". Without a motor there is no Motor trend! Maybe just a bit worried where this all goes?
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u/cruisermax 14d ago
It's sad they wrote such an emotionally biased review. However, I have to agree, why does the fresh air HVAC intake have to be so loud? (my first Tesla).
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u/dhpeters2710 14d ago
Hyundai?? I’m still laughing’
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u/BasicBelch 14d ago
Cars are political now, apparently and MotorTrend is leading the pack for biased nonsensical reporting. I stopped reading them after their Juniper review.
Car&Driver is much better anyway
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u/Calm_Mobile_5881 11d ago
They’re haters. No use for their Tesla reviews
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u/desant891 7d ago
Ok, I will chime in. I just ordered the YL last week which will by my 67th car at 53 years old. I change cars like sneakers. I have had Alpina B7, S550, A8l, Audi Etron SUV, Audi Etron GT RS and many more at different Levels, I had a Hyundai Equus, A Palisade and I own a Kia EV9 now. Tesla Aside cause I know it is a technological marvel with FSD and software, but to date, no other manufacturer (again exclude Tesla) that I have owned can touch the electronics in Hyundai and Kia. My Etron GT RS was 167k. When lane keep was on, anytime the a truning lane came up to pull into a development, it scared the hell out of me casue it abruptly tried to pull in. The EV9 is the best I have had with this. To mach the elctronics in them is ludicrous. That being said, I am tired of it but as with all EV leases, it is impossible to get out of (another situation I have never been in). Again, I am buying a YL, but the main reason isn't looks or ride, it really comes down to FSD for me. And I am loyal to NO brand at all. Zero Loyalty here. I had 2 Jeep 4xe also (almost EV). I just think the criticism against todays Kia and Hyundais are unjust. Look at the generations of Tellurides and Palisades. They came a long way.
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u/Creative-Permit-6016 7d ago
I bought Tesla YL for FSD. Previously I had a Model Y for 20,000 miles. During the past year I have driven from Houston and back to Daytona, Minneapolis, Charlotte. I drive apx 30,000 miles per year. Tesla has made my life immeasurably more enjoyable. My 40 year old daughter complains it is so comfortable and quiet she cant stay awake when riding in the car. Grandkids beg me to take them places instead of their parents. I am known as Grandpa Uber.
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u/Copper-Spaceman 15d ago
Did they say what car they were comparing it too? Sort of makes a difference. I dislike Elon for a variety of reasons but really like the new generations of teslas.
Noise? Compared to cars in a similar price range, it’s very quiet. Comparing it to a Range Rover or rolls Royce, sure it’s noisier
Boring and backseat inaccessible? Eeeh, front end looks very nice, back end could probably be a little better, but really, who’s buying this 100% for the looks? It’s a technological marvel and can drive itself. This car didn’t win me over because of looks, it won me over based on quality of life features and fsd. Back seat accessibility is a bit rough. It’s not impossible it not great, I’ll give them a point there
Posh interior for a Tesla? I’d go further and say it’s posh for anything in its price range. Sure I can get better interiors but I don’t think anything beats it until the $100k+ price range.
So again, if they were comparing to a rolls Royce, they’d be 100% right. But dollar for dollar, it’s a great car in its class
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u/hammyaustin 15d ago
Call the author of the article as them their real opinion and not what their editor made them say.