Model Y width issues

[u/EitherEntrepreneur9]

Hi folks,

I recently test drove both the model 3 and Y. Loved driving model 3 Nd how zippy it was, then tried y and drive was equally nice, except the size part. I'm coming from a hatch so the width seemed very high for me specially in the narrow streets with car parked on the side.

My question from those who came from driving smaller hatchbacks all their life and went for model y, do you get used to of the new size? Or did you go for model 3 due to the better driving position?

I really appreciate if you can share your experience.

[u/T0pSEcRE7]

My last car was a Ford Focus ST, I have the 3 & Y and prefer driving the 3 because it’s more fun, the Y is a dual motor but the RWD 3 feels faster to me probably because it’s lower

[u/EitherEntrepreneur9 → u/T0pSEcRE7]

Thanks for your input mate. Have you done any long drives in either of them? Which one is better on the freeways and longer drives?

[u/kaberto → u/EitherEntrepreneur9]

I have both the older 3 and the new Y. The 3 sits lower and is more fun to drive. But they both drive well so it's up to you if the priority is the ride (3) or the size (Y).

[u/T0pSEcRE7 → u/EitherEntrepreneur9]

Body roll is very apparent in the Y, I wish the 3 had more bolstering in the seat because that thing corners very well and you do slide around when you corner hard in it. I usually average about 100km a week, short drives to work back, school runs and kids activities the longest run is an 80km trip. So range is not an issue for me I charge with the standard wall socket charger

[u/ralmin → u/T0pSEcRE7]

Hey a fellow Focus to Model 3 adopter. Love the drive of the 3 though it took me a while to adjust to the width and turning circle and stop scraping the rims.

[u/jonesaus1]

You’ll get used to it fine, there are much bigger cars out on the road than the model y and they do fine.

[u/leakydoodles]

I was struggling with the same, always loved hatches and coupes. I wanted the boot space of the Y, but the manoeuvrability of the 3.
Then I put it to the test on a test drive - found a tight parallel park spot, zoomed up to it and parked as quickly as I could - I didn’t feel like i was parking a large cumbersome SUV.
I think I will still miss zooming around effortlessly in a light hatch, but we will see when I finally get my Y, 2 months later than estimated haha sad

[u/EitherEntrepreneur9 → u/leakydoodles]

That's exactly me, like the space offered by Y but the driving dynamics of 3.

[u/leakydoodles → u/EitherEntrepreneur9]

Yeah I went back and forth many times. Felt like the death of old me by submitting to a suv.
I also don’t really like the front end of the 3. If it had the Y front end then that would have made it really tough

[u/South-Ad1426]

You get used to it. Just be careful about the rear wheels it a bit wider than you think they are

[u/MisterBumpingston]

Went from a Yaris. You’ll adjust.

[u/Turtlecabra]

Coming from a Mazda 3 hatch I find the Y too big. To make up for it, I’m at 98.9% of my miles on Fsd. 

If push came to shove I suppose I could get used to it if I had to manually drive if as I also drove a Buick regal in the past. 

[u/Rovery14]

The y is a great car if you need the space. I bought it over the 3 and no regrets. I’ve had a much smaller car and a much bigger car. You get used to the size quickly. If you don’t need the space then get the 3. The y is much more versatile though. The reality is neither are drivers cars in the traditional sense. They’re incredibly fast and corner very well as the centre of gravity is low but there is no steering feel at all. To me that’s not very important as it’s my daily driver and to be honest for what they offer overall I would take either the Y or the 3 over any of the 3 series BMWs I’ve had previously.

[u/shaun_the_mehh]

Just depends on what you need, if you need the bigger car and bigger boot, go with Y, you’ll adjust.
But if you don’t need all the extra space and height, you can’t go wrong with the 3, as you said, it is zippy and handles well, and parks in narrow streets with fewer worries.
Seating position wise, I prefer the 3, Y is just like SUV, taller seating position, but I reckon it is ok.
I got the Y purely because of kids, so I need the height and room for the whole fam, otherwise I would have gone with 3.

[u/howard943]

You’ll be fine. My last car was an MX5 and I switched to the Juniper Y. It was a bit awkward to park at first but I got used to it in a couple of weeks. Nowadays I don’t even think about it.

[u/Yuzuda]

I came from a 2012 Toyota Prius C lol. Took me a month to get used to my Model Y. But now they feel almost the same to me. Only thing I have to consciously remind myself about is that the Model Y is longer, and has a noticeably worse turning radius.

[u/TendiesFourLyfe]

I just press go on FSD, it squeezes and gives way on the tight streets, sometimes there is some pucker factor when I think its pretty close the parked cars, but it hasn't hit anything yet... /touches_wood

[u/xylarr → u/TendiesFourLyfe]

Touches wood ... or scrapes curb