We owned a 2021 Tesla Model Y for 2.5 years as a long-term test car, reporting on efficiency, range, battery degradation, and what it was like living with the electric SUV and using it in our daily routines. The redesigned 2026 Model Y (nicknamed Model Y Juniper) is on sale now in Launch Series form, and as a previous owner, we received an invite to drive the new one at a local Tesla showroom, an offer we couldn’t pass up. We wondered: Had Tesla fixed the annoyances in our 2021 Model Y?
Related: After More Than 2 Years and 22,000 Miles, We’ve Said Bye-Bye to Our Tesla Model Y
Does It Ride Better?
The 2026 Model Y has a definitive improvement in ride quality with its updated suspension. One of the biggest complaints from our road-test team was just how punishing the old Model Y’s ride was, and it became more brittle over the years and miles. The 2026 Model Y isn’t a pure-comfort option by any means, but it’s more forgiving, and there’s less of a puckering moment when you hit a pothole or patch of rough road. It’s now more in line with what I’d expect from a luxury performance car: It’s engaging to drive without beating you up.
There’s a noticeable decrease in wind and road noise with the addition of acoustic glass and more rigid suspension components, but there’s not as big of a jump between the old and new Model Y as we saw with the updated 2024 Tesla Model 3. I think that may be because of the Y’s open cargo area letting in more noise. There’s still a bit of road-noise coarseness in the Model Y, but it’s an acceptable trade-off because it hasn’t given up its athletic character. The steering remains sharp, and the SUV’s responsive handling is still a highlight and now easier to live with every day. It’s a really well-balanced ride and handling experience.
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Is the Interior Nicer?
The interior isn’t as significant of an update as I had imagined based on looking at photos of the more stylized cabin with new wraparound ambient lighting and a higher variety of materials on this top Launch Series trim level. In normal lighting out on the road, it simply feels like the old Model Y with a few new pieces of fabric. Yes, there’s an ambient-lighting strip and a newly standard front camera view, but we’re accustomed to seeing these features on competing vehicles, and to better effect, with brighter and more prominent ambient lighting and more camera views. One feature still missing at the moment is a 360-degree top-down camera view, though the capability certainly exists with the new front camera.
Other new features include front ventilated seats, which we know is a must-have feature for some shoppers. The dashboard top and steering wheel have also been redesigned, and there’s a new speaker on the door panel. This Launch Series also has vegan suede-style trim on the interior.
Real Turn-Signal Stalk and Real Blind Spot Warning System
I’m extremely happy that the 2026 Model Y has a turn-signal stalk. You may be thinking, “Doesn’t every car have one of those?” Well, no. The updated Model 3 that previewed a lot of the Model Y’s changes did away with the stalk in favor of turn-signal controls on the steering wheel. So I’m glad to see a traditional turn-signal stalk because the steering wheel turn-signal buttons are awkward to use in the Model 3.
However, a digital gear selector on the center touchscreen did make its way to the Model Y refresh, which is disappointing. To select a gear, you have to use the screen — or redundant physical controls on the overhead console. Considering how failure-prone our long-term Model Y’s touchscreen was, it gives me pause to have a very important set of controls be a bunch of pixels on a screen.
Blind spot monitoring systems are extremely useful, but not so much when there aren’t indicators near the side mirrors (like in the previous Model Y) to tell you when there’s a car in your blind spot. The previous Model Y relied on touchscreen-based warnings and sounds, but that meant looking at the screen in the center of the dash — away from your blind spots. The new Model Y has real indicators near the side mirrors to tell you when a car is in your blind spot. It was a big relief driving the new Model Y with this feature because rearward visibility remains poor.
Acceleration Boost Standard
The Model Y Launch Series comes with Acceleration Boost for a claimed 0-60 mph time of 4.1 seconds. Acceleration Boost is a feature we paid to unlock in our Model Y that claims to boost (you guessed it) acceleration. I wasn’t expecting a noticeable difference in acceleration between our car and the new one, so I was surprised that the 2026 Model Y’s acceleration felt stronger and punchier. I was generally disappointed after spending $2,000 on Acceleration Boost in our Model Y because it only felt like acceleration improved in some situations and not across the board. In the 2026 Model Y, its acceleration felt like a higher-performance experience.
Full Self-Driving Improvement?
Our impression of Full Self-Driving, which we subscribed to for our whole ownership experience, was that it was more of a gimmick than something useful we frequently used. Now, this wasn’t an A-B test, but I was much more confident in FSD in the 2026 Model Y than in ours. There was less skittishness, less indecisiveness, and it was less scary overall during what was an admittedly miniscule sample of FSD. We’ll definitely need more time in the new Model Y to fully assess FSD’s improved capabilities.
How Much Is a 2026 Tesla Model Y?
The new Model Y Launch Series is available now at a starting price of $61,630, including destination, before the current federal tax credit of up to $7,500 for qualified buyers. The Launch Series includes Full Self-Driving and Acceleration Boost.
Even though we drove the Launch Series, the bulk of what we think shoppers will most appreciate about the new Model Y will come on every version, including more affordable ones, so if you like what you see here but don’t want to spend $60,000, wait for the rest of the lineup to be announced.
2026 Tesla Model Y Launch Series Key Features:
- Price: $61,630
- Lease: $699 per month (36 months with $2,999 down payment)
- Maximum range: 327 miles
- 0-60 mph: 4.1 seconds
- Full Self-Driving standard
- Acceleration Boost standard
- New front and rear lightbars
- Wraparound interior ambient lighting
- Updated suspension
- Acoustic glass
Is the Model Y Fixed?
If we still owned our Model Y and looked at this through the consumer lens of wanting to upgrade, I don’t think we would be in a great position to do so because our trade-in value was only $26,800 after two and a half years and 22,000 miles, and that was a year ago when we traded in our Model Y for a Kia EV9. That’s a tough pill to swallow after paying an out-the-door price of $66,443 when new; over the past few years, used Tesla values have been hit especially hard as the automaker’s numerous pricing changes have lowered the cost of new models. Those shopping for a new electric vehicle will also have to consider that many changes to the Model Y simply make it more like other EVs including the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, Honda Prologue and Ford Mustang Mach-E.
The previous Model Y had numerous faults but remained one of the most popular new cars sold. I can confidently say that many of the issues we had with our Model Y have been addressed, such as the ride quality and interior noise, and the quick spin using Full Self-Driving was promising. There’s a lot more to unpack, however, like the updated sound system and rear control screen for backseat passengers as well as the comfort and usability of the power-reclining rear seat, all of which will come with a longer evaluation.
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