Tesla Model Y Standard Review & Prices

This is the new Tesla Model Y Standard, and it’s the American brand’s attempt at making a ‘budget’ version of the highly popular Model Y SUV - which is now known as the Premium. It’s just as spacious as its more expensive sibling, and it doesn’t feel much cheaper inside, but it’s less comfortable and lacks a few useful features in comparison.

Like a package holiday compared to a posh resort stay, the Model Y Standard offers a lot of the same amenities as the more expensive choice, but without a few of the standout luxury features you might want.

It may be cheaper than the Model Y Premium, but not by much, and there are some capable alternatives at a similar price point. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 are strong options, while the cheaper Volkswagen ID4 and Nissan Ariya are compelling choices, too.

Tesla Model Y Standard: electric range, battery and charging data

Range: 314 miles
Battery size: 63kWh
Max charge speed: 175kW
Charge time AC: 9h 45mins, 0-100%, 7.4kW
Charge time DC: 25mins, 20-80% 175kW
Charge port location: Left rear
Power output: 295hp

If you’d never seen a Model Y before then there’s no telling that the Standard is a budget version of anything, but side-by-side with the Premium it’s easy to work out where cost-savings have happened. The lack of a front light bar, simplified bumpers and 19-inch alloys mark the Standard out as the entry-level model, as does the limited, monochromatic paint palette.

There are more cost cutting measures in the cabin, but overall it still feels very premium inside. The suede upholstery has been replaced with a textile fabric instead, but everything is solid to the touch. Even the un-trimmed plastics are smooth and feel expensive compared to the German alternatives.

Gone is the big centre console, replaced with a handy storage space between the seats for a backpack or handbag, while the lack of a rear display means there’s even more space for three adults to sit comfortably in the back. The whopping great boot is unchanged, but having the parcel shelf as an optional extra feels cheeky to us, and the front boot is smaller and less well-insulated than in the Premium.

There’s only one battery choice in the Model Y Standard, which is paired to a rear-wheel drive motor for a claimed 314 miles of electric range.

Despite its size, the Model Y Standard is easy to drive around town. Tight corners and car parks can be a bit of a pain at times, but the standard-fit parking cameras are excellent and make light of placing the American behemoth on the road. That being said, it’s definitely less comfortable than the already-firm Model Y Premium, and really thuds through potholes.

It’s noisy on the motorway, too, because the Model Y Standard loses the double-glazed side windows of the posher model. There’s a lot of wind noise as a result, which is draining on long journeys. The ‘budget’ Tesla manages to be decent fun on a country lane, with direct steering, sharp brakes and little body lean which fills you with confidence.

Have a look at the latest Tesla Model Y Standard deals on Carwow, as well as Model Y Standard lease deals. There are plenty of used Model Ys to choose from, as well as other used Tesla models through our trusted dealer network. Remember, Carwow can help you sell your current car, too.

Starting at almost £42,000, the Model Y Standard is around £7,000 cheaper than the Model Y Premium - and that’s a lot of money saved. It may not look as posh and the cabin is far simpler, but considering it gets the same tech in the central infotainment display, is just as spacious and it’s almost as good to drive, it’s certainly good value.

Though a Nissan Ariya or Volkswagen ID4 is around £5,000 less expensive than the Model Y Standard, with more interesting interiors and better looking exteriors, which diminishes the appeal a touch. They offer more range for less money, too, but they’re not quite as fun to drive as the Tesla.

It’s quick and competent enough, but the Model Y Standard isn’t as refined or comfortable as the Premium

In town

There’s no escaping the fact that the Model Y Standard is a very big car, but the high driving position, large windscreen and tremendous side visibility help when trying to navigate tight city streets. The surround-view cameras are excellent, frankly, and the front wing cameras mean it’s a doddle to parallel park while keeping an eye on your distance to the kerb.

Rear visibility, however, is atrocious; akin to peeking through a letterbox, so small is the back window. Again the cameras do the heavy lifting here, as do the well-sized door mirrors.

The Model Y Standard loses the air suspension which comes fitted to the rest of the range, and you can really feel the difference around town. The regular Model Y has never been as comfortable as a Peugeot E-3008 or Volkswagen ID5, but the Standard is really shaken up by rough roads and thuds through potholes.

One-pedal driving takes the strain out of city driving, but the strong brake regeneration takes a little bit of time to get used to, as do the indicators which don’t self-cancel based on your steering input, rather on the positioning of the car itself.

On the motorway

While not quite as neck-snapping as the rest of the range, the Model Y Standard is still a hugely fast SUV which makes getting up to motorway speeds a breeze. Sliproads feel a lot shorter than they are, but once you’re on the motorway you start to feel the side effects of the cost-saving measures.

The Standard loses the Model Y’s dual-pane, sound insulating glass which allows a substantial amount of wind noise to enter the cabin, while the suspension also means more tyre rumble at high speeds.

While the lane-keeping cruise control - or Autosteer - function is generally solid, it can feel a bit oversensitive when keeping you centred in the lane. At least the same cameras which help you park are used at speed to highlight your blind spot when indicating on the motorway, which is good because over-the-shoulder visibility is rather poor.

On a twisty road

It’s far from sporty or engaging, but the Model Y Standard’s precise, well-weighted steering and lack of body lean mean you can chuck the electric SUV down a smooth country lane with confidence. There isn’t much feedback through the steering wheel, though, and as a result it can be hard to judge just how much grip the front wheels have at times.

The stiff suspension means you get bounced around a lot on a bumpy road, and that bobbing sensation can spoil what’s otherwise a fairly capable car.

The Standard loses some covered storage and tech, but you’ve still got more space inside than any other medium-sized SUV

The high seating position is at odds with the Model Y’s swoopy silhouette, but the wide-open, clutter-free cabin is a relaxing environment to sit in, and the tall roofline means you never feel cramped up front. The new storage space down low between the front seats is very handy if you want to keep your backpack or handbag next to you, but tall, loose items aren’t that secure in there. It’s certainly close to the pedals…

There’s a hidden cubby underneath the armrest as well as enormous door bins, and though they’re not felt-lined the plastic feels pleasant to the touch. You also get a pair of cupholders by the central cubby and a handy pair of wireless phone chargers beneath the infotainment screen. The glovebox is a faff, both small in size and annoying to open via the touchscreen.

Space in the back seats

Stepping into the back of the Model Y Standard - or loading in a child seat - is easy, because the doors are enormous and open very wide. It's more claustrophobic than in the Premium version because it’s missing a panoramic sunroof, but there’s more than enough head, leg and foot space for three six-footers to easily fit back there, even if the middle seat is less cushioned than the rest.

You don’t get the climate control screen which comes in the other Model Y trims, and Tesla has been stingy enough to get rid of the seat back storage pockets, but for the price saving it’s worth relying on the door bins and adjusting your own climate control vents.

What is strange, however, is that the cupholders now reside in the middle seat back. That means you need to fold it down to have an armrest, which means the through-load for the boot has to be open.

Boot space

Boot space is the Model Y’s calling card, because the 854-litre cargo capacity puts pretty much every other mid-sized SUV to shame. The Skoda Enyaq, Audi Q4 and Hyundai Ioniq 5 all offer boots in the 500- to 600-litre range, while you’d need a much larger and more expensive Peugeot E-5008 or Hyundai Ioniq 9 to match the Tesla’s figure.

That being said, you don’t get a parcel shelf as standard - which is too stingy for our liking - and the boot floor feels a bit cheap. There is useful storage space underneath it, however, and deep side bins for smaller items. Strangely, the front boot has been shrunk and no longer gets a heavy-duty insulated panel surrounding it.

What the Model Y Standard gains in budget friendliness it loses in equipment and ambient lighting

The cost-saving measures are just as clear inside the Model Y Standard as they are on the exterior, but fortunately, that hasn’t made it feel cheap inside. The Model Y range as a whole has come up in leaps and bounds in terms of cabin fit-and-finish, so while the Standard sacrifices the suede trim, ambient lighting and centre console of its more expensive counterparts, it still feels very nice.

You won’t find any cheap or nasty plastics around you, because while the lower door trims aren’t upholstered or felt-lined, the materials themselves are much smoother and less brittle to the touch than you’ll find in any Audi or Volkswagen product. The seats aren’t all leatherette anymore, with a mix of textile fabric on the back rests and bolsters, but it’s actually quite nice and matches the upholstery on the dash.

You get the same 15.4-inch, hyper-responsive display as the Model Y Premium so you won’t miss any infotainment features, though the sound system has been pared back and back seat passengers no longer get their own screen for the air-con.

The fact that the central display is home to the drive selector, speedometer and lane-keeping information alongside the climate controls and navigation is a bit overwhelming at times. It doesn’t help that the menus are annoying to navigate, either.

You can’t connect your phone via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, but considering you can use Bluetooth to stream Spotify and the built-in nav is Google Maps, you won’t miss it much.

The Model Y Standard can’t travel as far on a charge as the Premium or Performance models, with a 314-mile range instead of the 360 to 391 miles offered by its more expensive counterparts. A 175kW power source will get you from 10 to 80% in 25 minutes.

While Tesla claims a 4.5mi/kWh efficiency figure, we only managed to achieve 3.3mi/kWh on our test route through the countryside, urban roads and motorways around Cirencester and Swindon - which means around 77% of the car’s claimed range, or 242 miles.

As an EV the Model Y Standard sits in the lowest rate of first year road tax for private buyers, and Benefit in Kind duty for company car drivers. While you’ll currently pay the luxury car tax supplement from years two-to-six, the threshold is being raised in April 2026 which means the Model Y Standard will be exempt from the additional fee. Result.

The Model Y is a very safe car, scoring extremely highly in its 2025 Euro NCAP crash test. In fact, its lowest score was in pedestrian crash safety at 86%, while the safety assistance tech, adult and child occupant scores were all in the 90% range.

You get a pair of ISOFIX child seat anchor points in the back, with blind spot monitoring, automatic emergency braking, active lane-keep cruise control and a driver attention monitor as standard.

Tesla came 11th out of 31 manufacturers in the 2025 Driver Power Owner Satisfaction survey, which is a good - if not great - result. We’ve not heard any horror stories about the updated Model Y yet, but we’ll report back if a common fault rears its head.

Tesla offers a four-year warranty with its new cars, which includes four years of roadside breakdown assistance, too. Toyota, Lexus, Kia and Hyundai offer longer coverage, that being said.