In March 2025, we got our AWD Model Y Premium which proved to be a huge leap for Tesla over the legacy models. And towards the end of the year, we finally got our hands on the RWD Model Y which was announced in October 2025.

This car received a lot of hate and many enthusiasts were convinced that it is not worth the money, considering all the cost-savings Tesla has done to produce it. However, we gave it a fair shot by doing a 100 km range test, along with an acceleration test from 0-100 km/h. We are going to give you our final honest opinion about it in this article.

We also prepared a video review in case you want to see the car in action:

Basic Stats

Below are the official price and specifications Tesla lists for the Model Y, along with a comparison to the AWD Premium version.

 

Basic:

Price: €39,990

Useable Battery Capacity: 60 kWh

Buffer: 2.9 kWh*

Battery Type: LFP

Range: 534 km WLTP

Acceleration 0-100 km/h: 7.2 seconds

 

Premium:

Price: €52,990

Useable Battery Capacity: 79 kWh

Buffer: 3.4 kWh*

Battery Type: NMC

Range: 600 km WLTP

Acceleration 0-100 km/h: 4.8 seconds

*The buffer cannot be seen through the Tesla’s UI. That is why we used our S3XY App that displays data from the car’s Battery Management System (BMS) which is drawn from our Commander unit. In our case, the buffer gives you ~25 km of extra range.

100 km Range Test

The first test we did was to determine how efficient the basic Model Y is and how it compares to the Premium. So we set on a 100 km (around 62 miles) trip with both cars while carefully monitoring the energy consumption. 

Initial Stats

Basic:

State of Charge (SoC): 86%

Remaining Capacity: 55.9 kWh

Premium:

State of Charge (SoC): 92%

Remaining Capacity: 70.5 kWh

During the test, we drove on smooth roads and highways with speeds ranging between 80-100 km/h with outside temperature hovering around 0℃. After we completed our road trip we saw that the basic model consumed 158 Wh/km and the Premium version stood at 183 Wh/km. 

 

Final Stats

Basic:

State of Charge (SoC): 58%

Remaining Capacity: 38.6 kWh

Total loss: -17.3 kWh

Premium:

State of Charge (SoC): 65%

Remaining Capacity: 50.9 kWh

Total loss: -19.6 kWh

The final results clearly show the basic model as the more efficient of the two, but when it comes to range, we also have to keep in mind the size of the battery pack. Even though the Premium version has larger capacity, it doesn’t excel by much due to its higher consumption.

Acceleration Test

In addition, the basic Model Y is often criticized for its modest acceleration - 7.2 seconds from 0-100 km/h as claimed by Tesla. We put this to the test by launching the car from 0-100 km/h in both Chill Mode and Standard Mode to see how much difference the acceleration settings actually make. The results surprised us.

In Chill Mode, the car accelerated from 0-100 km/h in 8.60 seconds.

In Standard Mode, it completed the sprint in 7.73 seconds.

This results in a difference of less than one second between the two acceleration modes, which is interesting since with most Tesla models it takes double the time to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h when in Chill Mode.

Other Differences

There are some features that Tesla decided to cut from the 2026 Model Y such as:

- no rear screen

- no interior ambient lights

- no seat ventilation

- no buttons for the seat controls

- no rear seat heating

- no matrix lights

- no steering weight settings

- no LED bars - front & rear

- no sunroof

Also, the suspension and noise isolation aren’t as refined as on the Premium, but both represent a huge leap forward compared to the legacy models.

 

Final Thoughts

So, is the basic Model Y any good - and who is it actually for?

We believe that despite the criticism it has received, it’s still a very solid vehicle - especially in the EU. The price difference is significant, with the basic costing around €10,000 less than the Premium version, whereas in the US the gap is only about $5,000.

As an added bonus, in the EU, the car still comes with the Autopilot package included.

It’s particularly well suited for drivers who mostly travel alone, and it may also hint that Tesla is positioning this variant with future Robotaxi use in mind.

The final verdict? For European drivers, the basic Model Y is definitely worth considering.