I traded in my Model 3, which I bought in April 2024, for this Model Y. These photos were taken at Tesla on August 12, 2025.

A car is a much bigger purchase than the rest of this gear section, but it belongs here for the same reason: it is something I own and use, with a story behind the purchase.

From a sedan to a crossover

The change from Model 3 to Model Y is about the shape of the car as much as the technology. A taller body and a liftgate make it a different kind of space to live with. For bulky luggage, the size and shape of the opening can matter more than a cargo-volume number.

The front light bar is the most obvious detail in my photos. It gives this refreshed Model Y a noticeably different face from the earlier cars parked nearby.

What changed with this generation

In its 2025 introduction, Tesla describes changes to the suspension and cabin, ventilated front seats, and a rear touchscreen. Those are details of the refreshed model’s launch specification; equipment can vary by trim and market.

The useful improvements to judge are the everyday ones: how the seats fit, how easy it is to load, and how settled the cabin feels on the roads you actually drive. A specification page can’t answer those questions for everyone.

The tradeoff

Moving to a crossover makes the most sense when the extra space gets used. It also means a larger body to place in parking spaces and on narrow streets. And with any EV, the convenience of charging depends heavily on where the car spends the night.

I haven’t added range or efficiency figures here because they depend on the exact configuration and conditions. This is the start of my Model Y ownership notes, rather than a claim that one Tesla is the right choice for everybody.

In pictures3 photos
My Model Y from the front

My Model Y from the front

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