The Tesla Model Y was the biggest selling car of 2023, so it’s hardly lacking in success. But it hasn’t had a major refresh since launch, while we still wait for the Project Juniper update. Until that arrives, there’s a new variant of the Model Y on the market – the Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive. It’s not a hugely new car, but it is a significant release and could be exactly what some people are looking for. I took it for an extended test drive to find out.
Up until this point, the entry-level Tesla Model Y was the Standard Range Rear-Wheel Drive. But that has been discontinued in favor of the Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive. The name tells you most of what you need to know. This car combines the single rear motor with the larger 75kWh (net) battery, instead of the 57.5kWh of the Standard Range. There has been a theory that the reason for the discontinuation of the smaller battery was due to its Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) chemistry, which has a Chinese origin, risking higher import tariffs. But for now, the Model 3 with this battery remains on sale in the UK and EU.
Tesla Model Y Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive: More Than Just A Bigger Battery
The Model Y Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive isn’t quite just the Standard Range with a battery swap out, however. Either due to greater power delivery with the Long Range battery or a motor upgrade, the new car is actually faster, despite being heavier (1,979kg versus 1,909kg for the Standard Range. The Standard Range took 6.6 seconds to hit 60mph, but the Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive drops that considerably to 5.7 seconds.
That’s still not up with the All-Wheel Drive car’s 4.8 seconds or the Performance version’s 3.5 seconds, but it matches some other automakers’ dual motor cars in this class, such as those from Volkswagen Group. There’s still plenty of torque to get you off the lights ahead of many internal combustion cars. But despite the better performance, this car isn’t as nippy as dual motor Teslas, nor is the performance delivery so immediate. But the handling is flatter than you’d expect for such a tall car. It’s hardly an engaging driver’s experience, but perfectly adequate and the steering is a bit lighter than dual motor Model Ys.
When I’ve driven the Model Y before, one area that didn’t impress greatly was the ride quality. However, my original experience of the Long Range was on 20in “Induction” wheels, and then I tried the Performance (with its harder sports suspension) and 21in “Uberturbine” rims. The Model Y Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive car I tested this time had the basic 19in Gemini Dark wheels. Not only do these look better than Tesla’s previous standard 19in wheel, but they improve ride quality on poor road surfaces. I found this car quite acceptable on London’s awful tarmac quality.
Another feature I haven’t had a chance to test properly before was the Tesla Matrix LED headlight system. The company’s cars have had the hardware for this since 2021, but due to US regulations it has only turned on this capability around June 2024 with a software update. The result is very effective. Because you have an array of LEDs instead of one main light source, this system can detect oncoming vehicles and turn off just the LEDs that will blind that driver. So as they approach you can see a curtain of darkness around them while either side remains bathed in high beams. On a dark British A road at night, the system is very effective and enables you to see the roadsides where dipped lights wouldn’t.
Tesla Model Y Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive: Leading Efficiency And Practicality
However, these is a feature of all new Tesla Model Ys now. You buy this car because of its range. Previous Model Ys were decent in this respect (the Long Range All-Wheel Drive offers 331 WLTP miles and the Performance 318 WLTP miles). But competitors have been catching up. The Ford Explorer Electric (currently only available in Europe), for example, offers up to 374 WLTP miles with 77kWh net battery capacity.
This is a good comparison, because the Tesla Model Y Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive promises a very similar 373 WLTP miles from a slightly smaller pack. During my test-drive period, the Y managed 3.4 miles per kWh on short start-stop urban trips, but nearly 4.1 miles per kWh in general including more continuous driving and some motorway speeds. That would imply a real-world range of around 307 miles, which is truly excellent. Tesla trumpeted the efficiency of this car when it was announced, and it appears to deliver.
The Model 3 Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive has stolen this thunder since the original announcement, but having over 300 miles of range possible from an SUV this size will be perfect for family trips. Allied with Tesla’s incredible Supercharging network, this means you will have the best long-distance EV driving experience in the business with this car, despite the charging network now being open to other cars. No other network offers such a seamless process of arriving, plugging in, and letting the system handle everything else.
This is, after all, a very practical car. The rear seats offer plenty of room, and the rear cargo capacity is class leading. Including the underfloor, the basic space is 854 liters, which is well beyond most competitors – and there’s a massive 117-liter frunk as well, enough for an extra carry-on suitcase. Drop down the rear seats and you get an enormous 2,041 liters. Putting this in perspective, it beats a Range Rover, which is a much larger car. If that isn’t enough, you can pay £1,090 ($1,400) for a tow hitch that can pull up to 1,600kg braked.
Not everyone likes the minimalist interiors of Tesla Model 3 and Y cars, but one thing that is beyond criticism is the overall technological level. Tesla practically invented the concept of the connected Software Defined Vehicle, and the functionality available remains class leading. Remote functions such as viewing the car’s cameras via the app when in Sentry mode are unparalleled. The over-the-air software updates are frequent and generally faultless, regularly bringing new features (such as enabling the Matrix LED headlights). There are a few remaining niggles such as the unpredictable automatic windscreen wipers and variable experiences with Autopilot. But no other manufacturer has caught Tesla yet for software integration.
Tesla Model Y Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive: More Range And Value
So is this the Model Y variant to keep Tesla’s smaller SUV in the top spot? The Tesla brand has always been in the shadow of its owner Elon Musk, and more recently that has not been such a positive penumbra for some. But that aside, this remains an incredible all-rounder. You lose a little performance compared to the dual motor version, but most family drivers probably won’t miss it. They’ll love the efficiency and range you get instead. The list price of the Model Y Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive is £46,990 ($61,990) in the UK, but the lease price is just £349 ($450) per month. The All-Wheel Drive version is £50 ($65) a month more, but £5,000 ($6,500) more to buy.
If you put the Model Y Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive up against competitors such as the Ford Explore, Volkswagen ID.4, or Skoda Enyaq iV, it might lose on some areas but overall, what you get for the money is more complete. Maybe Kia’s EV5 will offer some competition, but if you can ignore the negative image of Elon Musk, the Tesla Model Y Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive is an even better choice as a do-it-all family car than ever before.
