Key Points in This Review:
- Tesla has updated its Model Y electric SUV for 2026 with new styling and features.
- Despite the changes, the 2026 Model Y still drives and operates much like its predecessor.
- The changes for 2026 aren’t significant enough to warrant upgrading if you currently have a Model Y.
Tesla’s popular Model Y electric SUV received a host of updates for the 2026 model year, with new exterior styling, a new interior and new features. We’ve already taken a quick spin in the 2026 Model Y Launch Series, which is no longer offered, but we recently spent two weeks in the more affordable all-wheel-drive Long Range version.
Cars.com owned a 2021 Model Y for more than two years as a long-term test car, so we’re very familiar with this EV, and we were curious to see whether the changes for 2026 address the issues we had with the prior generation — as well as how it stacks up against today’s all-electric competition.
Related: 2026 Tesla Model Y Gets Long Range AWD Variant, Starts at $50,380
This article covers the Long Range AWD version of the 2026 Model Y, but Managing Editor Joe Bruzek drove the Launch Series of the updated Model Y and we have some split opinions on the car’s changes, covered below.
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Ride Quality Still on the Firm Side
- Takeaway: If you thought the prior Model Y’s ride was too firm, you’ll probably think the same of the 2026 version.
Overly stiff ride quality was a big drawback of our long-term Model Y even though it did contribute to the SUV’s sporty handling. That firm suspension tuning continues in the 2026 Model Y, which is disappointing because the stiff suspension tuning can grate on your nerves after a while if you live somewhere that doesn’t have perfectly smooth roads. There’s plenty of pockmarked, potholed pavement around Cars.com’s Chicago headquarters, and it makes for a bumpy, almost brittle ride quality with the Model Y’s optional 20-inch wheels and tires (19-inch wheels and tires are standard). It’s all the more frustrating because competitors like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 deliver more forgiving ride comfort that’s a better fit for how an SUV like this is used day in and day out.
An Ever-So-Slight Improvement in Outward Visibility
- Takeaway: The new Model Y’s exterior shape and windows are unchanged, so rear visibility is just as restricted as it was before, and new blind spot warning indicators near the side mirrors are only marginally beneficial.
The general shape and greenhouse of the Model Y hasn’t changed for 2026, so it’s probably not surprising that rear visibility is about as bad as it was before; it’s very hard to see what’s behind you due to the position and angle of the rear window. There are helpful camera views when reversing, but they aren’t a replacement for natural visibility.
There are also now blind spot warning indicators near the base of the front windshield pillars near the side mirrors. When a car enters your blind spot, a small red light appears in the mesh-covered area near the pillar. The warning light sometimes seemed to activate later than I would have expected, and the pinpoint red warning light is subtler than other blind spot indicators, but I like having the indicator near the side mirror, which is where your eyes might already be looking when you’re thinking about changing lanes. There are also still blind spot camera views that appear on the car’s center touchscreen.
Some Welcome New Features — But Some Favorites Still Missing
- Takeaway: There are new gear selector controls in the touchscreen along with ventilated front seats, but two of our favorite features — Apple CarPlay and Android Auto — remain absent.
You still interact with the Model Y much as you did in prior versions, with the main interface being the large center touchscreen, but there are some key differences for 2026. The gear selector has moved to the screen, with backup controls on the overhead console where the hazard lights button is. I didn’t mind using the new screen-based controls, which were fairly easy to get used to.
Tesla’s touchscreen user interface remains familiar if you’ve used prior versions of it, and there are now more streaming audio sources than ever in addition to conventional radio. There’s still no Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, though, so you don’t have the convenience of interacting with your phone’s apps on the touchscreen.
I liked the 2026 Model Y’s ventilated front seats and front camera view, but the lack of an integrated sunshade for the tinted glass roof is an oversight. There were times I wished the sun wasn’t beating down on me in the car (a clip-in sunshade for the glass roof is available as a Tesla accessory).
The backseat remains roomy for taller passengers, and the new rear-seat touchscreen on the back of the front center console incorporates climate controls and a selection of games to pass the time.
Still the Sports Car of Electric SUVs
- Takeaway: With responsive steering and strong acceleration from the dual-motor drivetrain, the Model Y drives more like a go-kart than a mid-size electric SUV.
The driving experience of the 2026 Model Y is still very familiar, defined by nimble handling, responsive steering, strong power from the dual-motor drivetrain and the previously mentioned firm ride. Another quality that carries over is cabin noise, which is especially noticeable when traveling on bumpy, rutted pavement.
I wasn’t a big fan of the previous Model Y’s seats — they were narrow, seemed overstuffed and never fit me that well — and the ones in the 2026 car are only slightly better. They’re still on the narrow side, but the seat ventilation feature is great to have on hot summer days.
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- Tesla Fined $243 Million For Autopilot Crash
If You Have a Model Y, Should You Get a 2026 Version?
The new Model Y doesn’t ride better, its visibility isn’t much better, and even though the interior updates are tasteful and add some functionality, the overall experience isn’t all that different.
So why would you choose the Model Y over something like an Ioniq 5, which is spacious and has a more comfortable ride? One reason might be the Tesla Supercharger ecosystem, which is fully integrated with the Model Y in a way it isn’t in other EVs that now have access to select Superchargers, including the Ioniq 5. Another might be overall efficiency, as our Model Y test car was EPA-rated at an impressive 123 mpg-equivalent combined. Or maybe you want a sporty-driving EV and are willing to put up with a firm ride. If so, the Model Y has you covered.
But what if you have a previous Model Y and are wondering about trading it in for this new one? Unless there’s something in the 2026 version you just gotta have, I’d say stick with what you’ve got. The new one is just not different enough from its predecessor.
Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.
