Whenever people find out I work for Driving.ca, I frequently get asked if I’ve driven a Tesla. The simple answer was, for a long time, “nope.” The long answer was that Tesla doesn’t have a Canadian media fleet, and likely doesn’t need one, since we regularly see Teslas cruising through city roads and highways, even in the absence of Canadian journalists’ reviews. However, when given the opportunity to “rent” a vehicle through Turo (more on this in a bit) I couldn’t pass up evaluating a 2024 Tesla Model Y myself—after all, it’s one of the best-selling EVs in Canada.
Going in with (admittedly) tonnes of biases based on the company’s numerous recalls, and, quite frankly, my opinions on the face of Tesla himself, Elon Musk, I was curious what all the hype was about. There seems to be two types of people in the world: those who love Tesla, and those who refuse to give it a chance. While I’m not ashamed to admit I fell mostly into the latter category, I was also open-minded enough to give it a small chance. At the very least, it’s not like I’m testing a Cybertruck.
If I had to sum up my weekend with the Tesla Model Y, I’d say I didn’t hate it as much as I thought I wanted to, but I still don’t necessarily want one. It’s fairly average. It’s most definitely not the best car I’ve driven, but it’s far from being the worst. It has some interesting features, like the option to fart when you signal a turn, and, c’mon, that’s just about the best bit of customization from an auto manufacturer I’ve seen (er, heard).
But I need more from a car than the Tesla Model Y was giving me — more space, more physical buttons, and just plain simple connectivity to Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. What I don’t need more of is the screen.
First impressions of the Tesla Model Y
I rented a 2024 Tesla Model Y for a weekend from an “All-Star Host” on Turo (scroll down for more info about Turo and my experience with it) who gave me a crash course. As someone who has never driven, or even been in, a Tesla, I was expecting to be somewhat confused, and knew it would take some getting used to before I understood how to use just about everything via a screen.
She gave me the option of keyless entry, which required me to download the Tesla app, but instead of doing that, I assumed it would be easier to just use a key. However, I didn’t know the key was actually a card key (like one you’d use to get into a hotel room). If you don’t use the app, then you need the card quickly accessible — much like an old-school key needed to enter a car — because not only is it needed to unlock the car doors, it has to be slotted into the centre console to put the car into Drive. The card can be put away once it’s in Drive. But don’t put it too far, because you’ll need to hold the card against the door again to lock the vehicle when leaving.
The host also gave me a quick rundown on the screen that basically controls the entire car, showing me how to adjust the mirrors, climate controls, and other stuff. It was overwhelming, to say the least, but I figured after driving so many test cars, I’d figure out the rest.
Needless to say, that touchscreen is not something you want to explore while driving. The absence of a gauge cluster in front of you means your battery percentage and range remaining is also on that centre screen, along with a live animated display of pretty much everything around you. It’s distracting, to say the least, but also kind of cool, as it displays people, vehicles of all sizes, and other things surrounding the car. While stopped at a railway for a passing GO train, it glitched out trying to figure out what exactly was going past us. Is it a truck or a bus passing us at the traffic lights? Neither, nor were we at traffic lights.
You can’t connect to Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, but a quick Google search will provide a few hacks to get it connected through the browser (there’s a good and informative method here). You can, however, connect to Spotify or other music-streaming servicse you have access to in the Tesla. You can also use Bluetooth to listen to Spotify through the app on your phone, or just listen to the radio to simplify things.
One-pedal driving is weird. Some people are big fans, but it’ll take some getting used to; I kept taking my foot off the pedal too quickly, causing the car to jerk backwards a bit. It takes a little more brain effort to drive with one pedal, as you’ve got to consciously remind yourself to ease off of the pedal. The best part was not having to hold down the brakes at a stop light, though, as it gave my foot a little rest.
During a quick drive to the dentist, all three of my kids fit easily into the back. However, they weren’t too happy about it. They’ve become accustomed to having their own space in three-row SUVs or minivans, and shoulders touching is just not an option for my kids — unless they’re forced to because, well, they have no other option. And speaking of space—
How much space is in the Tesla Model Y?
Technically the Tesla Model Y is an SUV, but it just looks like a fat sedan. It’s wide and takes up more parking space than you’d imagine. However, it has decent backup cameras to easily get reverse parking done. One thing about those cameras: they make the outside world actually look prettier than it is. Like, I’m talkin’ filter-pretty.
On the inside, the driver and front passenger have lots of legroom, and if they aren’t too tall, then the rear passengers get a fair amount of legroom, as well. With only one child booster seat in the vehicle, there was adequate space for my three young passengers — even if they deny it — but for an SUV, it’s not quite as much as you’d think. If it’s your family vehicle, then two kids or less will comfortably fit back there — three’s a crowd.
There’s not a lot of interior storage space, but there is centre console storage, as well as a glove-box that I initially thought was non-existent because of course it needs to be opened via — you guessed it — the screen.
Also only accessible through that same screen is the frunk (front trunk). There’s actually a good amount of usable space up there, which was a bit surprising, but I’m not sure what exactly you’d put in there, since you can’t access it without being in the car first, and then you need to manually close it. The tailgate, however, is accessible from the inside or outside, and with 854 litres of cargo space, you’ve got adequate grocery-shopping space. The cargo cover digs into that space, however, so while larger items will fit, it’ll take some planning.
How does the Tesla Model Y drive?
It doesn’t feel any smoother than any car that is slightly bumpier than average. It’s easy to manoeuvre and handle, and one-pedal drive does get a little easier with time, but after only a couple days with it, I definitely wouldn’t say it became simple or necessarily intuitive. I was still overthinking it sometimes, or not thinking at all and taking my foot off the “gas” pedal too quickly. That said, going at steady speeds on the highway is a lot easier, unless you have to stop quickly, at which point reflexes instantly kick in and you find your foot on the brake pedal.
During an almost two-hour highway drive, we noted the car was super-loud. Technically the noise can be drowned out by some music, but still, it was louder than normal. According to Google, other owners are noting the same issue, with some suggesting sound-proofing your Tesla — that seems odd. I also noticed a weird wind sound that seemed like the window or door was slightly open (no, they weren’t, I triple-checked) or something like that annoying sound that comes from ventilated seats, but this vehicle doesn’t have ventilated seats (it does have heated seating for all five seats). This reddit user noted a similar issue, concluding that “the top left corner of the windshield wasn’t sealed,” which is also odd.
This vehicle doesn’t have Autopilot, though I did see one advertised on Turo with that feature. The host mentioned to me they did originally have it, but didn’t use it often enough to keep it.
What is the Tesla Model Y’s electric range?
The tested 2024 Tesla Model Y was the dual-motor Long Range AWD trim, which sits in between the base and top Performance trims. On a full charge, it should provide up to 496 kilometres of electric range, but that seems unlikely, especially in the colder months. When we picked up the Tesla, there was an 87% charge on the readout — the host sent a note at the beginning explaining that Tesla recommends charging to 85% to 90% instead of the full 100%, but gave the option of having it charged to 100% if we planned on doing a long road trip, which we did not.
The readout is displayed on the centre screen (along with everything else); however, you have the option of seeing either the remaining kilometres or battery percentage, not both at the same time.
During our couple days with the Model Y, we drove roughly 300 kilometres, give or take a couple, before the car told us it was time to recharge. With 61 km remaining, that wouldn’t put us near the almost-500-km mark that is claimed. That said, it was chilly outside and we had the heat on, as well as all five butt-warmers (despite one not being felt since a car seat is on top of it). Throw in a predominantly highway-driven test, and you’re looking at conditions ripe for lower range numbers, overall. Keeping in mind the vehicle wasn’t fully charged when we picked it up, I’d say that number would’ve easily been brought up to the low- to mid-400-km range under better circumstances.
Charging the Tesla at a Supercharger
The host had told me there are certain time slots when charging is cheaper, which I guess makes sense, as that’s how energy in your house works. The off-peak times are generally between midnight and 4 a.m.; while on-peak times are between noon and 8 p.m.
There’s no Tesla Supercharger in Guelph, but there is one in Cambridge, 22 km from my house. Of course, if you own an EV, you’ve likely got a charger installed at your home, so it wouldn’t really matter if the closest Supercharger is 22 kilometres out of your way.
Surprisingly, this was by far the easiest car I’ve had to charge. The payment is set up directly to the host (who adds the expense to Turo following the booking) so all you have to do is plug in to the charger. That’s all. No downloading extra apps, and, in this case, no waiting at the row of 16 chargers (though many were being used at the time).
The car may have taken a little longer to charge than usual since we sat in it with the heat on, playing numerous games in the car (including Sketchpad for my youngest kid; and a beat-maker for my oldest kid [my husband]). It took just under 40 minutes to go from less than 20% remaining; to 90%, which is the maximum it would allow it to charge. That’s on the longer side for the Tesla’s charge time, but, again, we had the car running the whole time. The total cost was just under $35. And speaking of cost—
How much is the 2024 Tesla Model Y in Canada?
Remember last year when Tesla slashed a bunch of its prices, which ultimately angered a bunch of owners who had just recently bought one, but could’ve actually saved thousands of dollars if they had waited just a bit longer? Well, I guess that left us with the current pricing of the 2024 Tesla Model Y, which, according to the Tesla Canada website at the time of writing, starts at $59,990 plus $2,500 destination fee, and is eligible for federal rebates. There’s a 30-day free trial of Full Self-Driving (FSD) but an additional $11,000 gives you the full feature. The tested Long Range AWD starts at $63,990; while the Performance jumps to $68,990.
If you were hoping for the more affordable Model 2 to make it to market, you’re out of luck.
Is the Tesla Model Y a safe car?
Are Teslas safe? That’s a tough question because I’m sure there are tons of Tesla owners who would vouch for their Tesla being one of the safest cars. However, Google “Tesla recall” and you’ll get a very different — and researched — view of whether or not Teslas are safe.
Autopilot is probably the biggest and most controversial issue (other than Elon Musk himself) when it comes to owning a Tesla, and while I didn’t use it in this car, I can understand the skepticism surrounding it. We’ve seen stories of people sleeping in their Teslas while the car is Autopiloting itself — which isn’t what it’s meant to do. We’ve seen numerous stories of federal investigations and national regulators accusing Tesla or Musk of knowing how dangerous Autopilot and Full Self-Driving modes are and still keeping beta versions out on the road.
To be honest, I never for a moment felt unsafe in the Model Y we tested, and I know the owners felt the same way, saying, “The car is fantastic. We’re trying to get everyone to jump on the Tesla wagon.”
That said, coming home to read about a car crash involving four dead in a burning Tesla — that’s beyond scary. But according to the police, that’s not just a Tesla issue, but an electric-vehicle issue, as battery cells can quickly intensify the fire, and fire departments are researching new ways to fight it. That said, it’s questionable whether or not the occupants were trapped in the car due to the electric door handles. While there should be access to an emergency latch, an occupant may not be aware of such a feature if they’re renting the car just for a couple days, much like I was. Additionally, this isn’t just an EV issue, as people have been stuck in non-EVs unable to open the door after a crash, too.
Booking a vehicle with Turo
What is Turo?
I’d define Turo as, basically, an airbnb for cars; the site says you can “Rent just about any car, just about anywhere.” (Full transparency: Turo reached out to offer media credits to book a vehicle and test out the app.)
Once you enter in some preferred booking dates, you can scroll through listings in specific areas, as well as using various filters to narrow the search down by vehicle type, year, make, and more. As mentioned, Tesla doesn’t have a Canadian press fleet, so I used the opportunity to book a newer Model Y for review. There were a few in the area, but my Turo contact encouraged booking with an “All-Star Host,” someone who is top-rated and has experience with bookings. Once I added the protection plan, I was left with a grand total of $648.20 for a four-day booking, with a limit of 1,600 km. I’ve added an image below so you can view the full breakdown of the cost.
Note that pricing won’t remain consistent for all vehicles. It can change depending on the car itself, as well as the dates and places. For example, a 2015 Mazda5 in Calgary from November 1 to 4 is, at the time of writing, showing a price of $180.99 for unlimited kilometres. Meanwhile, a Hyundai dealership in Toronto has a 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz listed for a total just under $400. You could also Turo a 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SL from its owner for roughly that same price. (I’d imagine some interesting vehicles come out to play during the summer months.)
Additional fees I’ve seen on the site can also include extras provided by the host, as required, such as a phone mount for $2 per day; or a child car-seat for an extra $15 a day, though prices will vary from host to host.
Also note that another driver can be added, but they need to add their email and driver’s licence to the app before driving the vehicle. The app clearly states that the added driver can not be the designated pickup or drop-off person — it must be the person who booked the car.
I found the site easy to use, but once the vehicle was booked, I needed to download the app to correspond with the host. She sent a list of simple instructions and noted the option to prepay $30 to save the trip to the charger at the end of the booking. Once the car is picked up, you can add images to document the state of the vehicle, and then again at checkout. At the end of the booking, I handed over the keys, checked out on the app, and was sent a final bill on Turo for the Supercharger fee. Easy-peasy lemon-squeezy.
Would I use Turo again? To be completely honest, probably not, but that’s because I own a minivan and likely won’t have the need to rent another vehicle. That said, I’d recommend the site to others who may need to rent a vehicle for a weekend or road trip. I’d also consider gifting a booking to someone wanting to drive something special. (For those looking to list a vehicle, there’s more info here.)
Check out the latest Tesla Model Y. Click here for more Millennial Mom’s Reviews.
Pros
✔ Fart sounds for turn signal
✔ Supercharger is easy to use
✔ Adequate electric range
Cons
✘ A bit of a bumpy drive
✘ No physical buttons!
✘ Centre screen houses every single thing and it is distracting
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