- The 2026 Tesla Model Y Standard is a budget-friendly option but comes with significant design compromises.
- The driving experience is comparable to the Premium model, but the interior and exterior design choices make it feel less premium.
- The price difference is notable, but the lack of leasing options and the overall value proposition make the Premium model a more attractive choice.
I didn’t mean to waste a salesman’s time, but the opportunity was too good to pass up. I was on my way to return the Premium-trimmed Tesla Model Y I had been testing for our Breakthrough EV of the Year awards when I spotted it: a brand-new Model Y Standard. Intrigued, I decided to take a closer look at the 2026 Tesla Model Y Standard.
It was the day before Thanksgiving, and I had some time to kill before the holiday festivities. I drove to the Tesla store to see if they had any in stock. Luckily, they had one on display. Initially, I just wanted to look around the car, but within two minutes, a salesman noticed me, unlocked the car, and let me take it for a spin. Oops. Oh well, I wasn’t going to let a test drive go to waste, so here are my impressions of the all-new Tesla Model Y Standard, based on about 45 minutes behind the wheel.
First Impressions of the 2026 Tesla Model Y Standard
Exterior Design
The Standard Model Y and the more upmarket Premium trim look very similar at first glance, but there are several exterior changes that set the cheaper model apart from its higher-dollar sibling. Up front, there’s no full-width light bar, and the bumper cover is shaped differently. The rear also lacks the Cybertruck-inspired full-width light bar found on the Premium car, and the bumper and trunk lid are simpler than its more expensive cousin’s. Add in the balloon tires and somewhat ugly hubcaps, and the Standard-trim Model Y definitely looks more downmarket.
And yes, there’s a noticeable price difference between the two cars. Tesla intended for this model to help boost sales via a lower cost of entry. The Standard Model Y costs $39,990 before destination fees, while the Premium model will run you $44,990.
Interior Design
The real cost-cutting is evident in the car’s interior. The frunk’s lack of lining is the most obvious here; whereas the higher-end model has a frunk nicely trimmed out with plastic pieces, Tesla removed all that for the budget trim. Pop the frunk, and you’ll see a shoddy plastic hole in the midst of the bodywork where you can see the mechanical structure underneath.
The rest of the interior is okay but is definitely meant to be cheaper to buy and make. The leatherette vinyl seats are swapped out for cloth ones, which I actually don’t mind. The center console has been mostly removed, which does make the interior feel a little less confining. However, the glass roof has been covered with a trim panel, which has the opposite effect, making the Model Y’s interior feel a little less airy.
There are also no pillar-to-pillar mood lights, which change the interior’s ambiance. It’s not like the Model Y’s interior has ever been especially warm and inviting, but this budget model really feels sterile and spartan.
Driving Experience
Performance and Handling
On the road, I’d wager that most drivers would have a hard time telling the dynamic difference between the Standard and Premium trims. According to Tesla, the Standard trim has less sophisticated dampers. Yet the Standard trim doesn’t feel like it rides any better or worse than its Premium sibling. Perhaps the big tires are why it’s so good at ironing out bumps and imperfections. Supposedly, the thinner glass should contribute to higher levels of road and wind noise, but it felt negligible compared to the Model Y I had earlier that day.
Still, despite the lack of options and downmarket position, the Model Y Standard can still access Full Self-Driving (Supervised), which was enabled on my test drive.
Technology and Features
On one hand, aside from some strange cost-cutting decisions, the Standard Model Y feels just as good as its higher-trimmed siblings. If you’re a fan of the Model Y’s snappy screen interface, swift performance, and sporty handling, then you’ll be just fine. The Standard still has all of the good bones that made people like the crossover in the first place.
On the other hand, the Standard trim’s omissions don’t feel like they’re worth the price, something made very apparent when the salesman and I talked numbers. True, the Standard Model Y is about $5,000 cheaper than the Premium one. However, Tesla doesn’t offer a lease for any of the Standard models. So, the savings would only be felt by buyers paying cash or financing, somewhat of a rarity for people who are looking to get behind the wheel of an EV. Even the salesman himself thought that buying a Premium model would be the wisest course of action.
Price and Value
Now, I don’t think the Model Y Standard is a bad car, but I think it suffers from the same issues that the Chinese-market Model Y L does; it just feels like a low-effort attempt to capture a new market. For months, Tesla talked about creating a new entry-level model for the brand, and instead we got a Model Y with no FM radio and ugly hubcaps. The price isn’t actually much more affordable, either.
If you’re looking to buy a Model Y, I’d just go ahead and skip the Standard trim. It’s not worth it.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while the 2026 Tesla Model Y Standard offers a lower price point, it comes with significant compromises in terms of design and features. The driving experience is comparable to the Premium model, but the interior and exterior design choices make it feel less premium. If you’re considering a Tesla Model Y, it might be worth spending a bit more for the Premium model to get a more refined and feature-rich experience.