FAMILY CAR REVIEW: 2023 Tesla Model Y EV

How big is the boot of the 2023 Tesla Model Y?

The boot of the 2023 Tesla Model Y is a very generous size and will hold fifteen shopping bags from empty, matching the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and giving more space than the Genesis GV60 and Volvo C40 Recharge which both hold twelve shopping bags, and the BMW iX3 and Jaguar i-Pace which both hold thirteen shopping bags.

The boot space and its functionality are really important. I like to have a big boot space and little side wells or areas I can divide things into. So something I don’t want to move around while I’m driving such as kid’s lunch bag or her wet swimming gear can be sectioned off in a little well where it’s not going to spill or get squashed by the rest of the things in the boot.

Hooks for securing shopping bags to are also favourites of mine, I like being able to secure the bag containing more fragile things like eggs so they don’t move around on the journey.

I measure the boot space in freezer shopping bags, prams and dogs. Not because I think all there is to a mum’s life is food shopping, prams and dogs. (Although it can feel like it sometimes!!) But because these are visually mesurable items we can all associate with. For me, the car company boot measurement of litres is not an amount I can easily visualise and 400L in one car may differ in usability to that in another due to the configuration or shape of the space.

The twin side-by-side pram fits in the boot of the 2023 Tesla Model Y with five shopping bags beside it.

A double modular pram fits in the boot of the 2023 Tesla Model Y, with seven shopping bags beside it.

A single pram fits in the boot of the 2023 Tesla Model Y with seven shopping bags beside it.

The compact stroller fits in the boot of the 2023 Tesla Model Y with twelve shopping bags around it.

Or a large family dog, will fit comfortably in the boot of the Model Y.

The boot floor is carpeted and flat making it comfortable for dogs and a great spot for an emergency nappy change!

Underneath the boot floor, there is extra storage space in the Tesla Model Y.

I found three shopping bags will fit in there. This space is great for storing your beach stuff with kids.

Under the bonnet of the Tesla Model Y, the frunk gives you even more storage! This is a great spot for the charging cables…

…or we found four shopping bags will fit in the frunk of the Model Y.

How good is storage in the 2023 Tesla Model Y?

Storage in the cabin of the 2023 Tesla Model Y is good. In the back, there are two cup holders in a fold-down armrest in the central seatback. These are a good size for reusable and disposable coffee cups or your kids' water bottles will fit in them so they can reach them from their child seats.

There are map pockets on the back of both front seats that will hold but not conceal an iPad.

In the back of the central console, there are two USB-C sockets for rear passengers to charge their devices and air conditioning vents for the rear passengers.

The rear door bins in the Tesla Model Y will hold a refillable water bottle.

In the front, the door bins are slightly larger and will more easily hold a refillable water bottle and iPad.

There are two cup holders in the central console that will hold a reusable or disposable coffee cup.

Behind them is a generous size central console box…

…and in front of them is another large, deep storage box with a retractable lid.

In front of this there are two sloped wireless phone charging pads.

The glove box is a great size and will hold a wallet and iPad with the manual…

…you open the glove box through the media screen, there is no other way of opening it.

There are lit vanity mirrors in both front visors.

How noisy is the new 2023 Tesla Model Y? How good is the media system in the 2023 Tesla Model Y?

The media screen in the 2023 Tesla Model Y is complex because it is used to control most functions within the car.

This does take a little getting used to and so does remembering where everything is. There are no dashboard buttons so opening the glove box, lights, bonnet, climate, seats and the child locks to name just a few are all within the media screen.

The child locks in the Model Y are great because you can turn on just one side or both for the rear doors. I found this useful to be able to lock just the side my toddler sits on and not the side my eldest daughter sits.

There are other great fun things in the media screen too. Like Netflix, Disney+ and YouTube to keep little you entertained while you're stuck in the car with a sleeping child…

…also a good selection of video games for the kids and some solitaire and sudoku I enjoyed when waiting at school pick up!

My kids loved the various sounds of fart mode and especially enjoyed listening to them when I used the indicators too!

The EV screen allows you to keep track of your EV usage and charging in the screen of the 2023 Tesla Model Y too.

The entry level 2023 Tesla Model Y we tested has a battery range of around 500km. We found this a really practical amount for our family and would feel comfortable doing a road trip as it's enough distance to between charging stations (plus Tesla Superchargers are much better than most public chargers).

The Tesla Model Y charging socket is completely hidden behind the rear light panel. I love this because it means there is no socket flap disturbing the lines and design of the vehicle.

The camera image quality in the 2023 Tesla Model Y is very good. When you put it in reverse you get a large full rear shot a below that views down the sides of the vehicle. To the side is an aerial illustration with distance guides which I find really helpful when parking and manoeuvring.

The Tesla Model Y also has a great seatbelt removal visual in the bottom right of the media screen.

The Tesla Model Y is a lovely smooth electric car to drive your family around in. I like the fact I can sit with the aircon running when my little one is asleep in the back and not be wasting fuel of polluting the area around with petrol or diesel fumes.

The Model Y is a lovely silent drive so there is no noise to disturb little passengers too. Visibility is very good in the Model Y and even with three child seats installed in the back you can still see out of your rearview mirror.

Becoming a parent I soon realised there are some noises and sounds I feel are unnecessary and I could happily live without if it meant my baby stayed asleep!!

That often the distraction of my screaming, distressed baby is more dangerous when driving than not having a lane departure warning for example.

If it is the lane departure warning beeping that creates distress with my baby then which is safest?

It’s where I think we need to be able to strike a balance and choose when we can mute the warnings or swap them to a vibration in the steering wheel or flashing light perhaps?

A lot of these noises come with the increase in technology and especially linked to safety features and alerts. For me these all have their place.

Another thing I have realised is I spend my time in a lot more places where small children roam, parks, beaches, play gyms, swimming lessons, daycare centre etc. I have become more aware that when I’m reversing or manouvering in the car parks I have to tripple check for small children running around behind me or being in my blind spot when reversing. For this I LOVE reversing cameras, I just don’t like their beeping sounds!!

I have become so much more aware of safety and potential accidents or hazards since having a child and so I love the peace of mind that I get from the cameras and sensors combined with my own vision from windows and mirrors as I don’t trust cameras alone.

How many child seats fit in the new 2023 Tesla Model Y?

The 2023 Tesla Model Y has ISOFix points in the two outer rear seats, they are not within plastic guides and are easy to connect to.

There are top tether anchorages on the back of all three second-row seats and easy to connect to through the boot.

The rear seats of the Tesla Model Y are lovely and spacious and I could fit three Infasecure child seats across this second row. I installed a rear-facing Infasecure Attain More alongside forward-facing Infasecure Achieve More and Attain More child seats. I also found a combination of two Achieve More and one Attain more would fit.

The footwell in the back is flat making it easy for kids to walk through and get to and from their child seats. It also makes it comfortable for adults to sit in the rear central seat.

Legroom is great in the Tesla Model Y, with a rear-facing Infasecure Attain More child seat in the back a 186cm driver can fit in front of it.

On the passenger side a 186cm front passenger can easily sit in front of a forward-facing child seat.

Being an SUV the Model Y has quite a lot of ceiling space. I found posting Bub into their child seats in the back from inside and outside the car to be nice and easy.

Australia being a country of weather extremes; blazing sun and torrential rain, mean you may find it easier to put Bub into their seat from inside the car sometimes. If it’s hot you can get the air-con going, cool the car down and not stand out in the sun while you fasten them in or shelter from the rain and not get soaked yourself whilst you’re doing it. So it is important to test whether Bub can be easily installed from either direction!

I found there is room to feed Bub in the back with a child seat installed.

How comfortable is the new 2023 Tesla Model Y? And How good is the new Tesla Model Y to drive?

The front seats of the 2023 Tesla Model Y are very comfortable black leather-like upholstery, they are quite simple so should be easily cleaned from kids' spills and crumbs.

For a mum travelling in the back with Bub, the second-row seats are very comfortable too. There is room to sit comfortably between two child seats.

For the first year of my first daughters life when we would go out as a family, if I wasn’t driving, I would travel in the back with her so it’s important to check the back seat comfort as you may be spending a lot of time in them! They were never something I gave any thought to before but I definitely notice a good or bad back seat now!

In the central footwell there is no hump so you have ample legroom in the central rear seat too.

The steering wheel is fully adjustable in/out and up/down.

The gears are on a stalk, on the right, behind the steering wheel. You also control the cruise control on this stalk too.

The windscreen wipers are on a stalk on the left behind the steering wheel.

The air-conditioning vents are hidden along the ridge in the front dashboard of the Tesla Model Y…

…there are two air-conditioning vents in the back of the central console box for the second-row passengers.

You can control the climate through the media screen.

There are no handles above the rear doors so you can't hang a baby toy for rear-facing passengers and there's no built-in blind for that huge glass roof which in summer might get quite hot especially with the black seats unless you purchase a special attachable shade.

There are lit vanity mirrors in both front visors.

Visibility in the Model Y is great out of the back even when you have three child seats installed in the rear seats.

There is a rearview camera you can activate while driving along which also helps with this.

One thing I have noticed since being a mum is I hate it when I reach a destination or get home from being out and my daughter has either done really well in the car or she is screaming her head off and I have done really well to keep it together for the entire journey (usually the latter!!) and it takes 10 minutes to park the car! It can be really stressful. Usually I dread parking new cars as they take longer in our tight apartment block carpark, but the Tesla Model Y was fine to park as the visibility is good and the cameras are really helpful!

How safe is the 2023 Tesla Model Y?

The 2023 Tesla Model Y has been given a five-star ANCAP safety rating. Scoring was 97% for Adult Occupancy testing and 89% for Child Occupancy testing.

ANCAP said of the Child Occupancy testing:

The Tesla Model Y comes with seven airbags as standard, including dual frontal, side chest-protecting and side head-protecting (curtain) airbags are standard. A centre airbag which provides added protection to front seat occupants in side impact crashes is also standard.

The Tesla Model Y has a seatbelt removal warning for all seats, which is clearly visible in the bottom right of the media screen.