Verdict The Model Y Long Range is the pick of the line-up thanks mainly to its ability to travel further on a full charge, but also the price is excellent. The styling is starting to date, especially compared to fresher rivals with intriguing designs. But the advantage to Tesla is its battery tech and the constant over-the-air updates which will continue to enhance this product long after you've bought it. Verdict Ah, gotta love a sedan that knows its audience and the ninth-gen Toyota Camry Ascent proves once again why it’s a popular choice. On top of the space and practicality, you get a shiny new design and technology. Overall the Camry Ascent is a well-rounded base-model - what’s not to love? Design The Model Y is a mid-sized SUV, about 4.75 metres long and has an aerodynamic wedge shape similar to the one Toyota’s early Prius had, but with a smooth and flat styling Tesla twist. The clean and featureless look made the Model Y appear futuristic and modern two years ago but now, with the arrival of other mid-sized electric rivals and their intriguing and attractive designs, the Tesla is starting to appear dated. There is a styling update coming to the Model Y, but it won’t be a completely new car, just a few tweaks to keep it looking current. But it won’t do much. I think the time is up on this design. The cabin embraces minimalism with plenty of clean and smooth horizontal surfaces devoid of buttons or dials. Only the large central screen and the steering wheel exist on the dashboard and in my eyes compared to rival offerings the Model Y’s interior has quickly gone from cool to devoid of personality. Design There is a strong 'taxi'-association with the Camry because of how popular it is as a commercial fleet car and while the design has been updated and modernised, that vibe still remains. It's a Camry, after all. But the new tapered nose with its slim LED headlights look sharper than the previous model and the rear slopes into a neat spoiler that accentuates a sharper rear end. The new design looks far more modern and dare I say it: sporty. A lot of the changes are in the cabin where the Camry benefits from a completely restyled dashboard that looks sleek and stylish, with the tech screens integrated into the panelling. The cockpit still feels very driver-oriented, which is always appreciated, but now not at the expense of the front passenger. The cloth seats look much nicer than the standard basic stuff you usually get and there are enough tactile dash and door panels to make it feel cosy, despite it's soft-touch points still looking too plasticky. The overall feel for the cabin is one that is pleasant and well-built, although cloth seats always give me anxiety when kids are around. Practicality Electric SUVs have moved practicality to a level combustion-engine equivalents can’t compete with thanks to their front and back boots and (no transmission tunnel) flat floors maximising people and storage space. The Model Y is practical with a 117L front boot and a rear boot with 854L litres of cargo capacity, while the cabin has large door pockets, wireless phone charging and two cupholders up front and in the second row. The Model Y comes as a five-seater only, but leg- and headroom in the second row is excellent and even at 189cm tall I can sit behind my driving position. Back seat passengers also have directional air vents and two USB ports for charging. Cabin practicality could be better, though. The large centre console is unnecessary as it’s not covering a transmission and driveshaft. We’re seeing other brands such as Kia make use of this area as a storage space perfect for even large bags. Locking and unlocking the Model Y is done with a key card that needs to be swiped against a sensor in the B-pillar. This worked sporadically for me and I felt like the action could scratch the pillar’s surface. There’s a phone app which can also lock and unlock the Model Y. We downloaded it and found the functions useful, from seeing how much charge is in the battery, to opening the boot, tracking the location of the car and turning the climate control on to cool or heat the cabin before driving. Practicality Sedans tend to fly under the radar when people think of cabin space but that's a mistake. Head- and legroom in both rows will make taller occupants very happy and the transmission tunnel isn't massive, so middle seaters will still be able to get comfortable. Despite being a low-profile car, access is easy enough and it's only the sloping roofline at the rear that might make you bump your head as you get in. Seat comfort is excellent with thick padding and cushioning to be enjoyed. The front seats are manually adjustable but lack lumbar support, which you'll notice on a longer trip. The window sills don't sit too high, so my seven-year old had a good view this week but the cloth seats have upped the anxiety as he tends to be messy. He also loves having directional air vents and that keeps him happy on hotter days. Storage is great for the class with a 7.0L middle console, large glovebox that can hold a manual and other bits, two map pockets, four cupholders, four drink bottle holders, a sunglasses holder, and a functional centre console tray that has multiple cubbies to delight those that travel with lots of stuff. The boot capacity hasn’t changed and sits at a large 524L capacity, which is decent for a sedan. The boot aperture isn’t too narrow either, so it's easy to access items that roll to the back. The rear seat has a 60/40 split, to open up storage as well. The boot has a powered boot release that can be accessed via the key fob and while you have to manually close it, it's a super light lid to operate. Technology feels well-rounded now with the upgrades and the touchscreen multimedia system sports the same system you'll find in Lexus models, which is far superior to the older Toyota software. Basically, it's simple to use and looks good, which is a great combo. The phone mirroring apps are now wireless and that means one less cable to worry about and charging options are good with five USB-C ports (3/2), and a 12-volt socket but you do miss out on a wireless charging pad at this grade level. Basically, the Camry now offers better technology and style but the practicality of the cabin remains at an all time high. Price and features Only the weather changes more than Tesla’s pricing, but the latest adjustment to the Model Y Long Range price had it listing for $72,900. That could easily change again so it might be best to check back at CarsGuide or Tesla’s website for any updates. At almost $73K the Long Range sits in the middle of the Model Y line-up, above the $64K entry grade and below the $83K Performance. The standard features list for on the Model Y Long Range is decent and includes LED headlights and 19-inch alloy wheels, there’s the fixed glass roof, synthetic leather upholstery, the 15-inch central touchscreen, power adjustable and heated front seats, a 13-speaker stereo, sat nav, wireless phone charging, dual-zone climate control with direction air-vents in the second row and a power tailgate. Also standard is Tesla’s so-called 'Autopilot' which is an advanced form of adaptive cruise control which combines braking and steering. Anything missing? A sunshade for the glass roof would be good. You can buy aftermarket ones but really it should be built-in. There’s no rear climate control, either, nor ventilated seats. But the one item that’s not here and should be is a head-up display because the location of the speedo on the central display isn't ideal for keeping your eyes forward and on the road. So, the price is good but the features list could do with a boost. Really, though, the reason for picking the Long Range grade is because it can travel further on a full charge than any other Model Y. You can skip ahead to the Efficiency section if you’re busting to find out what the range is. As for rivals, there are way more now than there were when the Model Y first came to Australia a couple years ago. Back then it was really just the Hyundai Ioniq 5.