Access to Tesla Supercharger network Excellent cargo capacity Everything Else From the outside, the full-width light bar adds a Chinese EV-ish flair to the Model Y’s front, though the same sleekness doesn’t carry to the rear. Senior editor Aaron Gold likened it to one of those nameless, brandless NPC cars you see as part of the environment in video games. And it appears as though the rear glass has shrunk and reduced rearward visibility. We’re glad to see Tesla back up a touch from the stark minimalism (read: blatant cost cutting masquerading as “luxury”) that used to dominate its cabins. With the interior updates come cool lighting signatures, contrasting color bits, and some nicer textures. Sound deadening is noticeably improved, as well. However, the utter lack of switchgear makes it clear keeping costs down is still a priority. The seats are indeed more comfortable, ergonomic, and better bolstered. The second row is especially spacious. There’s ample legroom, and the car smartly recognizes when a passenger gets in, and then automatically turns on the rear climate control. Furthermore, the rear seats are now powered and can be controlled via the central screen or buttons in the back. What’s clever about this is if you press the button with a soft touch, the seats recline. Hard press, though, and the system understands your intent and folds the seats all the way down or up more quickly, so you aren’t standing around waiting. The rear screen is an appreciated addition, but its low placement makes it somewhat poorly located to watch movies or play games on, so we probably wouldn’t use it for anything other than climate functions. See All 36 Photos Usable cargo room continues to be excellent, with the highly convenient front trunk still available. The rear trunk continues to be one of the industry’s best, offering depressed areas on either side for groceries or miscellaneous items, as well as an underfloor storage area. As in the refreshed Model 3, the 2026 Model Y’s Juniper update sees the removal of the transmission-selector stalk and instead delegates the task to swipes on the touchscreen or the ceiling buttons. Thankfully, someone at Tesla at least had the sense to keep the turn-signal stalk and implement physical steering wheel buttons. Opinions on this were mixed. Some MotorTrend editors thought the onscreen swipe worked great. You get used to it sooner than you expect, and you don’t have to move your hand as far from the steering wheel when switching between drive and reverse. Leanse found the setup “superbly dumb.” Features editor Scott Evans noted that, while past versions of the predictive drive and reverse system were “basically a coin flip,” the system has improved considerably. We had varying opinions on the big, monolithic screen, as well. Tesla’s infotainment system is feature-rich, for sure, but all the menu options have grown so cluttered, it’s difficult to quickly find what you’re looking for, to say nothing of doing it while you’re driving. The screen responds instantly, and the voice controls and search functions work very well, but you’re still forced to interact with it to use basically any of the car’s features, and its centralized placement still forces you to take your eyes off the road. And despite it being a 2026 model, you still can’t customize the screen layout. Finally, while the all-glass ceiling offers a wonderful view of the world around you, it gets dang hot on sunny days. Tinted glass can only do so much against relentless sunshine. Tesla should just forget the glass, save some weight, and install a proper roof. See All 36 Photos