Buying a Model Y performance as an enthusiast
Discussion
Am I insane for considering buying outright a 2023 Model Y Performance at around £28k as an enthusiast?
I’ve always firmly said I’d never buy an EV. I had no interest in Teslas and assumed they were fast but soulless appliances. I currently have a stock JDM Hawkeye STI, which I love for its grip, rawness and rally-car feel. Before that I had a mapped M135i making around 385bhp. It had a great engine and plenty of straight-line shove, but I hated the floaty, understeery chassis and found it annoying as a daily (same as my current STI). I’ve been looking for something newer, quicker and easier to live with, and had broadly narrowed it down to an M4 Competition or Mk8 Golf R.
The problem is that nearly every enthusiast car has an obvious compromise. Sound but poor economy. Power but questionable handling. A great chassis but limited practicality. Special enough for a weekend, but expensive or irritating to use every day. I originally wanted something that felt special every time I drove it, but someone made the fair point that you probably get used to almost anything once it becomes your daily.
What I actually need is something I can jump into and drive without thinking. Reliable, easy and relatively cheap to run and maintain, comfortable in traffic, practical for my missus, child and dog, and something I’d have confidence taking across Europe without worrying about an ageing performance car developing an issue. Most of my driving is commuting or family use rather than attacking B-roads alone.
Then I started looking at a 2023 Model Y Performance. It seems like a genuine jack of all trades: absurdly quick, AWD, planted, practical, easy to drive and full of useful technology. I discounted the Model 3 because the Model Y’s boot is much better suited to our large dog. At the moment he travels on the back seat of the Subaru, which becomes cramped and awkward once the child is in there as well. If I’m going electric, I’d want the Performance version because I still want the most power available, while AWD appeals for winter driving and occasional snow. The everyday features are part of the attraction too, particularly being able to remotely heat and defrost the car before getting into it on a cold morning. Id be saving around 250 quid per month on fuel tax and insurance too. Not to mention the servicing costs etc too.
Obviously it has no engine noise, gears or mechanical theatre, and it won’t replace the emotional side of the STI. I also live in a terraced house without home charging, although there are public chargers and Superchargers nearby. I’m now wondering whether the Model Y Performance is actually the logical enthusiast’s daily, with something cheaper and more focused added later as a weekend car. Am I losing the plot, or does this make more sense than trying to find one petrol car that can do absolutely everything? Has anyone moved from an STI, M car, AMG or similar into one, and did the speed, reliability and ease of use compensate for the lack of sound and involvement?
I’ve always firmly said I’d never buy an EV. I had no interest in Teslas and assumed they were fast but soulless appliances. I currently have a stock JDM Hawkeye STI, which I love for its grip, rawness and rally-car feel. Before that I had a mapped M135i making around 385bhp. It had a great engine and plenty of straight-line shove, but I hated the floaty, understeery chassis and found it annoying as a daily (same as my current STI). I’ve been looking for something newer, quicker and easier to live with, and had broadly narrowed it down to an M4 Competition or Mk8 Golf R.
The problem is that nearly every enthusiast car has an obvious compromise. Sound but poor economy. Power but questionable handling. A great chassis but limited practicality. Special enough for a weekend, but expensive or irritating to use every day. I originally wanted something that felt special every time I drove it, but someone made the fair point that you probably get used to almost anything once it becomes your daily.
What I actually need is something I can jump into and drive without thinking. Reliable, easy and relatively cheap to run and maintain, comfortable in traffic, practical for my missus, child and dog, and something I’d have confidence taking across Europe without worrying about an ageing performance car developing an issue. Most of my driving is commuting or family use rather than attacking B-roads alone.
Then I started looking at a 2023 Model Y Performance. It seems like a genuine jack of all trades: absurdly quick, AWD, planted, practical, easy to drive and full of useful technology. I discounted the Model 3 because the Model Y’s boot is much better suited to our large dog. At the moment he travels on the back seat of the Subaru, which becomes cramped and awkward once the child is in there as well. If I’m going electric, I’d want the Performance version because I still want the most power available, while AWD appeals for winter driving and occasional snow. The everyday features are part of the attraction too, particularly being able to remotely heat and defrost the car before getting into it on a cold morning. Id be saving around 250 quid per month on fuel tax and insurance too. Not to mention the servicing costs etc too.
Obviously it has no engine noise, gears or mechanical theatre, and it won’t replace the emotional side of the STI. I also live in a terraced house without home charging, although there are public chargers and Superchargers nearby. I’m now wondering whether the Model Y Performance is actually the logical enthusiast’s daily, with something cheaper and more focused added later as a weekend car. Am I losing the plot, or does this make more sense than trying to find one petrol car that can do absolutely everything? Has anyone moved from an STI, M car, AMG or similar into one, and did the speed, reliability and ease of use compensate for the lack of sound and involvement?
I think if they were a little cheaper I would be considering one too, I am coming round to the idea of an EV as a daily and having something for the weekend so to speak.
Some of the lease deals looked good a few weeks back but think they have changed now, not everyones cup of tea I know.
Some of the lease deals looked good a few weeks back but think they have changed now, not everyones cup of tea I know.
If it makes sense to YOU then that's all that matters, personally I don't find them to be a drivers car BUT that's imo.
Other people do, go & test drive one & see if it works for YOU, every car is a compromise in one way or another just get what suits you best.
I ride motorbikes & would say thats the way to go but there'll be plenty on here saying no way, classic lines like I'd kill (you wouldn't although you might scare yourself when you first give the throttle some beans on anything 600cc & above) myself on one of those etc.
Other people do, go & test drive one & see if it works for YOU, every car is a compromise in one way or another just get what suits you best.
I ride motorbikes & would say thats the way to go but there'll be plenty on here saying no way, classic lines like I'd kill (you wouldn't although you might scare yourself when you first give the throttle some beans on anything 600cc & above) myself on one of those etc.
If youre an enthusiast for going fast in a straight line and / or enjoy technology for technologies sake, then buy the Tesla, if you're also an enthusiast for installing solar panels and rewiring your house then an EV might make perfect sense financially also.
But.apert from motorway slip roads and traffic light grand prix starts the Model Y will in no way give you the same driving pleasure as the scooby or a decent hot hatch. The weight and bulk absolutely kills them on British roads.
But.apert from motorway slip roads and traffic light grand prix starts the Model Y will in no way give you the same driving pleasure as the scooby or a decent hot hatch. The weight and bulk absolutely kills them on British roads.
To offer an option from someone with a similar thought process to you, rather than from the anti EV brigade . . .
I recently bought a Model 3 Performance. I've a long, long list of previous performance cars but more recently with a young family I had a company car EV and a second car; first was an R53 Cooper S and then an MX5 ND.
I very very rarely got chance to drive them in and amongst busy family life. My company EV was full as dishwater but I like EVs as daily drivers.
Cue the Model 3 Performance. The company EV went, as did the MX5. The Model 3 was bought for the following reasons;
- I test drove one and thought it handled nicely - genuinely it's a quick cross country, if not quicker, than anything else I've owned.
- it rides well. I hate hard riding cars. I had a Megane RS280 cup and as a family hatchback it was woeful. Far too firm which actually hindered it's cross country pace.
- costs a fraction to run compared a petrol ICe of similar performance
- ease of use as a daily is fantastic. It's a way way better EV than any other I have owned for use and integration.
Most other cars on my list were 4-pot hatchbacks. A35, M135i, 128ti etc etc. good cars, yes, but forgettable engines. Sure the Tesla makes NO noise but a 4-pot is hardly a sonic phenomenon.
Am I still a car enthusiast? Yes. But for my usage and needs the Tesla does what I want it to do. I drive it daily, so get to use the performance and handling as the mood arises. It costs buttons to run which means I can do a couple of trackdays each year without breaking the bank. And it's a genuinely good steer, especially if you mess about with the track mode settings; a 70/30 drivetrain bias with the stability notched back really does make a noticeable difference.
I recently bought a Model 3 Performance. I've a long, long list of previous performance cars but more recently with a young family I had a company car EV and a second car; first was an R53 Cooper S and then an MX5 ND.
I very very rarely got chance to drive them in and amongst busy family life. My company EV was full as dishwater but I like EVs as daily drivers.
Cue the Model 3 Performance. The company EV went, as did the MX5. The Model 3 was bought for the following reasons;
- I test drove one and thought it handled nicely - genuinely it's a quick cross country, if not quicker, than anything else I've owned.
- it rides well. I hate hard riding cars. I had a Megane RS280 cup and as a family hatchback it was woeful. Far too firm which actually hindered it's cross country pace.
- costs a fraction to run compared a petrol ICe of similar performance
- ease of use as a daily is fantastic. It's a way way better EV than any other I have owned for use and integration.
Most other cars on my list were 4-pot hatchbacks. A35, M135i, 128ti etc etc. good cars, yes, but forgettable engines. Sure the Tesla makes NO noise but a 4-pot is hardly a sonic phenomenon.
Am I still a car enthusiast? Yes. But for my usage and needs the Tesla does what I want it to do. I drive it daily, so get to use the performance and handling as the mood arises. It costs buttons to run which means I can do a couple of trackdays each year without breaking the bank. And it's a genuinely good steer, especially if you mess about with the track mode settings; a 70/30 drivetrain bias with the stability notched back really does make a noticeable difference.
WonkeyDonkey said:
BINGO!
Got a full house on my anti-EV bingo card here!
While you're filling out your bingo card, let me explain a little behind my previous comment. I have driven a number (that number being well into 4 figures...) of cars including pretty much all the contemporary electric ones, and not just round the block, typically 2-3-4 cars a day on longer varied routes. I like electric cars. Not only are they auto, they are "gearless" which makes for a smoother drive, and of course there is the reduced noise, vibration etc. A very comfortable car to drive. And they all come, to varying degrees, with luxury or convenience features. And they are all "fast" in the numerical sense of its 0-60 time. But they are not particularly dynamic. Any heavy car is at a disadvantage compared to a lighter one here. They are easy to drive but there is no sense of engagement, especially if you enjoy manual transmission (I much prefer auto though). Tesla does it better than most but also makes some bonkers decisions on car design aspects - do your research here.Got a full house on my anti-EV bingo card here!
For £28k, as a family car, a Tesla Model Y would be alright. If you can't charge at home, that is a BIG issue. But there's SO much more out there for £28k which would be classed as "enthusiast". There are hundreds of better cars in that respect.
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