I bought the “slow” Tesla. The Model Y Long Range, which is fine. I wanted range more than performance. If you look at the 0-60 times, you can see a variety, but for 2021 this is how things rank.
2021 Model S Plaid – 2.1s 2021 Model S Long Range – 3.5s 2019 Model 3 Performance – 3.1s 2019 Model 3 Long Range - 4.1s 2021 Model Y Performance – 3.6 2021 Model y Long Range – 4.4 Model X – 3.3-5.5 s, depending on model
What’s crazy is that I can “buy” a boost of acceleration for US$2000 that will drop me down around 4s. It’s a software upgrade.
Is It Tempting?
Getting into the Tesla and nailing the accelerator is exciting. The car really moves, and people that haven’t experienced it before are often surprised. I try to avoid it, usually playing the “video game” of how little power can I use, but it is fun once in awhile.
When the weather changed, and I needed snow tires, I became more cautious. In fact, I accidentally had some slippage from pressing a little too quickly on the accelerator a few times. One of the things I changed for snow was setting the accelerator to “Chill” mode, which reduces how quickly the car reacts.
Across the last few weeks, I’ve left Chill mode on for daily driving, even without snow. The car is still plenty fast, and I know I use less power. The other day I was curious how much of a difference it makes, so I turned it off in town. With a bright sunny day, no snow or moisture on the ground, I nailed the accelerator.
It’s neck snapping quick. I can feel my neck muscles bunch up. In fact, I turned it right back off at the next traffic signal.
A few days later I turned the Standard mode back on and drove for day. It’s fun, but I realized that most of the time I don’t really need that much acceleration. I tend to leave it off today most of the time, only turning it on if I want to have a little fun or I think I might need to be ready to accelerate quickly in traffic.
That’s rare, so no, I’m not tempted by a $2000 upgrade for more speed.
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