2026 refreshed Y

Same. Was looking forward to trying the juniper as I’ve had my 2023 model y since i got it new then. I was underwhelmed during the test drive. It’s practically the same car again.. like when you get a new phone.. differences are barely noticeable. So I’ll be sticking with my y for another couple of years then I’ll be looking for a change of scenery. Love my y, but if i get a new car i at least want to feel like im in a new car..

I am just a new and casual car owner who nothing about car who is currently driving 2024 Model Y. I don’t really understand the scale of how bad the ‘suspension’ of this is, but I have no problem driving. Is that only when you drive on unpaved road? I am very curious to compare to Juniper but my order is not coming until the end if the month, just wanted to know what do I look out for to notice this.

The Juniper suspension is nothing special. I bought a juniper rwd and must say I was a little disappointed but, like you, found it a little unrefined. It’s not bad per se but it’s not great.

Your 2024 should be like my 2023. It’s vastly improved over my 2018 Model 3, but it’s still in the economy car class at a much higher price point. I test drove a 2025 Honda CR-V and it’s a lot quieter and smoother in the Honda. I was only there for a short test drive, but a friend bought a 2025 Civic and the Civic felt as smoother or better than my Y too. I’m currently shopping for a Lexus RX and the Lexus is definitely smoother and quieter. And that’s the 500h performance model too. My X5 has air suspension so if course it’s a lot smoother too, but it’s also a lot more expensive. But the RX is comparable in price though.

I'm in a similar situation. I've got a 2022 Model Y and test drove a newer one last year when they were doing some kind of APR promotion. Decided not to pull the trigger and I'm now waiting for an R2. Only problem is I made this decision late and only reserved last week. 🥺

I feel the same. I upgraded from 2023 M3 to the new MY. When one is used to bad things, even the finest upgrade feels amazing. I recently drove my friends old civic which felt more comfortable

Thanks but I learned absolutely nothing specific from what you said 😂 I still don't know what to look out for.

Early Model 3 = 90s Hyundai Elantra. Noisy, bumpy, sounds like it’ll fall apart soon 23/24 Y = worse than a mass market modern Honda. Luxury SUVs like Lexus, BMW, Mercedes are light years better in quality, ride, quietness, etc. But Tesla’s tech is easily the best.

Have you tried actually driving a Rivian yet? I was disappointed by the R1T. Software and self driving capabilities feel like they are almost a decade behind Tesla.

I’m not sure if you just had a poorly put together early Model 3, but we owned a middle ‘19 Model 3 with 18” wheels for almost 5 years. Our prior car was a ‘17 BMW 330e with non-sport suspension and 18” wheels. The Model 3 was absolutely both quieter inside and drove more smoothly over bumps and rough roads.

I lined up in the morning and ordered before they even revealed the car later that night. One of the first released to people who didn’t already own a Tesla. Shortly after they hit their 1000 in a week build goal. I had a 2003 BMW 325ci with sports suspension and sports seats. I’d say ride was similar but while I felt every pebble in the BMW, it still managed to muffle the harshness unlike the 3. Plus, the 3 has like no sound deadening anywhere so you hear so much more noise overall.

Awww Boo Hoo

Our experience was quite different. We felt the driving experience on the Juniper was noticeably better than the 2022 model we previously owned. It may not be just the suspension — the cabin felt significantly quieter as well, which probably enhanced the overall feel. And yes fsd is definitely better.

compared to a 2023 Y I found the 2026 suspension was only marginally better and the inclusion of a 'bounce' was not welcome at all. I wouldn't upgrade. And our additional vehicle won't be a Tesla.

a fan boi tries to speak. hahahahahha

Rivian R2 is not available for demo drives just yet.

Right, but the autonomous driving capabilities (or lack thereof) will be the same as the gen 2 Rivians.

Yeah that’s about as early of a Model 3 as you’re going to get. I was surprised to find that our 3 was more comfortable to ride in than the 3 series. Traded in the 3 for a ‘24 Y a couple years ago. The newer Y definitely has better isolation from the road but the suspension does feel busier. I see that you can swap the Juniper struts and springs to the previous Y and am considering doing that.

Makes sense given you already own a tesla. I did drive a rwd with 19 inch tires so not sure if that made a difference. But yeah there are definitely cars out there with significantly better suspension. Having said that we truly loved the juniper, so we placed an order to replace our older y but the love is perhaps for other reasons beyond suspension.

I just test drove all the $50k(ish) EVs and Hybrids - Honda, Toyota, VW, KIA, Ford, Mazda…ya get the idea. I drove a 2026 MY last. It was the quietest. It had the best road feel. I felt like the suspension was just as good as all the others - if not better. I will say the KIA EV6 was a great ride - just not as roomy as the MY - not to mention it’s not as good looking (in my opinion). Maybe buying another MY a couple years after buying the previous model would not make sense. But, coming from a Honda Ridgeline, buying a Tesla is a no brainer. The process is simple and stupidly easy. Compared to the other cars I’ve tested, Tesla’s tech is years ahead. The cameras are better and they record everything. Not a lot of cars do that. Seats are vented. Storage space is way better.

Yes I can’t wait to test drive “universal hands free”* *does not stop at stop lights or stop signs so basically only use this on a freeway and don’t call it adaptive cruise control because it’s totalllly not. In all seriousness I hope they accelerate their program quickly. I want Tesla to have competition. The only time autonomous driving will truly be 100% perfect is when it’s the standard and we remove bad human drivers from the equation. That requires more competition. Both for spread and improvement.

I have a 2023 MYLR. Last month I had a 2026 MY RWD as a loaner. I felt that the suspension was a serious upgrade, especially crossing drainage ditches or such. The “harshness” of a good size pothole (I’m in L.A. where have the streets are overdue for paving and the rest are torn up for construction) was tuned out. It made me consider a MY RWD when my lease is up. (And yes, I have been riding on 19” rims with the tires at 38 psi)

This! I am not sure what people expect from a sporty SUV and maybe upgrading from a 2 year old Tesla does not make sense. Cars should last at least 7 to 10 years... I have also tested a lot of SUVs at the same price point and no one comes close to the new Juniper in performance, space and extras! Are there better cars? Sure, but not for the price!