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Let’s see if I get smoked like the guy the other day.

Far_Machine_4458 | 2026-02-19 16:02 | 85 views

I picked up this 2021 Model Y LRDM a week or so ago. To be honest, as a guy who makes tech content online, and not being a joiner by nature, I have always hated the cultish vibe of Tesla drivers and have always seen Musk as a super brain narcissist somewhere on the spectrum and that was before his foray into politics. But as a tech guy and a car guy I’ve always been curious about the cars. I live in Iowa, so I don’t see a ton of them, but there are more and more around. A lot of people dumped theirs last year, so they show up on used lots around town pretty often. This one showed up a few weeks ago and I kept my eye on it. My daughter was buying a used Prius V at the Toyota dealer next door, so I came over and took the MY for a test drive. We also own an Equinox EV and I’ve had experience with the iD.4, Ariya, Volt, so I’m not unfamiliar enough with EVs to know what I’m looking for. I have to say, with a car with over 100k miles on the clock, this thing was pretty immaculate inside and out. The front seat side pieces had popped a clip on each seat and that needs replaced and the backup cam has beads of water inside the lens housing, but otherwise it’s pretty nice. And driving it was a different experience in a very good way. The thing I noticed right away was the way the design and UX worked so much better than most legacy ICE manufacturers are able to muster. There’s always this feeling that they are half-assedly trying to shoehorn modern features onto an old design concept and nothing ever works right. I love the Equinox but there are things that just bug me about how they implemented the tech. So I bought the MY for $19k and change out the door and I’ve really been digging it. It’s got me thinking different and that’s always a good thing.

Comments (42)
newbie415 2026-02-19 16:08

csb

Donkey_Apple 2026-02-19 16:13

So fresh, so clean!!

eatmorbacon 2026-02-19 16:24

I don't understand people that call , or think there's some sort of "cultish vibe" of Tesla owners. Not being smart ass, I just don't get it. It just sounds ignorant to me. It reall seems like it's just creating an us against someone else thing for no particular reason. Just seems ignorant, uneducated and really kinda childish. It's a car. You're not a "joiner" for buying one. At least no more than buying a Prius, a Jeep, or a Corolla lol. It is like any other consumer product. You're going to have enthusiasts. Sounds like you got a pretty good deal on you car. I think our next car will be a Model Y, and definitely used, as I just purchased my M3 new, but only because I wanted the latest updates, including the from bumper cam.

Far_Machine_4458 2026-02-19 16:36

See, now this is another aspect of cultish behavior. Using acronyms only know to the initiated, offering no explanation to the unwashed peasant who dares invade the sacred space.

NotTheUIDYouRLnking4 2026-02-19 16:39

Welcome to the dark side :-) It's a car. It's pretty cool. I'm not into any cults and like you I'm very suspicious of them. Not an iPhone guy either.... I wish it had dumb cruise control, but besides that, I really like my Tesla. It's OK.

KansasKing107 2026-02-19 16:41

Just wait until you post about a problem that should be fixed and then get chastised online because you don’t know the work around for it. Half the time people spend on Tesla subreddits is trying to justify glaring problems with mechanical issues and especially software/FSD issues.

newbie415 2026-02-19 16:57

Cool story, bro.

Far_Machine_4458 2026-02-19 17:02

Well, the two questions I haven’t asked are probably questions that would get me derided for being a numb skull. 1. How can I move the media player from the bottom left of the screen. If I hold the wheel at 10 and 2 I can’t see what’s playing without removing my hand. 2. How do I get the moisture out of my backup cam? It’s making me nuts to not be able to see behind me in a car with so many blind spots.

Far_Machine_4458 2026-02-19 17:03

Ah. I’m not up on the kids’ lingo these days. I’m such a square.

Far_Machine_4458 2026-02-19 17:04

I don’t want to be an iPhone guy, but try as I might, I haven’t been able to escape the clutches of the ecosystem.

KansasKing107 2026-02-19 17:10

1. I don’t know that it can be changed. 2. Sounds like you need a new backup camera.

NotTheUIDYouRLnking4 2026-02-19 17:11

Golden cage... It's OK!

rsg1234 2026-02-19 17:13

Before Model 3, owning a Tesla definitely felt like being in a cool club. I will never forget another Model S owner driving by on the highway and giving me a thumbs up the first time I drove my S to work. It wouldn’t be a rare sight to see strangers hanging out at superchargers. Now it’s much more how you described—just a car.

TheMidwest1 2026-02-19 17:27

I didn't know what CSB meant, but I also wasn't sure what point you were trying to make in this post. And the body of the post didn't really explain what you meant by the title.

Standard_Income_3606 2026-02-19 17:29

2 - Rainx is your friend!

FearTheClown5 2026-02-19 17:38

You can't move it unfortunately. The only options are to tap it to pull it up entirely on the right side of the screen or swipe it down to shrink. There is limited customization on the UI. The only movable aspect that comes to mind is where the blind spot camera pops up when you hit your blinker which you can move by long pressing it and you'll then see the options it can go to.

Deja__Vu__ 2026-02-19 17:51

Ya the model y is well beyond any of those assumptions of owning a Tesla. Its one of the best selling cars in the world for a reason(s) Kind of like getting a truck and it happens to be a Ford f-150. No one cares.

laceyboy8054 2026-02-19 17:56

1. You can only minimize it by swiping it down. You can't move somewhere else.

mrbofus 2026-02-19 18:02

One can also tap on the title to have it go full screen on the right side of the screen.

Possible-Landscape72 2026-02-19 18:08

I was also a Tesla skeptic just because my husband was a complete nut about his. I thought his obsession had to be blinding him to some things. Then he was t boned (right in front of the driver door) by a lady doing about 40mph and he walked away without even a bruise. The lady who hit him left in an ambulance. That’s all it took. I’m a believer. We just bought our fifth Tesla and will never buy another brand. The joy of driving one (or not driving thanks to FSD) is the cherry on top of a safety sundae.

slindshady 2026-02-19 18:48

Why? Because we’re all driving cars from a pedophile supporter? That’s business as usual at this point.

PugMaster007 2026-02-19 19:16

Looks great.

Buggg- 2026-02-19 19:19

Just don’t complain about the ride or the suspension… It’s crap but some think it’s meant to be sporty

economic-buffer901 2026-02-19 19:37

Bought mine before Muskster got crazy! 🤣 But the car is amazing to own and drive. Any EV out there can’t even come close to the UX hands down and the network of Superchargers. He just need to stop supporting the salute! Ya know what I’m talking about, don’t play!

antimagamagma 2026-02-19 20:20

facts. and yet teslas are still much better for the world than ICE cars

slindshady 2026-02-19 20:30

I tend to agree. But I’m still ashamed.

Pretend-Reality5431 2026-02-19 20:52

Try 9 and 3?

Neat_Welcome6203 2026-02-19 21:57

I was in the similar boat to yours getting my Model 3. Probably not going to get a new Tesla going forward for... one obvious reason and the removal of standard Autopilot, but I can tell you without a doubt that it's been an incredible car in the three years I've had mine.

Far_Machine_4458 2026-02-19 23:03

I’m going to have to find a bumper sticker or something.

Far_Machine_4458 2026-02-19 23:05

My other car is a Grand Cherokee L. The people who complain about the suspension have only ever driven grandma’s Camry before they bought this car.

Far_Machine_4458 2026-02-19 23:07

There was a guy yesterday who posted about his new-to-him car and asked how he came out in the deal. Everyone in the comments piled on about what a dummy he was for paying this fee or that fee to the point where the guy deleted his account.

Entry45 2026-02-20 00:18

Back in '22 NHTSA changed the recommended positions to 9 and 3, try those. Other option is to maximize the music player so it shows it up top, although you will lose the ability to see the map.

Devil_Doc87 2026-02-20 00:57

I will be getting mine in March and hear great things about the model Y.

Icantstopreading 2026-02-20 01:34

One of us!

rage675 2026-02-20 05:38

I hope you don't get destroyed by an old person who shouldn't be driving anymore like I did on Sunday. 0/10, don't recommend.

Intelligent_Rub7502 2026-02-20 17:33

I also can’t stand how people trash Tesla for their built quality, big gaps etc as if other cars companies don’t have any built quality problems. Just walk around a random parking lot and see how big the gaps are of other cars brands such as Toyota, Honda, Mercedes, BMW, etc.

Trying2Bojective 2026-02-20 19:15

Welcome to the club! I just sold my 2021 M3LR with only 34K miles....should have waited. While not a fan of our founder's government interaction, I loved driving the M3, very much like the fun I had with my BMW M5, but a whole lot less expensive to maintain. Be sure to log on to all things Tesla for new information. I sold my M3 to transfer my FSD for free to a MY Juniper Premium. I needed higher sight line and more trunk space. So far the only thing I miss is the right shifter on the column, still not a fan of getting drive and reverse on the screen. Also, the FSD on the Juniper is fantastic. I only used FSD on the M3 on highway driving or stop and go slog in rush hour traffic in the DC beltway. The premium sound system and ability to find supercharging stations made distance travel very reasonable. Only had challenges in eastern region of Tennessee and West VA. But I had extended driving distance of over 300 miles. It may be worth putting in a Tesla 220 charging station. I put one in and started charging after midnight when electricity was at its lowest cost. In cold weather, its a good idea to keep the battery charged at 80% level. Also, when it comes to changing tires, try to change them all at once since most tire places will not be able replace tires bought 2 at a time. And, if your tire pressure monitors go out, you can only replace with Tesla approved monitors. Body work should only be done by Tesla approved vendors, less they do something that fouls camera's. Also note that his is a very low ride, fun to drive and almost impossible to roll over because of battery. About only negative you might experience is access to a Tesla dealership/maintenance center. I did purchase an extended warranty which you should research for options, but your mileage is likely outside of extended warranty. Double-check to see if the previous owner was the sole owner.

basroil 2026-02-22 11:47

When I bought my car two different people welcomed me to “the family” It’s there even if you haven’t seen it.

eatmorbacon 2026-02-23 03:42

LOL Please. You're equating that with a cultish vibe? Good Lord. I guess Mazda has one too. Because when I started posting in the Miata forums online in various places, I was told " Welcome to the club man." I think you're really reaching ;)

eatmorbacon 2026-02-23 03:52

Well, the forums here on reddit got me worked up enough to spend a lot more time than I normally would have thought to do, or ever did for any other car I bought. I appreciated the advice, could have done without the extra stress I caused myself, but learned a lot. Spent a bit over an hour running though a checklist ( which was handy ) The one I bought two weeks ago was as solid as any other car I've owned. No issues save for a nick in the center of the dash that they had already noted and pointed out to me. They put a service ticket in before I even got to the car and are going to replace the whole dash piece once I get around to making an appt. The panel gaps are on par with a Toyota MR2, Mazda Miata, BMW 325, and a Mercedes I've owned. Pretty darn happy with mine so far.

economic-buffer901 2026-02-25 06:34

🤣😂 I got downvoted fanboys are mad 😠

Saratj1 2026-02-26 18:37

I just bought one (‘24 MY)myself and had some of the same concerns, but driving it has been great, fun even. The fsd is amazing pretty wild seeing it “figure things out” I’ve had a few hiccups with hesitating and an incorrect map. But so far I’m really liking it, probably in the top 3 fastest cars I’ve been in. Overall it’s a nice place to be for a long commute, I also enjoy watching YouTube on my lunch on a larger screen. Hard to beat for the money buying used.

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