I Forgot I Posted Yesterday So Let's Keep It Going With A Petty Rant: Quick Jump
Full Disclosure: I didn’t know I had already scheduled a post for Tuesday until I got the email in my inbox revealing evidence to the contrary. This weekend was a busy weekend for family and friends as we all convened at my parents’ house since they bought it in 2022 in anticipation of their golden years.
That means last week, I couldn’t get round to doing a Vibe Check to summarize the news; some mundane, some ridiculous. To keep this short and sweet, we’ll focus on the automotive incompetency that is Tesla.
Tesla’s Golden Years peaked very early, when it launched the Model S with the notion to prove that electric vehicles can be part of the mainstream. It proved such a hit that the Model S is still in production much the same it was, which is the problem.
99 percent of it comes down to the political and moronic antics of its CEO. That one percent comes down to the company’s lack of recent innovation, which has been leapfrogged by its rivals in the form of traditional carmakers. Its once-competitive edge has been erased by not just Hyundai and Porsche, but also newcomers such as Lucid or Rivian, who have surpassed Tesla when it comes to quality, refinement, and the biggest stickler from doubters, range.
The sign that Tesla has gone downhill officially came last week, when it revealed the Standard versions of its bestselling models in the 3 and Y. Supposedly, these were to become the cheapest options in the lineup, but instead, they just got cheapened.
One most glaring oversight pertains to the Model Y. It keeps its glass roof but if you look inside, the airy atmosphere of the typical Uber Black experience has been replaced by fabric headliner:
I won’t go into too much detail but one of my former gigs that I still read brought this to my attention and it gave me another reason to hate Tesla in 2025. Basically, the solution was to create an extra part to seal the chance for extra Vitamin-D rather than delete the glass portion because it was more expensive to remove.
This makes sense from a fiscal perspective as quite literally every Model Y birthed into the world for the last five years has come with this perk. To tweak the production line for any change in parts will add cost, even if the intention is to delete it. For Tesla, the solution was more roof cloth.
Strangely, the cheaper-still Model 3 doesn’t get the same treatment. It gets much of the same deleted features for a lower sticker [We’re talking less leather, a rear-screen delete, etc., nothing detrimental] but the glass roof stays, and so does the sunny atmosphere. So if you buy a Model 3 for $38,630, this is your cabin when you look up:
I get why people buy Teslas. They’re simple to use, clean to look at it, and have decent performance for the price. And much of them were built before 2022 prior to Elon Musk losing his political nut.
But in terms of new Teslas, clearly one wins out over the other. Both cars got a $5k-or-so discount for 2026 but the Model 3 looks better and will drive better if we’re to believe Car And Driver than its pseudo-SUV counterpart.
The trouble is the Hyundai Ioniq 5 is cheaper, newer, has greater charging capabilities, and can go a similar distance, wiping out Tesla’s remaining advantage. Range used to be the X-factor for why people bought the latter. Not anymore.
Still, I’ve driven a couple of Model 3s and they’re fantastic. At least if you’re going to fall in with the Elon hype, make a mindful decision and get the version with the glass roof that you can see out of.
Before I go though, I will point out that the internet is littered with aftermarket sunshades that you can purchase for what feels like pennies. There’s no way this isn’t a better solution than what Tesla came up in order to cut costs.
And now, I will add more pics below from that article solely for your bemusement. Enjoy.
-TA
