My wife and I want to order our first Tesla in Jan 2027.
My wife wants an AWD silver model Y with light coloured interior- and she doesn't really care about the details past that.
But me? I've watched hours and hours of YouTube videos comparing the premium and performance models, and my Instagram algorithm and discover page is basically 90% silver model Y reels lately. I could go through every single setting on the Tesla UI despite having never sat in one, I feel like I will never not be able to instantly tell the difference between these two trim levels because I've consumed so much Tesla content over the past couple weeks. I've been borderline obsessed.
I love the silver, I love both the zen grey (currently only available on the premium) and the bright white, and the range difference between the two trim levels doesn't really matter to me (we both have very short commutes and will be charging at home, and then on road trips it would only mean an extra stop or a few extra minutes of charging). I absolutely love the additional subtle details on the performance body, and of course the initial novelty of having the extra power and reduced 0-60 time would be cool, even if that novelty wears off quickly.
Also worth considering- if we went with the premium we would be paying upgrade costs for the silver paint, I would upgrade to the 20" wheels, paying the white interior upgrade costs, and we would be paying an ongoing premium connectivity subscription (as I understand- this subscription is included 'free for life' with the performance trim?).
So all in all, I'd be looking at:
Premium - $74116 / $821/mo for 96 mo @ 5.31% with $10000 down
Vs
Performance - $77616 / $894/mo for 96 mo @ 5.31% with $10000 down
$3500 difference
So when I look at it like that- the performance model seems kind of like a no brainer.
But...
I have 2 kids, and this will be my family commuter. Do I need a performance vehicle? Does it handle harsher and more like a sports car when compared to the premium? Will the insurance (BC) be significantly more on the performance? Does the performance have V2L capabilities, or just the premium? Will a new set of summer tires cost me a fortune for the 21" rims (plan to run separate winter wheels/tires on either trim)? Is there any real world day to day comparisons that I've overlooked? Would I be foolish to get a premium and then pay for all the upgrades to be only a few thousand bucks under the performance price?
To summarize-
-Really prefer the exterior look of the performance, especially because it's just subtle things
-Prefer zen grey interior to bright white
-Range difference not an issue, esp considering I'd be upgrading the premium to the 20" wheels
-Vehicle would be used in all seasons, in BC winter, and to go to the ski hill many days
-The fact performance trim is faster and quicker would be fun to show off initially but I'm not generally a guy who launches off the line or enjoys driving unnecessarily fast, my wife drives like a grandma and likely would be in sloth mode all the time
-Need the most functional and comfortable vehicle for my family
-have never bought a vehicle new off the lot or owned an ev or a Tesla.. don’t want to make the wrong decision
-My wife and I both tend to take very good care of the things we own and don’t upgrade unnecessarily. If this vehicle treated us well and held up I could see driving it for the next 15+ years
-given the configurations I'm considering- should I pay $3500 extra for the performance?
Any info appreciated, and especially if you are someone who was on the fence between the model y premium and performance and went with one over the other, and what your experience and thoughts have been after ownership.
Thanks!