How The Tesla Model Y Standard Stacks Up To The Competition

The cheapest Tesla Model Y ever is here. The newly introduced Model Y Standard trim level slashes the starting price of America’s best-selling electric crossover to roughly $40,000, which is about $5,000 less than the next trim, now called Premium. It’s an interesting move from Tesla, and it comes right after the cancellation of the $7,500 federal tax credit for new EVs. But it comes with several drawbacks.

For the lower price tag, there’s little in the way of niceties, with a smaller front trunk compared to the upper trims, cloth seats, no lane-centering on the base version, no AM/FM radio, no adaptive headlights and no panoramic glass roof.

This last one is the most peculiar of them all because the car actually has a glass roof–it’s just covered by a single-piece headliner that’s supposedly cheaper to make than the cutout version.

2026 Tesla Model Y Standard

Photo by: Tesla

What’s more, the Model Y is under increasing pressure from competing automakers.

Thanks to a massive price drop, the 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 5 has no fewer than three trim levels that are more affordable than the Tesla Model Y Standard. The Chevrolet Equinox EV also undercuts the entry-level Model Y by more than $5,000, while the base Ford Mustang Mach-E is roughly the same price as Tesla’s offering.

So let’s look at how the 2026 Tesla Model Y Standard stacks up to the competition. The table below shows how the entry-level electric crossover compares to its closest rivals. I looked at price, driving range, charging capabilities, cargo room and features, or lack thereof.

2026 Hyundai Ioniq 5

Price-wise, the cheapest competitor to the Model Y Standard is the 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 5 SE RWD Standard Range. The range difference between the two is pretty big–76 miles in favor of the Model Y Standard–but so is the price difference, with the bog-standard Ioniq 5 costing $5,030 less.

That said, Hyundai has another two trims for the Ioniq 5 that are more affordable than the newly introduced Tesla Model Y Standard.

Photo by: Hyundai

There’s the Ioniq 5 SE RWD, which retails for $39,100 and comes with a larger, 84 kWh battery and a more powerful 225 hp rear motor. The bigger battery also enables a longer driving range of 318 miles and more powerful charging, with Hyundai claiming up to 178 miles of range can be added in 15 minutes.

There’s also the Ioniq 5 SEL RWD, which costs $41,400. It has all the features of the SE RWD, but adds things like a wireless phone charger, acoustic rear side glass, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, blind-spot collision-avoidance assistance, power front seats and rear A/C vents, among other features.

Chevrolet Equinox EV

The Chevrolet Equinox EV is also a great alternative to the new Model Y Standard. Billed as “America’s most affordable 315+ mile range EV,” the electric Equinox starts from $34,995, including destination. In base LT1 trim, GM’s cheapest EV offers 319 miles of range, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist with lane departure warning and a 17.7-inch infotainment touchscreen.

Photo by: Motor1.com

Ford Mustang Mach-E

Meanwhile, the 2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E Select RWD Standard Range (try saying that three times in a row) undercuts the Tesla Model Y Standard by approximately $500. It has 260 miles of range and takes quite a while to recharge due to its maximum power input of 150 kW.

At the same time, it comes as standard with a 360-degree camera, a 15.5-inch central touchscreen with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, as well as adaptive cruise control with lane centering.

It’s worth noting that all of these EVs have access to the Tesla Supercharger network, though a charging adapter may be needed for some of them.

The Volkswagen ID.4 and Kia EV6 are also strong competitors for the Tesla Model Y, just not for the Model Y Standard, as the two EVs are at least a couple of thousand dollars more expensive. And that’s all before we get to newer options like the all-new 2026 Nissan Leaf or upcoming Chevrolet Bolt, which may be smaller but may also be a better bang for your buck. 

So there you have it. The 2026 Tesla Model Y Standard is the cheapest electric crossover ever made by the American EV maker, but its ability to stand out from the crowd is probably not as powerful as before.

That’s because some legacy automakers have massively stepped up their EV game and brought a fair fight to what used to be the undisputed champion of the segment.

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