I Drove My New Tesla Model Y Juniper With FSD 90 Miles On I-35 And The Self-Driving Technology Is So Impressive My Cousin Wants To Buy One For His 70-Year-Old Father

Not only has Tesla rewritten the playbook on how electric cars can perform, but they've succeeded in something even more elusive: changing the mindset of mainstream American motorists. 

No longer relegated to the oddball corners of the auto industry, EVs, particularly those with a Tesla badge, have become aspirational, attainable, and in many ways, inevitable. 

The Model Y is not simply another crossover. We have Reddit to thank for some of the most honest, boots-on-the-ground testimony. 

User cookieclutter2602 recently offered a first-person account that reads like a love letter to the Model Y Juniper, equal parts excitement, pragmatism, and genuine awe:

"New Tesla owner who just joined the Tesla family. My wife and I could not be happier with our purchase. We spent a big chunk of change, but considering we got $7.500 (tax credit), an inventory discount, and 3% financing, we can’t complain. 

I picked up my Model Y Juniper in San Antonio this past weekend. The experience was surreal and quick. I literally walked in, signed two pieces of paper, then confirmed delivery on the app. We stuck around for another 10 minutes to inspect the vehicle and take photos. We left as happy Tesla owners.  Here is my review after owning the car for a few days:

Exterior

The new Model Y Juniper looks badass. I love the aggressive-looking front and the light bar on the back. I feel like the old Model Y looks a bit generic in comparison. 

Interior

We have only driven used and/or economy cars, so this feels like a HUGE upgrade. I don’t understand why people say Teslas have cheap interiors because everything feels solid and high quality. I love the minimalistic approach, and the UI is as intuitive as an iPhone. Even my parents will be able to learn the UI in a matter of days, which is great considering they are 60+. My only gripe is that I wish the HVAC controls were physical. This is a personal preference, but I do like changing the temp and fan speed manually. Something about the manual feedback just feels nice. 

Driving Experience

We may have overdone it with AWD as we live in a non-harsh environment, but it drives like a dream. It will come in handy when we travel to rougher terrain (we do a lot of state park / national park trips). FSD is a game-changer. San Antonio is about 1.5 hours from our home, mostly on I-35, a highway known to have patches of rough traffic. 

It was so nice to just sit back and let the car drive. Admittedly, I took control a few times because I thought I needed to, but it was just me not being used to FSD. The car drove flawlessly with a few minor nitpicks (driving in people’s blind spots, driving behind 18-wheelers). It’s hard to describe how amazing FSD is to someone who has never experienced it, but it feels like being in a sci-fi movie. 

Overall, we love the car. On a side note, my cousin called me to congratulate me and started asking about FSD, as his 70+ year old dad started driving again. He’s concerned about his Dad getting into a car accident and is leaning towards buying a Model 3 just for FSD. I think a decision will be made once he sits in my car and experiences FSD for himself."

Now stop for a moment and think about that: a driver so taken by Full Self-Driving on a 90-mile trip up I-35 that his cousin is considering buying one for his elderly father. It’s not just the novelty, it’s a new kind of trust. 

Tesla Model Y “Juniper” - China Sales

• Tesla launched the refreshed Model Y facelift, codenamed Juniper, in China on January 10, 2025, with deliveries expected to begin in March 2025
• On launch day, Juniper received around 50,000 orders, and reports suggest that total pre‑orders shortly thereafter may have exceeded 100,000 units in China
• Overall, Tesla China forecasted sales of approximately 520,000 units of the Juniper‑refresh Model Y in 2025, a projected 8.3 % increase over the 480,000 units sold in 2024
• Despite the refresh, Model Y sales in China declined year‑over‑year by about 17.5 % in H1 2025, reflecting softer demand even though the Juniper launch aimed to reverse the trend

This is where Tesla stands apart. 

Commenter EntertainerTrick6711, a longtime Lexus and Toyota loyalist, put it bluntly: “Not a single one [of the other crossovers] was as quick, as smooth, as efficient, as premium, as intuitive, as feature-packed, as the Y.” Their decision wasn’t emotional. It was clinical. 

After test-driving every comparable crossover from $35,000 to $50,000, Tesla simply outperformed. Even the once-bulletproof appeal of Toyota’s hybrid lineup fell short when put against the sheer composure of an electric drivetrain paired with Autopilot.

And this trend isn't isolated.

Retire_date_may_22, a 35-year Toyota loyalist, made the jump to a Model Y and said, “After using FSD especially on long road trips, I will not buy another Toyota until it has FSD.” Tesla isn’t just earning customers; it’s flipping loyalties with surgical precision. 

How Tesla Gains Loyalist 

These are 50-, 60-, 70-year-olds who value comfort, safety, and predictability, people who once bought Avalons, now buying EVs that drive themselves.

And yet, the beauty of the Model Y Juniper isn’t just under the skin. Cookieclutter2602 was quick to praise the subtle redesign: a more aggressive front fascia, rear light bar, and minimalist cockpit that feels more Scandinavian boutique hotel than mass-market crossover. The interior, often derided in earlier Teslas, drew admiration: 

“Everything feels solid and high quality... UI is as intuitive as an iPhone.” 

For the uninitiated, that may sound like puffery. But for someone trading up from a used econobox? It’s night and day.

Performance-wise, the Model Y’s AWD setup, though perhaps overkill for a Texas commuter, has purpose. As the owner noted, trips to national parks and uneven terrain give the car a chance to flex. And that’s before mentioning Tesla’s acceleration boost, which transforms the family hauler into a sleeper, capable of embarrassing more than a few ICE hot hatches at the stoplight.

Tesla Model Y “Juniper” - Dimensions, Trunk Space & Color Choices

• The Juniper‑refreshed Model Y retained the standard five‑seat layout, with no published long‑wheelbase variant dimensions until the separate upcoming Model Y L variant
• Tesla highlighted a lower drag coefficient (~0.22 Cd) and an expanded cargo hold, with roughly 100 litres more trunk space when rear seats are folded, compared to the pre‑refresh Model Y
• Cabin updates include a passenger rear touchscreen, powered rear seats, and improved suspension for comfort; the overall external styling was refreshed with a full‑width light strip at the front and rear

But above all, what Tesla has done is systematize convenience. Buying a Tesla is simple. Using it is intuitive. Charging it is increasingly easy. And living with it, thanks to over-the-air updates, a robust Supercharger network, and tech features that actually work, is largely painless. 

This isn’t just a car; it’s an ecosystem. And that, more than anything else, is why every automaker in the world is scrambling to replicate it. They’re not just copying the car. They’re copying the experience.

So what does all this mean? It means Tesla didn’t just build a good electric car; they built the electric car. The one that convinced the Reddit crowd, the one that’s turning heads in Toyota households, the one that makes a man think, “Maybe my 70-year-old father would be safer in this.” 

The Model Y isn’t perfect, but it is definitive. And from where we’re standing in 2025, that’s the kind of achievement that echoes, like the first Mustang, like the original minivan, like the first time you realized your phone could summon a ride, order dinner, or now... drive the car.

Image Sources: Tesla Media Center

Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys covering the latest news in the automotive industry and conducting reviews on the latest cars. He has been in the automotive industry since 15 years old and has been featured in prominent automotive news sites. You can reach him on X and LinkedIn for tips and to follow his automotive coverage.