Compare the2025 Kia EV6VS 2025 Tesla Model Y

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the EV6 are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Model Y doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The EV6 (except Short Range) offers an optional Surround View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Model Y only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the EV6’s standard Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. The Model Y doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

The EV6’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Model Y doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

The EV6 has standard 911 Connect, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Model Y doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the EV6 and the Model Y have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems and rearview cameras.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Kia EV6 is safer than the Tesla Model Y:

	EV6	Model Y
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	19.2%	25%
Neck Stress	191 lbs.	210 lbs.
Neck Compression	20 lbs.	68 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	202/276 lbs.	298/427 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH, results indicate that the Kia EV6 is safer than the Tesla Model Y:

	EV6	Model Y
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	82	358
Hip Force	367 lbs.	567 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

The EV6 comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Model Y’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the EV6 2 years longer than Tesla covers the Model Y. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Model Y ends after only 8 years.

There are over 4 times as many Kia dealers as there are Tesla dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the EV6’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Tesla vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 103 more problems per 100 vehicles, Tesla is ranked 32nd, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Tesla vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia above average in long-term dependability. With 3 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Tesla is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Tesla vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 8 places higher in reliability than Tesla.

Engine

The EV6 GT’s electric motors produces 186 more horsepower (641 vs. 455) and 81 lbs.-ft. more torque (568 vs. 487) than the Model Y Performance’s optional electric motors.

Fuel Economy and Range

The EV6 can travel longer on a full charge than the Model Y on a full charge:

			Miles
EV6
	RWD	Long Range Electric Motor	319 miles
	AWD	19" Wheels Electric Motors	295 miles
Model Y
	RWD	20" Wheels Electric Motor	305 miles
	AWD	Long Range 20" Wheels Electric Motors	280 miles
		Performance Electric Motors	277 miles

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the EV6 GT’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Model Y:

	EV6 GT	Model Y
Front Rotors	15 inches	14 inches
Rear Rotors	14.2 inches	13.2 inches

The EV6 stops shorter than the Model Y:

	EV6	Model Y
70 to 0 MPH	159 feet	161 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	114 feet	118 feet	Motor Trend

Suspension and Handling

The EV6 has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the EV6 flat and controlled during cornering. The Model Y’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The EV6 offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Model Y’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The EV6 GT handles at .92 G’s, while the Model Y Long Range AWD pulls only .88 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The EV6 GT executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Model Y Long Range AWD (25.1 seconds @ .77 average G’s vs. 25.6 seconds @ .74 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the EV6’s turning circle is 1.6 feet tighter than the Model Y’s (38.2 feet vs. 39.8 feet). The EV6 GT’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the Model Y’s (39.2 feet vs. 39.8 feet).

Passenger Space

The EV6 has .6 inches more front legroom, 1.1 inches more front hip room, 1.4 inches more front shoulder room, 2.6 inches more rear hip room and 1.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Model Y.

Cargo Capacity

The EV6 has a much larger cargo volume than the Model Y with its rear seat up (24.4 vs. 16.9 cubic feet).

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the EV6’s liftgate can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Model Y doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Servicing Ease

A maintenance reminder system is standard on the EV6 to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals based on odometer mileage. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Tesla doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Model Y.

Ergonomics

The EV6 GT-Line/GT has a standard heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Model Y doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

Consumer Reports rated the EV6’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the Model Y’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

The EV6’s standard side window demisters help clear frost or condensation from the side windows in the winter. The Model Y doesn’t even offer side window demisters, so the driver may have to wipe the windows from the outside to gain side vision.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the EV6 has standard extendable sun visors. The Model Y doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The EV6 offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the rear seat, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Model Y doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the EV6 owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the EV6 will cost $1920 to $3890 less than the Model Y over a five-year period.

The EV6 will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the EV6 will retain 51.38% to 51.88% of its original price after five years, while the Model Y only retains 45.72%.

Recommendations

J.D. Power and Associates rated the EV6 first among compact suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Model Y isn’t in the top three.

The EV6 was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2023. The Model Y has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the EV6 as the 2023 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. The Model Y has never been chosen.

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