Tesla Model 3 vs. Model Y: Is there a difference?

Like a lot of other people, I watched the Tesla Model Y announcement last night. I think there will be a lot of demand for a small crossover-style SUV and I think Tesla will sell a zillion of them. I have to admit that when I saw all four models next which other on the stage I kept getting confused as to which one was which. They all look pretty similar.

That got me wondering if there really that much of a difference between all of them? I couldn’t tell if the Model Y was simply a smaller version of the Model X, or simply a hatchback version of the Model 3. Here are all four of them lined up next to each other. I tried to find similar pictures to make the comparison, but it’s a little difficult because the number of real-world Model Y pictures is a little limited.

So there are some visual differences, but it seems the 3 is a small S, and the Y is a small X. I didn’t get into wheelbase inches, hip room, etc, but here’s a table that shows some other comparisons. I chose the standard options to keep it simple.

I’m not 100% sure if the cubic feet on the Model 3 is accurate. That came from Tesla’s website but I don’t know if they were including the trunk and the frunk. That just seems like there is hardly any space in that car especially compared to the Model Y. But again, all of these numbers came from Tesla’s website.

The more I looked into this, the more I got excited about the Y. The cubic feet offered is really attractive for running errands, hauling toys, etc. Speaking of toys, I’ll be interested to see if they have a tow hitch that can be added later.

So what do you think? Are they too close together for you? What’s your pick?