With around 1.23 million units sold across the globe last year, Tesla’s Model Y is the most-popular plug-in electric vehicle in the world today. But even with its popularity here in the US (the Model Y took the top spot for EV sales in 2023, and 5th for highest-selling car of any kind) there is one highly sought after variation that can sometimes be frustrating to locate: the 7-seater Model Y.

Let’s take a quick look at Tesla’s seven-seater options, what a Model Y with a third row costs, Model X vs Model Y space considerations, and how to find a used Tesla 7 seater Model Y or a used Model X without having to sift through hundreds of used Tesla listings.

Which Teslas Have 7 Seats?

As a compact SUV, the Model Y is Tesla’s solution to the need for more space than the Model 3 can offer with a more affordable price tag than the Tesla Model X.

The very first Model Y Tesla offered back in December of 2020 was a 5 seat configuration only, but plans were already in motion to add a third row as soon as manufacturing capability was in place. Only a short time later (January of 2021), the 3rd row was introduced, giving some variations of the Tesla Model Y 7 seats total.

We’d like to note here that this isn’t the first time Tesla has offered a vehicle with seven seats. Early years of the Tesla Model S were offered with seating kits that added an extra two rear-facing jump seats in the trunk. However, the jump seats were definitely sized for smaller people (kids, really) who were shorter than 5’ tall. Those jump seats have since been discontinued, and no additional 7 seat configurations for the Model S are currently available.

Despite lots of anticipation over the Model S Plaid getting a 3rd row, 7 seat option, only the 5-seater version can be purchased through the Tesla configurator at the time of writing. We wouldn’t be surprised to see a 7-seater Model S Plaid show up at some point (back in March of 2021, Elon actually wrote that the new design would have that option), but we also wouldn’t spend much time waiting for it. After all, Tesla already has two other 7 seater options in the Model X and Model Y.

A much more comfortable 7 seat option can be found in the Model X, which boasts the largest cargo capacity and best third row legroom in a Tesla. However, the extra capacity comes at a high price, currently more than $40,000 over the average price of other electric SUVs. As of 2/1/24, the MSRP for the base 2024 Model X with 7 seats is $83,490.

The high price tag of the Model X is why many families and other people with higher people-moving capacity needs are looking at the 7-seater Model Y instead.

How Much Does the 7 Seat Model Y Cost?

Currently, the 7 seat option on a new Model Y costs an additional $3,000 on top of the Long-Range Model Y price. As of September 2024, this puts the available 7-seater Model Y Long Range at $51,990 in the configurator (which keeps it in the eligibility bracket for the $7,500 Federal EV Credit). So a final out-of-pocket price on a Model Y with 7 seats would look something like this:

(MSRP + Added Seat Fee + Destination Fee + Order Fee) = Total (before Sales Tax or Tax Credit) or ($51,990 + $3,000 + $1,390 + $250) = $56,630.

With an average US sales tax rate of 4.09% (honestly, in most states with sales tax it’s higher than that), a final price for the seven seat Model Y would come to about $58,946, which is just above the average for electric SUVs with a third row. The  Federal Clean Vehicle credit may lower that effective price to $51,446, but not in all cases.

Note: at the time of writing, the 7 seat option is only available on the Model Y Long Range; both the Model Y Performance and standard Model Y come with just 5 seats.

Now, let’s talk about used Tesla Model Y 7 seater prices. After the recent pricing drops from Tesla, most used Model Ys with a third row are listed between $45,000-$50,000. We expect to see that average price drop closer to $40,000 thanks to the immediate availability of new 7 seat Tesla Model Ys at a similar price.

In comparison, a used 7-seater Model X costs anywhere from a low of about $31,000-$50,000 for earlier model years to over $90,000 for a 2022-2023 Model X with 7 seats. While you can actually find a used 7 seat Model X for less than the price of a used 7 seat Model Y, at the lowest prices you’ll be looking at mostly older, high-mileage Model X vehicles without any factory warranty left.

Model X vs Model Y: 7-Seat Configuration Specs

While the price difference between the X and the Y is significant, there are a few other things to consider. We’re going to compare the Tesla Model Y 7 seat interior and cargo space to the 7 seater Model X to help you decide whether the X or Y will better suit your needs:

Note: measurements are taken straight from Tesla documentation, which doesn’t actually include the measurement method or what position the seats were in when measured. We’d definitely recommend letting your intended passengers try out the third row of either the Y or the X before buying if possible.

3rd Row Head Room, Leg Room, and Shoulder Room

The 3rd Row of the Model X has more head room, leg room, and hip room than the 3rd row of the Model Y. The Y has only 34.6” of headroom and 26.5” of leg room in the third row. In comparison, the Model X has 37.1” inches of head room and 29.8” of legroom. Hip room for the third row of the Model Y is just about 2 inches smaller at 36.5” than hip room in the third row of the Model X (38.7”).

Neither of these 3rd row seats can really be considered full-sized seating, though the Model X does come closer to providing a seat that can be used regularly by smaller adults. However, as a family car for younger children traveling short distances, both the 7-seater Model X and Model Y can safely seat all seven passengers, even if things are a bit cramped.

Cargo Capacity

A fully-occupied Model X with all seven passengers has a cargo capacity of 21.5 cubic feet, while the Y with all seven passengers boasts only about 17 cubic feet. The trunk well of the Model Y still provides a decent amount of storage, but you likely wouldn’t be able to fit a deluxe stroller in the back if all seats are occupied.

With only the driver and front seat passenger, the Model Y goes up to 72 cubic feet of storage space. For the Model X, that number jumps to 88.2 cubic feet. That’s about the same capacity as a Toyota 4Runner, putting the Model X squarely in the category of midsize SUV.

Roadtrip Comfort

One of the larger criticisms of the Model Y’s 3rd row is that you can only fit small children back there with very limited leg room. The limited head room can also be a problem, though adults up to 5’ 8” claim they can still sit in the third row without their head touching the Glass Roof (we’d like to note that this really depends on an individual’s torso height, not their head-to-toe height).

While it’s certainly not a comfortable road trip option for anyone larger than the average 12 year old, the third row seats in the Model Y do offer some nice perks. Either of the third row seats can fold flat independently, effectively giving you a six-seater Model Y with extra breathing room. Additionally, there are convenient charging ports built right into the seat (which is helpful when your smaller passengers need devices to keep them occupied).

However, the Model X is definitely a better choice for regular road trips with passengers in the third row. Other than leg room, the main reason we’d choose to roadtrip in a 7 seat Model X rather than a Model Y is that the Model X actually has 3rd row ventilation. If you’ve ever had a kid that’s prone to sudden bouts of carsickness, you already know ventilation is important even when the weather is mild.

In the Model Y, the only way to get decent airflow in the back is to lay down the center seat / console in the 2nd row. Unfortunately, this obviously isn’t possible if you have all seven seats occupied.

3rd Row Ease of Access

We won’t sugarcoat this: getting in and out of the third row of both the Model Y and Model X isn’t easy, and we’d never ask anyone with mobility issues to attempt it. Access to the third row is similar in both vehicles if they are in a 7 seat configuration: the second row will either fold or shift forward to allow passengers into the third row.

If you have more than one car seat in the second row of the Model X or Model Y, access to the third row can be impossible from the side door without removing at least one car seat, letting the back row passengers in, then reinstalling the car seat.

Because reinstalling a car seat for every drive is a pain, parents typically let their kids crawl in through the back of the vehicle with one rear seat folded down. This maneuver can also be a problem if you are intending to then pull that seat back up so two kids can sit safely.

Neither the Y or the X seems to have a better solution for this scenario, but loading from the back is acceptable even if it isn’t ideal. Still, this access issue is one reason that we’d love to see the Tesla Van project hit production someday.

Top Rack

One way that the Model Y does make up for its smaller cargo capacity is that it is compatible with a roof rack. A roof rack just isn’t possible on the Model X thanks to the falcon-wing door design.

The roof rack enables you to put an extra storage shell, bikes, skis, and other equipment outside the Model Y, maximizing your space inside. The two trade-offs are that you will have a slight loss of range due to the extra drag (but not much), and you can expect some added cabin noise.

Finding a Used 7 Seater Model Y or Model X

While you can obviously go straight to the Tesla configurator and order a new 7-seater Model Y or Model X, the price for both is still pretty high. Buying used can bring those prices back down to earth, especially in the case of the Model X.

However, actually narrowing down your search to only the 7 seat configuration of the Model X and Model Y can be a major headache. On most sites that list used Teslas, the 5, 6, or 7 seat options are lumped together without any intuitive filtering. You can spend hours digging through listing after listing just to find out whether or not there are any used Tesla Model Y 7 seaters for sale on the site.

At Find My Electric, we can’t stand wading through hundreds of listings when some solid programming can give us the results we need in seconds. So we fixed the problem for you.

For any of our listings, you can filter for the number of seats just as easily as you can filter for your favorite paint color. Select either the Tesla Model X or Model Y (or both!) and choose ‘7’ under “Number of Seats” to see only used Tesla 7 seater listings. No wading through listings and squinting at photos necessary!

Check out our used Tesla listings and see what Tesla 7 seaters are available today!