When one of the world's most influential tech reviewers weighs in on your product, people listen. Marques Brownlee, better known as MKBHD to his millions of YouTube followers, just gave Tesla Inc. (TSLA) Model Y Performance some serious props, and his review touches on what might be the company's biggest selling point: the software.

Software That Actually Doesn't Frustrate You

In his Thursday review of the Model Y Performance, Brownlee singled out the crossover's 16-inch touchscreen software as genuinely impressive. His take? "This is the best software in a car that is not Android Auto or Apple CarPlay." That's high praise, considering those smartphone projection services from Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) (GOOG) Google and Apple Inc. (AAPL) have basically become the industry standard for not-terrible in-car interfaces.

The display provides a real-time representation of the vehicle, though Brownlee did note that some physical buttons wouldn't hurt. He also praised Tesla's regenerative braking system, which captures kinetic energy during braking to recharge the batteries. But the real headline? His assessment of the self-driving tech: "the best self-driving in any car I've ever tried," Brownlee said.

Subscription-Only Strategy Raises Eyebrows

Speaking of that self-driving technology, Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently announced that Full Self-Driving (FSD) will become subscription-only starting next month, priced at $99 monthly. No more upfront purchase option.

The move could make FSD more accessible and drive adoption numbers up, but not everyone's convinced it's brilliant. Ross Gerber, among other industry watchers, has voiced concerns that the shift might signal Tesla's technological edge over competitors is narrowing. When you go subscription-only, are you democratizing access or admitting you can't command premium pricing anymore? That's the question.

Model Y Dominates U.S. Sales

Whatever debates swirl around pricing strategy, the Model Y is printing money. The crossover became the best-selling EV in the U.S. market in 2025, according to Cox Automotive data. Tesla moved more than 93,000 units in the fourth quarter alone, with total sales exceeding 357,528 units for the year.

The company recently sweetened the deal by introducing a 7-seater configuration for the U.S. market, available with the Premium all-wheel drive trim for an additional $2,500. The update also includes that new 16-inch touchscreen infotainment display Brownlee raved about, plus a refreshed headliner.

According to market analytics, Tesla scores strongly on momentum metrics and shows favorable price trends across short, medium, and long-term horizons.

Price Action: TSLA shares declined 0.13% to close at $438.57 on Thursday but gained 0.58% to $441.13 in overnight trading.