Tesla’s exterior styling is extremely minimalistic – a clean, grille-less shape with smooth body panels – but this simplicity has drawn criticism as being too plain for the price. Many observers find the design “mind-numbingly boring to look at” rather than luxurious or expressive. The latest Model 3 received a minor redesign, which Car & Driver notes makes the car “look fresher and more upscale than before,” but the underlying shape remains essentially unchanged . In short, Tesla bodywork is often judged conservative: it lacks the sculpted creases, shiny metal accents or bold lighting graphics that rival EVs and luxury cars use to appear more premium. This plain aesthetic – combined with panel surfaces that are very flat and simple – can come off as cheap, especially next to fancier competitor designs.
Interior Materials. Tesla cabins emphasize functionality over lavish materials, which many reviewers and customers perceive as “cheap.” Industry critics note that the dashboards and door panels use many hard plastics and generic synthetic surfaces . For example, Car & Driver found even the Model S’s cabin “is not nearly as plush as rivals such as the BMW i5 and the Mercedes-Benz EQE” , implying that softer leather, wood or metal in German sedans outperform Tesla’s offerings. Owners frequently comment that Tesla’s vegan leather seats and carpets feel thin or floppy compared to the real leather and dense carpets in comparable luxury cars. A number of interviews and forum posts echo this sentiment: as one top-speed reviewer observed, Tesla’s interiors “don’t give you that cocooned, special feeling” that Audi or Mercedes cabins do .
At the same time, newer Teslas have begun to address some material complaints. The 2024 Model 3 “Highland” refresh replaces the old woodgrain dash with a “premium fabric” and adds more soft-touch padding throughout . MotorTrend reports that many formerly bare plastic surfaces are now covered by better-quality trim and the overall cabin is noticeably quieter and more refined. Likewise, the 2025 Model Y overhaul earned high praise: Edmunds says it “solved many of the issues” of the prior generation and that interior build-quality issues “are entirely gone” in the updated model . Even the flagship Model S’s recent refresh was lauded – MotorTrend found the new Model S’s materials are “an order of magnitude better than before,” with every touchpoint feeling expensive . In sum, while early Teslas often felt under-engineered inside, the latest models have noticeably upgraded fabrics, leathers, and finishes that narrow the gap to true luxury vehicles.
Build Quality. Tesla’s fit and finish have been a persistent sore point. Analysts list a history of issues like uneven hood and trunk gaps, poor door alignment, and even sticking-up body panels . In testing, publications still find misaligned seams: for example, Car & Driver notes the 2025 Model X exhibits “poorly aligned panels and other build-quality issues” despite its six-figure price . Customers often corroborate these flaws. One Edmunds owner of a new Model S complained of “panel gaps all over the place” and a loud whistle from wind noise, calling the build quality “miserable” for a luxury car . Rattles and squeaks are also common complaints – early Model S and Model 3 owners frequently describe loose trim, bouncing air vents, or doors that don’t fully close. In fact, as noted by Jeremy Clarkson and others, Tesla’s assembly quality has been likened to a toy-maker’s, as Clarkson quipped that a Tesla’s construction “is like it’s been built by a kindergartner” . These impressions persist among buyers and journalists, especially for models built in the earlier years of Tesla production.
That said, there are signs of progress. Recent Teslas tend to exhibit tighter panel fits. A detailed review of the refreshed Model 3/Y found most exterior panels now line up correctly and door gaps are much more uniform than before . The same report praises improvements like properly seated trim and no more roof leaks – only the hood gaps were still slightly off. So while Tesla’s historical build quality stirred criticism, newer vehicles are progressively resolving many of the worst assembly issues.
Fit and Finish. Closely related to build quality, Tesla’s interior fit-and-finish has also drawn criticism. Early Model 3s (and Ys) “suffered from poor fit-and-finish from the outset,” according to Car & Driver . Common problems included misaligned dashboard panels, sun visors that barely attach, and a center console that won’t stay latched unless slammed . Even subtle details like stitching or ambient lights have been called out. One reviewer noted that Tesla’s overhaul of its dashboards — removing the old bright accent trim — was likely done to eliminate the frequent alignment errors, replacing it with a simpler fabric strip . In short, many of the fit issues were believed to stem from overly complex trim pieces that Tesla has since simplified.
Like material quality, Tesla’s finish has improved with successive updates. The refreshed Model 3/Y use upgraded interior trims that are much more solid. A recent analysis reports that Tesla “redesigned the interior trim components and connectors” to be thicker and tighter; as a result, the pieces “no longer have any give when you attempt to move them,” virtually eliminating the old rattles . In sum, while early Teslas often creaked and rattled internally, the latest generations have largely cured those problems — though some owners still note minor quibbles (sticky magnets, very tight panel edges, etc.) that legacy luxury brands might have resolved more quietly.
Comparisons with Luxury Competitors. When stacked against European luxury vehicles of similar price, Tesla interiors often rank lower on craftsmanship. Reviewers emphasize that brands like BMW, Audi, and Mercedes invest heavily in tactile luxury. For instance, Car & Driver explicitly contrasts the Model S with other EVs, noting the Tesla cabin is “not nearly as plush” as the BMW i5 or Mercedes-Benz EQE at a comparable price . MotorTrend’s comparison of the Mercedes EQS versus the Model S is even more pointed: it says their interiors are “worlds apart,” likening the EQS to a quiet, knowledgeable student and the Model S to an extroverted showoff . On the owners’ side, many Tesla drivers admit the competition feels plusher: one former Tesla driver found that after switching to a Lucid Air, the Lucid’s cabin “feels much more spacious and comfortable” and “a couple steps up in terms of luxury and interior design” . Similarly, many feel that even mainstream luxury EVs (Audi e-tron, BMW iX, etc.) use noticeably more genuine leather, real wood or metal trim, and dense carpeting. Overall, the recurring consensus is that German and Japanese luxury sedans provide a more immediately premium ambiance — plush seats, leather dashboards, intricate details — than Tesla’s spartan interiors.
Consumer Perception Over Time. Early in its history, Tesla’s stripped-down interiors and fit issues led many reviewers and owners to gripe about “cheap” feel. However, recent models have generally improved on those fronts. For example, Edmunds’ 2025 Model Y review celebrates how the new car “solved many of the issues” of the previous generation, calling the interior’s jump in quality a “much-needed leap forward in fit and finish and materials” . MotorTrend similarly praises Tesla’s updates: it reported that the 2022 refreshed Model S is now “a much more luxurious car” than before, and that its interior’s material quality is “an order of magnitude better” . The latest Model 3 also shows gains: after its 2024 “Highland” update, MotorTrend says the cabin is much quieter and overall “significantly better” than the old version . In other words, while Tesla’s earliest vehicles often got dinged for build sloppiness and trim shortcuts, the company has in many cases responded by tightening up production and upgrading materials. Nonetheless, longstanding design choices (like all-touchscreen controls and the simple exterior styling) remain divisive: some buyers still see them as cost-cutting, even if other areas have improved.
Sources: We base these observations on recent automotive reviews and industry reports. For example, Car & Driver and MotorTrend reviews (cited above) repeatedly note specific flaws and improvements. Enthusiast forums and owner complaints (e.g., on Edmunds) echo these points. Across the literature, the picture is consistent: Tesla’s build and material quality historically lag traditional premium brands, but newer Tesla models show noticeable gains in refinement. All cited critiques and praises above come from published reviews, automotive publications, and owner-reported data .