Close Encounters of the Traveling Kind

There are rental cars that simply get you where you’re going — and then there are rentals that quietly change how the trip feels.

This was the latter.

I picked up a Tesla Model Y in Dayton for what amounted to a very typical business itinerary: airport to hotel, hotel to meetings, meetings back to the airport. About 50–60 miles total, mostly highway, with a dusting of winter still clinging to the roads. On paper, it didn’t need to be anything special.

But the Model Y made even this short, utilitarian trip feel… calmer.

First Impressions: Fewer Buttons, More Breathing Room

If you’ve never driven a Model 3 or Model Y before, the first thing you notice when you sit down is what isn’t there.

No traditional instrument cluster behind the steering wheel. No dense forest of buttons. No familiar dashboard choreography of dials and toggles. Even the gear selector lives up on the steering column — something I hadn’t seen in a couple decades.

At first, it can feel disorienting. You instinctively glance down for a speedometer that isn’t there, then remember to look to the upper-left corner of the center screen instead.

But once that adjustment settles in, the absence of clutter becomes the point.

Nearly everything is managed through the center display: mirrors, steering wheel position, Bluetooth connections, climate behavior, even how firm the steering wheel feels in your hands. There are far more options than you’ll ever explore on a one- or two-day rental, but the menus are remarkably intuitive. It only takes a couple minutes to get the essentials dialed in.

After a handful of Tesla drives, I’ve come to appreciate how that lack of buttons and gauges contributes to the overall experience. The cabin feels minimalist and intentional — and that visual quiet amplifies the physical quiet in a way that’s hard to explain until you’ve lived with it.

On the Road: Silence, Weight, and Effortless Motion

The most immediate and enduring impression of driving the Model Y is just how quiet it is.

No engine noise. No vibration through the pedals or steering wheel. Even with the window down, the dominant sounds are the tires on pavement and the passing traffic around you. After long days of travel and meetings, that silence creates space to begin unwinding before you ever reach the hotel.

Acceleration is where the difference between electric and gas vehicles becomes unmistakable. Even modest throttle input produces immediate, confident movement. It’s fun, yes — but far more useful when merging into traffic or navigating indecisive drivers. You’re never waiting for the car to respond.

Winter conditions only reinforced that sense of confidence. With recent snow and road salt muting lane markings, the Model Y felt planted and predictable. The battery’s low placement gives the car a very low center of gravity, and it shows. Highway driving felt steady rather than floaty, even when visual cues were inconsistent.

One-Pedal Driving: The Feature You Didn’t Know You’d Miss

One of the most distinctive aspects of driving a Tesla is regenerative braking — and how much you choose to lean into it.

With regen turned all the way up, the car slows noticeably the moment you lift your foot off the accelerator. The first few turns can feel like being a new driver again, braking a bit harder than intended. But within minutes, something clicks.

You stop thinking about the brake pedal altogether.

By the end of the trip, I realized I’d barely touched it. Outside of shifting out of park and coming to a full stop at lights or in parking lots, the accelerator handled nearly everything. Stop-and-go traffic felt calmer, more deliberate, and oddly satisfying.

It’s one of those features that doesn’t sound revolutionary — until you go back to a car that doesn’t have it.

Technology That Actually Helps

Tesla’s large center display proved more useful than flashy. Navigation was clear and legible at a glance, and the routing matched Google Maps exactly — including alternate routes and arrival times.

The side-view camera feeds activating with the turn signal subtly changed how I drove. Lane changes felt more confident, especially in low-contrast winter conditions. It didn’t replace mirrors; it complemented them. After a day, that extra layer of confirmation felt normal — and something I’d miss in other rentals.

Adaptive cruise control handled highway stretches smoothly, maintaining distance without abrupt braking. I didn’t rely on full Autopilot, but for longer segments it reduced mental load without demanding constant attention.

Storage: More Than You Expect

The Model Y quietly excels at cargo flexibility.

The main trunk easily handled multiple full-size suitcases, and beneath it sat a cooler-sized underfloor compartment — perfect for duffel bags or loose gear. Then there’s the frunk: not enormous, but surprisingly useful for backpacks, briefcases, or anything you want separated from the main cargo area.

For a vehicle that feels clean and minimal inside, it’s impressively accommodating.

Charging & Practicalities

I didn’t need to recharge during my time in Dayton, but I did confirm charger availability just in case. Avis mentioned that their Teslas are tied directly to their accounts — pull up to a Supercharger, plug in, and go. No apps, no cards, no friction. Even with the rental surcharge, it still works out cheaper per mile than most gas cars.

One quick note worth repeating: always check the included charging cables. This Model Y came with a Jeep charger cable — incompatible, but irrelevant given my mileage needs.

Who This Car Is For

The Model Y works exceptionally well as a business travel vehicle. It’s quiet, composed, and mentally restorative after long days. It also scales easily to family travel, with ample legroom, generous storage, heated seats throughout, and a sound system that’s genuinely enjoyable.

It doesn’t feel like a novelty. It feels like a refined tool.

Roamwell’s Note

This rental quietly reinforced something I’ve been leaning toward for a while:

If I don’t expect to refuel while I’m in town, I may never choose a gas car again for business travel.

A quiet cabin doesn’t just move you across town — it helps you arrive in a better state of mind.

The smoothness, silence, and ease of driving turned what’s usually a purely functional part of the trip into something restorative.

— Roamwell

If you’re curious how renting an EV compares to gas cars more generally, I’ve written more about that here → To EV or Not to EV: The Realities of Renting Electric Vehicles