Both being mid-to-large SUVs, which one is more suitable to choose between Tesla Model Y L and Li Auto i8?
By Wuliru
December 18th, 2025
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Both the Tesla Model Y L and the Li Auto i8 are mid-to-large SUVs and both are pure electric vehicles. With a budget of over 300,000 yuan, if you are looking for a pure electric SUV, both the Tesla Model Y L produced in China and the Li Auto i8 from the new force brand are worth considering. In this battle between Chinese and foreign new energy SUVs, which one do you think is more promising?
Both the Tesla Model Y L and the Li Auto i8 are mid-to-large SUVs and both are pure electric vehicles. Today, we will compare two models with similar suggested retail prices. They are the 2026 Model Y L Standard Edition with a suggested retail price of 339,000 yuan (estimated final price of 347,200 yuan, hereinafter referred to as Model Y L), and the 2025 Li Auto i8 Standard Edition with a suggested retail price of 339,800 yuan (estimated final price of 357,800 yuan, hereinafter referred to as Li Auto i8). The final prices differ by about 10,000 yuan. So, what about their product capabilities?
Appearance
Model Y L features a closed front face design, paired with narrow and long headlamps. The side body adopts the popular frameless doors and hidden door handles. The roof is equipped with a non-opening panoramic sunroof. The rear end has a sloping design and a raised ducktail, giving the overall appearance a particularly clean and simple look. The front face design of the Ideal i8 is also relatively simple, with rectangular headlamps seamlessly connected to the black active grille. The side body features hidden door handles, and the roof is equipped with a segmented non-opening panoramic sunroof and a panoramic sunroof shade. The rear end is equipped with a spoiler and a贯穿式 taillight， presenting a combination of fashion and functionality in its overall appearance.
The interior of the Ideal i8 appears luxurious and refined. It also adopts a three-spoke multifunctional steering wheel， with the grip part made of genuine leather， providing a comfortable and delicate touch. In front of the steering wheel is a 4.82-inch full LCD instrument panel， which， in combination with the HUD head-up display system， enables easy access to various driving data and road conditions. The car is also equipped with a 15.7-inch central control screen， which is powered by the currently excellent Qualcomm Snapdragon 8295 chip. The processing logic is clear and the response speed is fast. It also supports 5G network， continuous voice recognition， application download， OTA upgrade and other functions， offering more practical features than the Model Y L.
Auxiliary DrivingBoth the Model Y L and the Ideal i8 support L2-level auxiliary driving， but they have different expressions. The Model Y L uses Tesla's auxiliary driving system， equipped with an AI 4.0 auxiliary driving chip， with a computing power of 720TOPS. The auxiliary driving hardware adopts a pure vision solution， with a maximum forward detection distance of 424 meters. It supports full-speed adaptive cruise control， side blind spot imaging and other functions. However， core functions such as high/urban navigation and other auxiliary driving functions need to be purchased as optional extras.
The Ideal i8 also supports L2-level auxiliary driving. It uses the Ideal AD Max auxiliary driving system， equipped with an NVIDIA DRIVE Thor-U auxiliary driving chip， with a computing power of 700TOPS. The auxiliary driving hardware adopts a fusion perception solution of radar and camera， including one lidar and 27 other sensing hardware， with a maximum forward detection distance of 200 meters. In terms of functions， high-level auxiliary driving functions such as high/urban navigation， automatic assisted parking， and memory parking are directly standard， offering more practical value.
Space
The Model Y L has a length， width， and height of 4976/1920/1668mm， with a wheelbase of 3040mm. The trunk has a capacity of 420L and can be expanded to 2423L， allowing for easy storage of large and small luggage. The seats are made of imitation leather and are arranged in a 2+2+2 layout. All three rows of seats support electric adjustment functions. The front two rows of seats also support heating and ventilation functions. The front seats have additional functions such as driver memory. The rear seats can be folded in a 50：50 ratio， further expanding the storage space when folded.
The Ideal i8 has a length， width， and height of 5085/1960/1740mm， with a wheelbase of 3050mm. It also belongs to the mid-to-large SUV category， but the trunk capacity has not been announced. The seats are made of Nappa leather， providing a higher sense of grade. It also adopts a 2+2+2 layout， with the same electric adjustment function for the first three rows of seats. The first two rows of seats also have heating， ventilation， and massage functions. The front seats can be laid flat， and the rear seats can be electrically folded. Notably， it is also equipped with a second-row small table， which can be used for temporary office work and dining. The Model Y L is equipped with dual motors with a total power of 340kW and an 82kWh ternary lithium battery, achieving a 0-100km/h acceleration of 4.5 seconds and a CLTC pure electric range of 751km. The new car also features a 400V high-voltage fast charging platform, supporting fast charging and 2.2kW external power supply. The Ideal i8, on the other hand, is equipped with dual motors with a total power of 400kW and a 97.8kWh ternary lithium battery, achieving the same 0-100km/h acceleration of 4.5 seconds and a CLTC pure electric range of 720km. The battery supports 800V high-voltage fast charging and 3.5kW external power supply, with a 10.8-minute fast charge from 10% to 80% SOC.
ChassisBoth the Model Y L and the Ideal i8 feature a front double wishbone independent suspension and a rear multi-link independent suspension, both being electric all-wheel drive vehicles with strong grip. The Model Y L's suspension support is adjustable in hardness, providing relatively good overall comfort. The Ideal i8, however, is equipped with a dual-chamber air suspension with intelligent magic carpet function, allowing for adjustment in both hardness and height, offering more outstanding off-road performance and comfort.
In summary, the Model Y L and the Ideal i8 have distinct styles in appearance, which depends on who has better appeal to the consumers. Both have simple and elegant interior designs, but the Ideal i8 has more advanced infotainment functions and more commonly used auxiliary driving functions. The space performance of both is quite good, and the Ideal i8 has a more upscale seat material. The acceleration performance of both is similar, but the Ideal i8 has a more comfortable chassis tuning. Both are priced above 300,000 yuan, and consumers should make a careful choice based on their family's economic situation and vehicle usage needs.
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