If you’re cross-shopping Teslas for a family or a regular carpool, seat count is one of the first filters that matters. Here’s how the current lineup breaks down, model by model.
Model 3: five seats
The Model 3 is a five-seat sedan, full stop — there’s no third-row or extra-seat option on any trim. According to U.S. News, all versions of the Model 3 come with five seats that fold in a 40:20:40 configuration, so you can drop part of the rear bench for cargo without giving up every seat.
Model Y: five seats standard, seven as an option
The standard Model Y also seats five. A seven-seat configuration exists, but it’s limited: per InsideEVs, the third row is only available on the Premium All-Wheel-Drive Long Range trim, for an extra $2,500. The two extra seats are small and best suited for kids rather than adults, since legroom back there is tight.
Model Y L: six seats, built for the third row
If you actually need a usable third row, Tesla’s answer is the Model Y L, which launched in the US in July 2026. Rather than squeezing in a third-row bench, Electrek reports that Tesla stretched the wheelbase by about 5.9 inches and went with a 2+2+2, six-seat layout — second-row captain’s chairs instead of a bench, plus a proper third row. It starts at $61,990 as a Launch Series trim, and the front and second-row seats are heated and ventilated, with heated seats in the third row too.
Cybertruck: five seats
The Cybertruck seats five: two up front and a three-person bench in the second row, per U.S. News. There’s no six- or seven-seat configuration for it.
Picking by seat count
If five seats covers your household, the Model 3, standard Model Y, and Cybertruck all work, and the choice comes down to body style, range, and price rather than capacity. If you occasionally need a sixth or seventh seat for carpool duty or extended family, the seven-seat Model Y is the cheaper add-on, but treat those seats as kid- or short-trip-only. If a third row is a regular requirement rather than an occasional one, the Model Y L is built around that use case, with real captain’s chairs and a third row people can actually sit in.
Photo by Dextar Studio ™.