Tesla Cybertruck.

The Gavler Review.

Tesla Cybertruck Review: Genuinely Capable, Deliberately Strange

The Tesla Cybertruck sits at number four on our Best Electric Trucks list with a 7.9, and it's the rare vehicle where the spec sheet and the reputation genuinely disagree. Buy it if you want the most conversation-starting truck on sale and don't mind adapting to its quirks. Skip it if you want a conventional, no-drama work truck — because underneath the stainless steel, the Cybertruck asks more of its driver than any other pickup on this list.

What it is

Tesla built the Cybertruck to look like nothing else on the road, and by any measure it succeeded. The stainless steel exoskeleton replaces a conventional painted body panel-for-panel, the cabin strips away buttons and stalks in favor of an 18.5-inch touchscreen that controls nearly everything, and a full steer-by-wire system means there's no mechanical link between the yoke and the front wheels — a genuine engineering departure, not a styling gimmick. It's a vehicle designed first to be noticed, and only second to fit into the existing conventions of what a pickup truck is supposed to be.

That's a real risk for a company whose reputation was built on software and range, and it's worth asking whether the capability underneath the spectacle actually holds up. According to Edmunds, it mostly does.

In use and performance

Edmunds put a pair of dual-motor Cybertrucks through its independent EV Range Test, and both trucks turned in an identical result. "We've put a pair of dual-motor Cybertrucks through the Edmunds EV Range Test and both achieved the same result, covering 334 miles," the outlet reported — a real-world number, not a marketing estimate, and consistent across two separate test vehicles. Payload and towing back up the capability case: "Maximum payload capacity is impressive at 2,500 pounds, beating out the Ford F-150 Lightning. Towing maxes out at 11,000 pounds, which is competitive with full-size trucks of various powertrain types."

The tri-motor Cyberbeast pushes output to 845 horsepower and a low-two-second run to 60 mph; Edmunds' own dual-motor AWD tester hit 60 in 4.0 seconds. Edmunds' current expert rating puts the Cybertruck at 7.3 out of 10, and its own pros-and-cons breakdown is blunt about what works: "blindingly quick" acceleration, strong towing capacity, and — more surprising given the truck's industrial-looking exterior — a "comfortable and quiet cabin" with genuinely good highway noise insulation. Ride quality is smooth, and Supercharger access remains the easiest fast-charging experience of any EV on sale, which matters enormously for a vehicle marketed on road-trip capability.

Build quality is where the story splits in two. "Cybertruck build quality, especially on the exterior, leaves a bit to be desired with inconsistent panel gaps and body parts that don't line up flush where they should," Edmunds found. "But the interior is one of the best we've seen from Tesla in terms of how it's finished and how solidly built it all feels." That's a genuinely unusual verdict — a truck whose exterior fit-and-finish lags while its cabin leads the brand's own lineup.

Strengths

• Real-world range and towing that back up the spec sheet. 334 tested miles across two separate trucks, 11,000-lb towing, and a class-leading 2,500-lb payload are Edmunds' own measured numbers, not manufacturer claims.
• The best-built Tesla interior yet. Reviewers consistently single out cabin fit-and-finish as a genuine step up from prior Tesla models, even as exterior panel gaps draw criticism.
• Supercharger access. For road-trip-minded buyers, Tesla's charging network remains the single easiest fast-charging experience in the EV market, full stop.

The trade-offs — who should skip it

The capability is real, but Edmunds' testing surfaces genuine usability compromises that go beyond the truck's polarizing looks.

• Steer-by-wire removes road feel. "The Cybertruck has a full steer-by-wire system, meaning there is no physical connection between the steering yoke and the wheels," Edmunds noted. "You don't get any feel of the road and have to rely on visual cues to know where the truck is heading." That's a real adjustment period for anyone used to conventional steering, not just an unfamiliar yoke shape.
• Outward visibility is poor. Edmunds specifically flags the Cybertruck as "hard to see out of, especially with closed cargo cover" — a genuine daily-driving compromise for a vehicle this large.
• The touchscreen controls nearly everything, including things that shouldn't require a menu. Edmunds calls the interface "distracting to use," and there's no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto to fall back on.
• Inconsistent exterior build quality. Panel gaps and flush-fit issues are a real, testable defect, not a matter of taste.

If you want a work truck that disappears into the background and just does the job, the Cybertruck's design philosophy fights you at every turn. It rewards buyers who want to be seen and are willing to relearn how a truck drives.

How it compares

The Cybertruck sits directly behind the Chevrolet Silverado EV at rank three on Gavler's Best Electric Trucks list, and the two make an interesting contrast: similarly strong towing numbers, but the Silverado EV goes noticeably farther on a charge (484 tested miles versus 334) and drives like a conventional truck, while the Cybertruck counters with a more distinctive design and Tesla's charging network. Two ranks up, the Ford F-150 Lightning is the safer cross-shop for buyers who want strong EV-truck capability without asking themselves to adapt to steer-by-wire or a body style that divides every parking lot it enters.

The Gavler verdict

A 7.9 for a truck whose underlying capability is more legitimate than its reputation as a novelty suggests, held back by real usability trade-offs — poor visibility, a distracting touchscreen, no CarPlay, and a steering system that demands relearning — that Edmunds documents clearly rather than papering over. Buy the Cybertruck for the statement, the charging network, and a genuinely well-built cabin. Buy something else on this list if you want a truck that simply gets out of your way.

Common Questions

Is the Tesla Cybertruck worth it in 2026?

It depends what you're buying it for. It ranks fourth on Gavler's Best Electric Trucks list with a 7.9 — genuinely capable at 334 tested miles, 11,000-lb towing, and a 2,500-lb payload, with the best-finished interior Tesla has built. But the steer-by-wire yoke removes road feel, outward visibility is poor, and there's no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, so buy it for the statement and the Supercharger network, not as a fuss-free daily work truck.

How far does the Tesla Cybertruck go on a charge, and how much can it tow?

Edmunds ran a pair of dual-motor Cybertrucks through its independent range test and both covered 334 miles. Payload tops out at 2,500 pounds — more than the Ford F-150 Lightning, per Edmunds — and towing maxes out at 11,000 pounds, competitive with full-size gas trucks.

What is steer-by-wire and is it a problem in the Cybertruck?

The Cybertruck uses a full steer-by-wire system with no physical mechanical link between the steering yoke and the front wheels. Edmunds found it removes normal road feel, meaning drivers have to rely on visual cues rather than steering feedback to sense where the truck is heading — it's a genuine acclimation period, not just an unusual look.

Is Cybertruck build quality actually bad?

It's mixed by design area. Edmunds found inconsistent exterior panel gaps and body parts that don't line up flush, but rated the interior as one of the best-finished cabins Tesla has ever produced — a split between the stainless-steel exoskeleton's fit-and-finish and the cabin's actual build quality.