Cybertruck AWD at $74,990: A Practical Breakdown Before You Buy
The Cybertruck Base AWD is now $74,990. A few months ago it was $59,990. That $15,000 difference deserves more than a shrug, especially if you've been watching this truck and waiting for the right moment to buy.
I'm not here to tell you whether the price is justified. What I can do is walk through what the Base AWD actually includes, where the trade-offs show up, and what that monthly FSD subscription actually adds to your cost over time.
The Exterior Trick
All three Cybertruck configurations look identical from the outside. The differences are in price, range, performance, and features, but none of that is visible from across a parking lot. So when someone asks what you're driving, you'll say "Cybertruck" and they'll have no idea what you actually paid.
This is either a feature or a problem depending on how you feel about status signaling. I find it kind of funny that Tesla's most visually distinct vehicle is also the one where trim level is completely invisible. You can't tell a Base from a top-spec by looking at it.
Inside: Textile, Not Leather
The Base AWD interior uses textile material instead of vegan leather. That's the trade-off at this price point. Textile is fine, it'll wear differently over years of use, and if you're actually using this as a work truck (hauling stuff, getting in with dirty hands), textile might be more practical than leather alternatives anyway.
But if you were expecting the leather-look interior from the promotional materials, that's not what you're getting here. Worth knowing before you sit down at a terminal to configure.
The Wheel Options
Standard on the AWD are 18-inch Molten Wheels. The upgrade is 20-inch Core Wheels with 35-inch tires. The tire sizing is the interesting part since 35-inch puts you in serious off-road territory. Whether that matters depends entirely on what you're actually doing with the truck.
And 18-inch wheels are functional. They're not what I'd picture visually on something this size, but they do the job without the upgrade cost.
Steer-by-Wire Is the Real Tech Story
The Cybertruck uses Steer-by-Wire, which means there's no mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the front wheels. The system interprets your input electronically and handles the rest. This is one of the genuinely novel pieces of engineering in this package.
It also means you're trusting the software entirely. Given Tesla's track record on updates, that's either reassuring or concerning depending on how long you've been an owner.
USB Ports: Sparse
One USB-C port in the front center console. Two in the rear row. Three total in a truck at $74,990. This sounds minor until you're on a road trip with a passenger who also needs to charge their phone.
Bring a hub. Seriously.
FSD: $99 Per Month, Every Month
Full Self-Driving is available as a subscription at $99/month. It's not included in the purchase price. If you want FSD, you're adding $1,188 per year to the cost of ownership on top of whatever you financed for the truck itself.
That's a recurring cost, not a one-time decision. Factor it in before you build out a monthly budget.
The $15,000 Question
The jump from $59,990 to $74,990 is real. It's not a modest adjustment. If you were budgeting based on the earlier price, the math has changed in a meaningful way.
The Base AWD still has genuine technology (Steer-by-Wire especially), and the identical exterior across trims might actually appeal to buyers who'd rather not broadcast what they paid. But the price increase is the headline here. One possibility is that Tesla adjusted the entry point to steer buyers toward higher configurations. That's speculation on my part.
What's not speculation: $74,990 out the gate, textile interior, 18-inch wheels standard, and $99/month if you want FSD on top of that.
Source: Teslarati