Consumer Reports has announced what other automotive publications have also determined in other models of the high-end Tesla. The electric vehicle has tested better than any car in history of the magazine’s respected ratings systems.
Specifically, the all-wheel drive the 2015 Model S P85D sedan tallied 103 points in the magazine’s system that by definition doesn’t surpass 100 points.
Consumer Reports’ staff reported: “The P85D is brutally quick, with instant acceleration. The car’s thrust is forceful and immediate. Its near-instant g-forces can otherwise be achieved only by leaping off a building—literally.”
“That this electric car accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds without an engine’s roar makes it frighteningly eerie in its silent velocity. It’s so explosively quick that Tesla has created an ‘insane’ driving mode.”
With a price tag of $127,820, the Model S P85D, according the publication, “pushes the boundaries of performance and fuel-efficiency.”
In addition to its impressive acceleration, the Tesla achieves the equivalent of 87 mpg.
The magazine’s editors rated the Model S P85D with better braking and handling than its previously best-testing car, the Tesla Model S.
Despite its high rating, Consumer Reports detailed that the Tesla Model S isn’t perfect. Its interior doesn’t match other cars in its price category and the its ride is firmer and louder than the base Model S.
The other issue with the new Tesla is its price tag and limited manufacture makes it an elitist vehicle. Its estimated 200-mile range also requires logistical planning on long trips.
Tesla is scheduled to debut is Model X crossover in 2016. The Model 3, compact sedan with a price of about $35,000, is scheduled to be unveiled in 2018.
Article Last Updated: August 29, 2023.
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A sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004.
In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times in Walnut Creek, Calif., and monthly auto review and wellness columns for Gulfshore Business, a magazine in Southwest Florida.
An author and contributor to many newspapers, magazines and online publications, co-hosted The Weekly Driver Podcast from 2017 to 2024.