Originally published on Gas2.
The Tesla Model S is no stranger to records, and its top-of-the-line version until a better battery and Ludicrous mode recently came along was the P85D. After testing and loving a simpler Model S for years, Consumer Reports upgraded to a P85D. The result? The electric supercar broke Consumer Reports’ rating system and earned 103 out of 100 points. (Note that its initial Model S tied the Consumer Reports all-time high, scoring 99/100.)
“In rating it, however, we faced a quandary: The Tesla initially scored 103 in the Consumer Reports’ Ratings system, which by definition doesn’t go past 100. The car set a new benchmark, so we had to make changes to our scoring to account for it,” Consumer Reports states. “The Tesla Model S P85D is an automotive milepost. It’s a remarkable car that paves a new, unorthodox course, and it’s a powerful statement of American startup ingenuity.”
You can watch the summary video and/or the 25-minute final test video below.
You’ll notice if you watch the second video that the reviewers do go off the rails a little bit. None of them own a Model S or electric vehicle themselves, and they seem to have odd views of whether or not a Model S is a good “primary vehicle” for long trips. They think the limited Supercharging network makes that difficult… but owners don’t seem to agree at all. A recent survey on the Tesla Motors Club forum found that 100 out of 100 respondents used their Teslas as their “primary cars.” Even if they have other cars, they specifically use the Model S for long trips since it is so much nicer to drive and so cheap to drive.
One of the reviewers made a snide comment about not needing a gas station in his home, but none seemed to grasp that it’s much more convenient to charge at home while you sleep, and only visit a Supercharger maybe 3 times a year, than to visit a gas stations every week or two. This is often considered the #1 benefit of electric cars… yet almost no one without an electric car seems to understand it, even reviewers like these who gave the car a system-shattering high score.
Anyway, though, these guys clearly love the car, and nothing they’ve ever tested has impressed them more.
Also note that Tesla Model S owners have been the happiest with their cars for two years (probably three now) in a row, based on Consumer Reports’ owner surveys.
Aside from topping these Consumer Reports charts, the Model S is also the safest car ever tested in North America, the quickest production sedan in history, and the coolest car ever built (that last one is an official designation from me).
You can read or listen to more thoughts on the Tesla P85D from Chris DeMorro, me, and a few others in our own reviews of the Tesla P85D here:
Tesla P85D Test Drive & Reactions (5 Original Videos)
I Drove The Tesla P85D, And Now Nothing I Drive Will Feel The Same Way Again
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