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The Tesla Model S is so skillful it broke Consumer Reports' ratings bulwark. On a scale that is supposed to top out at 100, the Model S P85D garnered a score of 103. Consumer Reports recalculated its score reporting so this Model South wound up with a reported score of 100. The P85D is the all-wheel-version with motors both front and rear.

Consumer Reports says information technology bases its road-test score on the results of "more fifty tests and evaluations" on public roads and rails testing.

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Why is Tesla then practiced?

Consumer Reports' auto testers are car fanatics. Some race cars. If always they were bandage in the image of Ralph Nader, that'south in the rear-view mirror. They got off on the "brutally quick" 0-60 mph acceleration time of 3.5 seconds, the quickest of any car ever tested by the mag. (Tesla claims iii.two seconds 0-60, 1.four seconds quicker than the original Model S.) They noted the car produced 691 hp past adding a 221-hp motor in front end.

Teslal charger high-power-wall-connector2_1024x1024At the same time, it gets the equivalent of 87 miles per gallon, calculated past comparing the cost of the electricity the auto uses to what it would cost to run a similar vehicle on gasoline. Electricity from the wall outlet is 2-3 times equally efficient as gasoline on a cost ground.

On the downside, the auto weighs most 5,000 pounds, the range is 200 miles-plus, and y'all take to plan long trips around the location of 220-volt chargers or preferably Tesla 440-volt DC superchargers (with free electricity). It's likewise noisier at speed and less luxurious than other cars in its pricing ballpark — $127,820 in the case of the CR test car. Early on on in testing, in that location was a cleaved electric door latch to contend with.

Some things Tesla does well may not evidence on ratings. Tesla is the only automaker with a 17-inch middle stack LCD. Rather than dedicate buttons to a garage door opener, they're virtual buttons on the display that pop up once you lot're close to habitation. Tesla sends updates over the air when they're needed and they're non just issues fixes. Some unlock more power and range via new algorithms. No need to expedition to the dealership.

Rounding downwardly to 100

All those good things gave the car a score of 103 out of a supposed-to-be-maximum of 100 points. Consumer Reports says information technology adapted its ratings so the scale again tops out at 100. For the time being, at to the lowest degree, the ratings of other vehicles won't be adjusted downward to keep the relative calibration intact.

Twice before CR has had to adjust its ratings to account for high-scoring vehicles: the Porsche Boxster several years ago, and the Lexus LS in the early 1990s.

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CR's current best cars: 6 High german, 4 American

According to Consumer Reports, these are the highest-scoring cars CR has tested. Virtually one-half did not get a "recommended" stamp, meaning the models were new and there was insufficient repair information from reader surveys, or because the auto scored below average on repairs. Half dozen of the 10 are German, four are American (ii Teslas, two Chevrolets), and none are Asian.

Make/Model, Consumer Reports test score

Tesla Model S P85D, 100 points
Tesla Model S (85 kWh), 99 (recommended)
BMW M235i, 98 (photo in a higher place)
Mercedes-Benz S550 (AWD), 96
Porsche 911 Carrera S, 95 (recommended)
Mercedes-Benz E250 BlueTec, 93
Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 3LT, 92 (recommended)
Audi A8 L, 91
Chevrolet Impala 2LTZ, 91 (recommended)
Audi A6, (3.0T), 90 (recommended)