Consumer Reports' best car ever tested
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Consumer Reports' best car ever tested
http://money.cnn.com/2013/05/09/auto...html?hpt=hp_t3
NEW YORK (CNNMoney)
Consumer Reports is calling the Tesla Model S the best car it has ever tested. The Model S, an all-electric plug-in car, earned a score of 99 out of a possible 100 in the magazine's tests.
The score would have been higher but for the fact that the all-electric car does need to stop and recharge during extremely long-distance drives.
"If it could recharge in any gas station in three minutes, this car would score about 110," said Jake Fisher, head of auto testing for Consumer Reports. Fisher called the car's performance in the magazine's performance tests "off the charts."
Depending on price, the Model S has driving range of between 208 and 265 miles. A full charge takes about six hours from an ordinary 240 volt outlet, according to Tesla.
The Model S has already won awards from car magazines like Motor Trend and Automobile, but Consumer Reports is widely regarded as being the most influential magazine among car shoppers. Consumer Reports, published by the non-profit group Consumer's Union, purchases all the cars it tests and does not accept paid ads.
The score of 99 means the Tesla (TSLA) Model S, a sedan that can seat as many as seven people, performed as well or better than any automobile the magazine has ever tested. The score is not unprecedented -- most recently, it was earned by the Lexus LS460 in 2009 -- but no car at any price has ever scored higher.
Prices for the Model S start at about $70,000, not including federal and state tax incentives for electric cars.
The Model S tied for the quietest vehicle the magazine has ever tested, was among the most energy-efficient and had excellent scores for acceleration, braking and ride quality.
"We don't get all excited about many vehicles, and with this car we really did," Fisher said.
The magazine's raves for the Model S stand in sharp contrast to the treatment received by the competing Fisker Karma that the magazine pilloried, calling it "plagued with flaws." Fisker is now in dire financial trouble.
On other hand, Tesla just announced its first profit and raised sales forecasts for the Model S.
Industry analysts have credited the quality of the Model S, in part, with Tesla's early success in an industry that has not been kind to start-ups. Just recently electric car maker Coda Automotive went under and plug-in car maker Fisker is near its demise. Tesla, meanwhile, is financially healthy thanks to good sales of the Model S plus deals it's reached to supply components to major automakers like Toyota and Daimler as well as sales of electric car credits, earned under California regulations, to other automakers that sell fewer electric cars.
Tesla had previously stated a goal of selling 20,000 Model S cars this year and has now raised that goal.
The question remains whether the car will continue to sell well in the long term, said Todd Turner, an industry analyst with Car Concepts in California. A lot of that will depend on the longer-term dependability of its battery technology, he said.
"All kinds of cars have complexities," he said. "Everything has to work for a very long period of time."
Consumer Reports isn't recommending the Model S, though. At least not yet. To be recommended, a car has to have at least average "predicted reliability," something that's based on reader surveys. Also, a car has to have good crash test scores from the government and from the privately funded Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Consumer Reports has not yet collected enough data to rule on the Model S's reliability.
So far, the magazine itself has had a couple of minor issues with its test car, Fisher said, including a radio problem that was fixed by an overnight over-the-air software download and a cracked windshield.
To maintain its momentum, Tesla will need to move beyond this car, said Ed Kim, an analyst with the auto marketing consulting firm AutoPacific.
"Ultimately, Tesla's going to have to transition from building six-figure cars for bleeding-edge early adopters to making a car for a more general audience," Kim said.
Tesla's next vehicle is supposed to be the Tesla Model X crossover SUV but, after that, the company's plans call for a less expensive car and, possibly, other products.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney)
Consumer Reports is calling the Tesla Model S the best car it has ever tested. The Model S, an all-electric plug-in car, earned a score of 99 out of a possible 100 in the magazine's tests.
The score would have been higher but for the fact that the all-electric car does need to stop and recharge during extremely long-distance drives.
"If it could recharge in any gas station in three minutes, this car would score about 110," said Jake Fisher, head of auto testing for Consumer Reports. Fisher called the car's performance in the magazine's performance tests "off the charts."
Depending on price, the Model S has driving range of between 208 and 265 miles. A full charge takes about six hours from an ordinary 240 volt outlet, according to Tesla.
The Model S has already won awards from car magazines like Motor Trend and Automobile, but Consumer Reports is widely regarded as being the most influential magazine among car shoppers. Consumer Reports, published by the non-profit group Consumer's Union, purchases all the cars it tests and does not accept paid ads.
The score of 99 means the Tesla (TSLA) Model S, a sedan that can seat as many as seven people, performed as well or better than any automobile the magazine has ever tested. The score is not unprecedented -- most recently, it was earned by the Lexus LS460 in 2009 -- but no car at any price has ever scored higher.
Prices for the Model S start at about $70,000, not including federal and state tax incentives for electric cars.
The Model S tied for the quietest vehicle the magazine has ever tested, was among the most energy-efficient and had excellent scores for acceleration, braking and ride quality.
"We don't get all excited about many vehicles, and with this car we really did," Fisher said.
The magazine's raves for the Model S stand in sharp contrast to the treatment received by the competing Fisker Karma that the magazine pilloried, calling it "plagued with flaws." Fisker is now in dire financial trouble.
On other hand, Tesla just announced its first profit and raised sales forecasts for the Model S.
Industry analysts have credited the quality of the Model S, in part, with Tesla's early success in an industry that has not been kind to start-ups. Just recently electric car maker Coda Automotive went under and plug-in car maker Fisker is near its demise. Tesla, meanwhile, is financially healthy thanks to good sales of the Model S plus deals it's reached to supply components to major automakers like Toyota and Daimler as well as sales of electric car credits, earned under California regulations, to other automakers that sell fewer electric cars.
Tesla had previously stated a goal of selling 20,000 Model S cars this year and has now raised that goal.
The question remains whether the car will continue to sell well in the long term, said Todd Turner, an industry analyst with Car Concepts in California. A lot of that will depend on the longer-term dependability of its battery technology, he said.
"All kinds of cars have complexities," he said. "Everything has to work for a very long period of time."
Consumer Reports isn't recommending the Model S, though. At least not yet. To be recommended, a car has to have at least average "predicted reliability," something that's based on reader surveys. Also, a car has to have good crash test scores from the government and from the privately funded Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Consumer Reports has not yet collected enough data to rule on the Model S's reliability.
So far, the magazine itself has had a couple of minor issues with its test car, Fisher said, including a radio problem that was fixed by an overnight over-the-air software download and a cracked windshield.
To maintain its momentum, Tesla will need to move beyond this car, said Ed Kim, an analyst with the auto marketing consulting firm AutoPacific.
"Ultimately, Tesla's going to have to transition from building six-figure cars for bleeding-edge early adopters to making a car for a more general audience," Kim said.
Tesla's next vehicle is supposed to be the Tesla Model X crossover SUV but, after that, the company's plans call for a less expensive car and, possibly, other products.
Good for Tesla. Elon Musk has always said in order to sell an electric car, it doesn't just need to be electric, but it needs to be a better car than anything else on the road. It seems like Tesla is making it so.
I'm excited for their lower priced model, hopefully it should be available within 5 years, and hopefully battery technology can get at least 500 miles (@ 60 mph, similar to the 265 mi range it states for the 85 kWh model that is more like 150 @ 80mph highway speeds) on a charge. I think that would be a key range for people in the $50k market with long commutes.
I'm excited for their lower priced model, hopefully it should be available within 5 years, and hopefully battery technology can get at least 500 miles (@ 60 mph, similar to the 265 mi range it states for the 85 kWh model that is more like 150 @ 80mph highway speeds) on a charge. I think that would be a key range for people in the $50k market with long commutes.
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Here's what Consumer Reports actually had to say about it, though they restrict some of their write-ups that are available on-line:
http://news.consumerreports.org/cars...oring-car.html
There, we said it. The Tesla Model S outscores every other car in our test Ratings. It does so even though it's an electric car. In fact, it does so because it is electric.
Built from the ground up as an EV, this car's overall balance benefits from mounting the battery under the floor and in the lowest part of the body. That gives the car a rock-bottom center of gravity that enables excellent handling, a comfortable ride, and lots of room inside. Plus, it has a front trunk where other cars' gasoline engines would be, in addition to its large rear cargo space. This big luxury hatchback even seats seven, with its optional third-row jump seat.
Inside, the car looks like something Marty McFly might have brought "back from the future" in place of his iconic fusion-powered DeLorean. A giant 17-inch touch screen glows in the center of the dashboard, controlling everything from high-res Google Earth maps to opening the sunroof, setting the responsiveness of the regenerative brakes, and adjusting the suspension ride height. In all, the Model S worked better than we expected—especially being the first home-grown model from a brand-new car company.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To learn more about electric cars, visit our alternative-fuel car guide.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The electric motor delivers impressive power, right now, and it is impressively efficient. The Model S uses about half the energy of a Toyota Prius every mile, and it has more than twice the range—about 200 miles—of any other electric car we've driven. Still, you'll have to plan ahead for longer trips; you won't be taking it on a spontaneous jaunt from, say, New York to Cleveland any time soon. You won't make it. Even with Tesla's optional High Power Wall Connector, it takes about five hours to charge. On a standard 240-volt electric-car charger, it would take about 12 hours.
Tesla does provide some ability to make long trips in the Model S- as long as they're the right trips. Up and down California, from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, and between Boston and Washington, D.C., the company has set up a network of Supercharging stations—with free electricity—that can refill the battery halfway in a half hour. (To charge more than that at such speed takes longer and would damage the battery.)
All this comes at a price. We paid $89,650 for our Model S, with the biggest available battery, the most seats available, and the fastest available optional chargers. Then we still had to pay another $1,200 for Tesla's High Power Wall Connector. But operating costs are a little more than half that of a frugal Prius.
So is the Tesla Model S the best car ever? We wrestled with that question long and hard. It comes close. And if your needs are confined to the Tesla's driving range, it just may be. But for many people, the very thing that makes cars great is the ability to jump in and drive wherever you want on the map at a moment's notice. And on that measure the Tesla has its limitations. So the Model S may not satisfy every conceivable need, but as we've learned through our testing and living with it, the Model S is truly a remarkable car.
Read our complete road test for more details, and check the Ratings to see how it compares to other luxury cars and electric cars.
http://news.consumerreports.org/cars...oring-car.html
There, we said it. The Tesla Model S outscores every other car in our test Ratings. It does so even though it's an electric car. In fact, it does so because it is electric.
Built from the ground up as an EV, this car's overall balance benefits from mounting the battery under the floor and in the lowest part of the body. That gives the car a rock-bottom center of gravity that enables excellent handling, a comfortable ride, and lots of room inside. Plus, it has a front trunk where other cars' gasoline engines would be, in addition to its large rear cargo space. This big luxury hatchback even seats seven, with its optional third-row jump seat.
Inside, the car looks like something Marty McFly might have brought "back from the future" in place of his iconic fusion-powered DeLorean. A giant 17-inch touch screen glows in the center of the dashboard, controlling everything from high-res Google Earth maps to opening the sunroof, setting the responsiveness of the regenerative brakes, and adjusting the suspension ride height. In all, the Model S worked better than we expected—especially being the first home-grown model from a brand-new car company.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To learn more about electric cars, visit our alternative-fuel car guide.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The electric motor delivers impressive power, right now, and it is impressively efficient. The Model S uses about half the energy of a Toyota Prius every mile, and it has more than twice the range—about 200 miles—of any other electric car we've driven. Still, you'll have to plan ahead for longer trips; you won't be taking it on a spontaneous jaunt from, say, New York to Cleveland any time soon. You won't make it. Even with Tesla's optional High Power Wall Connector, it takes about five hours to charge. On a standard 240-volt electric-car charger, it would take about 12 hours.
Tesla does provide some ability to make long trips in the Model S- as long as they're the right trips. Up and down California, from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, and between Boston and Washington, D.C., the company has set up a network of Supercharging stations—with free electricity—that can refill the battery halfway in a half hour. (To charge more than that at such speed takes longer and would damage the battery.)
All this comes at a price. We paid $89,650 for our Model S, with the biggest available battery, the most seats available, and the fastest available optional chargers. Then we still had to pay another $1,200 for Tesla's High Power Wall Connector. But operating costs are a little more than half that of a frugal Prius.
So is the Tesla Model S the best car ever? We wrestled with that question long and hard. It comes close. And if your needs are confined to the Tesla's driving range, it just may be. But for many people, the very thing that makes cars great is the ability to jump in and drive wherever you want on the map at a moment's notice. And on that measure the Tesla has its limitations. So the Model S may not satisfy every conceivable need, but as we've learned through our testing and living with it, the Model S is truly a remarkable car.
Read our complete road test for more details, and check the Ratings to see how it compares to other luxury cars and electric cars.
But operating costs are a little more than half that of a frugal Prius.
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Or are you taking into account the fact that e Tesla costs 70k base? Confused.
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Lexus Champion
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 11,204
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From: The Woodlands, TX
But operating costs are a little more than half that of a frugal Prius.
I read that as the "Operating costs are a little more than "half the price of a frugal Prius "
I was focusing too much on how much it cost to charge the Tesla on a daily basis.
Thanks for waking me up.
Last edited by GS3Tek; May 9, 2013 at 11:17 AM.
Lexus Fanatic
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From: Los Angeles/Vancouver
Tesla S is an amazing car and I'm blessed to see 5-7 everyday and have two friends work at the Nummi plant and another who is taking delivery of his soon.
Iirc the 2007 LS also scored a 99/100 from CR
Iirc the 2007 LS also scored a 99/100 from CR
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Joined: Oct 2003
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From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs