The Tesla Model S electric car has won accolades from auto enthusiasts across the board. Now it has received the highest rating Consumer Reports has ever given, 99 out of 100.
No car has achieved such a feat since 2007, when the Lexus LS 460L also received a nearly perfect score.
"This electric luxury sports car, built by a small automaker based in Palo Alto, Calif., is brimming with innovation, delivers world-class performance, and is interwoven throughout with impressive attention to detail. The sum total of that effort has earned the Model S the highest score in our Ratings: 99 out of 100. That is far ahead of such direct competitors as the gas-powered Porsche Panamera (84) and the Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid (57)," Consumer Reports writes in a review that will appear in the July issue later this year.
Critics have lavished praise on the Model S since its introduction last year. It won MotorTrend's Car of the Year Award for 2013, and pundits and analysts used to driving gasoline-powered vehicles or hybrids have marveled at its design, power, handling and amenities.
"The Tesla Model S is packed with technological innovation. It accelerates, handles and brakes like a sports car, it has the ride and quietness of a luxury car and is far more energy efficient than the best hybrid cars," said Jake Fisher, director of Automotive Testing for Consumer Reports.
It is interesting to not that Consumer Reports also pointed out the extended range of the Model S, since Tesla was embroiled in a heated exchange with the New York Times earlier this year when a reporter claimed his test vehicle ran out of charge in the middle of a journey, stranding him on the side of the highway.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk fought back, releasing data recorded by the test vehicle refuting the reporter's claims. Neither side ended up admitting fault, but an investigation by the Times concluded its reporter had made some judgment errors on the test drive but found no malicious intent.
"With its hefty 85-kWh lithium-ion battery, our Tesla is easily the most practical electric car we've tested," writes Consumer Reports. "Though the Ford Focus Electric and Nissan Leaf can go about 80 and 75 miles, respectively, before needing a charge, our Model S has been giving us around 200 miles: ample for commuting, running plenty of errands, and still being able to take the long, winding way home."
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