(CONSUMER REPORTS) - Consumer Reports has just finished testing the latest Tesla. The Model S P85D earned the highest score of any car it has ever rated.
Consumer Reports put the Tesla Model S P85D through complete testing at its track, including acceleration, braking, and handling. The all-electric Tesla aced all of the tests, even outperforming the original Tesla Model S in efficiency and speed.
The engineers recorded a 0 to 60 time of 3.5 seconds. That made it the quickest car ever tested at Consumer Reports. And despite being a lot faster and having all-wheel drive, it’s very fuel-efficient, getting the equivalent of 87 mpg.
The downside—the price tag. Consumer Reports paid almost $128,000. Consumer Reports said what’s most important was not the car itself, but what it has represented. It gave you a glimpse into the future of the automotive industry. It had all of the most advanced safety features. The software in the car can be updated over the air, overnight.
The hope has been that Tesla’s advances and impressive fuel efficiency will show up on lower-priced cars before too long.
In the meantime, the number of charging stations has been growing. There have now been more than 200. And the Tesla P85D has easily gone more than 200 miles between charges, about three times farther than other electric cars.
Complete Ratings and recommendations on all kinds of products, including appliances, cars & trucks, and electronic gear, are available on Consumer Reports’ website. Subscribe to ConsumerReports.org.
