“The Tesla Model S is our top-scoring car”

There's something that's been bothering me about this whole thing. Not the Tesla, but the rest of the market. Is that it? Is it that easy? A guy who made his money selling a phonebook and then an online payment processor can read a few books, hire a few people out of the same industry he's disrupting and build a goddamn amazing car (electric or not)?<p>Why can't the existing industry do this? Why all the mediocre product that's the tail end of pumping billions of dollars into R&#38;D staffed by largely the same folks Tesla has been hiring?<p><i>edit</i> to be clear I'm not just talking about electric cars, but cars in general. There's a few Model S's in my area, and they're <i>beautiful</i>.

I can attest to this. Initially, I was extremely skeptical that the Tesla was anything great (electric cars haven't been the highlight of the automotive industry despite repeated attempts by established manufacturers). A few weeks ago, however, I had the chance to drive a family friend's Tesla and I was stunned.<p>The Model S seems like a car from the future. Forget the fact that it's completely electric and charges via an alien-like, glowing plug. The interior with the large, beautiful touch screen, a voice-activated system (that, contrary to Siri, actually works) coupled with access to the internet, and the gorgeous trim and accents really make the Tesla a standout.<p>Moreover, it's every geek's dream. You can remotely control the car with a smartphone app, monitor the car's efficiency and performance via beautiful graphs, and even have presets for charging cycles.<p>Best of all, the pickup is like none other (as one would imagine). Flooring it in a Tesla has a completely different meaning. Pure acceleration and no roaring engine noise.<p>I think it goes without saying that I'm very excited about this company.

I just drove a Tesla Model S last weekend. Here are my perceptions, as I was SUPER curious about the car before I drove it:<p>Pros: 1) The drive is AMAZING. The car is quiet, it accelerates amazingly, and the regenerative braking is really cool. 2) It feels like the future. The huge computer screen is cool (but distracting, you can go on the internet at anytime). 3) The ability to get software updates all the time is cool when thinking about cars.<p>Cons: 1) It is impractical for an urban dweller in a condo building: you have to pay for an electrician to come install a special outlet, then pay for the electricity (which is fine if you own a house, getting this through a condo association is a nightmare). 2) The whole time you are thinking about the battery charge. What if you forget to plug in your car at night? 3) For the cost, it lacks feature a luxury car should have: park assist is one feature. The model i drove was around 90k and the more "luxury" features felt like a standard sedan (the leather, the wood, etc). You are definitely paying for the tech. 4) What if someone hits you? How much compared to other cars does it cost to get repaired? The salesperson couldn't answer this. 5) The car is connected to 3G for maps (unless you upgrade) and at some point, you will be paying for this service. 6) You have to plan out where you power up for a trip longer than 200 miles...so annoying.<p>If you have the capacity or need for a fun, toy car at this price point...check out the Model S. I don't find it practical as a main car in the city.

I have learned cynicism and skepticism about a lot of media, but Consumer Reports remains one of the few sources -- the only one I can think of offhand -- that I trust without a second thought.<p>I like their business plan and focus on doing what they do well.<p>Their reviews mean something (even to someone like me who lives in Manhattan and doesn't drive).

As a Model S owner I can attest to the awesomeness of the car. Will hit 20,000km in the next few weeks.<p>Moreover I'm hoping that Tesla will challenge others in the industry to rethink their business model from the ground up. In 2013 why are we still replacing mufflers, why are using timing belts and not timing chains, and why is it that every time I walk into the dealership for a regular service I end up walking out with an even bigger bill than I expected? I get there is always wear and tear on a mechanical component but how many components are there in a typical car that are designed to fail to support an after market industry? I want a car built right and will pay more for that to avoid getting hooked into an industry that has become addicted to model year turnover revenue.

I think the Tesla is amazing, but Consumer Reports is bizarre. I've never been able to grok Consumer Reports car reviews... I remember one year (2003-2004 i think) where they punished Hyundai for some minor cosmetic issue, but white-washed an issue where plastic body panels were falling off a Honda, and gave that car their highest rating.<p>You could literally buy a similar BMW or Audi and all of the gas that you would ever consume for a price much less than that of the Tesla. And without the limitations of an electric car. Is the driving experience that much better than the other high end luxury cars?

I don't know where to ask this, but does anyone know why they bothered with the front trunk? Was it just to keep the Model S looking like a typical car, so people would be less averse to considering it? Crumple zone for accidents? Seems like it would be unnecessary weight on a car where that would effect range.

No offense, at these price points the car better damn well be perfect. When they deliver a car at an every man's price point and score very high then I will be impressed. A year to two down the road and maintain that level of performance I will be impressed. Until then, cars are these price points have large enough margins that extra time and detail can be baked into the process.<p>Kudos for beating the other luxury guys.

More bad news for the people shorting tesla, then.<p>edit: Up 27% on Nasdaq at 12:47 ET

One thing I've always wondered: How does Consumer Reports afford to purchase all those cars (and other expensive items that it reviews)?

Someone probably paid them to say that ... oh wait!<p>Going to be hard to argue with consumer reports though they have gone astray a few times.<p>Now just make a model for half the price. In this decade.

It's definitely a nice car, but it will interesting how much they will adjust the score (if at all) when they revisit it for their long-term use review.

Great news for anyone supporting innovation and green energy

It has three very serious problems:<p>1. High price<p>2. Low range<p>3. Inability to instantly recharge<p>(3) would be fixable by mechanically unloading the battery and loading a new charged one; not sure about the rest.

Why are there not more Elon Musk's in America and how can we create more of them?<p>Answer here: <a href="http://home.bresnan.net/~cabreras/theboy.htm" rel="nofollow">http://home.bresnan.net/~cabreras/theboy.htm</a>

I always thought cars close to or over 100K were considered Exotics, but then I recalled that most big SUVs are around that price point.

Consumer Reports is part of Ralph Nader's Consumer Union, an extremely left-wing operation. It is inconceivable that a $89k car with a top range of just 200 miles gets their top rating without a bias.