You may know Consumer Reports as a nonprofit organization that tests and rates every item a consumer can buy. But you didn’t hear that way back in 2015, the organization ran into a problem it had never faced before. At the time the newly launched car scored very high and broke the publication’s road-test ratings. It was the Tesla Model S P85D, an all-wheel-drive electric sedan priced at about $127,820 — and it originally scored more than 100. Considering Consumer Reports typically rates out of 100, this was not possible. In fact, the organization had to go back into their account and actually redo the method.
After those adjustments, the P85D settled at a flat 100. This made it the first vehicle in the magazine’s entire history to earn the best road-test score. And no, that doesn’t mean it was a flawless automobile. Consumer Reports was very upfront about it. It noted that interior materials weren’t as impressive as you’d expect for a six-figure price. And that became even more evident when something like the Mercedes S550, which scored 95+ and felt very luxurious inside, was brought into the picture. The ride was also stiffer and noisier than the standard Model S. Long road trips were also problematic because rapid charging stations were much less common at the time. Worse, reliability was average, according to owner surveys at the time.
However, none of those caveats stopped Consumer Reports from calling the P85D “an automotive milestone.” That’s to say, that kind of language — coming from an organization known for being more measured in its praise — said a lot.
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What makes the Tesla Model S P85D special?
Tesla Model S P85D in gray parked on the street – Sammy Drives NZ
So what was it about the P85D that made it all a mess? It was all about the drive – especially the raw acceleration. The car can go from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds during Consumer Reports testing, putting it on par with vehicles from Ferrari, Porsche and Lamborghini. One of Tesla’s best drive modes was on this car, literally called ‘Insane’, which lets owners tap into full launch force. And the wild part was that it all happened in almost complete silence, no engine growling. Reviewers described experiencing a sudden, strong forward momentum followed by a lightning bolt.
For example, TechCrunch’s Greg Kumparak, who spent three days with the car in April 2015, described the experience as feeling like the vehicle was “attached to you”. He went to skeptical reviews, saying the hype surrounding the Tesla had blinded everyone to its flaws, but left wanting to buy one. That reaction was very common among automotive journalists at the time. Also impressive was the fact that the P85D managed to do all this while still being a comfortable daily driver. It had room for five people and a surprisingly spacious cabin. Amazingly, Tesla still tops Consumer Reports’ customer satisfaction rankings for driving today.
It’s easy to forget now how young Tesla was as a company back then. The automaker only started delivering the original Model S in 2012, and that previous version had already earned excellent marks from Consumer Reports.
And as for the Model S’s charging woes, Consumer Reports also noted that the P85D returned the equivalent of 87 miles per gallon, making it highly efficient for its time. Unfortunately, the Tesla Model S is going out of production entirely.
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Read the original article on SlashGear.
