Consumer Reports takes delivery of its own Tesla Model S Title says it all. We should start seeing more from them soon along w/a full review in the next few months.
It's interesting that they kept the fact that it was Consumer Reports that ordered the car right up to delivery so that they wouldn't get any special treatment. But now it will be pretty easy for Tesla to know who they are and can, in theory at least, more carefully monitor their telemetry, send them software updates preferrentially (or not), and expedite the Ranger service to them when needed. But still, it will be interesting to see how CR reports on this car. Will they judge it as an early adopter, or will they be more harsh as they would with the more established car makers? Despite the widespread respect CR gets for their car reviews, I've found in the past that I often had a very different experience than what they did. I think a lot comes from what their expectations were prior to the test/review for what the results they give.
I doubt the buyers of Teslas are going to care one way or the other how CR likes the car. The markets may take a bad review out on the stock. CR seems out of touch when it comes to high tech or cars. I expect Tesla to give high quality control and software updates to all their customers.
I think potential buyers will care. There are a lot of anxieties about EVs and if CR alleviates those anxieties with their review it could bring a lot of other buyers to the table...if they exacerbate them, it could be a huge setback. The communication and software updates, thus far, have been sporatic. I still haven't gotten version 4.2 while some have had it for more than a week now. I got 4.1 earlier than most and had 4.0 at delivery while most who took delivery before me didn't have it yet. But yes, in general I expect that they'll handle all the issues equitably.
Consumer Reports was certainly positive about the buying experience and gave a good comparison on the price $90K to similar high end cars from Audi or Porsche. They also noted that electric cars are going to more expensive. Nice they opted for the big battery and charger for the range and the charging speed. I'd guess there's going to be a lot of jockeying for who gets to drive the Tesla at CR.
I look forward to a positive review in upcoming Consumer Reports new car buying guides. ... and seeing an article about Blink charging customer service failing to alert Leaf driver of grid down (see thread here under EV discussion), I hope Tesla does a great job informing drivers of supercharging station status and charger availability.
They have completed their review and gave the Tesla Model S a rating of 99/100! Consumer Reports On Tesla Model S: Best Test Car Since 2007
