Tesla Model S P85D: So Good It's Bad, Breaks Consumer Reports

When you establish a rating standard to try to give all products a fair review, you usually set it up against an ideal perfect product. But what if you come across a product that actually surpasses that ideal? That was the predicament that Consumer Reports found itself in when it tried to grade Tesla's Model S P85D, the successor to an earlier Model S version. You see, the P85D was rated so good that it scored a 103, on a scale that shouldn't even go beyond 100.

What did the Model S P85D had going for it? Well, for one it is an electric car, so it is one of the most eco-friendly consumer vehicles you'll find in the market. Sometimes seen as half a crutch, that hasn't stopped the P85D from breaking records. Consumer Reports' records, that is. In its Insane Mode, the car can go from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds. And without much of a sound to warn drivers, which have been recorded to be freaked out by this ability.

It can also run circles around its predecessor, almost literally. A drag race pitted the two against each other. It shouldn't be surprising by now to know who won. It is faster and yet is also more fuel efficient. That 103 out of 100 might have been well deserved.

Needless to say, Consumer Reports had to revise its rating system to account for this unexpected but pleasant surprise. That knocks the Model S P85D down to, well, 100, making it the new gold standard for Consumer Reports' future scores.

However, that perfect score doesn't really translate to a perfect care, and the P85D has its own share of warts. The cabin's materials could use a bit more luxury for the price, the ride was noted to be louder than the first Model S, and the 200-mile range will always produce anxiety given the limited number of Superchargers in the country. And most of all, the $127,820 price tag is something no consumer will be able to give a thumbs up to.

SOURCE: Consumerist