In its review of the Tesla Model 3, Consumer Reports called the car’s 0-to-60-mph time of 5.3 seconds “blistering,” compared its handling to the Porsche 718 Boxster, and said testers found the Model 3 “thrilling to drive.”
Still, the magazine says it can’t recommend the car.
The problem, according to Consumer Reports, is the brakes:
“The Tesla’s stopping distance of 152 feet from 60 mph was far worse than any contemporary car we’ve tested and about 7 feet longer than the stopping distance of a Ford F-150 full-sized pickup.”
Tesla countered the magazine’s findings with a statement:
“Tesla’s own testing has found braking distances with an average of 133 feet when conducting the 60-0 mph stops using the 18” Michelin all season tire and as low as 126 feet with all tires currently available. Stopping distance results are affected by variables such as road surface, weather conditions, tire temperature, brake conditioning, outside temperature, and past driving behavior that may have affected the brake system. Unlike other vehicles, Tesla is uniquely positioned to address more corner cases over time through over-the-air software updates, and it continually does so to improve factors such as stopping distance.”
Consumer Reports noted that it borrowed a second Model 3 and ran it through the same tests and got almost identical results.
The Model 3 was also dinged for requiring “complex interactions with a touch screen” that can cause driver distraction “because each act forces drivers to take their eyes off the road and a hand off the steering wheel.” Also, Consumer Reports said the Model 3’s stiff ride, unsupportive rear seat and excessive wind noise at highway speeds hurt its road-test score.
Consumer Reports’ 2018 Brand Report Card, a ranking released in February of automakers that produce reliable, high-performing models, placed Tesla eighth in its list of the ten best. Tesla was the only U.S. automaker in the top ten. Only the Model S and Model X were considered for that ranking.