somnambule - Chevy Bolt beat out Model S (and others) for Motor Trend's 2017 car of the year. In the final article announcing the win, Motor Trend directly said that Elon Musk should be afraid, very afraid.
Thanks. I had stopped paying attention to that award long ago, but I agree it is a major award. As I mentioned before, I do think the Bolt is a game changer in the industry. It is unequivocally the first viable, mass-market EV. That said, I don't even know why the mildly refreshed S was included among the contenders and MT's "cons" against the Model S seem rather contrived. Autopilot doesn't work well outside highways? That must mean Bolt's equivalent of autopilot does. Oh, that's right. It doesn't have one. And the S 60's range is too low? Why not include the 75 then? It's almost as if MT didn't want the S to win the award it won several years ago with virtually no changes. Which makes sense. Much like US News changes their university ranking criteria each year, MT needs a new winner every year. The same old won't sell many magazines.
As for Musk being afraid, I think that's just theater. The Bolt and the Model 3 target quite different buyers. There's room for both in what will hopefully be a rapidly growing market for EVs.
I respect your opinion, but I feel that there is an expectation of superior quality with superior price where superior quality is advertised. It may not always happen, but that's still a reasonable expectation.
I don't disagree that the expectation is reasonable. I was simply pointing out that much of the automotive market doesn't deliver on that expectation, including flagships from brands synonymous with luxury vehicles and have long and illustrious histories. And that, for better or worse, Tesla is in "good company" in this regard. IMO, the bigger issue is really in the advertising that sets unrealistic expectations.
Thanks for the good discussion!
Likewise. As I said, I don't disagree with most of what you said. Simply a different perspective, perhaps shaped by my experiences with other "premium" brands (most recently BMW, as I've noted in other threads here).
