Tesla Model 3 braking, controls draw rebuke in Consumer Reports tests

Consumer Reports magazine won't recommend Tesla Inc.'s compact Model 3 because of the electric car's long stopping distances and difficult-to-use controls.

In a review, the magazine said the Model 3’s 60 miles per hour stopping distance of 152 feet was “far worse than any contemporary car we’ve tested.” It took 7 feet more that Ford Motor Co.’s F-150 full-size pickup. The company told Consumer Reports that its own tests averaged a stopping distance of 133 feet and that results vary based on weather, tire temperature and other conditions.

Consumer Reports is one of the most influential sources of information for U.S. car shoppers. It once gave the larger Tesla Model S its highest rating ever, lending credibility to the upstart maker of electric-powered vehicles -- and prompting CEO Elon Musk to declare his love for the magazine. But it went on to withhold its recommendation for that car on the basis of its below-average reliability.

Consumer Reports praised the Model 3’s battery range, handling and “exhilarating acceleration” that could make it a strong competitor to performance-oriented luxury makes, such as BMW AG’s 3 Series and the Audi A4.

But the Model 3’s stiff ride, unsupportive rear seat and excessive wind noise at highway speeds hurt its road-test score. In the compact luxury sedan class, most competitors deliver a more comfortable ride and rear seat.

Repeated delays

The Model 3 has faced repeated production delays and manufacturing bottlenecks at both its assembly plant in Fremont, California, and battery production site near Reno, Nev., which the company says are starting to clear. Tesla delivered 8,180 of the sedans in the first quarter, making it the best-selling electric car in America, and almost a half-million people have put down $1,000 deposits for Model 3s.

Tesla said in February a dual motor version would come at midyear and a standard battery pack would be available in late 2018. In a letter to shareholders earlier this month, Musk said that the company would begin offering new options such as all-wheel drive -- and a base model with a standard-sized battery pack -- once the company reaches a production rate of 5,000 cars a week.

Reservation holders could start configuring all-wheel-drive versions over the weekend, Musk tweeted.

Musk tweeted that a dual-motor, all wheel drive performance version of the Model 3, with all options except for Autopilot, will be $78,000. The company has yet to manufacture the base version of the car, which is supposed to start at $35,000 before options or incentives.

“The lack of a Consumer Reports recommendation won’t hurt the brand amongst its loyal following but certainly makes it harder to penetrate the mass market Tesla is relying on for long-term growth,” Rebecca Lindland, executive analyst at Kelley Blue Book, said in an emailed statement.