Technological innovation is one of the most significant traits setting Tesla’s Model S apart from most other cars on the market, and it’s one of the main reasons why Consumer Reports has named it “Best Overall Car” for the second consecutive year. Consumer Reports has released it’s annual list of best cars and SUVs based on the tests it has conducted, and for the second year in a row, it was topped by Tesla’s luxury all-electric sedan. Consumer Reports’ list of top ten picks for 2015 features two other U.S.-made cars, the Buick Regal, ad the Chevrolet Impala, which even the magazine itself admits is a bit of a surprise.
Consumer Reports graded cars on three categories: performance, reliability, and safety. The cars have to pass specific road tests, crash and rollover tests, and they must have a good rating on the Consumer Reports’ Annual Auto survey that rates vehicle reliability.
The Model S was picked Best Overall Car because of its “innovation, magnificence, and sheer technological arrogance”, as the report says, which helped it beat some pretty tough competitors. The fact that its software can be updated so that the car can keep up with newer models and avoid becoming obsolete after a year or two was singled out by Consumer Reports as one of the strongest characteristics of the Model S. The luxury features, paired with high-performance capabilities and range that allows long distance trips make the Model S superior to other electric cars, that are widely considered as the future of the auto industry.
As far as the other American cars on this list are concerned, the Buick Regal was named Best Sports Sedan, with Consumer Reports touting its powerful 2.0-liter turbocharged engine that delivers 259 horsepower, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission, as well as its infotainment system.
The Chevrolet Impala, for its part, was named best pick in the large sedan category, thanks to the comfortable and spacious interior and responsive suspension, along with a relatively reasonable base price of about $35,000 for such a large car equipped with numerous luxury features.
The other spots on the list were taken by Subaru Legacy as the best mid-sized sedan, the Audi A6 as the best luxury car, the best green car – Toyota Prius, the best minivan Honda Odyssey, the Subaru Forester as the best small SUV, the best compact car – Subaru Impreza, and the best midsized SUV – Toyota Highlander.
One of the main takeaways from this year’s list of top ten cars and SUVs compiled by Consumer Reports is that American-made cars are starting to become worthy competitors to once superior imported vehicles, and that U.S. automakers are starting to offer more luxury, high-end and high-quality models that can “can go toe-to-toe with the best imports”, as the magazine’s director of automotive testing, Jake Fisher, says.