For $90,000 you can own a Tesla Model S, the 2014 and 2015 Consumer Reports Car of the Year
Tesla does it again, taking the top honors in the 2015 Consumer Reports Best Car of the Year awards.
Of note, three U.S. auto models made the Consumer Reports’ list of top picks this year, and Buick became the first U.S. brand to end up in the annual ranking of the best auto manufacturers.
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Although there were many “impressive” new models this year, the magazine said, “none was able to eclipse the innovation of the Tesla.” The $89,650 Tesla that Consumer Report tested is “a technological tour de force, a high-performance electric vehicle with usable real-world range, wrapped in a luxury package.”
Strong showing for General Motors
GM brand Buick was ranked seventh out of 28 automakers in Consumer Reports’ annual survey of 1.1 million vehicles owned by its subscribers and the magazine’s own testing. Buick’s notable reliability made it the top U.S. brand, while Lexus, Mazda and Toyota nailed down the top three spots.
The Buick Regal joined the best list, taking this year’s sports sedan crown. CR called the Regal a “surprisingly agile” car that combines a “Europhile driving experience” with a “strong” value.
New Buick cars like Regal will help overcome the brand’s reputation as “an old person’s car,” noted Jake Fisher, Consumer Reports’ director of automotive testing. “It is small, tight and agile. It is like a German sports sedan, not a floaty American barge.”
Another GM vehicle, the Chevrolet Impala, was the best large car on this year’s list. The Chevy name has been reborn with a “true luxury car” ride, according to CR.
“For years domestic automakers built lower-priced and lower-quality alternatives to imports, but those days are behind us,” Fisher explained. “Today many domestic models can go toe-to-toe with the best imports.”
Details on Consumer Reports 2015 Best Car of the Year Awards
Three Subaru models showed up on the CR Top Picks list this year, including the mid-size Legacy, the compact Impreza and the small SUV Forester.
Toyota Motors had two on the CR list in 2015, the Highlander in the midsize SUV category and the Prius in the green car category.
The highly-acclaimed Audi A6 was not surprisingly the top luxury car, and the Honda Odyssey took the honors as the top minivan.
Of note, Asian-branded cars, which have historically dominated CR’s best cars lists, ended up with six of the 10 categories this year.