What's not to love?
Despite some well-publicized mishaps this year, the Tesla Model S has snagged the coveted distinction of being the "Most Loved Model" in the United States for a second time in three years. The news earned a tweet of approval from Tesla CEO Elon Musk, saying "Love you too."
The electric luxury sedan earned 627 points out of a possible 1,000 in its Consumer Love Index (CLI), a rating system developed by brand consulting firm Strategic Vision. To arrive at the rating, Strategic Vision surveyed vehicle owners regarding 120 different aspects of their ownership experience, everything from the interior design of their vehicle to its driving performance.
According to Alexander Edwards, president of Strategic Vision, the Model S earned the highest CLI ratings because of its performance and not just because Model S owners tend to be fanatical about the car and the brand (though that certainly helped, of course). "It's a performance car first, and an environmentally-friendly electric vehicle [EV] second," Edwards tells The Drive. Model S owners love the car's acceleration from stop, technical innovations, and electronic displays as much as they value its being an electric vehicle.
Maintaining the Lead
The Tesla Model S has thus far set the standard for sedans in the EV business, but other brands have been following suit with their own lines of EVs. The cost of electric vehicles is expected to drop in the coming years, which will help bring them further into the mainstream, but given all this added competition, can Tesla maintain its lead in the luxury EV business?
Tesla's electric cars, including the Model S, don't leave a huge carbon footprint, so they've already got that going for them. However, they are far from perfect. "With difficulties in roominess and interior appointments and ingress, there are enough problems that may make customers say, 'This was great, but I was to see what else is out there,'" Edwards notes.
While Tesla clearly has room for improvement, its Model S isn't the only vehicle that received praise recently. Last week, the Model X SUV won the prestigious Golden Steering Wheel. While we won't know for sure if Tesla's domination of the EV market will continue, for now, let's let the Tesla Model S have its moment as America's most loved luxury sedan.
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