Yahoo Finance 2016 Tesla Model X Review: Fast and Flawed
The Model X’s rear doors rise like wings to reveal two “floating” rear seats. This fully electric luxury SUV also has a jet-fighter-like canopy windshield and power front doors, and can park itself.
But beyond the brag-worthy magic, the all-wheel-drive Model X 90D largely disappoints. The rear doors are prone to pausing and stopping. The second-row seats can’t be folded, limiting cargo-carrying ability. The big windshield is neat but not tinted enough to offset the brightness of a sunny day, and wind noise is excessive.
Despite its 5,400-pound weight, the X has warp-speed thrust, hitting 60 mph in just 4.9 seconds. Driven sedately, our test car’s 90-kWh battery provided about 230 miles of range. The agile Tesla corners more like a sports sedan than an SUV, but its ride is too firm and choppy for a $110,000 car.
The interior is striking in its minimalism. Most vehicle functions are controlled via the giant, responsive touch screen, but you need to take your eyes off the road to use it.
Front seats are roomy and plush; the third-row seats are better suited to kids.
Tesla’s semi-autonomous driving package is available on the X, and Consumer Reports believes that stronger steps should be taken to ensure that these systems are safe. (Find out what you need to know about semi-autonomous technology.)
In spite of its virtues, the Model X’s complexity, compromised functionality, and dismal first-year reliability suggest that it’s a car for early adopters eager to one-up their peers.
Read the complete Tesla Model X road test.
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Editor's Note: This article also appeared in the January 2017 issue of Consumer Reports magazine.
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