Wall Street Journal columnist Holman W. Jenkins (great name) slammed Consumer Reports for its glowing review and better-than-perfect score for the Tesla Model S P85D, in part, because the $127,000 car still qualifies for a government tax break.
"Prostitute is not too strong a word," he wrote. "… (Consumer Reports) is shilling not only for the car but the government policies that subsidize it."
Jenkins takes aim at the state and federal tax incentives still available for the vehicle — which are going away in many places — and at the magazine for hyping its review so heavily, and subsequently giving it away for free on its subscription-based website.
Jenkins' point is re-enforced by the fact that Consumer Reports sent to media an embargoed statement summarizing their review the day before it was published, which is unusual for the consumer magazine.
Included in the statement:
"The P85D represents a glimpse into the future of automotive technology in which cars will be more energy-efficient than ever, while still delivering a terrific blend of performance and practicality," said Jake Fisher, Consumer Reports director of automotive testing in the statement. "The Tesla is a shining example of how higher fuel economy standards can be achieved without sacrificing performance."
Jenkins aimed at that performance by saying that if Consumer Reports was concerned with energy efficiency, it wouldn't hype the battery draining "insane" and "ludicrous" speed modes in its review.
The post Columnist: Consumer Reports 'Prostituted' Itself With Tesla Review appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
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