Tesla’s Model 3 gets Consumer Reports nod after brake update
Tesla Inc. Model 3 earned a recommendation from Consumer Reports after the magazine’s testers found that an over-the-air update from Tesla improved the mass-market sedan’s braking distances, the magazine said Wednesday. Braking distances had been one of the sticking points for Consumer Reports in not bestowing the Model 3 its recommendation last week. Tesla had said it would be able to make adjustments with over-the-air updates, and it did so within days. The improved braking distances raised the Model 3’s overall score enough to earn the recommendation, Consumer Reports said. The magazine has other concerns about the sedan, such as wind noise and uncomfortable rear seats, that Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk has said already have been addressed, so Consumer Reports is renting another Model 3 from Tesla to see if the changes made a difference and will update its review, the magazine said. Tesla shares have lost 6.5% this year, versus a 1.8% gain for the S&P 500 index.