Consumer Reports Officially Recommends You Buy The Tesla Model S

Consumer Reports officially recommends the Tesla Model S, it announced today.

That's no surprise, given that in May, the magazine called it the best car it had ever tested. The electric sedan received top marks for crash testing from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

And while Tesla's PR team has had to explain away two recent Model S fires, each was caused by a terrible car crash, and both drivers walked away without serious injury.

For its recommendation, Consumer Reports collected information from more than 600 Model S owners. Those owners reported very few problems in 2012, but "quite a few more" in 2013. Even so, that reliability sealed the deal for the magazine, which puts a lot of value on how well cars operate over time.

The only marks against the Tesla were minor problems, including wind noise and mechanical problems with body hardware (like the sunroof, locks, and doors). Those are the kinds of things that a more sophisticated and experienced production process will iron out.

Consumer Reports sums up: "By all measures, the Model S is an impressive car, and one we can now wholeheartedly recommend."