The plug-in extended range electric Fisker Karma can run petrol-free for 38 miles on a full charge but Consumer Reports‘ (CR) engineers found it full of flaws: compared with other luxury sedans, the Karma has tight confines and limited visibility, and a badly-designed touch-screen system makes the dash controls an ergonomic disaster, the US consumer rights advocate said in a statement.
CR bought the $107,850 test Karma, the most expensive car it has ever tested. But it didn’t compare well with other luxury cars.
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“Although we found its ride, handling and braking performance sound and it has first-class interior materials, the Karma’s problems outweighed the good,” said Jake Fisher, director of CR‘s Auto Test Center.
“Despite the car’s huge dimensions, it’s very cramped inside. The overcomplicated controls are frustrating and it’s hard to see out. When it’s running, the gasoline engine has an unrefined roar. And the Karma’s heavy weight affects agility and performance, as the Karma lacks the oomph you expect.”
The Karma was tested “head-to-head” with another four-door, four-passenger luxury sports car with coupe-like styling – the Porsche Panamera.
“[Our] testers found it handily upholds the Porsche pedigree, offering an exciting blend of performance and practicality,” CR said.
It added the Karma scored too low to be “recommended”, but noted it did not have enough reliability data to recommend the Panamera, either.
The Fisker Karma is similar in concept to the Chevrolet Volt – both are extended-range electric vehicles. On a full charge, the Fisker delivers the equivalent of 66 mpg overall (1.96 miles per kilowatt-hour).
CR said that, once the battery is depleted, a “raspy” GM-supplied turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine kicks in to generate electricity for longer trips. Fuel economy when running only on premium gasoline “is an unimpressive 22 mpg”.
CR added: “Although [we lack] reliability data for the Karma from [our] annual subscriber survey, [our] Karma test car proved to be particularly trouble-prone. It had a rough start in… testing when it suddenly became disabled on the organisation’s test track. Fisker replaced the battery pack in [the] test car and later offered replacements for all 2012 Karmas. But [our] engineers have continued to encounter disconcerting intermittent glitches related to the gauges, warning lights, power windows and radio.”
In contrast, on this side of the Atlantic, the Karma was named ‘Luxury Car of the Year’ by BBC Top Gear magazine as well as ‘Car of the Year’ by Top Gear TV presenter, James May.
Consumer Reports is not known for pulling its punches when subjecting new vehicle models and technology to scrutiny.
After comparing Land Rover’s new Evoque compact SUV with its BMW X3 rival, the organisation declined to give the British model a “recommended” rating, scoring it just 60 points compared with 80 awarded to the German model, despite the Evoque receiving high ratings in most consumer media reviews.
In late 2010, CR also strongly criticised the initial versions of SYNC and MyFord Touch telematics/user interface products offered in some Ford models sold in the US for being too complex, describing the latter as a “complicated distraction while driving [which] first-time users might find it impossible to comprehend”.
An alternative view from US magazine Car and Driver
