Can you trust online car reviews? Learn how to read them wisely, spot biases, and make informed decisions before buying your next vehicle.
Introduction:
In today’s digital first world online car reviews are often a first port of call for anyone in the market for a new or used vehicle. Between YouTube test drives Reddit threads and comparison articles there is no lack of opinions and information. But in its overabundance has followed a crucial question. Can you really trust those online car reviews? The answer is not a plain yes or no. There are good unbiased helpful yet subjective reviews as well as biased, out of date or paid for reviews.
Know the Source
A car reviews credibility begins with the person who has written or delivered it. In the case of automotive publications, periodicals such as Car and Driver, Motor Trend, Autotrader and Edmunds are well established. These have reputations honed over decades of testing and industry experience. Such a site does instrumented testing on vehicles and measures them in terms of performance. They also have the results of these taped tests on the site.
Independent bloggers, YouTubers and customer reviews on dealers websites or forums can provide fresh perspectives but range in reliability. Some influencers may receive free or paid for vehicles which can bias their analysis in favor of the positive. Be sure to look for sponsored or advertised reviews.
Distinguish Between Expert and User Reviews
But both kinds of reviews have value and they fulfill different psychological needs.
Expert reviews usually include options such as new and used price, and performance plus comparisons with competitors. They tend to test several different trims and versions and offer a wide overview of the vehicle.
User Reviews available on sites like Kelley Blue Book, Cars. com or even Amazon are providing a window to long term ownership. Such reviews also can uncover reliability problems, service experiences and every day usability issues experts might miss.
Watch for Red Flags and Extreme Opinions
Keep skeptical of reviews that simply have too much praise or are too critical with no evidence to back it up. For instance a five star review that reads Best car ever is just as unhelpful as giving a one star rant without telling about any specific issues at all.
Look for:
- Recurring complaints example: The transmission is jerky at low speeds.
- High praise points (e.g., ridiculously quiet cabin).
- Example of too much marketing buzz.
- Press releases disguised as reviews often a product of copy and paste or pay for play.
Context Is Everything
The review of a person who commutes an hour to and an hour back from work daily is not going to be the same as someone who has a car that gets used only on weekends for getaway. A reviewer living in an area constantly saturated in snow will have perhaps entirely different wants and needs than someone living in the tropics. Take into consideration the location, lifestyle and use case situations of each review. It is the reviewer a parent with kids in tow or single focused professional for whom performance really matters?
Get in the Comments and Forums
Other times gold can be found in comment sections of YouTube videos or car forums. Owners enjoy engaging in spirited conversation about quirks, mods, hacks and complaints. Reddit forums such as cars or specific car forums also have deep dive threads. Here actual users discuss and share long term ownership experiences.
These talks can offer an added layer of nuance to what you read in formal reviews and reveal common problems that do not always surface in official tests.
Aggregators and Comparisons Are Your Friends
Sites like U.S. News and World Report, Edmunds or True Car compile reviewers scores. But they tend to aggregate those scores themselves into a composite score. They aggregate ratings in a variety of categories safety, reliability, interior quality, resale value and boil it down to a number and a ranking. This might help cut through the noise and provide you with a more sweeping perspective.
Conclusion
Online car reviews can be a potent weapon if you read carefully. And by vetting the reader submitted information, reading expert and user opinions and comparing reports from various sources you can form a larger more reliable image of any vehicle. Take that together with a personal test drive and you will be ready to make a car buying decision that is meant for you and your needs, budget and lifestyle.
