What no one else will tell you about cars

The Consumer Reports difference

Published: September 28, 2014 09:00 AM

Consumer Reports' road-test scores are based on the most comprehensive auto-testing program of any publication or website in the U.S. Here's how we do it.

We spend about $2.5 million per year to buy cars to test

We anonymously purchase our test vehicles from car dealerships, just as any consumer would. In fact, we're the only reviewer that does; others base their impressions only on vehicles that they have borrowed free from an automaker's special press fleet.

Start your search at our car buying and pricing page.

We are thorough

Each test car is put through more than 50 individual tests and evaluations—such as those for emergency handling, fuel economy, and wet/dry braking. They're conducted at our 327-acre Auto Test Center and on public roads ranging from freeways to twisty two-laners. Many tests were developed by our engineers and use specialized equipment or track surfaces that aren't available to other reviewers. After we finish testing each car, we calculate its overall road-test score and rank it among competitors in our charts without fear or favor.

We're nitpickers on fuel economy

The overall mpg figure is based on our own precise measurements while driving through specially designed city and highway courses. The figures can sometimes vary a lot from official estimates by the Environmental Protection Agency on window stickers and elsewhere.

Our experts practically sleep in the cars

Our true testing doesn't even begin until after 2,000 break-in miles. Each vehicle is driven for several months by our auto staff, who live with the cars on a daily basis. We gain insights by using the vehicles in the real world, just as customers would, and sometimes discoveries lead to manufacturer changes. Most other auto reviews are based on one or two weeks of driving, and some on just a day or two.

Learn more about how Consumer Reports tests cars.