Should I trust KBB, US News, Car and Driver, etc reviews when considering a car? And are there any car review websites that are legit?
Talk to mechanics. Talk to tow truck drivers. Ask Scotty and the Mods here in the forum.
FWIW, all those reviews judge a car when it is new. They don’t usually review the reliability of it. And when they do test the reliability, the make is paying for the review, so it is somewhat biased.
That’s one reason I like Tesla’s business model, they give a big eff you to J.D. Power by not participating.
Ditto. I've had a trusted mechanic for over 20 years. He's always provided sound advice. Private guy, small shop, extremely popular and busy as heck.
Take everything you see online with a pinch of salt. Most reviewers are sponsored by the manufacturer, so you’re never guaranteed a fully honest review.
The best way is to go by the OEM’s track record & by personally checking/test driving a vehicle.
https://carkiller.com/scottykilmer/qa/s-m-kilmer-associates-vs-j-d-power-associates/#post-65330
it's best not to let anybody else do your thinking for you
Sure I use those sites too I watch their reviews for driving dynamics practicality etc. not for reliability.
Also see link below, but take what they say with a grain of salt, esp. when it comes to reliability and recommendation to buy. Perhaps when it comes to the objective items such as safety, what tech and features it has, what engine/transmission lies underneath, performance stats, road test, driving dynamics, etc. you can rely on their assessment a bit more. That’s what I do. But their subjective opinion of the vehicle (usually but not always it is a glowing review) I just set aside.
https://carkiller.com/scottykilmer/qa/car-reviewers-are-unreliable/#post-59267
Agreed with the "pinch of salt" sentiments. Reviews/opinions are like belly buttons, everyone has them. Two people walk down the same street, ask them what they saw and felt and the answers will be completly different. At the end of the day, reviewers are reviewing to get paid, its a job/lifestyle. Talk about (pun intended) a fun job, get a new car for a few days and drive around while taking notes/filming. In order to keep that job going, guess what? Where is that job that gets paid for poor results? Even car commercials write "do not attempt/closed course" showing a vehicle driving on a road, lol.
I love what @mountainjoe wrote:
it's best not to let anybody else do your thinking for you
As for car review site that are ligit, hey look no further than Scotty!
I believe Cars & Drivers did place the Camaro as the best car of the year once. I was like WTF???
