Understanding How Consumer Reports Ranks Cars

Many people trust Consumer Reports to help them find the right car, truck or SUV. In 2012, Consumer Reports surveyed Americans on brands and Toyota was recognized as the top brand. 

So you may be wondering … how does Consumer Reports come up with all of these different rankings?

When it comes to testing cars, here is how the publication tests vehicles.

• Consumer Reports Buys Their Own Vehicles – Consumer Reports anonymously buys cars from dealerships in an attempt to provide objective reviews. They never accept free vehicles from manufacturers.

• Consumer Reports Tests Car For Months – Every car that Consumer Reports tests is done over several months. Testers put thousands of miles on the cars and drive them in real-world situations.

• Consumer Reports Has A State-of-the-Art Testing Facility – Every vehicle is also driven and tested at Consumer Reports’ testing facility.  Every car undergoes hundreds of tests by its engineers.

Consumer Reports engineers test a variety of things including acceleration, braking, emergency handling, safety features, routine handling, and more.

While Consumer Reports does a great job at testing and evaluating vehicles, this shouldn’t be your only resource for purchasing a new car. Consider reading blogs (like ours!) and online forums as well as talking with car owners on social media sites.

You may also want to talk to a mechanic or a parts seller like us. At Toyota Parts Center, we sell Toyota OEM parts such as Toyota Camry parts and Tundra parts.