Don't crash your Automobile Review. Insurance claims don’t work here...
Dec 17 '06 (Updated Jan 14 '07)
The Bottom Line Don't think you've got the right stuff to write a car review? Guess again...
Car reviews are simple. Just like driving, it can be a little scary the first time that you get behind the wheel, but it doesn’t take long until you start feeling confident on the road. With the right direction, that progression can even go quickly and painlessly. With the wrong direction, it can be horrible, and you’ll hate driving for the rest of your life. There’s also the remote possibility that you’re just an eternally terrible driver, and should be banned from the roads, but we all know that’s never stopped anybody...
Are You Eligible?
Who you are does not matter. Don’t be fooled into thinking you need to be a mechanic or salesperson to write a good review. Epinions is for average folks, so if you don’t know what a crankshaft is or how it works, chances are that most of your readers are in the same position. More than anything, we just want to find out what you think of the vehicle when you’re driving around, all in the way that you’d describe it if your neighbor asked you.
There’s a common debate about the usefulness of test drive reviews as compared to owner reviews. Both have their strengths and weaknesses, and rather than discounting one over the other, you should understand that both are useful. Test drive reviews are typically more objective and provide more comparisons, since the writer doesn’t have thousands of dollars invested in the vehicle, and they likely have driven many other vehicles. Owner reviews can provide a better picture of the long-term reliability and quality of a vehicle. For somebody looking to buy a new car, test drive reviews are invaluable. For people looking to buy a used car, owner reviews are invaluable. Together, they paint one of the most accurate pictures of the vehicle that you’ll ever see.
What it boils down to is that ownership does not matter – it’s all about experience. Some people can pick up on the characteristics of a vehicle in a matter of minutes, while other people take years to draw the same conclusions. While most people probably should avoid writing reviews after a simple test drive, there are some people that are perceptive enough to gain the required knowledge during a short drive. If you believe that you’ve had sufficient time behind the wheel, then there’s no reason to hold off on writing a vehicle review.
Driver’s Ed.
So you’re eligible for your license, so what do you do? You could go and take the road test, but it’s a better idea to learn the rules of the road before you endanger the lives of your readers with a poorly written car review. To begin, I’ll go over the things that you should consider including. Please, do not treat this like a recipe, and instead use it as a guide to creating your very own delicious recipe.
Introduce Yourself
"You are what you drive" is an accurate statement, so briefly tell us about you, your previous cars, and what lead you to writing this review. If we know a bit about you, then we can easily compare ourselves to you, and see how our opinions might vary.
Exterior
Given the subjectivity of a vehicle’s looks, generally keep your discussion of the vehicle’s looks to a minimum. If the vehicle is available in different forms (coupe/sedan/hatchback/wagon...), let us know which one you drove/drive, and which trim package it had/has (this is a little less important for used cars). If you can, tell us about any quality issues facing the exterior (any rust?).
Performance
This is one of the most important aspects of a car review, so don’t neglect it. It also comes across as the most "technical" area, but as you'll see with the following questions, they’re only "technical" if you make them that way.
• Is the engine powerful? Can you easily merge onto freeways? How’s it manage when passing on highways? Does it keep up when you’ve got a heavy load (mother in-law excluded...)? Does it suck back the gas/diesel? Have you calculated the miles per gallon?
• Are the brakes effective? Can you stop quickly, or do you feel like a lumbering giant? Do they wear down quickly? Do they squeal, grind, or make any funny noises?
• Does the transmission shift smoothly? Do you have a manual or automatic transmission? If manual, is the clutch easy to work with? Is the gearshift easy to work with? If automatic, does it ever seem to be searching for the right gear? Why are you driving with an automatic when manuals are so much more fun?
• Does the suspension soak up bumps in the road? Is it a "floaty" ride or are you connected to the road? Is it comfortable enough for long trips with passengers?
• How's the handling? Do you feel confident flying around corners at unsafe speeds? Can you fit into tight parking spaces or make quick U-turns? Is it a vehicle that begs for twisty roads, or is it genuinely boring? Can you easily cut somebody off and proceed to give them the middle finger while remaining in control?
• How well do the tires grip the road in different conditions? Are they durable, or did you need to replace to stock tires early on? Is it easy to find replacement tires?
• Is it 4WD and if so, do you like it? Is there a traction system or anything fancy like that? How’s the ground clearance? Have you driven it off-road?
Interior
• Are the front seats comfortable? Are they easily adjusted? Do they provide a good view of the road? Are they roomy? Are they supportive enough for spirited driving? Are they good enough for road trips? What about the back seats? Is there a third row? Is it any use?
• Are the gauges easy to read? Are the controls easy to use? How well do the windshield wipers work? Are the headlights bright enough? If you have cruise control, how well does it work?
• What’s the audio system like? Are there enough speakers? Is the sound quality any good? Is it easy to operate the system? Is there a DVD or navigation system, and is it any good?
• Is the climate system effective? Easy to use? Enough vents? Does it heat up/cool off quickly enough? Does the AC drastically hurt engine power or fuel efficiency?
• What’s the storage situation like? Are there lots of cup & bottle holders? How big is the glove compartment? Is there a useful center console? Map pockets? Other little compartments? Anything unusual? Is there much cargo space? How many groceries could you bring home?
• Is everything made out of cheap plastic? Do things scratch easily? Do you feel comfortable? Is it easy to keep clean? What’s the seat fabric like? What kind of abuse would it tolerate? How’s the noise insulation? Can you easily maintain a conversation?
Quality and Safety
• Do you feel safe? Is it heavy on active safety (avoiding collisions – i.e. traction control), passive safety (in collisions – i.e. airbags), or are the safety features limited to a seat belt? Have you ended up testing the safety features? Is it a vehicle for an overly safety-conscious person?
• What have you discovered about the build quality? Was the initial quality deceiving? Did things hold up great for the first week and then fall apart? Is it easy to perform any maintenance yourself? Have you spent much money on repairs? What repairs were they? What’s been covered by your warranty? (Remember: it’s a car review, not a customer service review.)
Value, Competition, and Conclusion
• Why did/didn’t you choose this vehicle? Is it too expensive for what it is? Is it a great value? Is there a particular model/trim line you recommend?
• Are there different vehicles that you’d recommend instead? Why?
• Quickly sum up all that you’ve just presented and give us your final recommendation.
That may seem like a lot, but keep in mind that you do not need to mention every single thing I mentioned, and there are other things that I may not have mentioned here. If you are concise, you can easily cover all of the above items in fewer than 1000 words, although I prefer to see more detail since vehicles are such a major expense. Also, I must repeat this: you shouldn’t need to consult a spec sheet, brochure, or anything of that nature to answer the above questions. Do include the basic specs like the engine size (4-cylinder, V6, V8), transmission type (auto, manual), body style & trim package, but I would sincerely hope that you don’t need to consult a spec list for that information.
Pay Attention to the Signs
1. Do Not Enter: Spec Lists are a One-Way Street
Lists suck, and overall, they will not be well-received in Cars & Motorsports. If you insist on including a list, make sure everything in that list is explained in your review and tell us how it influences your opinion of the vehicle. Remember, tell us what the manufacturer’s website doesn’t: your opinion. Reviews with no specs frequently get Very Helpful ratings, and random unexplained specs can bring the rating down.
Once you become comfortable writing automotive reviews, then you can start injecting a few specs to help support your opinion. I personally find it best to write a review all the way through without consulting a spec sheet. Once it is written, I go back through and briefly scan for places where specs easily fit in and would help support my opinion.
While no list is the best list, some people absolutely insist on including a boring old spec list. If you happen to be one of them, please consider just including the URL of a spec list, rather than filling up your review with regurgitated gunk.
Not Helpful: Legroom: 41.60"
Helpful/Very Helpful: There's plenty of legroom for the average person, with 4 extra inches of legroom over the competition.
2. Slippery when covered with Ice
Don’t tell us the obvious. Don’t test my patience by telling me that your vehicle comes with a rear defroster, intermittent windshield wipers, or, oddly enough, adjustable side-view mirrors. Only mention it if there’s something genuinely unique about it. If you don’t know what qualifies as standard equipment, just think about the common features of your previous cars, your parent’s cars, your sibling’s cars, and your friend’s cars.
Not Helpful: Standard features include adjustable side-view mirrors...
Helpful/Very Helpful: The side-view mirrors are huge, providing excellent visibility from the driver’s seat.
3. Speed Limit: 10 km/h
This is a car review, not a tie-rack review. With some exceptions, cars are far more interesting subjects and far more invigorating, so let that show in your review. Be creative and have some fun.
Very Helpful: I find the engine is peppy around town.
Most Helpful: The engine provided ample power for fleeing the retirement home where I just left my mother in-law.
4. Sclooh Zone
You don’t need to be a wonderful writer, but you should at least be a decent writer. Keep spelling and grammatical errors to a minimum. Use headings and blank lines to make the review reader friendly, and make logical progressions from one topic to the other.
The Road Test
After reading this and repeatedly shouting “Yes, tch7, Yes!” you will write your review, devoid of spec or feature lists, and then the moment of truth will come. You’ll press that publish button, followed by refreshing your review 20 times waiting for that first rating. The first one comes in, and, you guessed it... it’s Off Topic.
After all of that Driver’s Ed., you still don’t even know how to read a map...
So, after searching for a few hours to find the listing that looks like it might be the correct one, you give it another shot. The rates appear, and before you know it, you’ve added a Very Helpful review to your repertoire. Good job.
Disclaimer: Although I use the terms "we," "us," and so forth, these are only my observations over the past four years as a contributor to the area. Following my advice does not guarantee that you will get a great rating, as you may miraculously find some way to make the review atrocious.
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