Consumer Reports is one of the oldest and most trusted names in car testing and reviews. The organization is known for its exhaustive reviews that gauge facts such as vehicle reliability and value to consumers. However, one question some readers may have about Consumer Reports is how do you get all the vehicles your organization reviews?
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How are Consumer Reports retrieving vehicles?
According to Consumer Reports, the organization purchases each vehicle reviewed. This means that the Consumer Reports team purchases over 50 vehicles per year for review.
But just as interesting as the fact that Consumer Reports buys so many cars is that the Consumer Reports team does it anonymously. Staff buy new cars in trim that the average consumer would buy, but dealers are unaware that buyers are associated with popular publications.
Of course, buying that many cars a year is no cheap process, and Consumer Reports spends over $2 million a year just buying review cars.
Each car purchase costs Consumer Reports, but it's necessary because of the types of reviews an organization writes and the value Consumer Reports brings to the review process.
Most publications receive loaner vehicles from auto companies for review. There's nothing wrong with this process, but it can introduce the biases Consumer Reports tries to eliminate in its reviews.
Car companies may give reviewers higher trim levels for vehicles that perform better than the lower trim most drivers buy. By purchasing a car, Consumer Reports ensures staff are testing the type of car that consumers actually drive. Purchasing anonymously also helps with this. Staff can avoid favoritism from dealers by not revealing that they have consumer reports.
Purchasing a car also gives Consumer Reports reviewers the freedom to take the time to thoroughly test the car. According to Consumer Reports, the publication's review process includes more than 50 tests per vehicle.
However, Consumer Reports drives each car 2,000 miles before these tests are run. All this is done to make the tests in Consumer Reports as applicable to real driving as possible. If Consumer Reports recommends a car, it means the publication really thinks it's a car that consumers will be happy with.
The way Consumer Reports acquires cars isn't the only thing that distinguishes the organization from other car review publications. No ads are displayed as readers scroll through the Consumer Reports website. Ad-free is another aspect of Consumer Reports' review philosophy.
But how does an organization make money if it's not making money from advertising? important to
Subscriptions are the organization's primary means of funding. An annual subscription to the Consumer Reports website costs $35 and gives subscribers access to all reviews and articles published by the organization. Consumer Reports also has a physical magazine that interested readers can subscribe to.
Beyond subscriptions, Consumer Reports makes money through donations. The organization is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, according to Consumer Reports. Interested donors can donate to the organization. This helps Consumer Reports maintain its independence, which is why it's been so well received.
