April 2008
How Consumer Reports tests cars
Behind CR's test results and all of our Ratings and reviews is the most comprehensive auto-testing program of any U.S. publication or
Web site. At a time when more auto reviews and information is available than ever before, Consumer Reports still holds a unique place:
All of that means you get Ratings and reviews you can trust to be in-depth and balanced.
Safety at the limits
All our test vehicles are put through the emergency avoidance maneuver, where engineers push them to their handling limits. This shows us how a car will react if a driver has to swerve to avoid an object at higher speeds.
Real-world fuel economy
Our engineers install a precise metering device in the fuel line of every car we test, and measure mpg both in everyday driving and in controlled conditions on the track.
Ethanol testing
In order to test fuel mileage with flex-fuel vehicles we brought in E85, a mix of 85-percent ethanol and 15-percent gasoline, from Alabama.
Off-road & four-wheel drive
Our off-road course allows us to put SUVs and pickups through additional testing that includes mud holes, rocks, and dirt roads. We also have a purpose-built, boulder-strewn course to test ground clearance and suspension articulation.
Hydroplaning
CR's auto test facility includes a hydroplaning area, where engineers can precisely control the water depth and see how well tires maintain their grip at increasing speeds.
Braking performance
Braking tests are conducted in both wet and dry conditions.
Getting a grip on tire performance
Last year, Consumer Reports bought 572 tires for our tire testing program - the most extensive of any US publication. Our engineers then racked up almost 15,000 miles of handling, braking, ride, skid pad, and foul weather testing at our track, requiring over 2,500 separate tire changes. Total tread wear mileage of all tires we tested was more than 1.1 million miles.
- Because Consumer Reports accepts no advertising, we don't have to pull punches to avoid upsetting a car manufacturer.
- We anonymously buy our own test cars from dealers, just like you do, to ensure that our vehicles are representative of what
buyers will get. In 2007, we spent $2,783,000 on test vehicles. Other publications and Web sites write reviews based on hand-picked
vehicles that they've borrowed free from an automaker.
- Each CR test vehicle is typically driven for thousands of miles over several months. Most other auto reviews are based on one or
two weeks of driving; some on only a day or two.
- Each vehicle is put through more than 50 individual tests and evaluations at our 327-acre Auto Test Center, the most sophisticated
of any publication. Many of those tests were designed by CR's auto engineers, including our avoidance maneuver, wet braking, emergency handling course, real-world fuel-economy tests,
noise and ride-comfort courses, headlight tests, and antilock-brakes test.
- Each test car is evaluated by a full-time staff of experienced automotive engineers and their support staff. In addition to the instrumented testing, our staff and their families live with the cars, getting groceries, taking the kids to school, and driving them on long road trips. This combination of testing in a controlled environment and experiencing the cars day to day gives us insights that would not be possible from a brief test drive.
All of that means you get Ratings and reviews you can trust to be in-depth and balanced.
Putting the cars on the road
We test vehicles in competitive groups so we can see how they compare head to head against their peers. This helps us see the subtle differences between each vehicle that are harder to assess when they are tested individually.
We test vehicles in competitive groups so we can see how they compare head to head against their peers. This helps us see the subtle differences between each vehicle that are harder to assess when they are tested individually.
All our test vehicles are put through the emergency avoidance maneuver, where engineers push them to their handling limits. This shows us how a car will react if a driver has to swerve to avoid an object at higher speeds.
Our engineers install a precise metering device in the fuel line of every car we test, and measure mpg both in everyday driving and in controlled conditions on the track.
Ethanol testing
In order to test fuel mileage with flex-fuel vehicles we brought in E85, a mix of 85-percent ethanol and 15-percent gasoline, from Alabama.
Off-road & four-wheel drive
Our off-road course allows us to put SUVs and pickups through additional testing that includes mud holes, rocks, and dirt roads. We also have a purpose-built, boulder-strewn course to test ground clearance and suspension articulation.
CR's auto test facility includes a hydroplaning area, where engineers can precisely control the water depth and see how well tires maintain their grip at increasing speeds.
Braking performance
Braking tests are conducted in both wet and dry conditions.
Getting a grip on tire performance
Last year, Consumer Reports bought 572 tires for our tire testing program - the most extensive of any US publication. Our engineers then racked up almost 15,000 miles of handling, braking, ride, skid pad, and foul weather testing at our track, requiring over 2,500 separate tire changes. Total tread wear mileage of all tires we tested was more than 1.1 million miles.
