Can reviews help you buy your next vehicle?
Truth be told, that’s a tricky question to answer. On the one hand, knowledge is power. Buying a vehicle is a big commitment, so it’s a decision you don’t want to take lightly. In fact, any salesperson worth your time will appreciate helping a well-informed customer. On the other hand, as helpful as reviews are, there are a few problems with basing your purchasing decisions on them. That isn’t to say you shouldn’t trust reviews, but you should be careful with the way you read them.
What do I mean by this? Well, let me explain.
The first hurdle with reading vehicle reviews is understanding who the review writer is. Leading car sites source reviews from auto-experts and enthusiasts, which is great… but perhaps not in line with what you’re looking for. A reviewer might rate a minivan highly based on innovative new features, but that same minivan might not appeal to you if you’re more interested in trunk space and safety features. In other words, you might need to read multiple reviews for the same vehicle if you want to get a clear picture of a specific vehicle that interests you.
Now, because of this, you might be thinking that customer reviews and testimonials will be more helpful to you than professional vehicle critics. But unfortunately, these can be a bit of a wildcard. Layperson opinions can be helpful, but without the verifiable accuracy of a professional critic, you could be prone to reading misinformation. A customer may review a new model year of a vehicle without realizing that the vehicle they actually own is much older. Other times, a customer may have issues with their vehicle that would be otherwise preventable with regular maintenance. Since we should take these reviews with a grain of salt, you’ll want to also read plenty of them to form a more educated opinion.
However, even with all these steps, the best way to judge a vehicle’s quality is to just drive it for yourself.
Even if you find a perfect review, that’s written from your exact perspective, seeing is believing. Taking the time to test multiple vehicles and compare which ones you like is the best way to figure out which vehicle is right for you. Even the latest state-of-the-art features or the most critically acclaimed drive will not show whether a vehicle is right for you. But when you get behind the wheel and just know you’ve found a vehicle you love, then that’s the one that’s right for you.
If you have the time to read reviews, you absolutely should. In fact, the reviews are a great way to see all the great vehicles that are out there today. But when it comes the time to make a decision, set aside time at [DEALER NAME] to test your dream vehicle yourself. If you’re interested in scheduling a test drive, then I’d love to help you out. Call me at [USER PHONE] or send me a message, and I’ll make sure you walk out the door with a 10/10 vehicle.
