How Jalopnik Approaches Reviews
At Jalopnik, we take reviews seriously. Our goal is to provide a fair, balanced, and informative critique, whether we're reviewing a dutiful sedan or a premium electric car, and give readers an accurate representation of what they can expect from each vehicle. With no shortage of options in the automotive world, we want to help readers make informed decisions on the value of each make and model, at any given price point.
We judge each product based on real-world experience, and — except where noted — all Jalopnik reviews are based on market-ready vehicles. Given the speed at which new models are released and existing software is updated, it's important to remember that our review is a snapshot and that the competitive landscape could change over time. Our scoring, therefore, is most relevant when our review is published.
Scoring
Our scoring system is an aggregate number based on a range of criteria. We assign each product a score between 1 and 10, with 10 being the highest rating. Our scores are intended to provide an indication of the overall quality and value of the product. Each score indicates how a product compares to its contemporaries, as well as how well it lives up to expectations.
Review Scale
- Something is so wrong with the vehicle that we recommend everyone actively avoid it.
- Fundamentally broken and/or misleading. We're not sure how this car ever made it to market, but we strongly advise you not to let it inside your garage
- The vehicle has a handful of redeeming features, but fails to live up to its promise and provides an underwhelming driver experience overall. You should probably buy a comparable vehicle, even if it costs more.
- We see hints of a quality vehicle, the ghost of the car that was promised. It's just a ghost, though. Seek better comparables or hope the next model improves.
- This vehicle toes the line of being unsuccessful, but we can see what the automaker was going for (even though they didn't quite get there).
- Below average: This vehicle doesn't quite live up to market expectations and better comparables exist. If you're in love with it, it won't offend, but it's not much better than acceptable.
- Average: This is a perfectly adequate vehicle in its category, but you can buy better.
- Great: A high-quality vehicle that's more than likely worth its asking price and worth considering.
- Almost perfect: There may be an issue or two that could be better, but this vehicle is definitely worth buying and stands tall against all comparables.
- Effectively flawless: The value of this vehicle meets or exceeds its price, and it fulfills the reviewer's expectations.
While numerical scores can be useful, reviews are by their nature subjective. This means that different Jalopnik reviewers may have very different opinions about a particular vehicle depending on personal preferences, experiences, or tastes. Don't get lost in the discourse. It's important to remember that a review score reflects just one person's opinion. So while it can be taken into account when considering your next purchase, you should also take into consideration other reviews and opinions as well.
Products that achieve a score of 9 or above are awarded Jalopnik Editor's Choice, a sign of how highly we rate them. Products that score between 8 and 9 earn the Jalopnik Select designation and are well worth considering in their category.
Embargoes and Review Units
We believe in transparency. While Jalopnik's reviews are typically based on vehicles supplied by automakers, as is the standard practice in the industry, our opinions and conclusions are independent. Any sponsored content is clearly marked. Where applicable, we accept early products so that we can give as thorough and informative a review as possible.
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