Yahoo Autos How We Test & Review Cars
Road & Track’s vehicle evaluation process centers on driving pleasure. While practical considerations matter, an R&T assessment primarily reports how a new (or vintage) vehicle makes a driver feel. Does it inspire affection? Or is it distant and sterile? How eager will an owner be to get into it and lose themselves in the driving experience?
Our team of experienced writers and editors work hard to thoroughly evaluate our test vehicles in their appropriate environments, whether that be setting laps in the latest and greatest performance cars on a famed race track like Laguna Seca or jumping dunes in the most hardcore off-road-ready pickup trucks on the market in the sand off Lake Michigan.
Different types of content rely on varying amounts of time spent with vehicles. Early first-drive reviews frequently take place at press events that manufacturers organize for journalists to experience a new vehicle. That can mean a day or two driving here in America or traveling to another continent. Longer evaluation stories are usually done with a one- to two-week loan to R&T’s staff. And ambitious projects like R&T’s annual Performance Car of the Year and Performance EV of the Year tests involve weeks of planning, renting facilities where performance limits can be approached, and gathering a dozen or more editors together to trade insights and conclusions.
When in-depth performance measuring and instrument testing are required, R&T leans on the data collected by the Hearst Autos testing team. R&T’s testing tradition goes back to 1949 when the magazine was first published, and today it includes a team of trained engineers, experienced drivers, and other experts with a keen understanding of vehicle dynamics and automotive heritage.
When numbers are needed, they are scientifically collected using current GPS technology and precise timing equipment. R&T’s sister outlet Car and Driver uses these same Hearst Autos resources when producing its content. An in-depth explanation of the methods used can be found at this link.
R&T has been doing this for a long time. And that’s reflected in the consistent technical excellence and authoritative writing of its tests.
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