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Over the past 6 months I have steadily acquired a collection of car-based websites which have been (mostly) useful in helping me evaluate my next family car (which I am eagerly awaiting delivery of a fantastic Yeti!).
I thought that if i perhaps shared some basic thoughts on these sites, it may be of use to others.
So, in alphabetical order, we have:
Auto Express. Really just a front end to their in-store magazine, they seem to play a delicate balancing act of wanting to entice people in, but not give away all their magazine content (understandable, and a seeming very common theme). They therefore dont seem certain about if they are a web service or an advert for their weekly magazine. Either way however, with updates most days and alot of content (alot of archived stuff very useful) it's a useful resource. I have also found it to mirror my own views on a number of things (eg how a car drives). And they rate my Yeti highly
Autocar, similar and perhaps the biggest rival to AutoExpress? Their online news however seems more current, with more regular content being published. I rate this quite highly.
Car Enthusiast . Came across them by accident (a google search). They seem quite small, and website is a little bit 2005, but with updates a couple of times a week it's worth a glance. Their niche generally seems more aspirational stuff i think, but they also report on family cars.
CarFreaks. These guys are certainly aimed at the higher end, but with no (seeming) paper-based service to support, they have a strong online presence with a great look - one of the first decent websites (visually) to look at with a widescreen monitor. Still, when they talk about a BMW 6 series as an 'affordable' car, you know what to expect
Daily Mail. Once a week updates, seems to be just their print content but online (although ive never bought the paper to check). Generally once a week updates.
Evo. Another front end to their magazine, their photos are nice, and they seem to strike something of a balance of giving stuff away. Eg on the Yeti vs Lotus article (yes, really) online they just have the pretty pictures, whereas the magazine has the same but with all the text. More aspirational / driver fun stuff generally though - think Ford RS & Golf GTi, that's about the level.
Daily Express. Basically the same as the Daily Mail.
Guardian. Again, once a week updates. The website looks a little cleaner than Mail or Express. Content has a little more thought in it (for me).
Honest John. Some reviews, although not perhaps the focus of the site - he also offers advice on specific car issues, and some articles on car business practices. A good read, although not a daily visit.
The Independant. Very similar in most respects to The Guardian. I like the content, but too often they publish a link to "10 best" lists which then take you to elsewhere, rather than just having it in front of you. A bit annoying.
Parkers. Also not really a review website, they mainly focus on giving info about used cars and value, however they actually have quite a wealth of factual info (eg how many mm tall is a 1997 Honda accord? Answer is here). A very useful resource when looking to buy.
Telegraph. As you'd expect from web presence of a newspaper, although content updated a little more often than others.
Times Online. Quite a good site, even better if you like Clarkson (which i'm sorry to say that I do!), so it's a shame that they are moving to a pay-model shortly. Perhaps others will follow?
Top Gear. The website of the TV show. As you may imagine, less facts, more silliness. Occasionally helpful, often fun.
Verdict On Cars. Quite dry, and an older-looking website, with once a week (approx) updates, and then only really reviews, not news. Useful perhaps for a different view on an older car.
What Car?. Perhaps the biggest selling monthly magazine? Their website gives alot of content away, although some of it is confusingly laid out (go to the 'news section', and 5 pages of a print article are laid out, in reverse order, as 5 seperate news items).
Still, alot of content, although I beginning to have purely personal concerns about their links to manufacturers after they gave Peugeot's 3008 such a high review, despite my poor personal views upon test driving. Their video reviews however a worth having to get good visuals.
Women & Wheels. I am perhaps the most saddened by this site - I think that they have a very clear vision (aimed for women, by women, testosterone not welcome), quite a good web layout, and i love that they are primarily aimed at delivering videos as their medium rather than text (why dont more do this?? It is surely such a winner). To my dismay then is that they started late last year (i think) with a whole load of content, only to have pretty much gone dark over the past 2 months. I have no idea why. A shame.
5th Gear. I think that they want to be Top Gear. Online at least, they are pretty good.
Any others that you guys like?
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