Consumer Reports wields great influence in the car industry

Robert Ferris of CNBC.com writes about the influence Consumer Reports has on the car industry.

Ferris writes, ‘Still, the organization’s goal is to cover about 90 percent of the U.S. car market, and it does evaluate vehicles in just about every major category.

“Part of how it achieves such trust among consumers is through its transparent and rigorous testing process and a strict commitment to eliminating potential conflicts of interest.

“The group puts cars through more than 50 tests, ranging from the strictly empirical to the more subjective. And the group stresses that it evaluates cars in ways that try to mimic how its members think ordinary owners will actually use them.

“‘They do spend a lot of time and effort and energy testing everything they review,’ said Samir Husni, a professor at the University of Mississippi who studies magazines.

“Husni has visited the group’s testing facilities and was impressed by the thorough approach to reviewing products.”

Read more here.