The ‘Meta Review’: How High Gear Media Reviews Cars

Posted: 12.12.2009 | By jeff

You’re familiar with car reviews–after all, you’re reading this through a High Gear Media Web site. And you know there are many Web sites, all with a unique spin on the cars, trucks and crossovers available in showrooms.

What you may not know, is how High Gear Media reviews cars–and how we compile one of the most comprehensive vehicle-review pages to be found on the Web.  We call our reviews “meta reviews” because we blend our editorial expertise with snippets of what other sources on the Web are saying.  No one else is as comprehensive or complete.  Here is a snapshot of how our process works.

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1. Your point of view.  Our reviews start with you–what you’re trying to find out about a car you know, or love, or just want to learn more about. High Gear Media’s meta reviews take the car shopper’s side–we look at all new cars sold in the U.S. each year from the point of view of a buyer who will own and drive their new car on all kinds of roads, from commuting to sporty driving.

2. The very best info — from anywhere on the Web we can find it. We bring you the best content from around the Web through aggregation. Our technology scours the Web for the most relevant information from the best cars sites on the Web.   Our system analyzes everything we find and surfaces only the best content we really think you ought to view to have a complete take on a car.  We’re bringing you the most relevant and most respected information from around the Web in the form of other expert reviews, user reviews, video clips questions and answers info,  and more.  Why go hopping from site to site, when we show you the a unique snapshot?

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3.  Expert auto journalists with over 50 years of combined experience. That’s the foundation that our experienced editors work with as they drive new vehicles and prepare our meta reviews. In any given year, there are more than 250 new vehicles offered for sale in the U.S.  High Gear Media’s editors make it their goal to drive every new vehicle, and to experience vehicles that may be updated from year to year, as we prepare our meta review.

First, we drive–and then, we write. Editors bring you a Bottom Line that condenses their opinions in a hands-on review with the concise information you need on styling, performance, comfort and utility, safety, and features. Based on those driving impressions, the HGM team of experts gives each vehicle a numeric rating in each of those categories, which is averaged into an overall rating.

From there, we scan the Web’s other resources to bring you a full review of quotes and opinions that support or contradict our findings. We also explain them to you, and explain our findings–so you can judge why one reviewer loves a car’s acceleration, and another finds it lacking.

Each year, we refresh these reviews so you’re armed with the latest information while you’re deciding on, or shopping for a new car–or if you’re just an enthusiast looking for everything on a certain vehicle. And throughout the year, High Gear Media’s in-house experts are driving and blogging on vehicles we drive on a regular basis–vehicles provided by manufacturers for our evaluation.

Note that we’ll also show you the very best links from around the Web for you to review yourself, if you have the time.  Why go hopping from site to site, when we show you the a unique snapshot?

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We think it’s the most comprehensive review you’ll find on the Web. We’re always looking to improve, though–and your suggestions will help us make High Gear Media even more in tune with what’s driving interest in today’s new cars. Give us your feedback in the comments below, or in an email — desk [at] highgearmedia [dot] com–or you can call us at 2106-IN-GEAR.

Thanks for reading. Now, back to the cars.

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