Our commitment to editorial independence is absolute and non-negotiable. This policy sets out exactly how we operate, who pays for what, and what happens when our independence is challenged.
Advertising never shapes our reviews, ratings, or editorial coverage.
We have no commercial relationships with any car brand.
Every piece of content is attributed to a real, named editor.
PerfectCars has no financial relationship with any automobile manufacturer, importer, or dealer group. We accept no manufacturer loans, no sponsored content, no affiliate commissions, and no payments for editorial placement. Any advertising displayed on the site is served independently and never influences our reviews, ratings, or editorial coverage.
Test cars used for reviews are either purchased by PerfectCars at full retail price, borrowed via the standard press-fleet process (with no conditions attached), or assessed during manufacturer events where no exclusive access or hospitality agreements are in place.
If a manufacturer attempts to restrict publication of a negative review, place conditions on press-car loans, or influence editorial decisions in any way, that manufacturer is removed from our press-fleet programme and the circumstances are disclosed publicly.
Every review on PerfectCars is written by a named editor listed on our editors page. Anonymous reviews are not published. All editors have verifiable backgrounds in automotive journalism, engineering, or professional driving.
Editors are prohibited from owning stock in any automotive company they review. They must disclose any personal ownership of a vehicle they are assigned to review, at which point the review is reassigned.
Guest contributors may be commissioned for specific features. All guest contributors are identified as such and undergo the same editorial independence review as staff editors.
All performance claims (0–60 times, top speed, power outputs, fuel economy) are cross-referenced against a minimum of three independent sources: official manufacturer documentation, independent dyno testing data, and published journalist test results.
Where a manufacturer's claimed figure cannot be independently verified, it is labelled as "Manufacturer Claimed" and accompanied by any available third-party test results.
Specifications are updated when manufacturers revise official documentation or when mid-cycle updates materially change a vehicle's characteristics. All updates are dated and the original figures retained in an edit history.
PerfectCars scores vehicles across six categories: Performance, Driving Dynamics, Technology, Comfort, Value, and Engine Quality. Each category is scored from 0 to 10 by the reviewing editor, moderated by a second editor before publication.
Scores are calibrated against a reference matrix of vehicles in each segment. A score of 7.0 in a segment represents a competent but unremarkable vehicle. Scores above 9.0 are reserved for genuinely class-defining products.
Overall scores are a weighted average. The weighting varies by vehicle type — a track-focused sports car weights Performance and Driving Dynamics more heavily than a family SUV, which weights Comfort and Value more significantly.
Scores are not revised in response to manufacturer objections. They may be revised if a recall or software update materially changes a vehicle's characteristics, in which case the original score and revision are both shown.
Factual errors are corrected promptly. All corrections are noted at the end of the article with the date of correction and a description of what was changed. Corrections are never made silently.
If a manufacturer contacts us to dispute a review opinion (as distinct from a factual error), we publish the manufacturer's response alongside our original text. Opinions are not retracted.
Readers may submit corrections via our contact form. All submissions are reviewed within 48 hours by the relevant editor.
PerfectCars does not sell reader data to third parties. The only data we collect ourselves is that necessary to operate the website (server logs, form submissions). Where third-party advertising is shown, any data those partners collect is governed by our Privacy Policy and their own policies.
Reader email addresses submitted for the newsletter are used solely for that purpose and are not shared with any third party, including manufacturers or automotive brands.
Editorial complaints should be submitted via the contact form, marked "Editorial Complaint." All complaints receive a response within five working days from the Editor-in-Chief.
Where a complaint cannot be resolved directly, PerfectCars is a voluntary signatory of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) code of practice for digital publications.
If you have questions about our editorial process, want to submit a correction, or wish to file an editorial complaint, please reach out via our contact page.
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