What goes into a car comparison?

We at CarsGuide.com.au endeavour to test every new car that hits the market, but the most useful reviews are where we compare new cars against their closest competition. 

Shopping for a new car can be a daunting task. Few of us have the time to test drive all the vehicles on our shortlist, and it’s even rarer to get the chance to compare them on the same day, in the same environment.  

With more than 60 brands to choose from and several hundred models, Australia is widely regarded as the most competitive new car market in the world.  

So buyers have plenty to choose from, but it’s our job to make these choices easier.

Our annual CarsGuide Car of the Year award selects the best new model to arrive on the market, but we conduct several comparison tests throughout the year to help formulate our COTY shortlist.

We also publish a weekly head to head comparison, which puts two similar models side by side to determine a winner.  

These comparisons can help determine the best model in a particular class, the best of a bunch of recent arrivals, or the best way to spend your money within a certain price bracket. 

We compare anything from budget hatches to luxury sedans, SUVs of all sizes, utes, commercials and performance cars. 

Our team of experts have several decades of experience between them, and follow a scientific process to select the winner of a comparison.

Competing vehicles are tested simultaneously over the same roads, over routes chosen to test the breadth of their capabilities and highlight any shortcomings.  

Price, value, fuel consumption, safety, performance, and packaging are common criteria regardless of what models we’re testing, but we also consider a vehicle’s suitability for its intended purpose. 

We aim to provide the best online tools for choosing your next car. If there’s anything you think we can do better, please let us know in the comments below. 

Recent multi-car comparos

2015 Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger and Mazda BT-50 review

2015 Nissan Navara, Mitsubishi Triton and VW Amarok review

2015 Mazda CX-3, Honda HR-V, Renault Captur and Mitsubishi ASX review

2015 Kia Sorento, Toyota Kluger and Ford Territory review

2015 Toyota Camry hybrid vs Ford Mondeo diesel review

2015 Hyundai Sonata, Mazda6, Subaru Liberty and Toyota Camry review

2015 VW Polo GTI, Citroen DS3 and Ford Fiesta ST review

2015 Honda Jazz, Mazda2, Suzuki Swift and Toyota Yaris review

2015 Suzuki Celerio, Mitsubishi Mirage and Nissan Micra review

Also search our weekly head to head comparos here.

And you’ll find hundreds of used reviews here.

Plus popular older comparos

Best medium SUVs | comparison review

Holden vs Ford | which one to buy

Best of the big utes review | comparison