The Car Connection is a car research website that reviews new vehicles and reports on auto news from around the world. Its editors research and rank new cars for performance, safety, comfort and price, and the site also offers car financing tools, so you can compare models and work out how to pay for one in the same place. If you are shopping for a new car and want one trusted source to narrow your shortlist, start here, then confirm the price and the driving feel on a second source before you buy.
What The Car Connection covers
The site publishes expert reviews of new vehicles, daily auto news, car photos and technical specs. Its reviews cover the most popular sedans, SUVs, trucks and electric cars, and its news desk reports on pricing, new models and the trends reshaping the car industry. Read the review of the model you like, then read the news around it, so you do not buy a car the week before a better version is announced. Action: search the model first, read its review, then scan the latest news on that model before you set your budget.
How its rankings work and how to use them
The Car Connection ranks new cars for performance, safety, comfort and price, and it collects its information on a single model in a Decision Guide, so you can see the review, the specs, the safety scores and the price in one place. Use the ranking as a shortlist tool, not a final verdict. Pick the top two or three cars in the class you want, then read the full reviews of those cars only. That saves you from reading dozens of reviews and keeps your decision focused. If the top ranked car is not the one you enjoy driving, trust your test drive, because a ranking cannot feel the steering or the seats for you. Action: build a shortlist of three cars from the rankings, then test drive only those three, in the same week, so the feel of each one is still fresh in your mind.
Financing help on the same site
The site also helps with the money side of buying. It offers auto loan and leasing guidance, a car loan estimator and a loan request form, plus advice on trade ins, cosigners and buying with less than perfect credit. That is useful, because many buyers sort out the car first and only think about the loan at the dealership, which is the worst place to learn about financing. A dealer can shape the loan around the car you already want, and that is how buyers end up with a monthly payment they did not plan for. Action: before you visit a dealer, use the loan estimator to see what the monthly payment looks like for the price you can afford, and arrange financing in advance, so the dealer cannot set the terms for you.
Who writes the reviews
The site has one of the most experienced teams in the automotive press. Its editorial team is made up of veteran reporters with more than 50 years of combined experience, and skilled drivers who have assessed thousands of vehicles dating back to the late 1980s, on public roads and on demanding race tracks. The editorial director is Martin Padgett, and the senior editor is Robert Duffer, an award winning writer who has covered the industry since 2013. That experience is worth something when you read a review, because a tester who has driven thousands of cars can tell the difference between a genuinely good car and one that only looks good on paper. Action: when you read a review, check who wrote it and how the car was tested, then weigh the verdict against your own test drive.
Who should read it, and who should look elsewhere
The Car Connection is best for a buyer who is choosing a new car and wants reviews, rankings and financing guidance in one place. It is less useful if you are shopping only for a used classic or an old project car, because its focus is new vehicles. If that is your search, a specialist classic site will serve you better. For more sites that help you research a car before you buy, see our guide to the best websites to research a car before you buy, and use it to cross check the price and the reviews before you commit.
How to use it in three steps
Step one, search the model you are considering and read its Decision Guide, so you see the review, the specs and the price together. Step two, compare it with the two nearest rivals in the same class, using the rankings to see where each one wins and loses. Step three, check the financing tools and work out your monthly payment, then book a test drive of your top pick only. That order, research, compare, then test, keeps you from falling in love with the first car you drive and paying more than you planned.
Frequently asked questions
Does The Car Connection sell cars?
No, it is a research and news site. It reviews cars, ranks them and offers financing guidance, but you buy the car from a dealer. Use it to decide what to buy and what to pay, then take that knowledge to the dealer.
Can I use it to compare two cars?
Yes. Use the Decision Guide and the rankings to compare models in the same class, and look at performance, safety, comfort and price side by side. Then test drive the winner before you sign anything.
Is it only for new cars?
Its main focus is new vehicles, including new electric cars. If you are buying used, the reviews still help you judge a model, but you should also check the history and condition of the exact car you are buying, because a used car is only as good as its past care.