Are you looking for a new motor? Check you’re getting a peach, not a lemon

MSE_Martin

If you’ve set your heart on a new car, it’s possible to quickly check whether you’re getting a dream drive or old rust-bucket. Website Peachorlemon is a powerful resource where of scores of drivers compare notes about individual cars, rating their vehicles as peaches (good) or lemons (bad).

How does it work?

To access the database and see drivers’ reviews of their current cars you need to sign up. Just take a few minutes to register your details; you can then rate your own car (if you wish) and search for reviews from other motorists.

Having problems with your current car?

This is also a useful resource when your own car’s gone wrong. If other reviewers are reporting the same problem you have ammunition when they tell you ‘it’s a one off’.

A word of warning.

Finally, do remember to take reviews with a pinch of salt; some unscrupulous companies may be tempted to praise their own cars (or have a go at rivals’).

mr_accountant

also a few other car review sites.

www.carsurvey.org
www.parkers.co.uk, then go to the reviews section and click on owners reviews.
http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/index.htm

Michael_Nottingham

Is it me or are all the reviews on the Peachorlemon.co.uk really old?

Just tried for a Focus and an A3 and there are very few recent reviews

Shame really as it could be a useful site

Stuartli

Try http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/index.htm

There's a full run down of potential problems with virtually all makes and models of cars.

These are compiled by HonestJohn, who has an outstanding record in the trade and also has a regular Daily Telegraph column.

wizk1

What a load of rubbish. Some people submitting reviews havent a clue how the rating system works. Out of curiosity, I did a search for reviews of my car, and found several with beaming reviews summarised by 5 lemons instead of peaches.

aj3001

Michael_Nottingham wrote:

Is it me or are all the reviews on the Peachorlemon.co.uk really old?

Just tried for a Focus and an A3 and there are very few recent reviews

Shame really as it could be a useful site

The site become known about a year ago so reviews were posted when the site first came into being

Jim123

Thanks for the comments as all opinions are needed to make our site better for all you drivers out there. I totally agree that PoL is not the b all and end all for you to chose another car. It is simply another tool to use with others to help make your mind up in what wheels to buy next.
We like to think that 99% of the comments are truthful and would always advise that the comments must be put into perspective when testing your future car, one man's meat is another man's poison.
The reason that some of the comments are old is because we are not that well known and our comments come in dribs and dabs although the hit counter is around 400 per day, not month (Sorry for the mis-information.) We are small fry and the only way that we can inform and educate better, is for drivers to spread the word about us as the more comments, the better we will get.
Like Money Saving, we are a living site and constantly changing, who in time, will stop you from buying a lemon on any make of car or at least you can't say that you were not warned.
We are the alternative to the motoring hack who thrashes the life out of a car for a couple of hours and says what a great car it is...........if he dosen't, he's lost his job.
Judging by the comments about our site that the owners have submitted, we are not doing much wrong but can always improve.

George_Bray

Jim

Good luck with your website but I'm sorry to say I gave it one chance and came away disappointed. Why should I have to spend several minutes registering when I can READ car reviews on many other sites without registering? It's a real turn off.

Regards
George

Astaroth

Review sites are very much like forums in that they require visitors to get more visitors - at 400 unique visitors a month clearly the traffic is exceptionally low at the moment (the misses personal websites get more unique visitors per month).

I am therefore curious Martin why you chose to promote this site over the thousands of other review sites (and probably hundreds of other more successful ones) given your claims of the site being free from adverts (which would include sponsorship) and high level of ethics on who's sites you do promote?