Introducing Mumsnet Cars...

Mumsnet and What Car? have joined forces to launch Mumsnet Cars, a brand-new, straight-talking car reviews section of Mumsnet which offers user-generated reviews as well as expert advice. 

The site contains reviews written by Mumsnet users, answering all the real questions that parents often have about cars: "Will it fit three car seats?" "Is it easy to maintain?" "How much should I be paying for this?"  "Can I fit in my entire family and still have legroom?" along with expert insight from What Car?.

Mumsnet Cars has been created to fill a gap in the market for clear, family-friendly advice for car buying parents. The site is a one-stop shop for parents researching the purchase of their next family car, including a tool that will calculate the value of your used car, and advice on buying, selling and running a car.

In a survey of car owners conducted on Mumsnet to coincide with the launch of the site, Mumsnet members were presented with a list of celebrities whose influence might persuade them to buy a car. 

Despite the list ranging from Kylie to Clarkson to Cameron*, nearly half of respondents (48%) said they would not trust any celebrity recommendation. In contrast, over three-quarters (77%) say that a recommendation from a friend or a relation would be influential.

That said, James May topped the MN poll, just ahead of Stephen Fry, Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond (in that order). Less than 1% of respondents said they would lay any great store by a car recommendation from David Cameron.

The survey also found that:

• Nearly half (46%) felt that car dealership sales people are not honest, and only 25% felt that the advice given at car dealerships was reliable
• 77% find car ads unmemorable, complaining that they all seem the same