TrueDelta
Encyclopedia
TrueDelta.com is a car information site that claims over 30,000 registered members as of December 2008 and 40,000 registered cars. The site focuses on the reporting of automobile
reliability and gas mileage
, and also contains vehicle pricing and comparison information. The site utilizes its membership base to gather data and report on each registered/owned vehicle monthly with data published quarterly.
1) Any car owner can join the survey, and those that do get access to the resulting information.
2) A member can buy a subscription for a year to obtain access to the information.
, and is one of the category leads for the Epinions.com
auto section.
TrueDelta's data collection methodology differs form other publications such as Consumer Reports
. Consumer Reports compiles data from reader surveys once annually while Truedelta.com takes monthly surveys and issues quarterly reports. Truedelta also differs in that it asks if a vehicle needed unscheduled service, how many days the vehicle was in the shop, and whether the problem was corrected.
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
reliability and gas mileage
Fuel efficiency
Fuel efficiency is a form of thermal efficiency, meaning the efficiency of a process that converts chemical potential energy contained in a carrier fuel into kinetic energy or work. Overall fuel efficiency may vary per device, which in turn may vary per application, and this spectrum of variance is...
, and also contains vehicle pricing and comparison information. The site utilizes its membership base to gather data and report on each registered/owned vehicle monthly with data published quarterly.
Reliability Data
The site collects and utilizes 'real-world' repair rates from regular survey data supplied by its user base. The site is one of a few services to utilize statistical analysis to report this data. The site then updates the results quarterly. With this frequency, information on new models will be at most 3 months old, making it possible for these models to be closely tracked as they ageFuel Economy
TrueDelta.com tracks and reports car model fuel efficiency. Truedelta.com collects additional information relating to gas mileage such as how, where, and when a car is driven. It also collects relevant geographical data such as how hilly the terrain is, and what the driving conditions are (i.e. stop-and-go city, suburb, highway), also collecting information such as air conditioner use.Membership
As of February 2009, the site claims a research panel of 40,000 cars. The site requests data from its members by asking them to register their cars.Participation
The site offers two ways to participate:1) Any car owner can join the survey, and those that do get access to the resulting information.
2) A member can buy a subscription for a year to obtain access to the information.
History and Method
TrueDelta.com was developed in 2004 by Dr. Michael Karesh, an expert in consumer behavior. For his PhD Thesis, Karesh studied within General Motors for a year and half, researching how well they understood consumers when developing new products. For his Masters thesis, Karesh did work with early research in consumer behavior. Additionally Karesh has written and published much on cars. He has been a contributor to the car review site The Truth About CarsThe Truth About Cars
The Truth About Cars is a website covering automobiles, automotive products and the auto industry. Its features include the GM and Ford “Death Watch” and Chrysler "Suicide Watch" series. The site began publishing in 2002, and features a mix of automotive reviews, editorials and news...
, and is one of the category leads for the Epinions.com
Epinions
Epinions.com is a general consumer review site that was established in 1999. Epinions was acquired by Shopping.com in 2003, which in turn was acquired by Ebay in 2005...
auto section.
TrueDelta's data collection methodology differs form other publications such as Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports is an American magazine published monthly by Consumers Union since 1936. It publishes reviews and comparisons of consumer products and services based on reporting and results from its in-house testing laboratory. It also publishes cleaning and general buying guides...
. Consumer Reports compiles data from reader surveys once annually while Truedelta.com takes monthly surveys and issues quarterly reports. Truedelta also differs in that it asks if a vehicle needed unscheduled service, how many days the vehicle was in the shop, and whether the problem was corrected.
Limitations
Given its relatively small sample size, Truedelta.com has been accused of having a more limited selection of model data compared to Consumer Reports. Truedelta also allows for a smaller reportable base per model (25), compared to Consumer Reports (100).See also
- The Truth About CarsThe Truth About CarsThe Truth About Cars is a website covering automobiles, automotive products and the auto industry. Its features include the GM and Ford “Death Watch” and Chrysler "Suicide Watch" series. The site began publishing in 2002, and features a mix of automotive reviews, editorials and news...
- Consumer ReportsConsumer ReportsConsumer Reports is an American magazine published monthly by Consumers Union since 1936. It publishes reviews and comparisons of consumer products and services based on reporting and results from its in-house testing laboratory. It also publishes cleaning and general buying guides...
- Review SiteReview siteA review site is a website on which reviews can be posted about people, businesses, products, or services. These sites may use Web 2.0 techniques to gather reviews from site users or may employ professional writers to author reviews on the topic of concern for the site...
- Epinions.comEpinionsEpinions.com is a general consumer review site that was established in 1999. Epinions was acquired by Shopping.com in 2003, which in turn was acquired by Ebay in 2005...
- Consumer/Market Research
- Fuel Economy in AutomobilesFuel economy in automobilesFuel usage in automobiles refers to the fuel efficiency relationship between distance traveled by an automobile and the amount of fuel consumed....