Mumsnet launches new car website

Mumnet has joined up with Haymarket Media Group's What Car magazine to launch a new motoring website, Mumsnet Cars.

The new site, which can be found at www.mumsnet.com/cars, will focus on the practical aspects of car ownership that are of concern to parents, rather than the traditional areas of emphasis in car reviews such as acceleration and cornering behaviour. Advice from What Car's experts will appear alongside reviews from Mumsnet members based on day-to-day experience.

Mumsnet thinks it has identified a gap in the market for trusted practical advice for families on buying, selling and running cars. Almost half (46%) of the respondents in a survey conducted to coincide with the launch of the new service felt that sales staff at car dealerships were not honest and only 25% thought that the advice given at car dealers was reliable. By contrast, participants in the survey set a great deal of store by recommendations from friends and family – 77% were influenced by these – and were also inclined to trust positive reviews in car magazines or online from other users (67%).

The Mumsnet survey also pointed to changing priorities and decision-making about cars in families – 89% of parents said that their choice of car has changed as their families have changed. 53% of respondents said that they took equal responsibility with their partners for car-buying decisions.