How Important are Reviews When Looking to Lease a Vehicle?

The popularity of leaving and looking at reviews has grown increasingly in recent years. It has reached the point where reading reviews is now an integral part of the buying experience of pretty much every product imaginable.

It’s understandable; reviews help companies prove their own reputability while allowing customers an enhanced level of reassurance in their decisions. Positive or negative reviews can be the final push that sways a customer to pick out a certain vehicle or lease from a particular company. But just how important are reviews when leasing a vehicle?

In this article, we’ll explore just that - and what to look for in the ones which you read.

Why are reviews important?

Reviews are a form of social proof, useful for companies to validate the positive claims they make about their products. They’re a way for customers to feel more confident about a purchase, or in this case, a contract. Cars are expensive. Even when you lease instead of buying, you’re still investing a fair amount of time and money on a vehicle you’re expecting to drive for an average of 2-5 years. You want to make sure you’re making the correct decision.

Depending on the source - and we’ll get to that later - reviews can be a good way to weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of a particular vehicle or company. Specs outlined by car manufacturers can look great on the page, but how does that translate in terms of the actual, real road experience? By reading reviews, customers can hone in on the preferences and experiences of like-minded people.

Objectivity and trustworthy review providers

This can be a bit of a catch with reviews, especially in the automotive industry. Because reviews are a little bit useless if they’re biased.

For example, many car reviewers who write reviews for a living may lack objectivity. After all, they make their living through relationships and partnerships with manufacturers. Although the point of reviewing is to remain unbiased, realistically, this won’t always be the case.

These reviews can still be very helpful and informative. However, it’s often a good idea to read a mix of reviews from varying sources, like leasing companies and other customers themselves. Reading a wide range of customer reviews is beneficial to see the reception of vehicles through the perspectives of many different people.

Vehicle reviews and what to look out for

Reading reviews is a good way to identify whether a vehicle is suited to you, your driving requirements, and your lifestyle. When reading through reviews, there are a number of important things that you consider if you’re interested in leasing the car in question.

Safety

Obviously, safety is going to be an important factor. Consider how much traction the car has, braking, driving or parking assistance features, and functions like airbags, as well as its overall safety rating.

Functions and Features

Speaking of functions, this aspect of modern cars is one that is becoming increasingly exciting, as more and more manufacturers are adding new and innovative features to cars. This could be anything from stereos or speakers to climate control. Anything that adds to the ease of your driving experience, suits your lifestyle requirements or provides improved comfort or convenience.

Drive

Driving is one of the most popular and accessible modes of transport in the UK. If you’re leasing a car, the likelihood is, you’ll be driving it a lot. It’s important to make sure it’s a car that you’re going to actually enjoy driving.

This could mean a lot of things to different drivers. How easy the car is to drive, how exciting or interesting it is to drive, the efficiency of the specs and whether there are any obvious flaws.

Company reviews and reputability

When it comes to leasing a car, it’s a good idea to research and read reviews for the company you hope to lease from - not just the vehicle itself. It’s important to know who you are dealing with, for example, whether they’ll be sneakily adding in additional admin fees, which some car leasing companies are unfortunately known for.

More important still is customer service. Unlike the process of buying a car, the vehicle you lease will never be in your full possession, which means you’ll inevitably hold a longer-term, continued relationship with that same leasing company. By thoroughly looking into the customer service offered by that company, you’ll know whether or not you are going to be in safe hands if something goes wrong with that car, or if there is an issue with your contract.

Here at Rivervale, reviews are important to us. We’re proud to be one of the top-rated leasing companies on Trustpilot. We take the time to read customer feedback and, where applicable, learn from it! When you lease from us, you can always be assured that our team will be on hand to help you out.

Leasing a car is a commitment of both your time and your money, and reviews are a great starting point for your research. If you have any questions about leasing a vehicle, get in touch on 01273 433480 or request a callback at a time that suits your schedule.