Motorlark publishes research-only automotive guides. We do not install, drive or shop-test any product on this site, and we never claim a personal, physical trial of a product. This page explains our method in plain terms.
What "research-only" means
Every pick on this site comes from comparing three kinds of public information: the maker's own published specifications, the maker's list price, which we turn into a price tier, and the themes we read across real owner reviews. We do not buy a unit, install it on a vehicle, or report a result from our own garage. When a page says "researched comparison", that is the method behind it.
Specs
We read the manufacturer's product page, spec sheet and manual for ratings such as peak amps, cranking amps, engine size coverage, power output, resolution, storage limits, coverage area and warranty terms. We compare the same fields across every product in a guide so the comparison table lines up fairly. We state peak amps against cranking amps honestly, and we keep gas and diesel engine ratings separate rather than blending them.
Prices
We do not print dollar prices. Each pick shows a price tier instead of a dollar figure: Budget, Mid-range or Premium. The tier compares the maker list price on our check date with similar products in the same category, and the Check current price on Amazon link shows today's price. If a tier looks wrong when you read a page, trust the live listing and tell us through our contact page.
Owner reviews
We read a wide spread of owner reviews on Amazon, on the maker's own site and on independent forums, looking for a pattern rather than a single opinion. We never copy review text. We summarise recurring themes, good and bad, in our own words, and we do not convert star ratings into a score of our own.
What we never do
We never claim to have installed, driven or run a product through a garage trial of our own. We never publish a numeric score built from that kind of claim, because we make no such claim. We never invent a statistic, a quote or a result. If a model appears discontinued or replaced on Amazon, we note the replacement and point to the current model instead.
Keeping pages current
We re-check the products in a guide on a regular schedule, and we note the last verified date at the top of every page. When a model is replaced or a price moves enough to change its tier, we update the page and add a short note to its change log.
Corrections
If you spot a wrong spec, a wrong price tier or a dead link, contact us through our contact page with the page name and the detail. We check it and correct it, and we note material corrections in the page's change log.