Riding the race track with Consumer Reports

Traveling is one of the things Anjelica and I both really love. There’s nothing quite like hitting the open road and settling in to take in all the sights and sounds of a new adventure. Our recent trip to Connecticut was not the exception. We made the more than 25-hour cross country drive to Glastonbury earlier this month to visit the Consumer Reports Auto Test Center in the same city.

We have been working with Consumer Reports for a few months now, and when we learned this trip was coming up our excitement was pretty high. We hadn’t driven that far north yet, and something told us it would be a great opportunity to get out and explore new parts of the U. S. of A. That, it definitely was! Once you enter Virginia the scenery is completely different. The trees are so colorful, and the valleys and mountains are breathtaking. Glastonbury is pretty picturesque. It was the perfect setting for a day full of new experiences, including our first ride-along in an actual test track.

I like to think of it more as a race track (considering I was a passenger in one of the vehicles that was riding the track at close to 95-miles an hour). Talk about an adrenaline rush!

We were there to learn more about how Consumer Reports uses the Auto Test Center to evaluate the performance and safety of approximately 80 vehicles a year. They share their findings with auto manufacturers and consumers alike, with the intention of ensuring consumer awareness and safety. They even evaluate children’s car seats and tire performance of individual brands. One thing Consumer Reports does that’s pretty impressive, is purchase every single product they evaluate, including all cars.

Here’s a look at our time at the Auto Test Center:

Riding the race track with Consumer Reports
We learned so much about Consumer Reports during our visit. 
Riding the race track with Consumer Reports
These are just a few of the publications produced by Consumer Reports.
Riding the race track with Consumer Reports
The team at the Auto Test Center was so welcoming and informative. 
Riding the race track with Consumer Reports
I especially enjoyed getting a behind the scenes look at how things operate at this facility. 
Riding the race track with Consumer Reports
We were all in awe of the photo and video studio at the Auto Test Center. 
Riding the race track with Consumer Reports
The circular roundtable the car is sitting on actually rotates in order to get every single angle just right. 
Riding the race track with Consumer Reports
Our friends looked so official on set that I joked they needed their own show soon! 
Riding the race track with Consumer Reports
This experience is one we won’t soon forget. The passion of all the employees was infectious. 
Riding the race track with Consumer Reports
Tires, tires, and more tires. And yes, there are differences to be noted. 
Riding the race track with Consumer Reports
Being silly and just having a good old time. 
Riding the race track with Consumer Reports
We are hoping to be able to visit Connecticut again soon! 

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