Certainly the Volt will have to prove itself by demonstrating good quality over years of performance, says David Champion, senior director of Consumer Reports' auto test division.

FORBES: Magazine Article

As an example, a potential application for an auto manufacturer pushing test drives on its website could be able to measure the value of all test drives booked on the site, and the value of those booked after being referred from social media sites.

FORBES: Making The Most Of Social-Media Monitoring Optimization: Are You Up To The Task?

The auto industry thinks the test is just fine.

FORBES: Fuel Economy Sticker Shock

The fuel economy mileage that appears on window stickers of new vehicles is calculated through a test that puts a vehicle through a standardized drive cycle designed by the EPA. The EPA then relies on auto manufacturers to conduct the test, and certifies that the vehicles have been tested.

FORBES: Your Mileage May Vary, Automakers Admit

My test vehicle was the A7 3.0 TFSI quattro Auto Tiptronic Sedan.

FORBES: 2012 Audi A7 Test Drive and Review - High-Tech Meets High Style

Alexandre Cordeiro, the top government minister overseeing auto safety laws, acknowledged that the government doesn't have its own crash-test center but said Brazil will monitor crash tests conducted outside the country.

NPR: AP IMPACT: Cars Made In Brazil Are Deadly

Extras: On my test cars additional features included the moonlight blue metallic paint, allroad Premium Plus Model with auto-dimming interior mirror with compass, auto-dimming power-folding, heated exterior mirrors, Audi music interface with iPod cable, Bluetooth, driver information system, heated front seats with driver memory, HomeLink garage door opener, Audi xenon pluse lighting with LED DRL, three-zone climate control and power tailgate.

FORBES: Car of the Week: 2013 Audi allroad 2.0T quattro tiptronic