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Interoperability with other products

As an independent data provider, I do not guarantee interoperability of my databases with other products available online. Actually there is no interoperability between my own car databases, being made from different sources.

Combining data from multiple tables into one can be done in Excel using VLOOKUP function, if both tables have a common identifier. For example I use a scraper to extract Make, Model, Trim, Trim ID and another scraper to input Trim ID and extract specifications from same website, then I combine 2 tables into one by VLOOKUP-ing by Trim ID.

Combining data from multiple websites cannot be automatized due to lack of a common identifier. Having car names matching is a coincidence rather than a rule. If you check major automobile websites like Edmunds.com, KBB.com, TheCarConnection.com, Redbook.com.au, Parkers.co.uk, ADAC.de, eBay, ACES, JATO, TecDoc, etc, you will see lots of hierarchy or spelling differences, because each one developed their database independently.

Most common conflicts are at BMW and Mercedes, some have model “BMW 3-Series saloon” with trim/variant “320i”, others have model “320i” with trim/variant “saloon, touring, coupe, cabrio”, others have model simply “3-Series” with trim/variant “320i saloon”, among those having 3-Series as model, some put M3 as separate model and others put M3 as trim/variant under 3-Series.

In the original databases started in 2003 for Europe: Car Models List, Car Models Encyclopedia, Car Models Database, Car Models & Engines Database, over years I done numerous changes to make model hierarchy as efficient is possible based on parts compatibility, so M and AMG models are not listed separately than their base model. If you find differences between mine and other databases, do not claim that my database is wrong and yours is correct, because NOBODY is correct in relation with others. Even if I adapt my database to match your data, tomorrow someone else may attempt to combine my database with some other data and complain again about differences.

An example of argue with an American customer is whenever WRX is a trim of Subaru Impreza or a separate model. Edmunds website itself list same car in 3 different ways: trim WRX under Impreza model for 2002-2012, then Impreza WRX as model for 2013-2014, then WRX without Impreza badge for 2015-present. This because in the recent years Subaru USA is marketing WRX more individually. And there are thousands of such conflicts.

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