Motoring Journalists & Car Companies?

[OTEP]

I was reading today's issue of the Philippine Star. In the Motoring section, one of the journalists narrated a harrowing tale regarding his family's car crash with a taxi.

I just noticed that in one part of the article, he states that: "If you recall, our car was treated to a new coat of DuPont Jaugar Garnet Red paint last year at the Jaguar/Ferrari/Range Rover service center courtesy of its president, Wellington Soong, to showcase the service center's workmanship."

I'm just wondering, what if Jaguar/Ferrari/Land Rover came up with a crappy product, will our motoring journalist be able to speak out and tell the truth?

[ronald_m]

They just said it.Instead of Dupont I guess ferrari deserve spies and hecker paint.OT.

[mazdamazda]

Well... when you start getting big and questionable favors and/or gifts from car companies - it will be hard to critic them later on. This is utang-na-loob at its low point.

[FrankDrebin]

Well... when you start getting big and questionable favors and/or gifts from car companies - it will be hard to critic them later on. This is utang-na-loob at its low point.

...and it's business as usual.

[ghosthunter]

I was reading today's issue of the Philippine Star. In the Motoring section, one of the journalists narrated a harrowing tale regarding his family's car crash with a taxi.

I just noticed that in one part of the article, he states that: "If you recall, our car was treated to a new coat of DuPont Jaugar Garnet Red paint last year at the Jaguar/Ferrari/Range Rover service center courtesy of its president, Wellington Soong, to showcase the service center's workmanship."

I'm just wondering, what if Jaguar/Ferrari/Land Rover came up with a crappy product, will our motoring journalist be able to speak out and tell the truth?

It's always assumed as an "exchange" deal. You write a favorable article, even a passing and the writer will get some deals and "gifts" later. Write something negative (even it's the truth) and watch your motoring journalism career go dry overnight.

[Driv3er]

Bihira yung magsabi sila ng negative, pero when you notice that the journalist sparingly praises the car..then you know something is wrong with the car.

Ex. March issue of Top Gear, the writer had very little nice things to say about the Nissan Frontier compared to his comments about the Isuzu D-Max and the Toyota Hi-Lux. Kahit na wala siyang sinabing masama sa Frontier, kita naman na he was trying to find somehting nice to say bout it.

[NazQ]

Bihira yung magsabi sila ng negative, pero when you notice that the journalist sparingly praises the car..then you know something is wrong with the car.

Ex. March issue of Top Gear, the writer had very little nice things to say about the Nissan Frontier compared to his comments about the Isuzu D-Max and the Toyota Hi-Lux. Kahit na wala siyang sinabing masama sa Frontier, kita naman na he was trying to find somehting nice to say bout it.

very opposite sa top gear show sa BBC TV. hosts will really tell if its crap or not..

[ILuvDetailing]

very opposite sa top gear show sa BBC TV. hosts will really tell if its crap or not..

It doesn't hurt to have a backer like BBC and a talent like Jeremy Clarkson.

A couple of other magazines that plays no favorites Car and Driver and Car and Audio.

[CVT]

Yes, napapansin ko ngang kung walang masyadong magandang masabi, ginagawa na lang na "dazzling the readers with literary brilliance".

So, nasaan ang honest to goodness review? Kawawa naman tayong mga consumers,- we are always at the receiving end of all of these 'responsible reporting'.....

[mikmik316]

very opposite sa top gear show sa BBC TV. hosts will really tell if its crap or not..

Lately, I notice that Top Gear is giving favorable reviews to the Ford Motor Group... All new Jaguar, Land Rover, Aston Martin, and Ford models introduced are getting highly favorable reviews...

Oh well... tinulungan kasi ng Ford si Jeremy na magkaruon ng Ford GT kaya ayun pabor na pabor lahat ng review sa kanilang products.... tsk tsk

[carlocaraddict]

hmmmm....sa PDI may laging nagsusulat lagi na pabor sa Isuzu hahahahahah! da hu!!!

[bbt]

Lately, I notice that Top Gear is giving favorable reviews to the Ford Motor Group... All new Jaguar, Land Rover, Aston Martin, and Ford models introduced are getting highly favorable reviews...

Oh well... tinulungan kasi ng Ford si Jeremy na magkaruon ng Ford GT kaya ayun pabor na pabor lahat ng review sa kanilang products.... tsk tsk

hindi naman siguro, kasi i remember cartain episodes where jeremy mentioned several problems that he had with the gt (for example, ford sent him a text na according to the gt's security system, he'd been carnapped, eh it just so happened that he was driving the car at the time )

although medyo suspicious nga na parang in love si jeremy sa halos lahat ng cars nila...

[Tierra]

Lately, I notice that Top Gear is giving favorable reviews to the Ford Motor Group... All new Jaguar, Land Rover, Aston Martin, and Ford models introduced are getting highly favorable reviews...

Oh well... tinulungan kasi ng Ford si Jeremy na magkaruon ng Ford GT kaya ayun pabor na pabor lahat ng review sa kanilang products.... tsk tsk

Cant help but ask you, what makes you say that Ford Motor Group does not deserve such review and that Jeremy Clarkson was "paid" to give such opinion.

Seems like their is an ulterior motive behind your statement. Unless you own the newest Jaguar, Land Rover, Aston Martin and Ford and your not satified with them. Peace!!

[MAXBUWAYA]

I was reading today's issue of the Philippine Star. In the Motoring section, one of the journalists narrated a harrowing tale regarding his family's car crash with a taxi.

I just noticed that in one part of the article, he states that: "If you recall, our car was treated to a new coat of DuPont Jaugar Garnet Red paint last year at the Jaguar/Ferrari/Range Rover service center courtesy of its president, Wellington Soong, to showcase the service center's workmanship."

I'm just wondering, what if Jaguar/Ferrari/Land Rover came up with a crappy product, will our motoring journalist be able to speak out and tell the truth?

I read that hehehehe bad idea that he put that into his article hehehe (Nagyabang pa kkasi)
Thats why In this country You dont trust motoring Journalist
(I rather trust my mayabang na neighbor hehehe)

not only that everytime theres a test run Journalist would write that they were treated to some fancy restaurant stayed at nice hotel. Give them some kind of racing experience (like the honda media challenge, which i believe full of crap! hehehe)

So what do you expect from them? their true feedback??
Mahilig pa naman tumanaw ng utang na loob ang pinoy hehehehehehe

[niky]

That much is true, or at least what I've observed of the numerous Expeditions and Navigators owned by relatives. I've seen a lot of transmission failures.

Of course, the Expedition is a comfortable vehicle, but no way in hell would I buy one myself.

But what Wouie was referring to was European Fords, and the Fords people there are familiar with are mostly Focuses, Pumas, Mondeos and the like, of which only the Focus saw wide exposure in the US. I think the Mondeo came in as the Contour, but I'm not sure of that.

LIke I said, Ford has the same rep in Europe as Nissan does here. Utterly horrible resale value and perception of quality, though some of that is underserved... which means you can get a nice secondhand Ford for very little over there.

Reviewers love Euro-Fords because they drive nice. Owners who have to pay for repairs and who get shafted on resale often have a different view.

Hopefully, with this new Focus and the shared Mazda tech, Ford can turn that perception around.

[Jun aka Pekto]

But what Wouie was referring to was European Fords, and the Fords people there are familiar with are mostly Focuses, Pumas, Mondeos and the like, of which only the Focus saw wide exposure in the US. I think the Mondeo came in as the Contour, but I'm not sure of that.

Yup. The Mondeo was the Contour here. I have the 1995 model year which was the very first model. It's supposed to be a lemon car here. But, ours have been problem free. It has the 2.5L V6 and sports suspension. At one time, it's been regarded as a poor man's BMW and I tend to agree its handling is sweet. Its power is only 170hp. But for a 2800lb car, it's plenty enough. My wife absolutely loves it still.

[oldblue]

d'ba even japanese cars in the states have low resale value. sa states kasi basta 2nd hand, mababa na talaga bentahan. dito lang naman sa P'nas ginagawang ginto ang 2nd hand, porkit Toyota, Honda, Diesel SUV etc...

[Jun aka Pekto]

d'ba even japanese cars in the states have low resale value. sa states kasi basta 2nd hand, mababa na talaga bentahan. dito lang naman sa P'nas ginagawang ginto ang 2nd hand, porkit Toyota, Honda, Diesel SUV etc...

They're pretty low overall. But, they're still the best short of premium/classic/super cars.

I know people who'd kill for a Lexus SC400 or an early 90's Toyota MR2 Turbo.

Edit: Japanese brands do have better resale values. I'd be lucky to get $500 for my Contour as a trade in even though it runs really great for a car made in late 1994. There comes a point where it makes more sense to just keep the car until it quits running for good. That Contour gets looks from drivers of older cars. They probably didn't expect it to last this long.

[niky]

Yeah, but secondhand Fords are always in the basement compared to anything else, no matter where you are. Hope that doesn't happen with the Focus, but if it does, it'll be a sweet deal secondhand.

*Jun: A lot of Fords have been touted as poor man's Beemers. Too bad that factor hasn't helped their sales much, as can be seen in the Contour and the Lincoln LS. In fact, I personally feel that the Ford Focus is a good alternative to the 1-series, despite being front-wheel drive, because of the driving feel of the thing. Then again, Fords just don't get no respect...

[Jun aka Pekto]

Yeah, but secondhand Fords are always in the basement compared to anything else, no matter where you are. Hope that doesn't happen with the Focus, but if it does, it'll be a sweet deal secondhand.

*Jun: A lot of Fords have been touted as poor man's Beemers. Too bad that factor hasn't helped their sales much, as can be seen in the Contour and the Lincoln LS. In fact, I personally feel that the Ford Focus is a good alternative to the 1-series, despite being front-wheel drive, because of the driving feel of the thing. Then again, Fords just don't get no respect...

I guess it's the maintenance part that kills any good reputation for Fords. I do know that crummy starters and Ford have been partners for a long time now Another is inefficient A/T. Case in point, our A/T Contour SE. A M/T version of our Contour does 0-60mph in 7.5 sec while our A/T does 9.5 sec. I do get much better times if I press a button and take it out of overdrive. Still, I do agree that Ford A/T stink. Even GM A/T is better. I was surprised that my 2006 Sonata V6 can take out an A/T 5.0 V8 Mustang GT (stock), something that'll never happen if that 'stang had a M/T.

Motoring journalists have harped on Ford and those issues for a while now. I wish it's improved. But, the starter issue is still cropping up (from older cars, of course).

I guess I should be happy that our Contour has been problem-free up to now.

Edit: I realize A/T will always be less efficient than a M/T. But Ford took it to a new level er, low.