[repost] Top Gear Philippines Magazine, ...with the new editor in chief.

[ghosthunter]

With all the issues published (including the July 2006 issue) with the new EIC (editor in chief) at the helm, I really found the magazine falling really short in nearly everything (except pretty babes). So far, Top Gear Philiipines magazine has featured SUVs, vans, etc on the cover except a car since the EIC change months ago.

Personally, I find it hard to be excited over some latest encarnation of a family van, even if its sporting the latest engine technology and leather seats. I do like the occassional 4x4 featured but where are the stuff we dream about driving? It seems that TGP's policy, of front cover vehicles be those that are available in the local market, have directed it to become nothing more than to become some sort of GLORIFIED automotive sales brochure. I have seen this happen in the past and I can smell it happening again.

As someone who likes cars, I would also like to have the truth about them too, not buttered up half-truths so some car dealer can sell more units in a month. If the vehicle is bad to own/drive, it should be mentioned as well as all the good points. If a wheel comes off while leasurely driving down the highway, then that should be mentioned. If you get ticketed and fined at the expressway for travelling 280kph during a car test drive, that should be mentioned as well. But telling the reading public how exciting to own some over-rated family van as a replacement for a sports sedan, that is telling a big flat lie.

How could any family van, even fitted with the Bugatti 1000hp engine compare to driving a BMW M5 sedan? You can already tell the difference the moment you get in the driver's seat.

Anyway, I just have to get this off my chest. I really really really, really really really, really really really, really really really, really really really hope the people at TGP gets their collective heads together and find out what the readers of TGP want from the magazine.

[mazdamazda]

GH... what family van are you talking about?

I have long stopped buying TGP since the competition (C!) is a lot better (layout, content, photos, etc.). Their only saving grace is the articles coming from TGUK (good reviews from Tom Ford).

What ticked me off before is their review of the Cefiro. They allegedly took a road trip going to Vigan with 4 adults & 3 kids... and they are claiming that the said vehicle is just as spacious and comfortable as a 7-seater SUV. Hello? Those kids are probably piled on top of one another and are unbuckled. What happens when they meet an accident?

[BlueBimmer]

4 adults n 3 kids in a cefiro LOL

[Bogeyman]

Baka naman hindi lahat nasa loob ng cabin, there's always the trunk daw.

[badkuk]

o baka me roof rack ung cefiro :D

this reminds me of the time i saw 6-8 kids/adults stuffed into a jaguar. sa loob loob ko lang, they'd be better off with a hiace, and at 1/4 the price tag B)

[1D4LV]

With all the issues published (including the July 2006 issue) with the new EIC (editor in chief) at the helm, I really found the magazine falling really short in nearly everything (except pretty babes).

hmmm. kala ko ako lang nakapansin nito eh.... that's why stopped buying this mag already.

maxim philippines na lang bibilihin ko.

[badsekktor]

well what could we expect from a mag that hates bikers and treats them as half baked citizens. Mind you! they generalized all bikers are loose nuts! that is according to one of their writers....

[cocoy]

wel if u own a bike, big bike or ladies bike, motorbike mind u, then u should inform the 90%, of those who are loose nuts. i live near tagaytay, and evry sunday i see big bike riders showing off on the highway, counter flowing and and signalling for everone to mover out of the way cus they are coming. wat makes them so special? sometimes i really feel like stringing a wire across the road. wat is the classification of motorbikes in the philippines?that they get special treatment from everyone else? to get bak to the topic. i do agree dat top gear has lost its way. i guess adverstising is really the big things dat pushes the magazine. i mean y in the world would u compare a hyundai tucson to a fortuner? corect me if im wrong but are they in the same class?i thnk they even compared the size inside the 2 SUVs? iv also notice dat in their comparisons mostly honda and toyota wins. wel dats just my little opinion.

[badsekktor]

wel if u own a bike, big bike or ladies bike, motorbike mind u, then u should inform the 90%, of those who are loose nuts. i live near tagaytay, and evry sunday i see big bike riders showing off on the highway, counter flowing and and signalling for everone to mover out of the way cus they are coming. wat makes them so special? sometimes i really feel like stringing a wire across the road. wat is the classification of motorbikes in the philippines?that they get special treatment from everyone else? to get bak to the topic. i do agree dat top gear has lost its way. i guess adverstising is really the big things dat pushes the magazine. i mean y in the world would u compare a hyundai tucson to a fortuner? corect me if im wrong but are they in the same class?i thnk they even compared the size inside the 2 SUVs? iv also notice dat in their comparisons mostly honda and toyota wins. wel dats just my little opinion.

Well sir, I do believe that it is not my responsibility to police every notorious biker out there. I do believe that it is the LTO, and other law enforcing body that has the responsibility in disenfranchising those notorious persons off our streets.

Anyway, top gear philippines have changed it thme already. It was once an enthusiast magazine but now... well it just became an ads mag.... (maybe they have lost most of their readers due to their lousy reviews). Some reviews were being copied from the previous articles. Damn! they didn't even edit what they copy! I guess they needed sponsors to stay alive!

[oldblue]

me I dont buy car mags anymore, mas masarap pa mag dsl. anyway, sa barber shop, sa gym, sa coffee shops and restos meron na din local car mags.

what can we pinoys expect from local mags? eh kokonti naman brands and models ng cars dito compared to the US. with new issues every month for 12 months. parang hindi naman maka-cope up sa ni-launch na new car models dito sa'tin.

[nugundam93]

i'll just buy playboy.

they have better articles (not just the pics. heheh...).

[badsekktor]

i'll just buy playboy.

they have better articles (not just the pics. heheh...).

hahaha! This I agree!

[empy]

i'll just buy playboy.

they have better articles (not just the pics. heheh...).

Stacey Dash is in the latest one...the annoying black girl from Clueless. my my my she has turned into something nice :drool:

[BlueBimmer]

Stacey Dash is in the latest one...the annoying black girl from Clueless. my my my she has turned into something nice :drool:

i got the PDF of that hehe

[3ple4]

I never liked Top Gear, front cover pa lang nakikita ko... ayoko na bilhin. C! Magazine is definitely better although I don't know if it's wise to jack up the price to P185.

In terms of PR, I think Top Gear has more PR coz I read in an article last week in Inquirer about the elections of CAGI (forgot what it stands for) and Top Gear has many representatives in the board, walang na-mention about C! Magazine people.

[number001]

I never liked Top Gear, front cover pa lang nakikita ko... ayoko na bilhin. C! Magazine is definitely better although I don't know if it's wise to jack up the price to P185.

In terms of PR, I think Top Gear has more PR coz I read in an article last week in Inquirer about the elections of CAGI (forgot what it stands for) and Top Gear has many representatives in the board, walang na-mention about C! Magazine people.

One can say that C! Magazine is an like "upstart" because they dont have the same backing as in Top Gear with Robinson's Gokongwei (via Summit Media). In fact, I still find it hard to get issues of C! Magazine in smaller magazine shops while Top Gear is everywhere but too bad their magazine really sucks!

[caloyski5]

i got offended sa review ng ford lynx. .

They were explaining that the Lynx is a rebadged Mazda 323/Familia which was known as the Protege in other countries. What ticked me off was when they had a line that states..."that explains the cheesy Protegetech stickers".

obviously, this guy doesnt know who we are and thought na nabibili lang sa accessory shops yung sticker namin. geeeez. can anybody confirm this? couldnt post sa forum ng tgp e. ang bagal ng activation! mag lalabas lang sana ako ng galit.

[mazdamazda]

i got offended sa review ng ford lynx. .



obviously, this guy doesnt know who we are and thought na nabibili lang sa accessory shops yung sticker namin. geeeez. can anybody confirm this? couldnt post sa forum ng tgp e. ang bagal ng activation! mag lalabas lang sana ako ng galit.

My gulay... totoo yan? Which issue?

You want us to [size=5]DO[/size] something about it? How about a strongly worded letter to their editor? How about a boycot on TGP?

[ghosthunter]

My gulay... totoo yan? Which issue?

You want us to [size=5]DO[/size] something about it? How about a strongly worded letter to their editor? How about a boycot on TGP?

looks like TGP peeps can't do anything right!!

another boo-boo for the "automotive-journalist" editor-in-chief.

[kimpOy]

me too i dont buy car mags anymore...
the last TG i bought is the last issue of Mike Black (Honda Civic 2006 preview)