Auto Journalist: Trust them or Dont believe them

[OTO]

I think there has been a few threads of late concerning the trusthworthyness & integrity of local auto journalist. What I'd like to know how much you trust what they have to say.

[ILuvDetailing]

I'm a regular reader of C-Mag. I like their writting style, its pretty objective but sometimes I find myself dozing off while reading... don't know why must be lack of coffee or they're focusing sometimes too much on the scenery instead of the car but thats just me . Top Gear is also good. Glad that the Philippines' has a couple of car mags worth buying.

[GlennSter]

the ed-in-chief of top gear visits this site occassionally..herhehrehr

[afrasay]

OT

Glenn,

Checkout the April issue of TG. Nandun si Kitty in our last 4x4 clinic in Tanay.

[Hero]

C! mag dont "review" cars that much..the "review" articles contain 90% backgrounders and a lack of a better word "rubbish"..but i dont know why i still buy the mag at P150 its expensive na (half of it is F1 pa).. I swore not to buy top gear since the 3rd issue because of the irritating cam phone quality of the pics (up to now ganon pa rin..upgrade na kayo ng Phone! gumamit naman kayo ng instamatic o disposable camera man lang!..) pero i browse through it at National..i think their articles have more content kaso it feels like im reading a back issue kasi yung cars na feature nila, na feature na sa C! considering nahuhuli ang C! sa paglabas ng mag nila! wait am i still on the topic?..

do i trust what i read? mostly yes, pero alam mo naman kung press feed lang ang nakasulat and certain biases lumalabas naman also it helps na meron boards like tsikot (isingit daw ba?) at least straight from the owners yung mga experiences about the cars..and in the end, during this era of available test drives..its better to judge for yourself, than to listen to others.

[ILuvDetailing]

I hate it when some local journalists do the "copy and paste" method...

[Elroi]

mapapansin mo naman sa mga articles nila if they're giving u the real thing..

yung iba naman kasing journos ay "silent" PRO ng mga auto companies...

[Elroi]

sorry... double post...

[airshaq20]

I subscribe to several car magazines (car and driver, motor trend, road and track, automotive). Since they all deal with new cars - we would expect good qualities from just about any new car - but thats not the reason why I subscribe to these magazines. I like reading the bad and the negative sides....i like reading about how bad the suspension, how bad the ergonomics....the switches and odd buttons....the transmission feel....the brakes.......steering.....the quality of the interior materials.....is it glossy or matte.....the sound of the door closing....squeeks and creaks....anything and everything....

Most of us (including me) get excited when we drive a brand spanking new car....and these journalists are human too....they get excited and they get high (with the new car scent which is actually composed mostly of glue and paint - according to an article i've read).....so most of the time, we would say mostly good things about it....Heck, i can give good praises on any new car.....but...thats not what i wanna read.....

Praises can lead to bad buying decisions - which is something i dont wanna happen to me...Buying a car is a major purchase and as much as i want a perfect car, well....i wanna know what to expect without expecting too much....

Knowing the bad and the negatives can balance things out.....

[empy]

can't comment on the philippine mags, but...

before you read, look at how the publication makes money. do they depend on advertising revenue from car companies? also, do they depend on cars to provide test units for free? that will automatically make them biased. not saying that they will flat-out lie, but they will be more reluctant to completely trash a car no matter how much it's deserved.

however, the numbers in instrumented testing don't lie, so you can use those to judge the size, room, fuel economy and performance of the car you're looking at. also, in general it's easier to trust comparison testing (parang good, better, best kumbaga).

if you want more unbiased reviews, look at publications like edmunds.com, which doesn't depend so much on automaker ad revenue.

[Djerms]

C Mag - I was a fan of this mag before (kasi wala pa naman competitor ito before). But lately i noticed that paulit ulit na ang mga featured vehicles, nakakasawa...parang trying hard na ang dating. You dont get your money's worth, IMO. The only thing that I like about it is the vehicle list and prices at the back.

Top Gear - Very interesting topics. The layout and contents are well organized. They have a 4x4 column, they have a "pimp my ride column". They have a sort of a back to the future column featuring late model cars and their values. Two of the writers (Botchi and Migs) were my schoolmates and they really know a lot about autos, so I trust their judgement in writing the articles in the mag.

[nugundam93]

for local mags, mas ok sana if they also do detailed cons. usually kasi detailed pros lang.

[ILuvDetailing]

C and Top Gear do depend on advertisements but am not saying they're biased to any brand, they're just too nice.

Mahal kasi ng Car and Driver dito unless you get the back issues hehehe

[morrissey_05]

kung motoring journalists sa dyaryo, absolutely not. if ever i do read these sections, im more interested in stories dealing with specific issues and not so much the car reviews that masquerade as PR work. i try to read with a critical eye, pero kakapagod na rin kasi sobrang hard sell.

i dont buy local car magazines, mahal eh hehehe.

[ILuvDetailing]

Speaking of local jounalists check out this article or an excerp of it...

From Top Gear Philippines

Engine performance is more than adequate. The Everest can easily accelerate to 140kph and cruise steadily with hardly any vibration or noise comming from the engine bay. Its torquey engine comes to its own once the turbo kicks in at 2500 rpms, which is more than what it needs for both on and off road conditions, and probably the highest in its class. Once it reaches offroad terrain, the Everest is at last in territory where it can unleash all of its pent-up potential. Our test drive included a trip down the perilous Sacobia river in Pampanga with the burly 4x4s of the Philippine Offroad Jamboree. The unassuming Everest impressed everyone by confidently keeping stride with its "stronger" and more modified companions (Land Rovers, Land Cruisers, and such). Although it has strangely low ground clearance for a true 4x4, the surefooted Everest rolled steadily over the soft and slippery riverbed long after one of the "tougher" 4x4s (which shall remain nameless) tripped and buried its tires so deep in the mud, it took almost an hour to winch out. The extra traction provided by the Limited Slip Diffs is a blessing for the 4x4 Everest.

What do you think? Sounds like a Ford advert to me...

[OTO]

Speaking of local jounalists check out this article or an excerp of it...

From Top Gear Philippines


What do you think? Sounds like a Ford advert to me...

I think the journo must have been pumped with anestesia & is deaf enough to legally drive. The fellow's selling a fantasy, a placebo or an ideal. I wouldnt quit his real job though. ;)

Magazine man o broadsheet, may sponsors man o wala, I read all of them if they're interesting enough for me, and then take everything with a grain of salt. Kasi what's good for them might not necessarily be good for me, same goes with what's bad. Tao din yung nagsusulat ng mga auto reviews, kaya hindi maiiwasang subjective ang kalalabasan. Halos lahat naman ng sasabihin nila eh relative, whether it's the aesthetics, the comfort or the performance. I just note their inputs, and if I ever get to test drive the car for myself, then I'll decide.

As for my current ride, I relied on first-hand experience, rather than any press release, when I considered its purchase.

You're probably right. Journos tend to have lower standards than most consumers. ;)

[pink_cadillac]

It is rather tough to be an automotive journalist in a car market that has less than 10 brands each with an even more limited set of models behind each badge.

Finding a subject to generate content on is a very difficult task, and a rapport between a writer or magazine and a sponsor (manufacturer or dealer) requires praises to be highlighted more than criticisms.

What manufacturer in a tight car market would support a magazine if a grossly disfavorable article was written about their vehicle after all?

In fairness objectivity doesn't necessarily mean bashing a particular product or nitpicking on its flaws. There are bad cars, good cars and great cars buut there is no perfect automobile.

I once recall reading an article from a local paper that praised the 1996 BMW 316i for everything including power, space, and it ultimately rated highly in terms of, and I quote, "pogi points", unquote.

But in reality it really isn't that comfy or was it even roomy. Then again you realize the test driver was some 5'4" nerd.

There was even a graph showcasing "POGI POINTS" as a quantifiable benchmark.

Ironically enough, I liked this writer for his work on other non-car related articles.

[ILuvDetailing]

I don't mind the praise, but its the accuracy of their report that I find annoying, and to think that there are many people who aren't educated enough in the fine art of the automobile that they make their decisions based on what they read in the magazines or worst, the broadsheets.

[mazdamazda]

IMO, C! Magazine is the best Philippine automotive magazine. not that they have faults but compared to other newspaper car articles & other mags, they really are something.

Some of the articles delve too much on the background / scenery / related story / etc (as what ILD said). Too much BS sometimes.

But some of the articles are rewarding. Like I remember their first Jaguar X-Type tests... they really nitpicked the Jag over its inadequate power. Or the executive compact sports car article... while their overall choice was the S40 T5, they were still able to give the cons to it (lousy brakes, some torque steer). Another is the executive saloon article... which they lambasted the Daimler.

[Bogeyman]

Magazine man o broadsheet, may sponsors man o wala, I read all of them if they're interesting enough for me, and then take everything with a grain of salt. Kasi what's good for them might not necessarily be good for me, same goes with what's bad. Tao din yung nagsusulat ng mga auto reviews, kaya hindi maiiwasang subjective ang kalalabasan. Halos lahat naman ng sasabihin nila eh relative, whether it's the aesthetics, the comfort or the performance. I just note their inputs, and if I ever get to test drive the car for myself, then I'll decide.

As for my current ride, I relied on first-hand experience, rather than any press release, when I considered its purchase.