What Car? What Crap!
Discussion
Just bought a What Car mag, as Chan wants a new car in September, but looking through it, its like more like 'What New Labour' propaganda! All the really cool little hot hatches get ratings no higher than 3 out of 5 stars, but worst of all, in the New car buyers guide section, ther's no mention of either TVR or Noble! That's bloody outragious! According to this rubbish, the Matiz is just as good as a Clio 182, both have 3 stars!! :(:( But no TVR, a really cool British based manufacturer does not exsist, according to What Car?!!!!!!!!! B@stards!!!
What Car? Is probably the only car mag I can think of that's aimed at people with no interest in cars. Their comments are purely arbitrary, the details they highlight are sundry and generic, and I reckon people only buy it to see what mealy-mouthed penny-pinching little boredombox they can buy (new with a loan, of course) for as little as possible.
Not as bad as Auto Express though is it - a magazine that somehow manages to SCOOP!!!!! an imminent concept car every single day, which will of course be provided with no detail whatsoever and will disappear from view faster than you can say 'photoshop'.
Not as bad as Auto Express though is it - a magazine that somehow manages to SCOOP!!!!! an imminent concept car every single day, which will of course be provided with no detail whatsoever and will disappear from view faster than you can say 'photoshop'.
Nail/Head TC.
What Car is aimed at exactly the sort of people who wouldnt understand the reason why this site has to exist.
They really dont care about feel, or experience: depreciation and MPG are their gods, along with company car tax brackets.
Still, if they put their money where their mouths are, we would have GM and Ford as the only volume manufacturers, and everyone else would be in the Bristol price range, with their 10 units a year sales.
Bow down to Jesus that they buy anything other than a Focus....
This post was not meant to start a Flame war about the relative merits of Bristols or Focii. My mother in law drives a focus....
What Car is aimed at exactly the sort of people who wouldnt understand the reason why this site has to exist.
They really dont care about feel, or experience: depreciation and MPG are their gods, along with company car tax brackets.
Still, if they put their money where their mouths are, we would have GM and Ford as the only volume manufacturers, and everyone else would be in the Bristol price range, with their 10 units a year sales.
Bow down to Jesus that they buy anything other than a Focus....
This post was not meant to start a Flame war about the relative merits of Bristols or Focii. My mother in law drives a focus....
randlemarcus said:
Nail/Head TC.
What Car is aimed at exactly the sort of people who wouldnt understand the reason why this site has to exist.
They really dont care about feel, or experience: depreciation and MPG are their gods, along with company car tax brackets.
Still, if they put their money where their mouths are, we would have GM and Ford as the only volume manufacturers, and everyone else would be in the Bristol price range, with their 10 units a year sales.
Bow down to Jesus that they buy anything other than a Focus....
This post was not meant to start a Flame war about the relative merits of Bristols or Focii. My mother in law drives a focus....
Tis true.
All I need think of is my Mum's concept of 'motoring', which consists of insurance, tax, MOT, petrol, maintanance, feeling guilty every time an environmentalist comes on the telly, and finally, moving around in a car. electric windows, leather seats, air conditioning, a sunroof and a radio that works are 'showing off' to her and she happily deletes them all with a look of disgust on her face. And as for sports cars, big saloons, any premium badges, 4x4s, convertibles and even MPVs - well, you're just obscenely decacent.
Everything we like cars for is irrelevant in What Car world. I'm also pretty sure that it makes everyone buy mediochre cars in mediochre specifications, then the manufacturers pick up on this and as such their next car is a little more tailored towards the 'average', and as such cars get more and more boring.
Mind you, in full-on devils advocate mode, its probably 1000% more useful than some of the replies to the numerous "what car" threads started om here:
Arf....
Bloke1 said:
What car shall I/my mate buy for £15K. Needs to be an estate, 4WD
LotsofBlokes said:
Dino. Definitely.
TheOtherHalf said:
Nah, Atom. Got to be
Arf....
maverick1 said:
Why did you go for What Car though? Why not buy Top Gear? It even comes with a free Clarkson book this month!
God, how bad do we think that would be? How exactly would he get across his teensy bit annoying pauses before he
finishes his sentences. The volume bit we can understand....
randlemarcus said:
Why did you go for What Car though? Why not buy Top Gear? It even comes with a free Clarkson book this month!
God, how bad do we think that would be? How exactly would he get across his teensy bit annoying pauses before he
finishes his sentences. The volume bit we can understand....
He's actually a superb writer and somehow the occasional arseiness you get on telly is somehow replaced in his books. He very rarely talks about cars - he's more of a travel writer, and he's surprisingly cultured. I much prefer Clarkson the writer to Clarkson the presenter.
Hes a good writer, the only annoying bit is when you start reding it with his voce, and YOU START PUTTING IN THE LITTLE PAUSES.
Its scary, but the book is really interesting. AND as a big bonus, JC admits hes bought the wrong car with his GT, he rekons he shud have got an F430 instead
Its scary, but the book is really interesting. AND as a big bonus, JC admits hes bought the wrong car with his GT, he rekons he shud have got an F430 instead
Twincam16 said:Agreed. Your comment reminds me of the early 1990s (before the 850) when I used to reckon Volvos were made by people who didn't like cars for people who didn't like driving!
What Car? Is probably the only car mag I can think of that's aimed at people with no interest in cars.
Twincam16 said:
finishes his sentences. The volume bit we can understand....
He's actually a superb writer and somehow the occasional arseiness you get on telly is somehow replaced in his books. He very rarely talks about cars - he's more of a travel writer, and he's surprisingly cultured. I much prefer Clarkson the writer to Clarkson the presenter.
Another one who would gladly lend clarkson his wife, for a lick of his boots..................
chris watton said:
Just bought a What Car mag, as Chan wants a new car in September, but looking through it, its like more like 'What New Labour' propaganda! All the really cool little hot hatches get ratings no higher than 3 out of 5 stars, but worst of all, in the New car buyers guide section, ther's no mention of either TVR or Noble! That's bloody outragious! According to this rubbish, the Matiz is just as good as a Clio 182, both have 3 stars!! But no TVR, a really cool British based manufacturer does not exsist, according to What Car?!!!!!!!!! B@stards!!!
I have a copy from Aug 2004 which lists both TVR and Noble, so either a change of policy in content or a cockup on the database. Probably the latter - I have noticed things come and go before over the years.
That said they have some real bolleaux in the roadtests on a regular basis IMO.
But like you I only buy the mag. when potentially in the market for something for a family member and, on that basis, absence of TVR and Noble matters not at all. I mean, how many Petrolheads wondering what 50 grand sports car to order are going to resort to What Car? as their informant of choice?
havoc said:
I refuse to buy What Car on principle.
I occasionally get Autocar or AutoExpress if I'm in need of a "tabloid".
Otherwise, evo and Car fulfil my needs very well. One tells me what I want to buy, the other tells me what I can afford!!!
Yes, agree
, Car was my first choice, they didn't have it thepeoplespal said:
Clarkson was the only reason I persisted in buying Performance Car for all those years, I was about 14 at the time and he was pretty good.
I still miss my weekly dose of "Motor", why oh why did Autocar have to buy it?
A lot of the original Evo writers used to write for Motor.
I went to Beaulieu autojumble last summer, and bought a back copy of the first motoring mag I ever bought, 'Motor', from April 1977. It had the Jag V12 coupe on the front cover, and I couldn't agree with you more. I still want one. I even remember re reading some of those ads in my bedroom.
I was more into Custom and Hot Car etc, which Dave Walker used to write for, before CCC.
thepeoplespal said:
Clarkson was the only reason I persisted in buying Performance Car for all those years, I was about 14 at the time and he was pretty good.
I still miss my weekly dose of "Motor", why oh why did Autocar have to buy it?
A lot of the original Evo writers used to write for Motor.
I went to Beaulieu autojumble last summer, and bought a back copy of the first motoring mag I ever bought, 'Motor', from April 1977. It had the Jag V12 coupe on the front cover, and I couldn't agree with you more. I still want one. I even remember re reading some of those ads in my bedroom.
I was more into Custom and Hot Car etc, which Dave Walker used to write for, before CCC.
'Car' of the 70's was perfect. No gloss, no bullshit, just perfect.
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