A suggestion for PH/Chris Harris/SOTW team

[D200]

Hello,

A suggestion for PH/Chris Harris/SOTW team

Each week do a short review and actual road test of a used performance/interesting car in the Pistonheads Classifieds. It doesn’t have to be a ‘performance car’ as such but just something a car enthusiast would be interested in – i.e. could be as varying 944 Turbo to a Golf GTi to a Merc E320 or whatever. And include some details about things to look for in such cars – points of interest shall we say, and running costs.

And keep the price range quite narrow as when most people are in the market for a used car they would have a pretty specific amount they want to spend. Starting at sub £1000, then £1-2k, £3-4, £4-5, £5-6 and so on. I know as the value of the car increases as will the range – e.g. 30-35k, or 50-60k and so on. PS keeping the price range gap narrow give this idea for a ph article some legs also!

I guess this is a SOTW style feature but for cars of varying values.

And this could be expanded to a comparison test of two cars in the classified and the reviewer would give his preference [and forum member undoublly disagree with and discuss]. Former owners of said cars could also give their invaluable opinions of the cars in question


This could be a very good or very bad selling point for the person selling the car in question depend on the review – if the car is good and the reviewer really likes it the seller is getting a very prime advert on the main page of Pistonheads!

I know could be very difficult to work and possibly not feasible but I think it would be an interesting feature for PH and something the PHer may like? If you like this idea then reply to this topic and say so – then maybe PH will take it on board if enough people say so. If you think it’s a stupid idea then… don’t reply to the topic

Also, I don’t know the legalities of this – i.e. would the ph roadtester have to inform the seller [whether it be private or trade] of the car what he is doing and his ad is going to be featured in a ph article?

I guess if he did and the car is genuine the seller would have no problems in letting PH do an article on the car as it would give him/her prime advert spot on main ph page as I previously stated.

And if the seller says he doesn’t not want his car in the feature then PH should list the car detail on a blacklist of being possibly dodgy, maybe this is a tad unfair so this bit could be left out


Thanks

D200

[plfrench]

Good call! That would be really interesting.

[mybrainhurts]

...me too

[Dimski]

The last car I sold was my mx-5, Chris Harris would be the last person I'd want reviewing it!


Seriously though, I'd say yes as long as I wasn't selling a basket case. You couldn't ask for more exposure. I think it would be interesting.

[D200]

doogz said:

If some motoring journalist phoned me up and said "Seen your car in the classifieds, i've no plans of buying it, but can i come and drive it for a while, and if i don't like it, i'll slate it on the website for you" I think I know what my answer might be.

Fair enough yep. For private sellers this would be an issue for sure but for trade sellers less of an issue - as it could help their business and give them free advertising on a very very popular website.

You would only get cars that the sellers have great confidence in - and this is a good thing - i.e. owners of cars that been through a hedge or 2 backwards and might not be up to scratch wouldnt be too keen on such an article

[Gruber]

Sounds like an excellent plan. A number of the classic car mags do something similar already.

Its success in the long-run depends on the tone of the articles. There's a difference between honestly assessing the condition of the car, on one hand, and slating it on the other. If they major on the former, then I see no reason why honest sellers wouldn't be tempted to go along with it, in exchange for the publicity.

[D200]

Gruber said:

Sounds like an excellent plan. A number of the classic car mags do something similar already.

Its success in the long-run depends on the tone of the articles. There's a difference between honestly assessing the condition of the car, on one hand, and slating it on the other. If they major on the former, then I see no reason why honest sellers wouldn't be tempted to go along with it, in exchange for the publicity.

Exactly

It doesnt take long for a topic to be relegated to Page 2 I see

[Dave Hedgehog]

Dimski said:

The last car I sold was my mx-5, Chris Harris would be the last person I'd want reviewing it!


Seriously though, I'd say yes as long as I wasn't selling a basket case. You couldn't ask for more exposure. I think it would be interesting.

civic type R then

[sneijder]

Classic and Sportscar do this, and pull no punches.

There'd have to be a lot of research, or a decent bank of knowledge to pull it off.

[J4CKO]

Yes, like it, expand the "OTW" brand to cover stuff that isnt available for a grand or less, but keep it to budgets that cover most of PH, not just the well built company directors and Gulzar.

[D200]

Dave Hedgehog said:

Dimski said:

The last car I sold was my mx-5, Chris Harris would be the last person I'd want reviewing it!


Seriously though, I'd say yes as long as I wasn't selling a basket case. You couldn't ask for more exposure. I think it would be interesting.

civic type R then

A bit off topic to original post but in regards to Chris Harris's relative slating of the MX5 and Civic Type R I would have to disagree with him on both points

When he was slating the MX5 he said something like a Clio 172 is more fun [if I remember correctly]. I have previously owned a MX5 [a 1.8 mk1 jap import ltd edition one with an lsd and the only mod being a stainless steel exhaust the car came with – so not really a modified car] and a Clio 172. I can say the MX5 was far more fun car to own than the Clio. A Clio is hotted up cheap hatch with a annoying driving position and cheap interior while it is certainly faster than mx5 I think the mx5 is more fun to own. The Mazda was a nice low to the ground car that felt like a proper sports car with great steering and even inside it looked and felt ‘sporty’. It had [just] enough power to get sideways on the road or track and it just felt really nice to drive and completely different to any other car I previously owned – which include Mk2 golf GTi, BMW M3 among others. I really couldn’t understand his slating of it but I appreciate other people have different opinion to me and I do respect what he says. I think he is a great car journalist and I agree with 95% of what he says

In regards to the CTR I have never owned one but drove a few and I like them. Not perfect, what is at that money, but a great hot hatch.

This is a point I think is very important to consider when buying a user performance car is that how they drove when new is not what you can fully base a used car purchase on. A CTR is well made and durable. Something like a 306 GTI-6/Rallye for example is not. While the 306 may have got great reviews when new and was the best hot hatch when new in new car comparison tests, it falls well behind [in my opinion] when buying a used one. A mate has one – and it’s not a heap – but it suspension, gear change, and engine doesn’t feel anywhere near as good as it did when new [I test drove a nearly new one years ago]. Where as something like a CTR or MX5 when used feel much the same with 80k then they did with 8k miles

This is a reason that I feel if pistonhead where to do a feature like I suggest that they drive the cars and don’t just base the review on reading the advert and contemporary roadtests. As the used car is not going to drive exactly the same as when it was new. I think people fail to take this into account when buying cars. Said owner of 306 tells everyone who listened how amazing his car is, and refers them to all the roadtests at the time when it beat all its competitors and was a great driving car – but, in my opinion based on the car I drove, its doesn’t stand the test of time compared to other cars. To GTi-6/Rallye owners I am not dissing the car – I love them – but they need to be VERY well maintained to drive like they did when new.

Cheers

[Chrisw666]

I'm sure plenty here will let CH drive their cars for comparison rather than wasting sellers time.

[D200]

Chrisw666 said:

I'm sure plenty here will let CH drive their cars for comparison rather than wasting sellers time.

Very good point.

If that other idea is unfeasible then ph could have some sort of regular article where Chris Harris road tests a ph member’s car and gives his opinion on it.

And then people could use this as another reference when buying a used car, as these will be used cars of varying values, so they would have a professional and knowledgeable road tester’s view on the said used car