by "BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather" (bugeyedacura)
Published 04/21/2017 at 13:23
by "BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather" (bugeyedacura)
Published 04/21/2017 at 13:23
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STARS: 6
Like modern auto journalism has lost the point? I feel like it’s either over the top and just happens to have a car involved for the “clicks”, or that the people these outlets are hiring would be just as happy writing about any other subject and then got offer and thought “why not”. David E Davis is rolling in his grave somewhere.
"CobraJoe" (cobrajoe)
04/21/2017 at 13:27, STARS: 2
Seems like the same can be said for most car offerings today. They’re either over the top with power and performance enhancements, or completely boring to the point of needing a spreadsheet to identify the pros and cons of each.
"Urambo Tauro" (urambotauro)
04/21/2017 at 13:29, STARS: 0
You mean like in general, or did your link get Kinja’d? I honestly can’t tell.
"BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather" (bugeyedacura)
04/21/2017 at 13:31, STARS: 1
Yes and no. There’s plenty of warm hatches, small engine muscle cars, and good driving small and medium sized cars in the market. The problem is that nobody really talks about them. The best examples are the Camaro V6, Toyobaru twins, and the GTI. But the reviews of them always seem to compare them to their more outlandish counterparts because talking about a great driving daily-driver is useful, but doesn’t get the clicks.
"BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather" (bugeyedacura)
04/21/2017 at 13:33, STARS: 1
I didn’t post a link. I mean in general because to be honest, 95% of the articles and videos out there these days fall into one of the two categories. It’s almost too much to post.
"Ike" (untitledcarshow)
04/21/2017 at 13:34, STARS: 5
Podcasting is the last stand of good auto journalism
"BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather" (bugeyedacura)
04/21/2017 at 13:36, STARS: 1
Honestly, that’s exactly right. The professionals have become amateurs and the real representatives are the guys making it work with a camera and mic in their basement or in their car.
"DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time" (dc3ls-)
04/21/2017 at 13:41, STARS: 3
THE INTERIOR IS CHEAP PLASTICS! THE INTERIOR IS CHEAP PLASTICS!
NEEDS MOAR POWER! NEEDS MOAR POWER!
NEEDS AWD! NEEDS AWD! NEEDS AWD!
I can’t remember the last time someone wrote about a car’s steering (besides just, “It’s bad” or “It’s not bad for electric”) Or how easy/hard a FWD drive car is to rotate with trail braking just, “It understeers at the limit.” well no shit!
Edit: or conversely if it’s an Italian car or a Mazada, it’s a bunch of broad adjectives and similes describing the handling while not mentioning anything specific.
"WilliamsSW" (williamssw)
04/21/2017 at 13:46, STARS: 1
I feel like you could delete the word ‘auto’ from your first sentence and it would still hold true. And that really sucks.
"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
04/21/2017 at 13:47, STARS: 2
I agree, it’s actually a problem with journalism in general. Too much journalism today is driven by profit and/or agendas rather than quality and integrity.
It’s becoming more rare nowadays to see a major company producing actually good journalism. Some publications go to disgusting levels to produce content that pushes the narrative that everything is a gray area...No, there are some things where there’s an objective truth, you can present the real facts...
I mean sure, Trump’s election has seemingly upped the quality of quite a few big outfits...though I fear it’s not going to last.
Interestingly enough, because of the failures of big news, the door is swinging open for independents, writers, and the ‘small’ people out there like our very own Untitled Car Show.
"boxrocket" (boxrocket)
04/21/2017 at 13:49, STARS: 1
When MotorWeek gives a more accurate, candid, and less-advertisement-like review than the “journalist”, there’s a problem. Even more so if MotorWeek’s version is more entertaining.
"feather-throttle-not-hair" (feather-throttle-not-hair)
04/21/2017 at 13:51, STARS: 3
I have a friend who got hired as an editor for Road and Track about six months ago. I can confirm that his life goal for as long as I’ve known him was to write for a car magazine. He moved halfway across the country to take that job.
"uofime-2" (uofime-2)
04/21/2017 at 13:54, STARS: 0
What do you want them to do, write the same story for 30+years?
GTI is sensible, fun, reasonably priced daily driver
GTI is sensible, fun, reasonably priced daily driver
GTI is sensible, fun, reasonably priced daily driver
GTI is sensible, fun, reasonably priced daily driver
GTI is sensible, fun, reasonably priced daily driver
GTI is sensible, fun, reasonably priced daily driver
GTI is sensible, fun, reasonably priced daily driver
x365x30
would you subscribe to that magazine?
would you go to that website?
would you tune into that show?
"CobraJoe" (cobrajoe)
04/21/2017 at 14:36, STARS: 0
Maybe calling the V6 muscle cars and warmed over hatches and sedans boring is a bit underselling their fun, but I feel like there’s something missing in the current market: A desirable mid level fun car.
The Fiesta ST and GT86 twins are desirable, but they’re tiny and have entry level power. The V6 Muscle cars would be “mid level”, but they’re not desirable when the V8 versions aren’t that much more expensive. Any non-base midsized sedan puts the “fun” towards the bottom of the priority list.
Maybe I’m wishing for a car that already exists or maybe I’m being too picky, but it really doesn’t seem like there’s anything in the current crop of vehicles that will become as iconic as a the 1st gen Taurus SHO or the 2004 Forrester XT or the 1996 Impala SS.
"CobraJoe" (cobrajoe)
04/21/2017 at 14:40, STARS: 1
I rather liked my ‘04 Mach 1 with it’s RWD and 300hp and cheap plastic interior. All of it’s money was spent where I wanted it most.
So many auto news outlets are focusing on power and performance numbers and ignoring the fun factor. I really hope that bubble will pop soon.
"BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather" (bugeyedacura)
04/21/2017 at 17:00, STARS: 0
You can take performance out of that second to last sentence. All they do is read the spec sheet these days.
"BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather" (bugeyedacura)
04/21/2017 at 17:02, STARS: 0
I feel like the V6 1LE is underrated and is 6-7k cheaper than the V8 1LE. And don’t forget the 230i which starts around 30k and does 0-60 in just about 5 seconds.
"BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather" (bugeyedacura)
04/21/2017 at 17:03, STARS: 0
I feel like he’s very much the exception though.
"CobraJoe" (cobrajoe)
04/21/2017 at 17:26, STARS: 1
There are some hidden gems out there, but they always seem to be hiding under the shadow of a higher performance version. Besides, there’s still a gap between a BRZ and a V6 Camaro in terms of power.
I guess what I’m really complaining about is the fact that there’s very little to choose from for fun cars with an actual back seat. Have a kid, and that eliminates 80% of the truly fun cars out there, and cut the price down to something a family man can afford, and that’s nearly the other 20%. The only thing remaining are a few of the larger hot hatches and the WRX it seems.
"feather-throttle-not-hair" (feather-throttle-not-hair)
04/21/2017 at 17:52, STARS: 0
Its possible, I think there are probably a few factors going into the impression that you have about automotive journalism. I’m thinking they’re mostly related to the move from a predominantly print centered medium to one found mostly online, where content used to be something people paid for, but now its predominantly free.
However, I also think that part of this impression (at least on my part) is fueled by the fact that i’m a more mature and demanding reader than I was during the 90's and 2000's.