>>I've seen reviews (e.g. Subaru) saying the range lacks a diesel. Interesting fact, but irrelevant to a particular car you might be thinking of buying. Jaguar was praised for adding an estate to its range,>>
Seems to me you've answered your own question with these two observations.
They are looking at matters that concern a large proportion of potential buyers and, in the latter case, Jaguar has addressed the fact. In the case of Subaru I'm sure that many intending buyers would been keen on a diesel option.
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fact. In the case of Subaru I'm sure that many intending buyers would been keen on a diesel option.
Indeed. Four years ago when we were looking to buy a new or nearly-new car we had the Legacy estate on our list, having used one quite a bit in the US. But no diesel meant no sale and we went in the end for a (much cheaper) Peugeot Partner Combi, which has been superb.
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I don't really like reading car reviews and I think car makers are too easily influenced by them. In most magazines/web sites if a car cannot go side ways round a corner well then it's no good.
I'm sure alot of the cars we have on our roads are less comfortable because the magazines slate them for poor handling etc.
And when you look at the average age of the people writing the reviews it's hardly suprising.
I have stopped buying car mags now as well because most of them are pointless. Someone bought me a subscription to Car magazine and I have read the last 12 months worth and I can't remember reading about a normal car - I could tell you all about a Bugatti Veyron though and how much use is that.
I think it's another reason things like JD power surveys are good - becuase it covers most aspects of the car and it is the owners writing the review in effect. (Sorry Dox - I know you don't believe surveys).
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I'm sure alot of the cars we have on our roads are less comfortable because the magazines slate them for poor handling etc.
I tend to agree, many cars handle perfectly well for what they are intended for, ie motorway cruising or dealing with the poor quality of many of our minor roads. As soon as the magazines start talking about 'handling' this rings alarm bells for me, meaning the car will probably be uncomfortable for both of the above aspects of driving. Motoring journalists would do well to remember that most people don't use their cars for tarck-days or drive at the edge of the envelope most of the time !
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To be honest I don't think that the motoring press actually "get" the Signum......
Nor do I, I would have either a Vectra hatch or estate over a Signum every time, the former is better looking and the latter more practical.
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I like reading car mags for entertainment, but nothing is a substitute for a thorough test drive and "play" with a car before purchasing. My priorities as a father, dog owner and long distance commuter are almost certainly different to a magazine tester's.
I would never discount a car because of a poor review or automatically choose a car because of a good one. I drive as many different cars as possible relevant to my budget and the type/size of car I want, and base my decision on my own experiences.
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Pugugly's right. I drove a Signum once and could not believe how horrible it was to drive as well as being pointless. The Vecrta is now an acceptable car, but the Signum remains a white elephant. And what's that rattly block of flats between the rear seats all about?
HJ
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Pugugly's right. I drove a Signum once and could not believe how horrible it was to drive as well as being pointless.
Given that its sister vehicle is available in hatchback, I agree that it is pointless.
If BMW, Audi or Merc made a large hatchback I would buy it rather than being forced to buy and estate as I have been.
I cannot understand why the motor industry thinks saloons are more up-market than hatchbacks.
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Saloons are definitely more upmarket than hatchbacks - although that was not the case when I was driving a Golf and I think estates will be more upmarket soon.
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>>Saloons are definitely more upmarket than hatchbacks>>
Buy a Skoda Octavia and you'll get the best of both worlds...:-)
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type's' is spot on about the comfort versus handling........... and there are other ones too
such as performance v fuel economy, equipment v price, v6 smoothness v 4 cyl cheaper & more fuel efficient, looks v practicality, auto v manual... etc, etc
in the real world you have all these choices and have to compromise, to get an all round package, but the tester can just rave/complain over the most minor thing, safe in the knowledge it goes back to the manufacturer soon.
I personally couldn't give two hoots about cup holders for example, i don't eat or drink in the car, but over the past few years there seems to be a right old hoo-hah about them
I once had a car that was really very good as an all round compromise for me i.e. reasonable turn of speed, fairly comfortable, ok fuel consumption, fair amount of kit, didn't look too bad, handled perfectly acceptably, half decent stereo etc.....but can't imagine a tester would have liked it at all and in reality it didn't excel at anything.....(Rover 600).
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the tester can just rave/complain over the most minor thing, safe in the knowledge it goes back to the manufacturer soon.
I particularly enjoyed Auto Express' comment about the 'dated column stalks' on the Avensis. A great piece of nit-picking, but then maybe I have just missed out and not tried a car with 'modern column stalks' and haven't realised just how dated mine are :)
I think the motoring press are totally out of touch with reality. They still slate the majority of Japanese cars for styling/driving etc, whilst damning them with faint praise for being reliably boring. As for the Koreans, they don't stand a chance, and probably won't for another 20 years. I well remember the 80s Corollas repeatedly being beaten in group tests by such rubbish as 309s, Tipos, Renault 19s etc. Yet I'll bet that the average Corolla gave many more years trouble free service at less cost than the others. Nothings changed now, except that the Koreans have replaced the Japanese as the marques to get a real kicking.
If all you care about is track day performance and seat of the pants handling then I guess magazine road tests have a place, but not a lot of relevance to day to day motoring. Also, when they get into the realms of quality and styling it's all subjective anyway - eg Passat v Avensis, Auto Express praised the VW and criticised the Toyota, whilst What Car did pretty much the opposite, describing the particular Passat model as a bit low rent.
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>>If BMW, Audi or Merc made a large hatchback I wouldbuy it rather than being forced to buy and estate >>
Surely that is what the 3-Series Touring, C-Class estate, A4 Avant are? They are are not real load luggers like an E-Class, Mondeo or Vectra estate.
I like the smaller estates, a certain practicality though no compromise over a saloon / hatch, that is why I liked the old Vectra estate, it was tha same length and plan area as the hatch and actualy shorter than the saloon unlike the Mondeo / E-Class estates etc that are fine if you are an antique dealer or have triplets though IMO not ideal transport for one person 80% of the time.
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If I wanted to lug loads, I would buy a Vectra or Mondeo against a Touring. I don't want to lug loads so I didn't and don't see me ever doing so.
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