Most respected motoring journalist or magazine

[wemorgan]

Having had my SLK for a few weeks I was curious to remind myself what journalists also thought of it. So I went back and read the various reviews online. It was funny to read so many opinions that I didn't recognise. Obviously the journalists drive so many cars that their point of reference is different to my own. But by quite some margin I found that the Autocar review most closely matched my own opinion of the car. So which motoring journalist or magazine do you find matches your own view of cars?

 

[developer]

I met Steve Cropley around the time we were about to release MGF - a nice guy, who paid great attention/appeared interested in the product.


As a slight aside, I remember Tiff Needell and Jason Plato racing each other in the live action arena, at a recent Autosport show (2011 I think).

Tiff won all the challenges set - he's a great driver.

 

[bpsorrel]

I agree, Steve Cropley and I'm also a fan of his PH neighbour Chris Harris. Both of these guys seem to regularly say the things I'm thinking about cars.

Clarkson is a great comic, but his views on cars are......

 

[moff]

Chris Harris (ex EVO and now Pistonheads - 'Monkey') - creates the best online motoring videos too.

 

[219]

I always tended to respect the views of LJK Setright when he wrote for Car , since he always gave the impression that he knew exactly what he was talking about , and was a big Merc fan after his beloved Bristols .

 

[219]

Clarkson is a great comic, but his views on cars are......

Of the unholy trinity I am most likely to agree with the views of 'Captain Slow' who strikes me as the most intelligent of the three . I also used to like Quentin Wilson when he was on the show .

 

[Dryce]

I agree, Steve Cropley and I'm also a fan of his PH neighbour Chris Harris. Both of these guys seem to regularly say the things I'm thinking about cars.

I concur - I liked Steve Cropley going way back and beginning to get the same attachment to Chris Harris.

Clarkson is a great comic, but his views on cars are

I actually rate Clarkson. Yup there's the clowning but people forget that he is actually a journalist and he can actually distill the essence of a car and express an actual considered opinion. The problem is he's become a bit like an American crime show like CSI - it's as if he operates to a template - a main A story - a minor B story - skip on detail - and the denouement in the last 10 minutes.

 

[robtt]

L.J.K.Setright was probably the best writer on cars. You never felt he would be swayed by big car company PR people. His weak side, if any , was Bristol cars of the '50s ! I also like the car reviews in Motor Sport magazine .

Over the years Car magazine has had the best writers .Setright, Bishop and Phil Lewllyn. Shame they do not re print for those too young to have read them first time round.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

I've always wondered at the credence people give to motoring journalists and their ilk (food/art critics etc) when they do nothing other than live off other people's achievements.

I have tried to read the odd motoring magazine bit of journalism in the past, but I really don't see the point of seeing it as anything more than something to do to pass the time.

I only came across this Chris Harris bloke because a few on here rave about him, but I still can't get my head round why he's so revered?

I see the point of TG etc because that's visual entertainment, but am genuinely baffled at the popularity of motoring journalists, does anyone care to enlighten me?

 

[Dryce]

I see the point of TG etc because that's visual entertainment, but am genuinely baffled at the popularity of motoring journalists, does anyone care to enlighten me?

Most consumer journalism is useless cr*p. The splash on a magazine "best yet .... ", "why you need ....", "Hyasmithson latest xxxxxxx", "XY1 vs RT2".

But.

That doesn't mean that there is stuff that isn't genuinely intersting or that the industry and its direction are not worthy of comment or that products are not interesting.

And few of us get the opportunity to talk with, touch, drive, feel, and explore. And some journalists/reviewers are good at doing that in a journalistic sense, or empathic sense, or simply communicate well.

You don't have to be interested and you don't have to watch or read either.

 

[bolide]

I've always wondered at the credence people give to motoring journalists and their ilk (food/art critics etc) when they do nothing other than live off other people's achievements.

By your logic (virtually) every ballet and theatre company, every orchestra, every musician and every singer deserves no credence either

Nick Froome

 

[wemorgan]

I see the point of TG etc because that's visual entertainment, but am genuinely baffled at the popularity of motoring journalists, does anyone care to enlighten me?

Reading motoring reviews is just a leisure activity, like any other form of reading.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

By your logic (virtually) every ballet and theatre company, every orchestra, every musician and every singer deserves no credence either

Good point, do you mean because they are performing another's work?

Are they not an intended part of the story, whereas motoring et al journalism adds nothing but an opinion?

 

[bpsorrel]

Reading motoring reviews is just a leisure activity, like any other form of reading.

Totally agree here too. I read/watch/listen to motoring reviews/programs etc just for the entertainment factor, I've yet to decide on a car because of a review.

The best reviews I know, are mine, after I've tried the thing!

 

[Deleted member 37751]

You don't have to be interested and you don't have to watch or read either.

I know I don't, I'm just genuinely interested i how the popularity of these people is achieved.

 

[bpsorrel]

I think the thing with Chris Harris is he has a good style, seems to know what he's on about and often reflects my own views. I could see him as a future TG presenter, maybe after JC or Hamster depart... or he could get some practice over at Fifth Gear. Might shake them up a bit! Shame Tom Ford left, I liked him...

 

[Paul/]

By your logic (virtually) every ballet and theatre company, every orchestra, every musician and every singer deserves no credence either

Nick Froome

For works of art that need to be performed to be experienced, the performers (and those that enable the perfromance) are part of the work- and it was written for them to perform. They make a living by making the work live.

Critics on the other hand are not part of the work of art or its performance, and are not necessary for its enjoyment. They provide some service to those who may be unable to experience it for themselves, but their opinions will be personal and subjective, and often coloured by personal agenda. By this logic, they are parasites- and not necessarily benevolent ones. Most of this is potentially applies to product reviewers, such as motoring journalists, too.

Good motoring journalists of course offer more than just product reviews.

 

[Londonscottish]

L.J.K.Setright was probably the best writer on cars. You never felt he would be swayed by big car company PR people. His weak side, if any , was Bristol cars of the '50s ! I also like the car reviews in Motor Sport magazine .

Over the years Car magazine has had the best writers .Setright, Bishop and Phil Lewllyn. Shame they do not re print for those too young to have read them first time round.

I loved the Car Magazine era with Setright, Bishop, Lewllyn plus Mel Nichols and IIRC Steve Cropley. Great, expansive, interesting stories. And of course the GBU. Say it as it is, why don't you.

I think Cropley has done a great job at Autocar along with Colin Goodwin. Used to read all Chris Harris's stuff when he was there too.

I actually liked to read Clarkson on Performance Car (and many of the other contributors who went on to form EVO).

 

[Dryce]

I loved the Car Magazine era with Setright, Bishop, Lewllyn plus Mel Nichols and IIRC Steve Cropley. Great, expansive, interesting stories. And of course the GBU. Say it as it is, why don't you.

I think Cropley has done a great job at Autocar along with Colin Goodwin. Used to read all Chris Harris's stuff when he was there too.

I actually liked to read Clarkson on Performance Car (and many of the other contributors who went on to form EVO).

I spent quite a while looking at reviews and stuff on specific cars a few months ago.

The likes of carbuyer and Honest John represent fairly middle of the road dispassionate stuff that is quite dry. Some of the video reviews are remarkably dull and pithy - one of the things I worry about is the cup holder syndrome.

I have a theory that cupholders exist in part for the needs of the middle of the road motoring journalist. It gives them something to write about. If they want to pick something they like on a bland car there's always some aspect of the cupholder - if they want to pick smething they don't like without offending the manufacturer - there's always the cup holder.

Plenty of journalsts just rearrange the marketing material or repeat one another.

And that's where the likes of Setright and Cropley and Clarkson and May are better than average. They don't need the cupholders. The trick is to be intelligent and entertaining.

You don't need to be that good a track driver either. The dullest TV review of a car I can remember came from Jason Plato. Brilliant race driver. I find Tiff pretty dull as well. Watching him squealing round a track chortling isn't very substantial. I do worry that Chris Harris gets a bit overrated on video by some simply because he's quite capable of sticking the tail out and keeping control - but that's not all he does so I find him OK.

 

[moff]

Totally agree here too. I read/watch/listen to motoring reviews/programs etc just for the entertainment factor, I've yet to decide on a car because of a review.

The best reviews I know, are mine, after I've tried the thing!

I don't think anyone will fully decide on a car based on a review and I also don't believe that it is just opinion.

Lets take the example of the Audi S3 that I used to own, the reviews said that it had lifeless and numb steering, it did, this is not opinion but fact. It also stated that it had a great interior and was very fastest in its class (the fastest super hot hatch of the time if I recall). So all in all true facts rather than opinion. I still went ahead and bought the car, but on reflection the points made in the review could have and maybe sold have swayed me towards another car.

In general the journo's reviews are as we expect - BMW generally make great handling cars - this is true. Audi make cars with amazing interiors but average handling that is usually without feel - this is true.

I always reserve judgement on any car and drive it myself. I realise many will just buy a car based on reviews and even just looks, but most of them don't really care that the steering feel is a little vague in an A4 versus a 3 series, they aren't likely to be true petrol heads who are looking for these features.

I can't really recall too many reviews (except Clarkson's) that have been way off the mark once I driven the car myself. Generally what they day holds true if you take a wide sample of car journo's opinion. The advantage the journo's have is that they get to drive everything.

The last point I would like to make however is with regard the time period that they test the car for. In a lots of cases you need time to bond with a car to fully understand it, this is so true of my Honda S2000's which in my opinion were massively under rated. So many reviews are based on cars with delivery miles and only tested for brief periods. More can be gained from long term test reviews. I generally don't trust owner reviews that much as there is always an element of buyer justification too.