Car Journalists – The BASIC Mistake (Some) Make
The inspiration for this article on car journalism was a video by The Intercooler which reviewed & compared the BMW M5 and the Mercedes C63 (the hybrid one with the four cylinder motor).
I can’t help thinking that both video/critics/reviewers completely missed the point of the car’s they were reviewing.
The Mistake
The mistake I think The Intercooler makes in general, is comparing the car they are driving to a different car. Judging the car against a car in a different segment and/or with a different target audience.
And this leads onto the second part of the mistake, I think many car journalists do not understand the market the car is targeted at.
The Intercooler M5 videos are a good example.
Tying themselves in knots trying to work out which is the best iteration of the BMW M5.
EVO Magazine did a similar article way back when working out what was the best M-Car of all time. And I think EVO Magazine did not fall into the same trap. EVO judged the cars solely on the pleasure they gave driving on country roads. Nothing about practicality, running costs etc etc.
The Intercooler video on the M5 on the other hand…
At the start of the two part series they state they want to find their “favourite M5”. What does that even mean?
I’m not sure if they even know because they found it sooo difficult to identify which is their “favourite”. Perhaps they don’t even know what “favourite” means to them?
I don’t want to labour the point too much but during their conclusion to Part 1, they start talking about the E28 M5 saying “you have to remember how extraordinary it was when it was released”, and that it has four doors, four seats big boot……okay, but how is this going to effect your opinion?
My Point
Hopefully you get what I’m saying, I don’t have any idea how they are judging the car and what weight they are giving each aspect of the car.
Who is their M5 video series aimed at?
People who want to know what the journos like?
I’d suggest it would be more enlightening/helpful to know which is the best driving machine on country roads, or outright speed cross country, or best on track, or the best daily driver in the modern world etc etc.
M3 vs C63
I don’t want to pick on this The Intercooler video any longer, so I’ll move on to another one, the one I mentioned at the start.
Their M5 vs C63 video.
The conclusion to this video was equally as confusing and opaque and frustrating as the M5 series.
They bang on about weight, how one is bad, how the other is even worse. The relevance of this point is not clear is the context of assessing a winner.
They lay into the engine in the C63. Big time. How the market does not want a 4 cylinder. So they are judging how well Mercedes judge their market? How is that related to the car itself?
Then they go on about practicality. How the boot is small in the C63. So the most practical will win?
To finish off the video they say for “dynamics, ride handling”, the C63 beats the M3 for its remit as a sporting family car. And the ride on the M3 will probably annoy the driver and the passengers even more. And their conclusion is they’d take the M3 every time……. I’m not sure on what basis…..
How to do it – Car Journalism
Enough of the criticism, what is the solution?
Harry’s Garage 500 E Review
Harry Metcalfe, one of the legends for sure, he almost falls into this trap in the meat of his reviews but he saves it completely with his conclusions. He gives his likes and dislikes about a car which leaves you in no confusion about what is good about the car and what is bad. He makes no claim as to whether you should buy one or not. And he makes minimal comparison with other cars. He has driven so many cars I thinks it fair to say when he says something is good it is and vice versa.
Chris Harris M5 vs R35 GTR Review
Chris acknowledges that the connection between these two cars is tenuous but he highlights their similarities with regards to what they do (4 seats, twin turbo motors, power figures, weight) so you know it’s not a completely pointless comparison, but he also succinctly wraps up the video stating which he thinks is the best and why. And you also finish the video knowing exactly what you get from the other car.
Takeaways – Keys For A Good Car Review
For sure I’m not a car journalist, but I can say what I want to take from a car review video.
I want to know how a car performs for a specific circumstance (eg EVO Magazine M article), or I want to know how a car performs in various situations.
As a bonus I’d also want to know what a car does badly.
Harris, (old) EVO and Metcalfe nail it here. Chris gives a broad picture and let’s you decide if the car is for you. EVO focus on the “thrill of driving” and assess cars on this basis. Metcalfe gives you the main pluses and minuses of each car as someone who has massive experience.
What I don’t want at the end of a review, written or otherwise is to be confused as to why a car is good or not, or why one car won or lost.
I’ll finish with one last example of someone getting this right and it’s another Harris video. His GSF vs M5 video. He ends the video concisely telling which he prefers and why.
