... We as consumers do not drive different cars every day and therefore in order to make informed choices, come the appropriate time, tend to rely on the likes of "Test Drive" magazine for information and "informed" opinion. After all, these people are paid to offer just that, in order that we ... Read review
Advantages: Lots of colour. Smells great! Disadvantages: Facts incorrect. Biased tests. Messy layout. Overuse of colour.
...to read were the comparison test on my own car. (Just in case you are interested, they wrote this article using a combination of 17 different print / background colours!) I did not have to read very far to realise that the car they had photographed and tested was not the car discribed or priced against its more expensive competitors in the comparative data section.
The simple mistake was that they had an £18,900 Sport model rather ... ...so many publications that do this so much better - stick to "What Car" and you will not go too far wrong.
My advice firmly remains however, there is no substitute for a decent test drive, whatever any magazine says one man's meat remains another man's poison. ... more
Don't get me wrong, I'm a car enthusiast pure and simple, choice is good, more the better, but this magazine perfectly reflects the state of the current motor industry......
.....Too many cars made, too few buyers to snap them up......
......Too many magazines on the shelf, not enough market for them.
Having read just about all the car mags over the last 30 years, I suppose I am hard to please, in this day and age one tends to expect greatness straight out of the blocks.
I purchased issue 1 in November 2004, it was on "Special Introductory Offer" at £1.85. A bargain indeed, my weekly Autocar magazine is now £2.20.
The regular monthly price is now £3.70
However never judge a book by its cover, a car magazine needs to be factual and accurate, after all most data is easy enough to check with manufacturers sites on the web these days, there is no excuse for slapdash work by journalists who are paid for doing what we take pleasure in right here on this site.
Issue 1 showed promise but was definitely less authorititave than any other car magazine read recently, but after all it takes time to match content to fancy graphics and colourful pages, although personally I find black on white, old fashioned as it is, the easiest print format to digest.
So issue 1 showed some promise then, give it a few months to mature and......
......buy issue six - thanks to a roadtest of my very own car, the Honda Accord Diesel.
Dear, oh dear!
For whatever reason they had decided, during the course of the first five issues, to throw even more colour at it. The content, particularly any editorial, now looks like a patchwork quilt. We have white text on blue background, white on red, black on yellow, yellow on red, white on black, light blue on dark blue, white on orange, white on striped orange, blue on black. Oh I cannot go on counting, I have only got to page 9 out of a total of 266 livid pages!
The first actual pages I sat down to read were the comparison test on my own car. (Just in case you are interested, they wrote this article using a combination of 17 different print / background colours!) I did not have to read very far to realise that the car they had photographed and tested was not the car discribed or priced against its more expensive competitors in the comparative data section.
The simple mistake was that they had an £18,900 Sport model rather than the £20,400 Executive, they had lined up against the SE specification Audi A4, BMW 320d and Mercedes 220CDi Classic.
They praise highly and rightly, the Honda for its superb engine and excellent dynamics but then go on to criticise its "bland interior", non-electric seat adjustment and the cheap looking spoiler on the boot plus its comparative lack of equipment!
All of these items are redressed on the Executive model, which does not have a spoiler on the boot, does have an all leather interior, with electrically adjustable seats and is simply groaning with standard equipment.
Having realised that this bunch had not even gone to the trouble of checking which version of the car they had on test, I then doubted the authenticity of every other comment made in the two magazines purchased. A quality car magazine, e.g. "What Car" will always state that they have used an alternative model for photographic purposes where appropriate.
I am not here to sell you a Honda, however you do know the car you drive every day. We as consumers do not drive different cars every day and therefore in order to make informed choices, come the appropriate time, tend to rely on the likes of "Test Drive" magazine for information and "informed" opinion. After all, these people are paid to offer just that, in order that we should be better informed consumers.
When you are in full knowledge that such a basic error has been made, no matter how colourful the pages, if the journalistic content is suspicious then it really is not worth reading.
There are so many publications that do this so much better - stick to "What Car" and you will not go too far wrong.
My advice firmly remains however, there is no substitute for a decent test drive, whatever any magazine says one man's meat remains another man's poison.
Advantages: Amazing sence of achievement, and FREEDOM!!! Disadvantages: Very soon you become Mum's TAXI!
the speed limits on those roads, and drive to just within them if it is safe, otherwise you will be marked down for not making reasonable progress.
- Make sure you know the car you are driving for your test, especially for the 'show me tell me' part. You also need to know how to turn on the headlights, windscreen wipers etc just in case. Make sure you know how to lock / unlock the car, it sounds obvious but modern cars can vary.
- Make full use of your ADI's knowledge all the way through, if you don't understand, ask. You are paying him good money so get the most out of your lessons.
- I took the herbal remedy 'Kalms' for a couple of weeks leading up to my test, and for a couple of weeks afterwards, too. This helped me a great deal.
I was so chuffed to pass first time, after 3 months and 43 lessons. That was two and a half weeks ago ...
Advantages: Very Economical and stylish Disadvantages: None
Wow!! What a excellent little car !?
I have just passed my drivingtest, so after many months? if not years of scrimping and scraping so that I could save up for a car I went out and bought the first car that I like the look of. And I choose this beauty! (I know that was foolish as I should have done my research but that gut instinct was correct and I'm pleased with my choice.)
The car I choose was a Renault Clio Dynamique (100) 1.5 dCi
Its features:
Standard Renault alloy wheels
Remote central locking
Powered steering
Air bags
ABS brakes
Along with the standard spec of a Renault Clio but ? what sets the Dynamique version apart from others is its sports styling;
It has 15-inch alloy wheels, a rear spoiler, front foglamps and sports seats. Automatic headlamps and rain-sensing wipers as standard ...
Advantages: powerful, good build quality, reliable Disadvantages: thirsty. expensive servicing
Having been looking for a bmw coupe for several months and testdriving various models i bought a 325 the car drives superb as well as looking great. It has all the buttons and gadgets you could possibly need.
having test driven the 316, 318, and 320 there was just no comparisson between them the 325 just blows them out of the water the cars appear to be flawless and if well looked after i have been informed can easily reach 200000 miles so dont be put off by high milage cars. My car has done just shy of 100000 but i had a drive in one that had done 47000 and even with the mileage i couldnt tell the difference.
as with everything there has to be a couple of downfalls. they are thirsty dont believe what the book tells you there is no chance of you getting 40mpg out of one of these closer to 30 if you drive sensibly also ...
jamsieboi 04.02.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of BMW 325i Coupé
