Re: Crap & Drivel (tm) Station Wagon Review

[Eliot Lim <eliot@u.washington.edu>]

> Think about what you just said.  I'm not familiar with how they racked up
> points-one would think that they'd ask more than one person...
> But think about it.  

you don't get it.  by assigning points to a set of criteria and then
adding them up you are implying that each item is equally important
when they are not.

>You're whining and complaining because Audi came 1
> point away from the Volvo, 2 from beating the Volvo.

wrong.  go back and re-read what i wrote.

> Are you saying that you didn't like it because the meanies stacked a car
> with more HP, 10k lower in price, same or better safety features(better, I
> guess:SIPS and SI airbags-kinda silly, but hey, I'd rather have one!), good
> handling, better maintenance record, etc. etc. against your precious Audi?
> :)

no.

> >the s6 wagon should also have been imported with slush.  it's 3 years
> >too late and still missing the mark.  if it's any consolation, piech
> >fired a boatload of AOA executives not that long ago.

> Um, why are you saying that it _should_ be imported with a slush?

because that's what the market wants.
 
> >nah, it was just BMW's turn to come in last.  i bet this is nothing
> >but a prelude to an upcoming test of either the new 5 or 7 series or
> >maybe the 328i where it will be god's gift to the automotive world.

> I wouldn't be so sure.  Who says that BMW is still turning out "god's gift
> to the automotive world"?

Crap & Drivel (tm) would.  when it's the bimmer's turn...
 
> I bet that if Volvo developed a simlar AWD system, you and a lot of other
> people would SCREAM BLUE-BLOODY-MURDER-YOU-COPIED-AUDI!

keep betting.  it will make you rich some day... :)
 
> I bet the volvo will be trounced because it is not a luxury car.  It's a
> sport/utility!  Volvo calls it the "Thunderwagon".  Wagons are for hauling
> shit, and 220 hp engines are for hauling shit fast. Volvos are for hauling
> shit safely.  Lexuses are for hauling money :)  

and that's what i mean by constantly shifting goalposts... you rig the
result of the test by deciding at the outset which car excels at which
criteria, then use those criteria as the basis of comparison to get
the conclusions you want to please your advertisers.

> If you're going to be this BITTER about Audi getting beaten by one point,
> DON'T EVEN BOTHER READING C+D.

no, i'm having a great time.. you are the one who's BITTER (tee hee hee)
about my Crap & Drivel (tm) bashing...

i don't think that many here appreciate my bashing, so i will shut
up if you let me... :)

>  You obviously don't fit their intended
> audience.  

my apologies for having a mind of my own.  

>You can't yell at them for aiming at a more consumer-oriented
> magazine-most people look to them when they buy a car for industy news,
> their part-by-part OPINION about what was good, what was ok, and what
> stunk. 

i'm not attacking them for expressing their opinions, nor for the
results of this particular article.  i'm attacking them for lacking
integrity and honesty in general.

> >Crap and Drivel (tm).   JUST SAY NO.
> 
> That whole "Just say no to drugs" thing was such a crock of Regan/Bush
> political shit.

was that where that came from?  the phrase just stuck to my head and i
used it... 

> Oh, eliot, what tune would you be singing if C+D _had_ given the Audi an
> extra point or two, even though overall the Volvo kicked butt?

go through the archives and show me an instance where i have flip flopped
about Crap & Drivel (tm).  i challenge you.
 
> Keep also in mind that each person at C+D is not the all knowing car expert
> that you are.  Have you driven all three?  Hmmm? Have you?  I bet you
> haven't!

keep guessing.  i'll bet you are a newbie.  i used to review cars for
the net in the same way that people review movies...  those who have
been around long enough would have seen them....  these cars have
after all been around a while...  fyi, i liked the 850 and have
defended it here many times.  like i said, go search the archives.

i started bashing Crap & Drivel (tm) when i found that cars i drove
turned out very very different from their writeups, beyond the
boundaries of differences of opinions.  hondas were made out to be far
better than what they really were.  that got me started....

then there was the acura integra GS-R that could do 0-60 in some
ungodly time, which was totally at odds with my driving experiences of
it and its competition.  others who had driven it also reported
likewise...

i made the observation at the time that of all the american magazines
that were invited to the launch, only Crap & Drivel (tm) and Mostly
Trash (tm) chose to publish 0-60 times, while the others knew that the
car was anything but pure stock and had enough integrity to not
publish anything.

then you have autoweek occassionally offering peeks into the
corruption at large in the auto media and how threat of witholding
advertising can really sway opinions...

one of those news magazines on TV did an expose once....

ex-columnists for Crap & Drivel (tm) and Mostly Trash (tm) have
written about what happens when they made the fatal mistake of
criticising a car.....

this has very little to do about the current shoot out test between 3
cars.  it has a lot to do with the general dishonesty in the media
and the influence of big bucks on small minds....

you don't have to believe every word i say,  just don't believe
everything THEY say....  question their premises and convince
yourself if you agree with them or not.

>  I  also bet you don't know much about the 850, so how can you say
> they're wrong?

> I bet you haven't studied the BMW either!  Remember, this

i'll bet that you flunked comprehension in elementary school.  :)

>We've already
> established(with at least 10-20 posts) that people don't like C+D.  Can we
> all just accept that some of us like 'em and some of us don't?

sure.  can you accept that once in a while they need to be bashed so
that we maintain some skepticism towards their writing?  if people are
pretty cynical about the political leadership and political articles,
they should extend the same cynicism and skepticism towards the auto
media.  if you dig just a little, there's lots of dirt to be found...

it is supremely naive to think that Crap & Drivel (tm) and gang have
YOUR interests in mind when they publish that rag.  it doesn't take
much effort on my part to tear apart any of their tests, just based
on logic.  goes to show what kind of audience they aim it at...


eliot