Telegraph review - Golf GTi for the Saga set

[gt40]

A decent review, although I'm guessing some might not like the suggested ownership profile. I'm ok with it.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/car-manufacturers/skoda/10389458/Driven-Skoda-Octavia-vRS.html

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[bilun777]

What Journalistic Tosh.

The Saga set are all in their Honda Jazz's or Hyundai i10's.

[Dodgy]

Not a car review, but a lifestyle review. There's no interest in actual car reviews these days in the popular media. For instance, I don't think the writer even mentioned what engine was in it, it was just listed in the spec right at the end.

 

I couldn't care less if it was rated as 1, 2 or 78 stars. The car is what it is, you find that out by driving (or owning) and listening to the opinion of people you know and / or trust. Same with most consumer gear these days, I stopped taking notice of reviews years ago, we've got forums and other crowd sourced information these days.

 

Sorry for the rant, but I don't trust reviews when there's an agenda at stake.

.

[gt40]

I disagree, these articles have their place. If you want an in-depth technical review, of anything, you will not find it in The Telegraph, or any other newspaper. What it will do, however, is create an impression of value/quality/excitement/lifestyle, or whatever tickles your fancy, about something of which you may not be aware. You may then be curious enough to find out more.

Besides, who are Skoda's marketing dept. going to quote on their ads and brochures - a high circulation daily newspaper, or a niche forum populated by internet dwellers full of confirmation bias.

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[fatwomble]

I'd say a Golf GTi was less conspicuous than the Vrs.

[Dodgy]

 What it will do, however, is create an impression of value/quality/excitement/lifestyle, or whatever tickles your fancy, about something of which you may not be aware. You may then be curious enough to find out more.

 

 

So basically, it's an advertisement. Which is really my point. There's always an agenda, VAG buying ad space in the Telegraph elsewhere perhaps? It's why I stopped buying magazines on my favourite subjects.

[gt40]

So basically, it's an advertisement. Which is really my point. There's always an agenda, VAG buying ad space in the Telegraph elsewhere perhaps? It's why I stopped buying magazines on my favourite subjects.

Which is why it was slightly disparaging towards the Golf's image?

I really don't see why you think a favourable article, in a general motoring section, in a high circulation newspaper is a bad thing for the car you have purchased. Sure, you can have a go at the lack of detail but I'd suggest you misunderstand the point of the section - is not there as an alternative to Autocar, it's just a section that skims a subject for the paper's readership. Like arts, snow reports, fashion, sport, travel, business etc. Not of interest to all, not all in great depth (some more than others, obviously) but vital content nonetheless.

As for magazines on your favourite subjects, what has that got to do with 500 words, or whatever, on a new car in a mass circulation daily newspaper?

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[Dodgy]

Ok, we've established that we don't agree. That's fine

[gullyg]

I'd say a Golf GTi was less conspicuous than the Vrs.

I think I'd agree. There's bl**dy loads of GTIs round here. On the other hand the VRSs I see about are rarely subtle colours unlike the golfs and I think most people will notice the colour rather than big wheels etc.

As for the review, quite happy to be classed as saga set, although I'm only 29.

Edited 30 November, 2013 by gullyg

[gt40]

What Journalistic Tosh.

The Saga set are all in their Honda Jazz's or Hyundai i10's.

 

When I'm in the Saga set my car will be a DB7 - manual!

[TheWanderer]

When I'm in the Saga set my car will be a DB7 - manual!

 

In your dreams.... 

[dilly]

For what it's worth, Neil Lyndon is a Skoda aficionado. He's had them as his personal transport and I think he may have a Yeti for his family at the moment. But he's a journo for goodness' sake; he writes journalese. And very good he is at it too. His car reviews are the first thing I read in the Sunday Telegraph.

He's in his sixties so I'd expect him to joke about SAGA. Don't take offence.

Take a gate post.

Dill

[skovirg]

Typical broadsheet review by a 'journalist' who I doubt has driven the car at all  If so, probably very little.  There's a similar one written, I think for the independent doing the rounds.  That's equally bad.  No real content except a regurgitated spec list taken from Skoda along with a discussion of how it compares to the usual suspects. What new information does that give me? None, just words on a page that really says nothing of any worth.  Video reviews are so much better, at least you know the reviewer has driven the thing. 

[Neily03]

What a load of drivel!

[JungleJames]

Crikey, can nobody win.

If he had written a horrible review, he would have been shot down in flames. He writes a quite pleasant review, and is still shot down in flames. He has basically said its as good as, if not better than any other VAG vehicle along the same base, and without the negative perception that Golf drivers receive from the public (and what he says about Golf drivers and how they are perceived is true, as thats pretty much what i think when i see a Golf).

 

Basically, in a newspaper way, he has said pretty much what motoring magazines/ websites are saying. The Octy (and in this case the VRS), is a dam fine car.

 

He is writing for a newspaper, so he wont go into too much technical detail. He has to write in a specific way 1- To please the editor, and 2- To appeal to the readers.

 

If he had spoken rubbish, then fine, but he hasnt. A quite fair review.

[Neily03]

Love the bit where he mentions the golf GTI's 'flared' wheel arches.... It's not had flared wheel arches since the mkII, the body panels are the same as the normal golf.

[JungleJames]

Love the bit where he mentions the golf GTI's 'flared' wheel arches.... It's not had flared wheel arches since the mkII, the body panels are the same as the normal golf.

It may be the same as the conventional Golf, but the front wheel arch is still possibly something id describe as flared. It stands out unnecessarily too much.

[skovirg]

Love the first word of the article,  'driven'. Yeah whatever, if you say so.  You drive a car and all that you can do is just regurgitate the standard piffle.  Maybe he did see the car but I bet he couldn't be a#@ed to drive it before putting pen to paper. Or chalk to slate. 

 

"Flared arches?" really? Investigative journalism is clearly alive and well in the Telegraph... and I thought Watchdog had been dumbed down.

[old newbie2]

What Journalistic Tosh.

The Saga set are all in their Honda Jazz's or Hyundai i10's.

Sorry, not quite true..........

 

SWMBO & I really are in the SAGA generation (retired senior citizens, etc.) but we share an OCTY vRS, a Superb Elegance Twindoor, both 2.0 litre TSi DSG & a 3.0 litre  V6 Mondeo wagon, all 220+ bhp.

 

We wouldn't been seen dead in a Jazz ,an I10 or any other similar under-powered heap!

 

 

Happy Motoring to you all......., DC. 

[gt40]

Love the first word of the article, 'driven'. Yeah whatever, if you say so. You drive a car and all that you can do is just regurgitate the standard piffle. Maybe he did see the car but I bet he couldn't be a#@ed to drive it before putting pen to paper. Or chalk to slate.

"Flared arches?" really? Investigative journalism is clearly alive and well in the Telegraph... and I thought Watchdog had been dumbed down.

Jeez, does nobody ever do context these days?

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[savannadry]

Back handed compliment I would say!

[littleade]

Personally I can't see what all the fuss is. Journalists write articles to sell papers and its natural they would write it with their audience profile in mind. I would have though Skoda would be over the moon with it TBH as it is, as some others point out good advertisement for the vRS that's reaching an audience that would not normally consider a Skoda. If you're that worried about your cars image why did you buy a Skoda? I bought mine because of the famous customer satisfaction results, the excellent build quality and superb value for money. Do I give a stuff what others of so called 'better' marques think? Of course not.

[Dodgy]

Personally I can't see what all the fuss is. Journalists write articles to sell papers and its natural they would write it with their audience profile in mind. I would have though Skoda would be over the moon with it TBH as it is, as some others point out good advertisement for the vRS that's reaching an audience that would not normally consider a Skoda. If you're that worried about your cars image why did you buy a Skoda? I bought mine because of the famous customer satisfaction results, the excellent build quality and superb value for money. Do I give a stuff what others of so called 'better' marques think? Of course not.

 

Spot on, you may be surprised to hear, I agree with you.

 

But it's not a review. It's fluff designed to take up some space whilst fluffing the pillow for future (or possibly past) VAG advertising.

 

I wouldn't care if the author was positive or negative, it doesn't matter to me. I can't work out why it matters to anyone else, either. Is it some kind of deep seated insecurity where people need to see their purchases validated in some way?

 

I've driven a Skoda for 14 years, I am immune to marketing

[gt40]

Spot on, you may be surprised to hear, I agree with you.

But it's not a review. It's fluff designed to take up some space whilst fluffing the pillow for future (or possibly past) VAG advertising.

I wouldn't care if the author was positive or negative, it doesn't matter to me. I can't work out why it matters to anyone else, either. Is it some kind of deep seated insecurity where people need to see their purchases validated in some way?

I've driven a Skoda for 14 years, I am immune to marketing

It's one of 191 motoring articles published in the Telegraph during October - they're hardly singling out one model from one marque from one conglomerate for a bit of advertising bait.

So I suggest you're also immune to context.

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[Dodgy]

You're not somehow taking this personally because you started the thread, are you? I'm not saying they're singling out Skoda for special treatment, I'm saying that the majority of this type of article only exists for one thing.

 

If I'm immune to context, I'd suggest you're naive about how magazines, newspapers and even some websites are funded.