Credibility is like virginity: once you lose it, you never get it back. Therefore, motoring journalists try to be as objective as possible (well, most of them, anyway) and report all their findings, good or bad alike when they take a car for a test drive.
However, Consumer Reports [CR], asks a rather intriguing question concerning this issue: are the press cars driven by motoring journalists the same as the ones bought by the public?
It's true that, despite quality control, two cars of the exact same make, model and specification that roll out of the same plant may differ in certain aspects such as fit and finish or actual engine output by a few ponies, but those differences are most of the times imperceptible to the human eye.
Earlier this summer, Volkswagen gave Consumer Reports a 2012 Passat from its press fleet for a first drive. CR's Jon Linkov noticed at the time that, unlike the Jetta, the U.S.-built 2012 Passat sedan's trunk hinges were dressed up in plastic.
For a complete test of a vehicle, Consumer Reports always goes and buys retail samples of the car in question. In the 2012 Passat's case, CR bought three cars: a 2.0 TDI, a 2.5 SE and a 3.6 SEL Premium.
Much to Linkov's surprise, the plastic covers of the media car were absent in all three Passats. Instead, there was only a cover for the wiring loom hinge.
Maybe you think that a plastic trunk hinge cover is not such a big deal. But if a carmaker pays special attention to such a small detail, it makes you wonder what else it might have changed in the press car to get a more positive review?
On the other hand, maybe between the media launch and the car going on sale there was a last-minute redesign. While a plastic hinge may seem like penny-pinching to you and me, the carmaker, which produces hundreds of thousands of models annually, can actually save a lot of cash with such a small change.
This isn’t the first time we've heard allegations about press cars. Much more disturbing is British road test editor Chris Harris’ allegations about Ferrari media test cars. You can read his account on Jalopnik. We have no way of knowing if the story is true or not but it does make you wonder…
7 Comments:
I wouldn't be surprised VW would pull some tricks to get good reviews from CR. The cars of the assembly always leave a lot to be desired and generally get bad reviews from CR.
I've bought an used Passat B6 this year (4 years old). Before I had an Opel Astra Caravan 2002. The amount of cracking.noise in the Passat (seat belt, armature etc.) in comparison to old Astra is unbelivable. I wonder how did they pass any press review with something like that.
Or maybe it is only my car.
Other examples shown at exhibitions also had the extra embellishment, so it's unlikely it was just a CR specific move.
Simply, it looks like the cost cutting bean counters made a pragmatic surgical strike just before mass production. Aesthetically it looks so wrong now, especially when one hinge is exposed painted in a light color and the other hinge covered in a dark colored plastic.
IMO it really does affect the quality perception of the trunk space. If I were interested in a Passat, I would buy an extra hinge cover and slap it on myself. Never thought I would see me writing an opinion on trunk hinges!....
Most car companies do this and let's face it, so do other industries. Have you ever had a burger from Mcdonald's that looks like the commercial? Seriously. This is a company that sells millions of burgers yet what you see, is not what you get. But I digress...
Thank god for companies like consumer reports.
I´ve had 3 Volswagens in the last 10 years and except for a power window that stopped working I had absolutely NO issues!
CR gets duped by the automakers. What does that say about the credibility of their reviews? If this is true, then they are just as vulnerable as consumers. Take any media reviews of any product with a grain of salt, and just drive or buy what you like.
[WARNING] corporate hack commenter alert!
Over at Auto Blog these weasels write the copy and take all expenses paid trips to exotic locals on the corporate teat, with money they stole from people who actually work for a living. There motto is 'we love the suckers who pay our bill, we'd be lost without them, more suckers please'.
Post a Comment