July 11th 2008

A news item this week establishes that the Los Angeles Times is doing away with its automotive section. This in the middle of
the most car oriented city in North America and with one of the very best and most honest (therefore outspoken) auto writers
around, Pulitzer prize winner, Dan Neil. Maybe that's the problem.

As I've been saying for sometime, writing about cars when the publication you work for relies on auto industry advertising
dollars for a lot of its revenue is the most restricted and polluted environment imaginable. If you're honest, you're out. If you toe
the line you lie a lot. What choice does a poor journalist have?

But never mind the journalists, who at least get to fly by private jet to some pretty nice parties and exotic locations, what about the
general public? Where is the factual information they need not to find they have wasted 20 or 30 large on some piece of junk
that every one in the industry knew was either going to be discontinued or had so many problems of a basic nature that visits
to the dealer for warranty work were going to become a bi-weekly event?

Well fortunately, Consumers Reports remains ad free and independent and as I have said many times, our experience on
the shop floor and their red dot/black dot reliability index closely resemble one another. In other words, we profit hugely ,
but with honesty and integrity, from black dot cars. The only problem is that cars are often designated as "too new to
assess" which in interpretation means "never buy the first years production of any brand new design".

In Canada, the Automobile Protection Agency is a very good source of independent opinion and joining the organisation
can be beneficial in that they won't let you buy a bad car, but they will help you negotiate a very good price for the one you
want. The price of admission is a bargain.

Other than quality if course, is consideration of the actual driving experience.
Somebody who just went out and bought a Pontiac Wave based on price alone may understand getting to know the dealer
very well, but won't have a clue about the driving experience, because so far as they are concerned, the car is an appliance
to be regarded with the same matter-of-fact contempt as a refrigerator or a stove.

Maybe even less.

The only true way in which to assess whether you and your prospective new friend are going to get along well is drive the thing.
Not just round the block with incessant salesperson chatter, but for a full weekend. Wherever possible, renting the car you're
thinking of buying may cost a bob or three but you may find something about it that will cause you to fall in love
(according to the marketing psychologists, the buying of a new car is sexual in nature for both sexes).

Or will there be some minor feature that is going to drive you absolutely crazy for the whole time that you own the car?
Can you live with an offset or split instrument panel, for instance?

This week I test drove a manual shift car that had a permanent centre arm rest. Every time I shifted into second or fourth gear,
my arm was paralysed by the nerve in my elbow coming into contact with the sharp edge of this arm rest. I hated every minute
of that drive, even though it was only ten minutes long.

So that research on the internet is still vital to your choices, but be sure that the site in question has no adverting links to the
car manufacturers.

Beyond that you can call, or e-mail me, you can do your own test drive and there's absolutely nothing wrong, at least in gun free
Canada, in approaching an owner of the car you're considering purchasing in a parking lot and ask him about his experience
with the car so far.

With this last option, however, remember that many people are reluctant to admit they've made a bad choice, unless the choice
is SO bad that they're only too glad to fire off a salvo to anyone who will listen.

Take a month to make the right decision and DON"T be in a hurry.