Judging from some of the email correspondence we receive here at CAR, some readers believe that the editors are biased toward certain manufacturers. Well, that’s nonsense. I’ve been charged with sifting through the myriad of electronic mails we, here at CAR, receive on a daily basis. And among the usual crop of complaints, compliments and general queries, we are accused of all manner of things, such as pandering to manufacturers, granting high scores to test cars when a manufacturer advertises with us, and worst of all, brand bias. In truth, we make a concerted effort to shy away from the ills that plague too much of our little corner of the publishing industry.
If Toyota products do well in successive issues, then we are seen to be pro-Toyota. Let a BMW win the odd shootout and the Mercedes or Audi brigades are up in arms…
Brand bias is a sticky wicket, in that it can affect the outcome of any number of tests and shootouts, not to mention such large matters, for us, like the Top12 Best Buys feature, which we issue yearly.
To a large extent we alleviate the possibility of bias to any particular marques, especially during testing, by having as many members of our test panel as possible critique the vehicle in question.
The one aspect that does annoy me about brand bias, whether levelled at me, or indeed about the subject in general, is the sweeping generalisations people make about their beloved brands. Sure, some makes have more machines that excel at their given task, but that does in no way make them superior to their rivals, at least not across the board.
I tend to treat all cars on their own merit. I happen to think that a BMW M3 is an amazing driving machine (Watch my commentary on the M3 while driving on Spain’s Ascari circuit), though anyone that knows me will certainly not accuse me of being a BMW loyalist.
I also happen to think that a Golf GTI is a balanced, well-rounded hatch, but I’m no VW fanatic. Mercedes’ C-Class is one of the best small execs in my eyes, and has certainly shaken up the pecking order in that genre, but I could never see myself behind the wheel of an E-class. Mazda2 really impressed when I encountered it professionally, and despite a legacy of Midges and 323s, I found that (based on merit) it is a fantastic little car (witness its recent World Car of the Year accolade).
I rate Daihatsu’s Sirion pretty highly, too, but I’m not rushing out to buy any of its other products. The list goes on, and as with the way I treat people, I try not to let prejudice, ie. to judge based on preconceived notions, get in the way of making a call on what is presented to me here and now. The reverse is also true. Despite its good looking and appealing soundtrack, I don’t think much of an Aston Martin DB9. I think that it a prime example of a car that is overpriced and under-performing and trades strongly on its snob appeal. Then again, I am a petrolhead and not a poser. Volkswagen’s Golf R32 also falls into the same category for me. Too much dosh for not enough car.
Believe me, there are too many good products out there to let pre-formed opinions influence the way we think. I think that generalisations pervade too much of our daily life and given the opportunity we should (and I repeat), should, always explore the individual case presented before us, whether it be performance hatchbacks or people, judging anything based on an uninformed, predetermined thought process can be detrimental to both you, and that which you’re being presented with.
Sudhir Matai completed a degree at the University of KwaZulu Natal in 1998. He majored in Psychology, as a matter of fact – Ed.
