Thread: Entertaining column by James May

I think he quite liked driving it, despite all the -ve things he brought up

Thats a good article if I do say so myself!

Do you want to be entertained? Read Bill Mckinnon's review on the NRMA motoring website....

Land Rover Defender 1000km Road Test - NRMA Motoring & Services

Make your own conclusions ... don't be biased...

I see no negatives in Bill McKinnons piece at all.
" Agricultural, hard (solid) interior, manual (light/ cheap) mirrors etc."

Yes, definately no remission for moi!
; ))

Originally Posted by eksjay

Do you want to be entertained? Read Bill Mckinnon's review on the NRMA motoring website....

Land Rover Defender 1000km Road Test - NRMA Motoring & Services

Make your own conclusions ... don't be biased...

Harsh review!!

Mostly all true though .....

I think every review of a Defender needs to be prefaced with a declaration that the reviewer is either pro-Defender or anti-Defender. There is NO in between. Every review I read is usually coloured by the reviewer's pre-defined attitude towards them. Consequently they are either overly harsh and miss the point of the vehicle, invariably comparing it to a Prado or some-such nonsense, or laced with blind devotion that means many honest criticisms are left out even if the test car ends up cutting the reviewer's leg off.

For example...

Declaration: The reviewer is a multiple Defender owner and therefore the opinions expressed here are not necessarily related to real world:

Review: I loved the new Defender. The view from the driving seat makes me feel like a God, I can drive it through the depths of hell without any sense of fear, it is nuclear bombproof and galactically handsome, I love it and want to marry it and have little human/defender half breed kids and it is the best 4x4 bar none and Toyota and Nissan should just shut up shop and give up building soft, half-baked puddings and calling them off-road vehicles...blah blah blah...


OR


Declaration: The reviewer is anti-Defender and anti Land Rover, and quite probably anti-4WDs and the opinions expressed here are not necessarily based on the current Defender or in fact any Defender but a fictional image of the Defender that exists only in the reviewer's mind:

Review: I hated the new Defender. It ripped my trousers when I got in, my leg had to be amputated from loss of circulation and I now have tinitis from driving it more than 20 minutes. The ergonimics are from the 1940s, the steering wheel is carved from granite and feels like turning a lump of 4x2 inside a cement mixer. The air conditioning has given me legionella, I caught gout from getting in and out and any company producing this kind of archaic machinery in the 21st century should be blown up. Unlike my Prado/Pajero/Audi/BMW which...blah blah blah...

It's interesting to compare the two reviews.

One touches the heart and the other professes a scientific approach given that the article is written to advise the members.

The former is closer to the mark. The latter in its delivery of facts is flawed:

For example: The Defender does not come standard with a snorkel.

The average punter has been led astray...Bad journalism.

James at least asks you to keep an open mind because there could be something happening.

Am I going to trade mine in on a Prado because he said so....

I think they are right on the money.

They are exactly that and only appeal to a minority.
People that buy them love them, wouldn't drive anything else just because of what was said.
I drove the new one only a few weeks ago, I love my Landies but that thing is serious.
It's not my sort of car but can see the appeal.

For motoring writers who drive modern cars and little appreciation for classics will never get it.

I am not even sure if I get it.