4wd Action on D2 TD5

If you want to read some journalistic crap go to page 158 in issue#171, a story on the Disco 4 and an interview with Bruce Davis, here's a few gems.

"those that don't understand the attraction to a model (Land Rover) whose reputation for unreliability is second to none."

"Has the Disco 4 finally proven that Land Rover is capable of being mentioned in the same breath as Toyota and Nissan."

"we wanted to know if the "unreliable" tag was still justified."

All this crap in 1 column half a page deep, and then there was the interview with Bruce in the red box sidebar.

"We also asked Bruce if he thought the D4 had done enough to shake the "unreliable" tag that has haunted Land Rover for the last couple of decades."

Rick O'Brien penned this garbage, it would be interesting to know where he attained his degree in LR bashing, this mug spent more lines on rubbishing LR than the actual test.I will be telling everyone I know not to buy this magazine of bull**** and I hope they tell everyone they know the same, and on and on, network marketing at it's best, Regards Frank.

Let them scare the unwashed masses away from the D2.
I'd rather like to pick one up cheap......

I read the article, and IMO it's a beat-up, trying to get a reaction from LR owners . Recently there have been overtures from 4wd action to our forum, for articles for their mag., obviously they didn't get the result they wanted from that, and decided to bung on this rubbish. I've read quite a few of their reviews, and it seems obvious this one has been written to create a dialogue between the mag. @ furious LR owners defending their vehicles, as seen by the final paragraph " we want to hear from you, whether you've had issues, or a trouble free run." Can't remember that happening in a review previously. A marketing exercise, they must be getting desperate. Bob

I say, Meh!.....I dont care what they write, I dont buy their mag. I have however read many reports and articles in the mag as it is usually left in the lunchroom (or toilet) after someone else has bought it and after a decade of articles, I am still to read something of relevance or importance which I didnt already know. Maybe I am just a legendary know it all..:eek:
But seriously the depth of knowledge, intelligence and research displayed would often be too shallow for "sea monkeys" to grow.

Typically it is a magazine for Bogans aimed at new 4wd owners. (not necessarily new vehicles) and this mag isnt any different to any other mag whatever the target audience, it is a tool for advertisers which equals dollars,and its all about tanatalising you for the next issues of glossy commercials and... I'll still probably have look in the used copy every so often to see if there is any new must have bit of weight to buy for the truck:angel:

cheers

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Originally Posted by Tank

If you want to read some journalistic crap go to page 158 in issue#171, a story on the Disco 4 and an interview with Bruce Davis, here's a few gems.

"those that don't understand the attraction to a model (Land Rover) whose reputation for unreliability is second to none."

"Has the Disco 4 finally proven that Land Rover is capable of being mentioned in the same breath as Toyota and Nissan."

"we wanted to know if the "unreliable" tag was still justified."

All this crap in 1 column half a page deep, and then there was the interview with Bruce in the red box sidebar.

"We also asked Bruce if he thought the D4 had done enough to shake the "unreliable" tag that has haunted Land Rover for the last couple of decades."

Rick O'Brien penned this garbage, it would be interesting to know where he attained his degree in LR bashing, this mug spent more lines on rubbishing LR than the actual test.I will be telling everyone I know not to buy this magazine of bull**** and I hope they tell everyone they know the same, and on and on, network marketing at it's best, Regards Frank.

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i missed this one, rick rang me up to get my view on the D4, im LR through and through but dont sugar coat things. i could tell in the conversation that rick wanted to agree with what i was saying about the D4 (being a brilliant 4x4 etc etc) but it wasnt till the very end of the phone call he spilt the beans and admitted the he had just spent a week in a D4 and loved it...bet that never made the mag???

ide be interested in reading a copy of the article if someone can post it up? just to see if i was used and how much journilistic liceance was ''used''

cheers phil

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Originally Posted by discowhite

i missed this one, rick rang me up to get my view on the D4, im LR through and through but dont sugar coat things. i could tell in the conversation that rick wanted to agree with what i was saying about the D4 (being a brilliant 4x4 etc etc) but it wasnt till the very end of the phone call he spilt the beans and admitted the he had just spent a week in a D4 and loved it...bet that never made the mag???

ide be interested in reading a copy of the article if someone can post it up? just to see if i was used and how much journilistic liceance was ''used''

cheers phil

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Phil, I will post you the pics I've taken of the article as soon as I get some charge back into my camera battery, Regards Frank.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...11/12/1258.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...11/12/1259.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...11/12/1260.jpg

My brother made an observation after observing a really large Department's 4wd forum for some time: The Mitsu people pick on the Nissan people; the Nissan people pick on the Toyo people; the Toyo people pick on the Landie people - who just enjoy their trucks (and all their 'character'). Pretty good observation of the perceived 4wd ladder I thought.

But to the topic: Journalism as a profession is not in the best way and these guys aren't helping the cause. As others have said though, it's nothing new so we shouldn't get wrapped around the axles about it.

Folks being offended at 'their' brand being snubbed is a waste of their effort. The sort of thing a Hicrux (Real Australian's drive Hicrux's! - *sigh*) driver would get worried about. After all, it's the bogan community that seems to have so little to look forward to in life that they violently defend their brands honour. Is it really that important?! It's just a vehicle. Love your brand but don't *love* your brand. Although if you're a dealer/specialist, it might have some real import.

Actually, that's what cracks me up about the Toymota brigade: Their total lack of a sense of humour and blindness to themselves, all the while deriding Landies for being unreliable POS.

A great mate of mine is particularly blind. He'll tell me how unreliable my Rangie and Disco (they're actually very reliable) are yet doesn't trust his Surf to do much in out of the way places. He's also oblivious to the workshops he takes his truck to: They're full of vehicles being repaired after monumental failures! I know as I've asked the mechanics. He'll even forget the $$$ he's spent (I've been there while he's paid up thousands for unexpected repairs) while again heaping scorn on the Landies.

It's these sort of people that these mags are aimed at and they likely assume that those Landie drivers who see themselves as part of a community are same. I wouldn't dignify their trawling with a response.

Putting my bush lawyer skills to use here....

On this forum, there is a policy of no "Naming and Shaming". Basically, this is to protect Inc, and ourselves from any litigation should the claims being made not be 100% factual, and even if they are, a company could draw out a law suite long enough to send a lot of people broke.

Now, what I don’t understand, is that a "journalist" has made some fairly damning claims in print. If Land Rover HQ were to see these claims, they could, potentially, make the publication back-up their claims with cold hard facts.

Such facts would have to show how they came to the conclusion that the D2 is more unreliable than any other 4wd of the same age, and of similar mileage.

Until this publication can support their claims in such a way that makes sense to the "person in the street", they really should not be making them.

Now, I understand that there is a form of poetic licence in all publications, but if they want to be regarded as a "reliable" magazine, then any comments they make need to be backed up with facts. They need to cite their sources, and produce the data.

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Originally Posted by Basil135

Putting my bush lawyer skills to use here....

On this forum, there is a policy of no "Naming and Shaming". Basically, this is to protect Inc, and ourselves from any litigation should the claims being made not be 100% factual, and even if they are, a company could draw out a law suite long enough to send a lot of people broke.

Now, what I don’t understand, is that a "journalist" has made some fairly damning claims in print. If Land Rover HQ were to see these claims, they could, potentially, make the publication back-up their claims with cold hard facts.

Such facts would have to show how they came to the conclusion that the D2 is more unreliable than any other 4wd of the same age, and of similar mileage.

Until this publication can support their claims in such a way that makes sense to the "person in the street", they really should not be making them.

Now, I understand that there is a form of poetic licence in all publications, but if they want to be regarded as a "reliable" magazine, then any comments they make need to be backed up with facts. They need to cite their sources, and produce the data.

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exactly why I have let my subscription lapse. I had faded before but was drawn back at $5 an issue and there unrelenting marketing. This time I'd rather buy a coffee than wast my time reading the magazine spoken about.

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Originally Posted by Tank

Phil, I will post you the pics I've taken of the article as soon as I get some charge back into my camera battery, Regards Frank.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...11/12/1258.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...11/12/1259.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...11/12/1260.jpg

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Couple of things I noted in these pics... ( I certainly wouldn't buy the mag )

Firstly, the only comment they have chosen to reproduce in bold, over the pictures, is the only "negative" that the owners mentioned. (That being about the 19" wheels)

Secondly, the mag couldn't even get the wording the same in the 2 different places. In the article, the "quote" says, "ANY" options, however in the bold over photo grab, it says "MANY". Now, this could be a typo, however, if they cant get this right, what else have they gotten wrong? In legal terms, there is a world of difference between any and many...

Thirdly, the interviewer seems to be focused on finding the negatives. Where are the questions like, "how do you find it off road?", or "what are the best features of the car?"...

So much for balanced reporting. Pity that Kyle Sandilands doesn't drive a LR... :angel: