We really do want to have our cake and eat it don't we....
Discussion
We really do want to have our cake and eat it don't we....
Last night as their wasn't much on the telly I sat down and read a few reviews on the little Mitubishi Colt Ralliart. And boy do we (or the journo's) want a lot for our money.
Every review I read (the worst by far being some prick on the TG website) gave some credit to the performance, but then moaned about the interior appearance, plastics and spec. Some even moaned about the exteior not having enough differences from the lower models.
Now despite this car being class leading in terms of power and speed levels and only costing £12,500 on the road. What exactly are these idiots expecting???
If it cost £15-20k then I'm sure it could have looked very different and had a much more "wow" interior. But it doesn't. Or you could have had the looks for this money, but not the speed and performance.
/rant.
Last night as their wasn't much on the telly I sat down and read a few reviews on the little Mitubishi Colt Ralliart. And boy do we (or the journo's) want a lot for our money.
Every review I read (the worst by far being some prick on the TG website) gave some credit to the performance, but then moaned about the interior appearance, plastics and spec. Some even moaned about the exteior not having enough differences from the lower models.
Now despite this car being class leading in terms of power and speed levels and only costing £12,500 on the road. What exactly are these idiots expecting???
If it cost £15-20k then I'm sure it could have looked very different and had a much more "wow" interior. But it doesn't. Or you could have had the looks for this money, but not the speed and performance.
/rant.
Once upon a time, the likes of John Bolster gave a worthwhile technical appraisal. As well as describing ergonomics, handling feel, useablity, flexibility etc.
Now buyers only concerns appear to be the interior plastics "look" & raw performance stats they'll never use. Or is that just the journoes?
Now buyers only concerns appear to be the interior plastics "look" & raw performance stats they'll never use. Or is that just the journoes?
300bhp/ton said:
We really do want to have our cake and eat it don't we....
Last night as their wasn't much on the telly I sat down and read a few reviews on the little Mitubishi Colt Ralliart. And boy do we (or the journo's) want a lot for our money.
Every review I read (the worst by far being some prick on the TG website) gave some credit to the performance, but then moaned about the interior appearance, plastics and spec. Some even moaned about the exteior not having enough differences from the lower models.
Now despite this car being class leading in terms of power and speed levels and only costing £12,500 on the road. What exactly are these idiots expecting???
If it cost £15-20k then I'm sure it could have looked very different and had a much more "wow" interior. But it doesn't. Or you could have had the looks for this money, but not the speed and performance.
/rant.
Road tests are always comparitive. Whether it's an actual group test or just putting things in context, you have to point out the areas where the car falls down if you're going to give it a fair review.Last night as their wasn't much on the telly I sat down and read a few reviews on the little Mitubishi Colt Ralliart. And boy do we (or the journo's) want a lot for our money.
Every review I read (the worst by far being some prick on the TG website) gave some credit to the performance, but then moaned about the interior appearance, plastics and spec. Some even moaned about the exteior not having enough differences from the lower models.
Now despite this car being class leading in terms of power and speed levels and only costing £12,500 on the road. What exactly are these idiots expecting???
If it cost £15-20k then I'm sure it could have looked very different and had a much more "wow" interior. But it doesn't. Or you could have had the looks for this money, but not the speed and performance.
/rant.
I haven't been in a modern Colt as far as I can remember, but I'd hazard a guess its interior isn't up to MINI or A1 standards. No s
t, I hear you exclaim, but it's all part of the review; you have to know where the money has been saved and if it's the trim, rather than say the engine or suspension, I'd say that was a result.
Black S2K said:
Once upon a time, the likes of John Bolster gave a worthwhile technical appraisal. As well as describing ergonomics, handling feel, useablity, flexibility etc.
Now buyers only concerns appear to be the interior plastics "look" & raw performance stats they'll never use. Or is that just the journoes?
If you haven't read it there is an article in this months EVO magazine which has the same view point. Journos can provide as much advice as possible offering accurate opinions on new cars and people will totally ignore them. There was a quote from a chap at BMW who said strangely the models that get the best reviews by journos are the least popular and those that are often critised are the best sellers. Now buyers only concerns appear to be the interior plastics "look" & raw performance stats they'll never use. Or is that just the journoes?
Another example given was the majority of reviews of the new Audis say the S-Line suspension is too harsh and ride quality is poor on 19 inch wheels yet over 80% of new Audis are spec'd with S-Line suspension and then you hear people complaining about it
aka_kerrly said:
If you haven't read it there is an article in this months EVO magazine which has the same view point. Journos can provide as much advice as possible offering accurate opinions on new cars and people will totally ignore them. There was a quote from a chap at BMW who said strangely the models that get the best reviews by journos are the least popular and those that are often critised are the best sellers.
Another example given was the majority of reviews of the new Audis say the S-Line suspension is too harsh and ride quality is poor on 19 inch wheels yet over 80% of new Audis are spec'd with S-Line suspension and then you hear people complaining about it
But how much of what is sold is lead by the car makers and not buyers? Ie most new cars are not factory orders. They are just picked from stock or a pre arranged production run.Another example given was the majority of reviews of the new Audis say the S-Line suspension is too harsh and ride quality is poor on 19 inch wheels yet over 80% of new Audis are spec'd with S-Line suspension and then you hear people complaining about it
It's like colours. Car makers set what is more popular not the buyers.
Chris71 said:
I can see the point. You get an awful lot in a typical modern car that was absent even just ten years ago. So, yes, in historical terms we're spoilt.
But when the premium small cars are so good I don't think it's unfair to contrast them objectively to the budget models.
I don't think its unfair either. But I guess its more about what is important in such a car.But when the premium small cars are so good I don't think it's unfair to contrast them objectively to the budget models.
At this price and performance point the interior is really the last thing to worry about. Sure mention it as being similar to the base model (which in truth wouldn't be a suprise for most cars). But I don't see as why it should be the main focus. The TG crew gave the car 10/20 and from what I could tell this was mostly due to the interior.
But on that premise, any car costing more than £12k (the Colt Ralliart price) that is slower than the Ralliart should be slated for its lack of performance... even if it has a nicer interior. But this doesn't happen (thankfully as it'd be bloody stupid).
I certainly don't object to an unbiased review and factural. But it seems many seem to be way off on what really matters.
As in anyone, truly anybody buying a budget hothatch is going to be far more concerned about pace than soft dash plastics.
And in fairness, even if the Colt is more spartain or plasticky looking its still not a million miles away from most other hatches in terms of interior finish. All hatches are built to a price and if you truly want a nice interior and pace then it's going to cost.
300bhp/ton said:
We really do want to have our cake and eat it don't we....
Last night as their wasn't much on the telly I sat down and read a few reviews on the little Mitubishi Colt Ralliart. And boy do we (or the journo's) want a lot for our money.
Every review I read (the worst by far being some prick on the TG website) gave some credit to the performance, but then moaned about the interior appearance, plastics and spec. Some even moaned about the exteior not having enough differences from the lower models.
Now despite this car being class leading in terms of power and speed levels and only costing £12,500 on the road. What exactly are these idiots expecting???
If it cost £15-20k then I'm sure it could have looked very different and had a much more "wow" interior. But it doesn't. Or you could have had the looks for this money, but not the speed and performance.
/rant.
Couldn't agree more, it's always confused me how people seem to completely disregard the price of a decently specced version when comparing different cars. It's almost as bizarre as when you get a story about a new MX-5 and someone comes along and starts banging on about 3 year old Z4s. Last night as their wasn't much on the telly I sat down and read a few reviews on the little Mitubishi Colt Ralliart. And boy do we (or the journo's) want a lot for our money.
Every review I read (the worst by far being some prick on the TG website) gave some credit to the performance, but then moaned about the interior appearance, plastics and spec. Some even moaned about the exteior not having enough differences from the lower models.
Now despite this car being class leading in terms of power and speed levels and only costing £12,500 on the road. What exactly are these idiots expecting???
If it cost £15-20k then I'm sure it could have looked very different and had a much more "wow" interior. But it doesn't. Or you could have had the looks for this money, but not the speed and performance.
/rant.
300bhp/ton said:
We really do want to have our cake and eat it don't we....
Last night as their wasn't much on the telly I sat down and read a few reviews on the little Mitubishi Colt Ralliart. And boy do we (or the journo's) want a lot for our money.
Every review I read (the worst by far being some prick on the TG website) gave some credit to the performance, but then moaned about the interior appearance, plastics and spec. Some even moaned about the exteior not having enough differences from the lower models.
Now despite this car being class leading in terms of power and speed levels and only costing £12,500 on the road. What exactly are these idiots expecting???
If it cost £15-20k then I'm sure it could have looked very different and had a much more "wow" interior. But it doesn't. Or you could have had the looks for this money, but not the speed and performance.
/rant.
They are comparing it to other models in it's category.Last night as their wasn't much on the telly I sat down and read a few reviews on the little Mitubishi Colt Ralliart. And boy do we (or the journo's) want a lot for our money.
Every review I read (the worst by far being some prick on the TG website) gave some credit to the performance, but then moaned about the interior appearance, plastics and spec. Some even moaned about the exteior not having enough differences from the lower models.
Now despite this car being class leading in terms of power and speed levels and only costing £12,500 on the road. What exactly are these idiots expecting???
If it cost £15-20k then I'm sure it could have looked very different and had a much more "wow" interior. But it doesn't. Or you could have had the looks for this money, but not the speed and performance.
/rant.
A Fiat 500 Sport is £12500
A Fiesta Zetec is £12500 or thereabouts
A Seat Ibiza Sport is £12500 or thereabouts
No-one complains about these interiors, because they're well made.
As for the exterior, if you're paying £9k for a Colt 1.1, you want your Colt Ralliart to look better for the extra £3500.
Finally, according to Broadspeed, a Colt Ralliart is £14159 RRP for a 3 door. That puts it even further up the quality chain?
Muzzer said:
They are comparing it to other models in it's category.
A Fiat 500 Sport is £12500
A Fiesta Zetec is £12500 or thereabouts
A Seat Ibiza Sport is £12500 or thereabouts
Sorry if I'm a bit confused, but which of these cars comes even remotely close to the performance of the Colt?A Fiat 500 Sport is £12500
A Fiesta Zetec is £12500 or thereabouts
A Seat Ibiza Sport is £12500 or thereabouts
Do you not think the engine, brakes and suspension might possibly play a part in the price difference between the 1.1 and the Ralliart?
Muzzer said:
They are comparing it to other models in it's category.
A Fiat 500 Sport is £12500
A Fiesta Zetec is £12500 or thereabouts
A Seat Ibiza Sport is £12500 or thereabouts
No-one complains about these interiors, because they're well made.
As for the exterior, if you're paying £9k for a Colt 1.1, you want your Colt Ralliart to look better for the extra £3500.
Finally, according to Broadspeed, a Colt Ralliart is £14159 RRP for a 3 door. That puts it even further up the quality chain?
I think that's rather misguided tbh. It's the 500 Abarth that's been compared. No others including the Twingo come close in hp or speed terms. A Fiat 500 Sport is £12500
A Fiesta Zetec is £12500 or thereabouts
A Seat Ibiza Sport is £12500 or thereabouts
No-one complains about these interiors, because they're well made.
As for the exterior, if you're paying £9k for a Colt 1.1, you want your Colt Ralliart to look better for the extra £3500.
Finally, according to Broadspeed, a Colt Ralliart is £14159 RRP for a 3 door. That puts it even further up the quality chain?
As for £3.5k more than the 1.1 Well I'm rather content with it having an intercooler turbocharged bigger displacement motor. Uprated suspension and brakes and a stiff up rated chassis. Along with a few minor interior touches and more sporty seats.
agreed on the "soft touch plastic" obsession. I always find it hilarious watching a car review when someone's complaining about the dash quality and tapping it to illustrate - well if you don't like the noise it makes, don't tap it! It's not like the driving position or steering wheel, which you actually have to use everyday...
Muzzer said:
As for the exterior, if you're paying £9k for a Colt 1.1, you want your Colt Ralliart to look better for the extra £3500.
We bought a Colt 1.1 for £7500 but that was a 5dr and with a/c. The basic 3dr model was £5999 for a while.They should be hosing these cars out, but bear on mind that if you buy a Mitsubishi the dealers are poor and Colt UK (the importer) doesn't give a toss about anything.
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