Comments on: Avoidable Contact #12: Why the motoring press can’t even Focus on its own Astra.

By: Ed

Ed — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 07:24:14 +0000

I’m late to this but I just stumbled back onto this site and realized that this where you normally post at Mr. Baruth. Anyways… It’s a fairly interesting read and quite frankly, an honest one as well. One thing that never really did sit well with me is how gearheads try and predict the outcome of automotive trends and usually end up fluxing them up pretty badly, then end up giving excuses for the reasons why their initial forecast was wrong. Unless you’re really into knowing and realizing the target demographics, “auto enthusiasts” have no business in talking about cars which most of them simply cast off and have no reason to talk about in the first place, something which you highlighted quite well imo.

By: Brian

Brian — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 17:38:51 +0000

Loved reading the column but the reason the Focus is successful over the Astra even though it is a butt ugly decontented whore is the following:

1) Focii are cheap ($10kish)
2) GM is spending about $0 on advertising, marketing, etc for the Astra. Never seen a car commercial for one.
3) The majority of people will not buy a Saturn, no matter how its marketed or how inexpensive it is. Ever.

By: Adam Barrera

Adam Barrera — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 19:30:45 +0000

Thank you, Jack, for another fair comparison — and a critique of our colleagues that buyers have every right to be in on.

By: Ian

Ian — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 20:16:24 +0000

The Astra costs $2000 more than the Focus.

That might have something to do with the success of the Focus. I mean it’s a class up in size on its price-competitors.

By: carl

carl — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 12:40:16 +0000

if you spend any time around Jack, you’ll eventually figure out that he’s a closet “Ford man” at heart, so i for one am not surprised by his stance here. not saying i agree or disagree with his opinions on the focii, but i think this article is much more about the autojourno community than it is about the cars. he just picked one particular example. getting caught up in the car debate is missing the forest for the trees.

i’ve got one pinky toe, if that, in the door of “the industry,” and i couldn’t stop giggling the whole read, because it’s spot-on.

when you get a fat, old, cheap-suit wearing, combover-rocking, personal hygeine-lacking “professional” columnist grab you by the backpack and yank you out of his sightline to a car on display, while you’re simply trying to take a quick snapshot while no one else other than you or him are near the car, with the explanation of “you’d be mad if i got in front of your camera wouldn’t YOU?!?! This is what i DO.” — you get a rude awakening into autojournalism. the guy was just standing there, apparently discussing the finer points of the car’s design with some other slob… no camera, no anything else to warn me of the danger of intruding upon “his” space. here’s to you, mr. autojourno guy. i hope you DIAF.

By: CarlW

CarlW — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 10:19:56 +0000

Obviously you have talent when putting your thoughts on paper, but a wee bit of a protectionest of American made automobiles.

Correct me please if I am wrong,

Number of Saturn dealerships USA 430
Number of Ford dealerships USA 4,140

I am not a math wizard or such but my common sense tells me that Saturn will have one hell of a mountain to climb to be able to outsell a car that has quite an advantage as far as exposure, available units (production) not to mention large incentives as well.

If I remember correctly GM Saturn division stated in the early press releases that expected sales target for the Astra was 20-40,000 units per year.

Saturn is a niche market company, so to compare sales to a mainstream company seems hmmm rather ignorant, I’d say.

In worldwide markets were the Astra has the capacity to compete it does rather well.

IMO the car reviews worth paying any attention to are long term (1 month) were the reviewer actually has to live with the vehicle day in and day out.

Having owned Focus on both sides of the pond (three in North America and two in Europe) for my money I will pay for the eurotrash in a heart beat.
BTW I am born and raised in North America, so as not to come across as a euro biased born person.

By: vwgilly

vwgilly — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 20:50:00 +0000

Refreshing perspective as usual. This site is hopefully picking up significant traffic due to some honest and entertaining writing. Thanks for your efforts, Jack.

By: Jonny Lieberman

Jonny Lieberman — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 22:28:09 +0000

I would like to go on record as a frustrated racer and novelist.

Thank you.

By: HotRod

HotRod — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 14:21:34 +0000

The “Avoidable Contact” series has to be some of the best automotive writing. EVER.

And I’ve been sneering at all the new Focii I see on the road due to the reviews I’ve read. I was wondering why I’ve only seen TWO of the Astras on the road, now I know why. My apologies to all the Focii drivers, even though the next $16K I drop will be on a Civic or Fit.

By: AKADriver

AKADriver — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 01:07:31 +0000

I agree with everything you said – except for the tacit acceptance that what sells better is what is better for everyone. It’s better for Ford’s shareholders and dealers, it’s better for the 49,078 people who bought ‘em.

But car magazines aren’t written for those people. They’re written for people like us – people who aren’t turned off to a car by a hatchback body or Euro-heiroglyphics on the controls. People who would rather have a suspension designed for German pavement, which is closer to what we have here in Virginia than Detroit’s – than the admittedly amazing Sync system.

The journalists may be hopelessly out of touch with buyers, but honestly – so am I.