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Those of you who've taken their Territorys into the bush and found it very good, now you have the chance to get apoplexy - Drive has given it the lemon (together with the Adventra) for not being able to hack it against the Japanese imports. See SMH Friday 11 December or: http://www.drive.com.au/editorial/ar...vf=2&bg=1&pp=2
They've even dragged in the Australian Consumers Association to have a go at Ford for misleading advertising. I wouldn't get too concerned. Drive seems to be an example of how poorly the motoring press here serves the public (with the sole exception of Wheels). There seem to be a lot of grumpy old men out there in the motoring press who like promoting mediocrity and knocking down achievement with smart remarks. Only pity is a lot of car buyers probably fall for these "reviews" which must explain why there are so many mediocre cars on the road.
Unfortunately Drive doesn't seem to provide a forum for feedback so you don't get to have a go back at them. Best thing with this sort of stupid stuff is to ignore it. Fortunately the SMH is lapsing into mediocre sales itself.
I read that, but I thought it was amusing in that the ford and the holden shared the award (one of nine silver awards), yet the holden had to be towed and the ford didn't. It was a badly written article, and you had to read it very closely to make any sense of it. The funny thing was the gold P76 award went to holden for it's V6 engine.
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'67 Mustang V8 4sp... what fun to drive!
....the Territory ad shows the vehicle atop a sand dune way beyond its wildest dreams. And the slug-line "from $38,990" actually refers to the two-wheel drive version.
I wonder if Drive even tested the Territory AWD & RWD on sands dunes?
It is true that there is a misconception out there, most people I speak to believe that the Territory is a proper 4WD, and I need to explain that it is an AWD and what the difference is. I am starting to get really bored with this.
I think this paragraph down the bottom might explain a bit:
Quote:
Originally Posted by smh
Where did Ford hold its media launch for what it claimed was the first all-new, Australian-made 4WD? New Zealand, of course. Ford had so many local previews there apparently wasn't much left to say. It wasn't until well after customers had taken delivery that the media got a local test drive.
Ford putting customers before journos??? How dare they?
Renault recalled 45,000 Meganes - including 500 Australian vehicles - because the brakes could be inadvertently applied from the passenger side. No, really. The right-hand drive conversion of the model retained some of the brake pedal mechanism under the left footwell, and sufficient pressure on the floor - by a nervous passenger, for example - could apparently activate the brakes.
Meanwhile, the same company promoted its five-star crash test safety credentials but failed to include traction or stability control on the local Megane convertible, despite its elevated price. In a more modest but still annoying way, compatriot marque Peugeot also failed to give due attention to its right-hook cars. The 407's rain-sensor box was cleverly offset to be hidden behind the rear-view mirror - in left-drive versions. For Australian drivers it is bang in the field of vision.
Chris Gable, the editor of Drive.com, emailed me and seemed surprised that he gets a lot of flack for people believing they are an anti-SUV website. They might not intend to sound that way, but I think they sure do most of the time.
I'm sure it will sink in to the heads of the motoring press one day that Territory buyers are not looking for a serious off roader - even the AWD buyers. What we want and have got is a moderate degree of off road capability in a great on road vehicle. The Kluger is better off road argument always amuses me. Better ground clearance yes but in the luxury models you can't turn off the traction control - a huge problem in soft sand. "remove the fuse" was the suggestion from the sales rep when I queried him about the issue - hardly a satisfactory solution.
But then - why be logical and accurate when you can sensationalise and look for tall poppies to cut down.
The TERRITORY AWD on dirt hwy roads magic nothing comes close.
Want to go to KAKADOO national park get a TOYOTA LAND CRUIZER,
or somthing along those tough bush bashers.
Why is it that some sections of the motoring press treat us like idiots ???
In AWD dress the Terri is a $45000 retail package. If you're spending this type of money then you would do some research to make an informed decision.
The research would then show that the Terri is NOT a serious 4wd and is NOT
targeted at serious 4WDrivers.
If the authors are taking the Terri on tracks with huge chunks of rocks, 4WD ruts and loads of slippery stuff then they have not tested the vehicle for its intended purpose.
In regard to the advertising.... it is just that. Subaru, Nissan all do the same with their advertising to project an outdoorsy image. ( I do seem to recall an X-Trail advertisement showing some dude bush bashing at a frantic pace).
The TERRITORY AWD on dirt hwy roads magic nothing comes close.
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