Holden Bias In Wheels

[octanebfgt2]

I am sometimes amazed at how biased towards Holden Commodore the Wheels Magazine is. As an example in the April edition, page 75 they state

"Holden's move to 18-inch wheels on the VE SS has meant the chance to test a new size - 245/45R18 which will, in time replace the 235/45R17 as the large car performance tyre."

In other words - Holden has moved and so we will too - bugger the rest.

The fact that Toyota Aurion Sportivo, Mitsubishi 380 VRX and Falcon XR 6 Turbo all run 17's appears irrelevant.

[ClevlndStemer]

doesn't the XR8 only come with 18's? So if they used a car with 17 inch rims would we have people complaining that they're biased cause they left out the cars with 18 inch rims?
I guess they were testing them because of the fact the car they were using to test the tyres was in fact....a VE SS....coincidence? No just Bias _

[ratman]

Motor's not much better - surely there are other makes worthy of the cover!

[majin_andrew]

Holy! That subscribe MOTOR thing says a lot!

[XR Martin]

You are missing the point. The 245/45/18s are a new size. A different rolling diameter, which will be the new standard on larger wheeled cars. BMW 7-series and 300c are also an example of such moves.
It allows bigger wheels yet keeping a larger profile so comfort is retained.
Rather than running tiny 30-35 aspect ratio tyres which have little sidewall flex.

[Aeron]

I hate to say it, but why put a new Falcon on the cover? They want to sell magazines and to do that they'll put the latest exciting models on the cover. Most here will agree that the latest models from Ford look the same as the old ones that have had covers before.
Sad, but true.

[ratman]

Originally Posted by Aeron

I hate to say it, but why put a new Falcon on the cover? They want to sell magazines and to do that they'll put the latest exciting models on the cover. Most here will agree that the latest models from Ford look the same as the old ones that have had covers before.
Sad, but true.

yes, as u say, sad but true, my point is not just commonbores, there are a myriad of other manufacturers out there with factory 'performance' cars but the bias has been and seemingly will always be very heavily slanted towards the general.

[Aeron]

Originally Posted by ratman

yes, as u say, sad but true, my point is not just commonbores, there are a myriad of other manufacturers out there with factory 'performance' cars but the bias has been and seemingly will always be very heavily slanted towards the general.

Yeh, I agree with you 100%. There is a bias towards Holden. I overheard one of the instructors at the skidpan on the weekend, having a chat to one of the other instructors, who does some car testing for magazines and he said that the new VE’s aren’t as good as you’d expect. His words were, “they still have everything you hate about Holden”. He’s not a journalist, but a test driver. If he was a journalist, we’d probably hear the truth.

[andrewts]

In relation to the "Subscribe to Motor" thing...

I'd love to just ring up and say... "Yeah, I'm after the copy with the Holden on the front." Haha, they'd go beserk with that.

EDIT:

I agree about the Bias. A lot of the people I talk to seem to like Holden more than Ford, and if you ask them why, they never are able to explain it in anything else other than "Because Fords Suck." If you ask them why, they'll just throw in the obligatory "Holdens always win in the V8 Supercars, Fords are just ***." They don't know why.

It's everywhere, Wheels, Motor, Drive, Just Commodores. (lol)

[Serial_Fool]

I think its because they PERCIEVE holden as the true blue aussie car no matter how bad they make their models or import parts.

[Conrad]

Motor and Wheels being Holden biased is old news sunshine

[Interceptor]

i cant understand why everyone is suprised..... i mean.... biased media is the norm, regardless of the medium

[andrewts]

Originally Posted by Conrad

Motor and Wheels being Holden biased is old news sunshine

It may be, but we can still discuss it.

Originally Posted by Serial_Fool

I think its because they PERCIEVE holden as the true blue aussie car no matter how bad they make their models or import parts.

Yes I have had somebody tell me that. In my opinion, the only Australian part of Holden, is the name, "Holden". The Australianism of Ford is more prominent in my eyes. Giving Aussies cars since the twenties, locally developing and building the Falcon since '64, using more local parts, better parts, and having what generally seems to be a better quality vehicle, even if it is slower.

Call it a one sided view, but there is a reason I like Fords. Not because I want to be doing 250km/h, but because I want to be driving the same car for 15 years at a time.

[new2ford]

Trust a Ford forum to come up with a topic like this! You're all paranoid. Wheels advocates the best at any given time. If you look at the small print, until the VE came out they were listing the Falcon every month as "the best Australian car". When Territory came out Ford was splashed all over it for months. In this months Wheels they are having a deep dig at Holden for pretending to be Australian when their cars come from Korea.

[Piotr]

If you need a magazine to tell you what car to buy your an idiot. If i was in the market for a falcadore id test drive them myself as see how which one I like better not what someone ive never met likes more.

[XAGSV8]

Originally Posted by new2ford

Trust a Ford forum to come up with a topic like this! You're all paranoid. Wheels advocates the best at any given time. If you look at the small print, until the VE came out they were listing the Falcon every month as "the best Australian car". When Territory came out Ford was splashed all over it for months. In this months Wheels they are having a deep dig at Holden for pretending to be Australian when their cars come from Korea.

Agreed, every couple of months this topic comes up and I wish people would get over it. Do you lot know this topic also comes up on various Holden forums saying these magazines are Ford bias. Remember when the BA came out as it was all over the covers as well. VE is new so this is whats to be expected.

[paulie0735]

Originally Posted by new2ford

Trust a Ford forum to come up with a topic like this! You're all paranoid. Wheels advocates the best at any given time. If you look at the small print, until the VE came out they were listing the Falcon every month as "the best Australian car". When Territory came out Ford was splashed all over it for months. In this months Wheels they are having a deep dig at Holden for pretending to be Australian when their cars come from Korea.

I was going to post something like this last night. Glad I didn't, thanks new2ford, exactly what I would have written if I had thought about it long enough.

[Dave_au]

Originally Posted by new2ford

Trust a Ford forum to come up with a topic like this! You're all paranoid. Wheels advocates the best at any given time. If you look at the small print, until the VE came out they were listing the Falcon every month as "the best Australian car". When Territory came out Ford was splashed all over it for months. In this months Wheels they are having a deep dig at Holden for pretending to be Australian when their cars come from Korea.

Agreed. What's also amazing is this forums inability to give credit to any other car brand other than ford. In fact, some members on this forum go out of their way to attack and discredit other brands. It's just one massive persecution complex.

[4Vman]

Originally Posted by Dave_au

Agreed. What's also amazing is this forums inability to give credit to any other car brand other than ford. In fact, some members on this forum go out of their way to attack and discredit other brands. It's just one massive persecution complex.

Probably because people are sick to death of troll posts bashing Ford or FPV at every chance....
Ford fans come here to read and enjoy discussions about Fords, sometimes regardless of how they "rank" in the eyes of others, not read troll garbage and derogatory childish posts bagging Ford or FPV at every chance...
Not withstanding credit to better products where its due if you dont expect and accept friendly bias towards Ford here you're kiding yourself..

[XRchic]

Originally Posted by new2ford

Trust a Ford forum to come up with a topic like this! You're all paranoid. Wheels advocates the best at any given time. If you look at the small print, until the VE came out they were listing the Falcon every month as "the best Australian car". When Territory came out Ford was splashed all over it for months. In this months Wheels they are having a deep dig at Holden for pretending to be Australian when their cars come from Korea.

I agree with that too. Remember when the BA came out? Every Wheels and Motor had BA Falcons on the front in many different forms. Same with the Territory. I recall a few Holden people raving to me about the Ford bias in the mags. The mags will go with the flavour of the month, thats all. Whatever is in the headlines, whatever is new, they will use it to sell the mags. While there is hype about the VE, there wont be pis of Falcons on the front and thats just the way it is. It will probably be reversed with Orion's release... and on the cycle goes.

You wont see too many 380s or Camry's on the front of Motor as they claim to be a performance mag... LOL. And I guess since it has an Aussie focus, you wont see too many Ferarris or Lambos either. Perhaps the odd Audi. The proven formula for sales success with these mags is the Aussie focus, specifically, cashing in on the Ford v Holden rivalry. They sell truckloads of the mags on account of the Ford v Holden thing... and not too many Aussie revheads are going to find a Camry on the cover all that appealing...

Wheels is a bit different in that it is not as performance based, but still the same marketing rules will apply. They are also an Aussie mag and they will also cash in on the Ford v Holden thing. You may see a few more Camrys, Aurions or whatever on the cover if they are new and have something interesting enough about them to warrant a front cover feature... and you may see more Audis and things like that.

Anyways, I dont really read either of them anymore, I reckon a lot of stuff in them is rubbish and their opinions are not consistent with either side. I can get more valuable info about Fords (or Holdens really) from the forums.

[Hunter]

The bias towards Holden is everywhere and really, the reason is simple: GM has a lot of marketing sway over a lot of people in this country. GM execs say to other execs from say ch9 or motor and "ZOMGS MAENS SAY HOLDENZ R TEH WINSSS1!111 OR ELSE!1!11".

Holdens are about as Australian as Johnny Chan from Hong Kong. The idiots in this country who keep perpetuating this myth also **** me off. I once dated (read: had casual sex with frequently) a girl who only liked Holdens and tried to tell me that my Falcon was an American car. Needless to say she didn't last long and I enjoyed taking every available opportunity to tell her how un-Australian Holdens were and how much I enjoyed driving my Falcon.

Oh and she was a bogan too. :

[Dave_au]

Originally Posted by 4Vman

Probably because people are sick to death of troll posts bashing Ford or FPV at every chance....

Well you'll know I've never done that.

Not withstanding credit to better products where its due if you dont expect and accept friendly bias towards Ford here you're kiding yourself..

Thats obvious - what I was talking about was where credit is due.

[fou_bleu]

Could anyone tell me what parts of a commonwhore come from Australia? This'll be good!!!

[fou_bleu]

Originally Posted by ratman

Motor's not much better - surely there are other makes worthy of the cover!

At least there is a number of Fords in each mag (i buy it)!

[paulie0735]

Originally Posted by v8motormouth

Could anyone tell me what parts of a commonwhore come from Australia? This'll be good!!!

Unbelievable (almost)......... well it is school holidays!

[DJM83]

Old arguement, i stop buying both of those mags because of that reason

[FTE217]

yep waste of time guys and gals, "Propaganda"!
I stopped buying either mag yearsyears ago,friggin waste of hard earned,look it up on the net if you must.
GM chase's the journo's much more than Ford do, higher marketing funds means plenty free lunch's/launch's, visits to factory,press car upon press car etcetc
It won't change.

[BadMac]

Originally Posted by v8motormouth

Could anyone tell me what parts of a commonwhore come from Australia? This'll be good!!!

The drivers.

And while that was meant as a joke. The March sales figure would suggest that no matter how good the Falcon is in many people on this sites eyes, the Commodore is winning in the sales race. When Orion is introduced it will be interesting to see how it goes against an entrenched and refreshed (VF) Commodore.

[MR_LON]

Originally Posted by Bluedriver

GM chase's the journo's much more than Ford do, higher marketing funds means plenty free lunch's/launch's, visits to factory,press car upon press car etcetc
It won't change.

marketing is one of the main reasons if not the main reason why ford is dragging in the sales race but they don't seem to care & or understand, look at how many adds for holden you see on tv, in the papers & how many radio spots they "sponser" this keeps them in the publics eye therefore they sell more cars. probably 90% of car buyers have no idea what makes a car tick so rely on this propaganda to make the decision for them, they hear & see more from holden so buy 1 :MrT_anim: :MrT_anim:

[FalconXR6]

What until Orion arrives and watch the Ford bias...


I enjoy the magazines, but do find it strange how quickly the results can change, based on which journo is writing. It seems to come down to personal prefference and based on what I've read over the last 10 years from Wheels and Motor, the Falcon gets the majority of the test gongs from AU-BFII vs VT-VE. Hell, even the old EF/EL vs VR/VS test I've got in a couple of old mags give the Falcon the ultimate win.

Bias? No, just trying to sell magazines by devoting a substantial amount of pages, pictures and time to what's new at the time of writting. You wouldn't run a portable music player magazine and wack a picture of a Sony Discman on the front would you?

Is that wrong? No. Is it bias? No. Should they attempt to cover more cars? No. That would be impossible. The mags are struggling now to fill space (check out the last few issues of each mag, both have "filler" articles), as they have tested anything and everything. Just becuase it's the Commonwhore that dominates the front covers, doesn't smack of bias, just marketing.

The mags, for me, are for entertainment and seeing how fast they can get the cars to go from 0-100, 0-400 and (most importantly) 80-120.

Shouldn't be taken as gossple. The personal test drive is the ultimate gossple.