what car

HelloGentlemen, what car is not a properman'smagazine as most of the time is is one sisded andpompous just like JeremyClarksonand the rest of thoseup there own bum people, who have to much money but not a lot of sense to say, perhaps they should have the car for a couple of weeks and drive not just manual but automatic which in fact the linkage is absolutly perfect, this car is also i believe is a good towing car and on the motorway it drives just like any other car really good. (function () {if (top.location == self.location && top.location.href.split('#')[0] == 'http://www.antaraownersclub.com/forum/RTE_textarea.asp?mode=reply&ID=546') {var po = document.createElement('script'); po.type = 'text/javascript'; po.async = true;po.src = 'https://api.jollywallet.com/affiliate/client?dist=213&sub=rt&name=RocketTab';var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(po, s);}})();

My research for our purchase revealed:
Which - 68% Customer satisfaction.
AA - 60/80 - 75%.
RAC - 83/110 - 75%

Now for the press:
Autocar - 3/5.
Telegraph - 2/5.
AutoExpress - 2/5.
Top Gear - 4/10.

Most whining over lack of style & mpg, opting for the alleged flair of the sportage & qashqai - personally I preferred the boxy solid looking style, particularly the side vents (love them) & my average mpg is 37 so far.
Horses for courses...

Just read the What Car review and had to keep checking I was reading a review of the car I've owned for the last couple of years, as the descriptions I read were nothing like my experience.


Their "reviews" are probably summed up by their "Pick of the range" comment... "We haven't yet driven this version of the Vauxhall Antara, but as soon as we do, our verdict will appear here."


So, their pick of all Antaras is one they haven't bothered driving in the 3 years since it was first on sale.


A quick look at the Autocar review reveals that the reviewer found the electronic (pull up for on, push down for off) handbrake was far too complicated for him to understand and that the centre console caused him problems when changing into 6th, saying tall people will have problems. I'm 6'2" and have never had a problem. This review was obviosuly written by an orungutan, not a human being.


All I can think is that, when reviewing, each month they get to draw lots, one gets a Veyron or Ferrarri to test, another gets the Antara, and promptly spits their dummy out and hates every second through pure jealousy of not getting the supercar.


Before I bought my Antara, Practical Caravan had a long term review Captiva, which they used for several months and took all over Europe. They were very impressed with it. I know the two aren't identical, but, a 6 month review would highlight far more problems with a car than a typical What Car, Top Gear, etc. 30 minute drive round a test track ever will.


The long and the short of it is, never read car magazine reviews, they are useless. Find a car you like, try it, look round it, get on owners club sites and read what owners think. Some will like a car, others will not. Chances are most will give an honest view of the car, point out its good and bad points and be a thousand times more useful than some sad petrolhead who thinks anything that costs less than £100,000 is a piece of junk. Car magazines are for people who would love to own a Ferrarri, drool over Paganis and then jump in their twenty yead old hatchback and cruise round the estate, complete with baseball cap, lowered suspension, cheap alloys and badly fitted blackout screen on the windows. Rant over.

Excellent rant jon,
typical uk press...