Showing posts with label Top Gear. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Top Gear. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Among Our 10 Best Podcasts, Cheap to Insure With High Efficiency Listening

The EPA finally got its efficiency on and gave ratings to the all-electric Nissan Leaf. We discuss the numbers and the tradeoffs.

The Leaf didn't make Car & Driver's Ten Best list, but the Chevrolet Volt did. As did some other usual suspects, but Hyundai continued to garner awards by placing the Sonata sedan on the list.
That roll continues in Europe, where Hyundai-Kia topped Toyota in sales numbers for the first time.
Meanwhile the Genesis, both sedan and coupe, are selling strongly, according to a recent report.

In Europe, small cars are the thing and while they are catching on in the U.S., sometimes auto makers have to get creative to sell compacts. That's what Fiat is doing with the coming 500. But with almost half a million potential option combinations are there too many. Will dealers be smart about what they order?

They should, because a J.D. Power survey found that price is less important to car shoppers than how they are treated by the dealer.

One place where drivers can save money is through insurance, and buying a vehicle that is cheap to insure. The secret: stick with minivans and boring cars.

GM's blue logo must have been getting boring, since the revived auto maker is de-emphasizing it.

Finally, Top Gear USA premiered this week. David watched and reviewed, one of the 1.9 million mostly men who tuned in. Mathew didn't and now has some homework for next week.


Monday, November 22, 2010

Top Gear USA Review: Earnest, Moments of Amusement, Version 0.5

I tried to steer clear of the reviews ahead of Sunday's premiere of Top Gear USA so I could go in clean and unbiased. Well, as unbiased as you can be when some tries to do a slightly different version of a favorite show or movie.

The hosts of Top Gear USA will take a little time to season.
And the show is exactly like Point of No Return, the American version of the completely awesome La Femme Nikita. It was watchable, with moments of interest, but on the whole, washed out, earnest and bland compared with the gripping, dark and exotic original.

The did manage to keep the good camera work and the unusual setting, though this time a desert airport instead of something in the English hinterlands.

Some questionable decisions for the premiere didn't help things out. Love Buzz Aldrin, but a slightly doddering old man isn't exactly what you want to help get your potential audience of ... men torqued up. Also,
why do we have to go right to the most exotic vehicles? A Viper and three Lamborghinis? How about a little variety. Something that people more mortal wallets would be able to envision themselves driving.

The hosts, comedian Adam Ferrara, Nascar expert, Rutledge Wood and stunt and race driver Tanner Foust are a bit bland and earnest. I will give them some time to gel, but I think it was a mistake to pull out three relative unknowns. A stronger personality would give the show a bit more zest.

I will, of course, watch again, and look forward to seeing the hosts get better acquainted, possibly in some zany adventures.