Question Of The Day: The Company You Can Live… Without

Steven Lang
by Steven Lang

Every auto journalist that is worth a damn in this business has a bit of brand bias.

Passion always leads to prejudice.

I consider it a good thing, that occasionally needs to be kept in check. There have been times where I’ve written a car review and had to re-evaluate my thoughts.

“Would I be criticizing this model’s weaknesses so sternly if another emblem was on the front of it?”

The car may have been boring, or exceptional, or simply be good without anything noteworthy to report about it. The hardest vehicle to write about is almost always the first one mentioned. The boring one. Which is why most veteran auto journalists despise having to write about full-sized SUV’s.

Those vehicles I could easily live without. But as for companies…

I have to keep my poker face. But thankfully, the Best & Brightest have the opportunity to tell the world about their prejudices.

It may come from personal experience. Or an inherent hatred for a brand’s design elements. A prejudice may even come vicariously through the unpleasant experience of a road trip with a car that inflicted Grizwold like consequences on the mind and the wallet.

Everyone who is an auto enthusiast has a company that, to put it lightly, wouldn’t be missed.

Which one is yours? Why? Besides Saab?

Steven Lang
Steven Lang

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  • Bodegabob Bodegabob on Jun 14, 2012

    Based on real-life experience over the years: GMC does quality control on their vehicles before they leave the production line. Chevy does it through a series of extremely irritating service visits after the sale. That's the difference, and how GM further spreads misery around the globe. Thus making all of GM the company I can live without.

  • Marko Marko on Jun 14, 2012

    Smart. It's not the '90s anymore - there are plenty of other subcompacts to choose from that beat the Smart car in efficiency and practicality and aren't much bigger on the outside. Also, most don't have a gearbox actively trying to make you crash. In fairness, I can see the advantage of the Smart car in European city centers, parking nose-in - and that's about the only redeeming quality I see. Also, I couldn't remember any of Land Rover's models (other than the Evoque and the "classic" Range Rover)! Range Rover Sport, LR2, LR4...I forgot these even existed!

  • Bkrell Bkrell on Jun 14, 2012

    Besides Saab? Well, honda...

  • Les Les on Jun 16, 2012

    I personally could do without any and all brands that try to sell themselves either through their marketing or through their fanboys with things like 'extreme-conditions handling', or 'an out-doorsy, adventurer lifestyle image' or even a 'Rally Pedigree'.... ....then concentrate all but a handful of their dealerships in the biggest, densest urban areas while leaving those like me who live out in the country where there still are a large number of un-paved roads to scrounge-out what we can from the local Big-3 Dealerships that haven't had serious competition encroach on their turf in 40 years.

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