Car Talk

[ocnblu]

As if we don't have enough media bias to contend with... I usually listen to NPR (National Public Radio) on Saturdays, and sometimes I tune in to "Car Talk", a very slightly humorous show where people call in with their car problems and these two goofs, "The Tappet Brothers", try to diagnose them. They also use "humor" to convey some serious information and try to shape opinion. I was incensed yesterday to hear one of them mention some emails they received after a listener bragged on his "350,000 mile Lexus". They said they were sure there were no domestic cars that could go that long. One of the responses was from a listener with a '68 Buick Sportwagon with over 700,000 miles... they poo-pooed the story: "Yeah, but what you didn't tell us is that you've probably put 4 or 5 engines in it. If we can believe the caller, he has done nothing to his Lexus except drive it." This pissed me off.

If anyone wants to check out their website, it's Cartalk.com. Here's a link to a forum discussion on "foreign v. domestic".

http://www.cartalk.com/board/showflat.php?...e=0&fpart=1

Maybe we can shake 'em up a bit!

[CARBIZ]

There is a local show on Cable Pulse 24, a spin off of the Canadian City TV/Much Music phenomenon where they have viewers call in about car related matters. The permanent "expert", Mohammad something or other, absolutely hates GM and Ford. Even when callers phone in and tell him they have decided to buy a used Grand Prix or Windstar or whatever, he often tries to talk them out of it. Then they talk about "Car Care Canada," which sells subscriptions and you can pay to get invoice pricing. The entire show is just one big advertorial, but viewers don't realize it.

We recently had a guy with a Saturn that had gone over 450k km - that we couldn't believe. I"ve had Caprice drivers with 700k km on the clock. Hell, in Brazil two or three taxis that we used (in smaller cities) had first generation Cavaliers with 500,000 miles on them, but then Brazlians don't have to contend with our salt and weather!

Edited April 15, 2007 by CARBIZ

[Flybrian]

I've never listened to 'Click and Clack' and I don't care for their brand of car advice. This old review captures it all...

Interestingly, we had the [1997 Buick]Regal Gran Sport at the same time we had a four-cylinder Toyota Camry. And, even more interestingly, their sticker prices were almost identical. Both were around $24,000. So, we asked ourselves: "Selves, if you had $24,000 to spend on either the Camry or the Regal GS, which would you buy?" The answer is the Camry, of course--but not by much!

So they can both sit n' spin. Whatever. Its an NPR show, too...also explains things.

[ocnblu]

I get so sick of every damned NPR show starting out like this: "Brought to you by Toyota, and their Hybrid Synergy Drive..." *puke*

After yesterday, I will not listen to CarTalk any more. I like some of the shows on NPR, but each week it gets harder for me to listen.

Edited April 15, 2007 by ocnblu

[trinacriabob]

After yesterday, I will not listen to CarTalk any more. I like some of the shows on NPR, but each week it gets harder for me to listen.

I only find myself listening to them when I am channel surfing on a long drive and can't find a decent jazz or rock station.

I probably listen longer than I should because of their heavy accents and crustiness which I find somewhat funny. It gets a little frustrating in that they have to go through so many theatrics to dispense their advice.

Haven't yet found content that was aggravating, since most of the calls were actually kind of dumb/naive that I would have never called in for myself. If they tilt toward foreign cars over domestics, I probably would not listen to them either.

Edited April 16, 2007 by trinacriabob

[capriceman]

call up Cuba and ask how many miles are on there cars.

[CARBIZ]

The safest thing is to only use XM in the car, then you don't have to listen to these butt-holes.

[Z-06]

The safest thing is to only use XM in the car, then you don't have to listen to these butt-holes.

[Brandon Lutz]

As if we don't have enough media bias to contend with... I usually listen to NPR (National Public Radio) on Saturdays, and sometimes I tune in to "Car Talk", a very slightly humorous show where people call in with their car problems and these two goofs, "The Tappet Brothers", try to diagnose them. They also use "humor" to convey some serious information and try to shape opinion. I was incensed yesterday to hear one of them mention some emails they received after a listener bragged on his "350,000 mile Lexus". They said they were sure there were no domestic cars that could go that long. One of the responses was from a listener with a '68 Buick Sportwagon with over 700,000 miles... they poo-pooed the story: "Yeah, but what you didn't tell us is that you've probably put 4 or 5 engines in it. If we can believe the caller, he has done nothing to his Lexus except drive it." This pissed me off.

If anyone wants to check out their website, it's Cartalk.com. Here's a link to a forum discussion on "foreign v. domestic".

http://www.cartalk.com/board/showflat.php?...e=0&fpart=1

Maybe we can shake 'em up a bit!

I have a 76 F-150 Ranger 4x4 that has close to 700k on it. Never even touched the motor besides changing the oil and filters. She ran and cranked up EVERY morning till I parked it behind the family shed when we retired her gracefully with a 95 GMC 4x4 6 years ago. It was farm truck and used HARD. I bet it towed around 3000 pounds of tools and fluids for farm use daily since the day it was bought new.

Matter of fact the average Lutz family vehicle generally is not retired until they at least have 300 k on them. And they are generally running fine when we sell them. All it takes is basic maintenance unles you truly have a lemon.

[Hudson]

Again, the thin-skin of most of the people on this site is showing. In the quote about the Lexus, Ocn misses a key ingredient: "If we can believe the caller..." Even Tom and Ray doubt that nothing has been done to the Lexus. Putting 350,000 miles on ANY car is difficult without some work being done. And 700,000 is about the lifespan of "4 or 5 engines" (more like about 3, but they're exaggerating).

C'mon...it's a funny show. It has some relatively good car care advice...and they admit to being wrong when they are. It's entertainment.

If I were to help someone choose between a 1997 Regal and a 1997 Camry (assuming this is 1997 and they're both new), the Camry would get my vote. Today, it might be different...but a decade ago was a decade ago.

I had a bigger problem a few weeks ago when a caller asked for help finding a UAW car because her father and father-in-law and an uncle were union members. She wanted to keep peace in the house and get a UAW car. They asked her what she was looking into and her response was Ford Fusion, Chevrolet HHR, and Chrysler PT Cruiser. My immediate response was that none of those were UAW, but they never mentioned that. They finally told her to look into the Chevrolet Malibu (oddly enough not pointing her to the Toyota Corolla or Mitsubishi Galant, both Japanese-branded UAW vehicles).

Those rose-colored glasses of yours miss these little things in favor of the jokes at the expense of the Big 3.

Edited April 16, 2007 by Hudson

[91z4me]

If we can believe the caller, he has done nothing to his Lexus except drive it." This pissed me off.

Umm, I will call BS on this since at 100k they are supposed to have the timing belts replaced. Not to mention that my Boss's 97 LS w/200k on the clock had to have the entire rear differential replaced. He actually asked me "Is that something important?" BTW the Lexus couldn't make it out of his driveway w/ the slightest snowfall so he borrowed his dad's Olds 98 to drive whenever it snowed.

[Z-06]

Not to mention that my Boss's 97 LS w/200k on the clock had to have the entire rear differential replaced. He actually asked me "Is that something important?"

:rotflmao: :rotflmao: You should have told him, umm no it is like having all season weather mats, you can do without cleaning them for a long time.

[CARBIZ]

I had a good chuckle about the union-made remark. On Friday, I was up at my partner's union office doing some business. This entire building's sole purpose of existence is to provice services for union members. They have their own pharmacy, dentists, optomitrist, doctors - everything. I had to make two trips there on Friday, and the mascohist in me couldn't help but note that at least 3/4 of the vehicles in the lot both times were Toyotas, Hondas, etc. Anyone who would go to this building either works at the building (therefore, their clients are union members) or are union members using the services of this building, yet hardly any of the vehicles were union made, except, of course, the Pursuit that I am currently driving.

So much for solidarity.

[tmp]

I don't listen to them. Their accent is like nails on a blackboard and their tongue-up-Hondas-ass attitude bores me, and I drive a Honda

[aaaantoine]

There is a crapload of anti-Big 3 bias out there. And it's going to take everything short of divine intervention to get people to realize that Chevies and Fords aren't as bad as the press makes them out to be.

[trinacriabob]

Their accent is like nails on a blackboard

With sheepskins from MIT, these accents have to be somewhat "exaggerated," right? I mean, no one who lives in Greenwich CT or Stamford CT has a "NYC accent or derivative thereof" - the mucky-mucks who live there...and come from there... speak "broadcast English."

Since you're a native New Englander, their accents are a big put-on, right? Not only that, they sound more like a New York tri-state accent than a New England accent, and the latter is quite easy to pick off (Kay McCarthy of Star Markets, ouch).

[pow]

They're not "biased dopes"; they just have preferences for certain types of cars, formed by their experiences as mechanics. Conventional wisdom takes time to change, and it's particularly difficult to teach old dogs new tricks.

[tmp]

With sheepskins from MIT, these accents have to be somewhat "exaggerated," right? I mean, no one who lives in Greenwich CT or Stamford CT has a "NYC accent or derivative thereof" - the mucky-mucks who live there...and come from there... speak "broadcast English."

Since you're a native New Englander, their accents are a big put-on, right? Not only that, they sound more like a New York tri-state accent than a New England accent, and the latter is quite easy to pick off (Kay McCarthy of Star Markets, ouch).

whaa?

Their accent is pure South Boston.

Sue me.

[trinacriabob]

whaa?

Their accent is pure South Boston.

Sue me.

Ok, ok, I was ASKING! I'm not the native of the area...I just never detected much "paak the caar" in their schpiels. Ok, so it's authentic. Still, it's authentic ON STEROIDS to ham up their effect.

[tmp]

Still, it's authentic ON STEROIDS to ham up their effect.

Nope, not really. That really is the accent. South Boston has a very definite accent, I don't know why.

I used to have much more of an accent, but over the decades I lost most of it, although most people still peg me as being from back east. I just sound a lot less like Kate Hepburn. :-D

[Hudson]

Nope, not really. That really is the accent. South Boston has a very definite accent, I don't know why.

I used to have much more of an accent, but over the decades I lost most of it, although most people still peg me as being from back east. I just sound a lot less like Kate Hepburn. :-D

And it's really THEIR accent. I've met one of them (can't tell you if it was Tom or Ray) and I know a few people who work on the show. The accent is real.