Jezzer's big mouth

[Ol' Timer]

I was looking at Top Gear magazine in the newsagents the other day and at the back of the mag they have details of each car, some of which include a summarising quote from Jeremy Clarkson. For the new Leon his summary was something along the lines of: "They have ruined the looks. The Leon can no longer be considered a cut price Golf because what price can you put on looking a chump? SEAT's designers need to get off the Sangria."

No doubt JC was feeling smugly satisfied with his humorous comment and will put it down to just a bit of fun but, like it or not, he is a very influential figure and a throw away comment like that can have huge repercussions on the success of a car or brand. Look how he destroyed the Vecra's image in one programme.

I'm not saying he shouldn't make adverse comments if he doesn't like something, but I think a slightly more objective and reasoned analysis might be better. Styling is a very subjective matter and he could have said that the Leon doesn't really appeal to him but each to their own. I am not sure that he is a style icon himself and his views on what is stylish or not are extremely subjective. To him the new Civic is a fantastic design but on a wider scale it is proving rather more controversial.

The real point of this post is that one glib comment by JC can have a huge impact on the success of a car, which is vitally important for a brand, the people making the cars and the retailers. I think that is far more important than a cheap laugh for JC's benefit. This is just my opinion. Sorry if I sound a bit pompous.

 

[KaraK]

sorry but I'm going to have to disagree - JC's job is to tell people what he thinks of cars, and he (like quite alot of people) isnt sold on the looks of the Leon so he is quite entitled to say so (and his employers would quite prefer him to say so in his usual humorous manner). End at the end of the day his job is not to ensure the survival of a brand that has nothing to do with him.

Leave the poor guy alone!

 

[LeakyTurnip]

I must admit that I felt the same when I seen that! I suppose everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but lets face it he drives a Ford which seems to spend more time in the Garage or at a fuel pump that on the road.

I think many people's opinions will change when the Cupra is launched and the new Leon's super start to the BTCC can only help!!

When I was looking at changing my Ibiza I looked a loads of cars; Golf, Megane (sorry), Leon, Focus and the only one that appealed to me was the Leon.

I personally think that it's a fantastic looking car and excellent value for money. The Golf is common as muck (though I do like it) and I don't know how people can justify spending the extra three or four thousand pounds to have a VW badge on the front of the car.

End of rant!

 

[adaml]

Personally I've not made up my mind at all about the new Leon's looks, but it's certainly different.

Jezza, and other motoring journalists, have no responsibility toward SEAT or any manufacturer or the people who work in the factory or dealer networks etc etc. And quite rightly so in my opinion.

SEAT made a bold decision to so comprehensively change the Leon's looks. They could have been really conservative and just facelifted the old one. The new looks were always going to be controversial.

Some people will love the new look, some will loathe it. Journos will fall into either camp and it is their right and in fact their job to give their views on it, not coloured by any loyalty or fear of harming a brand's image.

 

[stuarttunstall]

Lets face it, if it costs less that £50k, in top gears and his opinion --- its a load of crap

Never know him have a good thing to say about a car the every day man can aford.....

 

[WeeJase]

how can anyone take him seriously? he was in mr f***ing blobbies music video.
nuff said

 

[WatchHill]

The thing is though, old Jezza wasn't entirely wrong was he?

 

[ZBOYD]

SEAT lead the World Touring Car championship and the British Touring Car championship, if that makes me a chump for wanting one, then i'm a chump.

Mr Clarkson. 3-0 nuff said

 

[WatchHill]

Yeah, but you only have to cast your mind back to the response to the new Leon shape we had on here to see where he was coming from.

 

[seadragon]

i guess JC can say what he wants, at the end of the day we can make up our own minds, so who cares. i have tried the vxr, the focus st, the gti and lastly the Leon TFSI and all round i think the Leon is best. I dont mind if people are turned away by JC's comments, it will make the Leon more unique for those of us who own one.

I am on the waiting list for the new Cupra and I like the fact my car will not be as common as a GTI or a Focus ST, it will be more unique, more powerful and also look totally amazing, i have no doubt, the Leon FR too I am sure wont be half bad .

 

[xJib]

I think the design is a grower. When it first came out I was like WTF and now I really like it and have one one the drive. The same can be said about lots of designs in the past, like the BMW 5 series, Ferrari 360, Ford Focus and all the way back to the original Ford Sierra. Granted there will be people who will hang on every word JC says, but there is also a lot of people out there who never read any motoring press and will take the car for what it is, a VW with a different badge.

 

[Stevo1]

Its criticising cars he doesnt like in a comical fashion that makes him different to everyone else on TV. Nobody is going to be put off a car just because Clarkson says it looks crap. He changes his mind half the time after a few weeks anyway! Just look at the cool wall, there are some amazingly awesome cars in the seriously uncool section! I disagree about the not liking cars under £50k as well. A lot of the fun hatches and coupes are praised by Top Gear (Golf GTi, Mazda RX8, VX220, Monaro, Evo, Focus, 182 to name but a few).
Its his blatent statements that make him funny.........and he has a point on this one!

 

[ZBOYD]

Basically most of his opinions only count if you've got £100k plus to burn, when im in a position to buy my first supercar, i'll ask jezza his opinion, then buy what i like.

But he's top entertainment value, Top Gear is great evening entertainment, but i trust my own judgement on my own purchases.

 

[TallFella]

JC is there to entertain, nothing else. He writes for various publications - to sell copies, he presents various programmes - to pull in viewers. The one industry he doesn't work for is the automotive industry.

Like my mum always said, "if he told you to stick your head in the oven, would you do it?!"

I like what JC writes, and think he is genuinly funny and good at what he does, but if he says a car is rubbish, I'll still make up my own mind. Jilly Goolding could tell you a wine is rubbish, will it stop you buying it if it's on offer at Sainsburys - doubt it. Jonathan Woss will tell you the latest Angelina Jolie flick is a pile of tripe, but I reckon you'd give it a watch.

I'm picking up a 1.6 Leon on Thursday as a courtesey car, I'll have a better idea then if I want the new one or not, but I for one will make my own decision.

 

[jonjay]

Thing what annoys me though is they never review seats? Or have i missed them? I can even remember them reviewing the LC or LCR not even in a group review.

 

[225]

If anyone does or does not by a car on his say so then they deserve to get a pile of cr*p! Its just his opinion and I doubt he spent more than about 30sec thinking about it to be honest, if he did a full road test then maybe it would be different.

I personally like his style and the day he curbs his rantings is the will be a sad day indeed. We know SEATs are good cars and thats all that matters.

 

[warren_cox]

He never rated the original Leon anyway, so no surprise he hates the new one.

I was watching re-runs of Top Gear last week; the one on where the new Golf GTi Mk5 was tested. It went round the test track in about 1min33, half a second off the LCR and nearly a second off the Civic Type R. Not once did he draw mention that the new Golf was still slower than the cheaper SEAT stable mate, in fact he didn't mention the LCR once. He squirmed and smarmed about how great the Golf was, and that was about it.

The only mention the LCR ever got on Top Gear was when they did a session on cars that suffered from bad over steer. They went out on a wet track, around the Hammerhead I think, turned off the TCS and fired the LCR at it at 50mph. They then went on about how bad its under steer was (but not quite as bad as the Smart car).

Clear objective coverage - I love it!

 

[chris285]

best thing is the reviews i have seen of the old lcr says its pretty much the best all rouncd car in its class, maybe the new one will change his mind

 

[Starbank]

I read that last week and ws a bit miffed too - so much so that I actually sent an e-mail to Top Gear magazine highlighting almost exactly the same points you raise Ol Timer!

I wonder if they will print my e-mail in the letters section next month - I somehow doubt it!

 

[Rob66]

Mr C is welcome to his opinion and rightly but alot of what he says IMO is for effect and little else - his mum's got a Honda Jazz in Pink for Cliff's sake.

I agree with Seadragon. I recently test drove the Focus ST (that i can get 20% off 16.5k for ST3) the Astra VXR an RX8 a 350z and the T-FSi.

Favorite was prob the 350z but being realistic and the car being used for work everyday the T-FSi it was.

IMHO the T-FSI was far better to drive than the ST and the VXR if not as outright quick and more to the point far less common. I live in Essex and after the initial waiting list has disappeared STs will be on every street - unlike my Black T-FSI on 18"