Topic: AJAC TestFest Category Winners Announced, Mazda Pulls Off Hat Trick

[rrocket]

I had no difficulty in understanding that this was for new models or heavily revised models only.

It's not that we don't understand it....it's that we think it brings little to the table for the consumer.

[Noto]

But regardless of how you interpret it that movie analogy IS perfect.

Also, if that's not good enough for a consumer, than they probably don't care about awards anyway, as they know that the award doesn't judge the "Best of All Time", so their criticism is pointless.

Again, I type here only with respect.

The problem with your movie analogy is that the purpose and effect of those awards is to have people go spend $14 each on a movie.  By having awards proudly marketed within dealerships, media (newspapers, online, etc), and word of mouth, consumers are being unreasonably swayed away from not freshly redesigned models where their cost for following the award's advice is an investment in the tens of thousands of dollars (Canadian, not AUD, by the way).  That's simply not pocket change.

I understand what "best new" means, but I am an auto enthusiast (or auto obsessed, according to this forum).  I am not the casual consumer.  I am less likely to be swayed by others' opinions.  Others, like my dear lady, work 100+ hr work weeks, and when it's time for her to get a new car, she won't test drive 11 cars that compete - she'll be swayed by people saying "well, the Elantra is the best new car (a few years back)" or "the Mazda 3 is the best new car".  She almost got an X3 instead of the Forester because she was reading the newspaper and saw something like this:
http://www.timeslive.co.za/lifestyle/motoring/article995787.ece/Awards-keep-rolling-in-for-BMW-X3

She drove it, and liked it, but LOVED the Forester at $8,000 less.

Can people go 'wrong' with any vehicle?  Not necessarily - but they should be appropriately informed and not inappropriately misinformed.

[rrocket]

^^^^Fortunately, 9.5 out of 10 people have never heard of AJAC and haven no idea who they are.

[Fobroader]

^^^^Fortunately, 9.5 out of 10 people have never heard of AJAC and haven no idea who they are.

Hear hear.....like walking down the street and asking random people what the CHMSL is 

[Noto]

.....like walking down the street and asking random people what the CHMSL is 

What's that?

[Fobroader]

.....like walking down the street and asking random people what the CHMSL is 

What's that?

See  Center High Mounted stop Light, the third brake light.

[rrocket]

^^^^Fortunately, 9.5 out of 10 people have never heard of AJAC and haven no idea who they are.

Hear hear.....like walking down the street and asking random people what the CHMSL is 

HAHAHAHA...yea.  Too funny.  I thought I was the only one in the world who used that.

At work, it's pronounced "chim-sell"

[Solstice2006]

^^^^Fortunately, 9.5 out of 10 people have never heard of AJAC and haven no idea who they are.

Wow, what kind of professional testing was done?  Did you sample several age groups, different genders, what was the sample size?  If you don't approve of the AJAC testing, we get it, we have read your comments, doesn't mean none of the information is useful.  If it was so useless why would the manufactures spend money entering their vehicles.  For the 0.5% who have heard of it?  People have heard of Car and Driver and Motor Trend, as they are a magazine that is for profit, where as AJAC is not, it's a very small group. 

[OliverD]

^^^^Fortunately, 9.5 out of 10 people have never heard of AJAC and haven no idea who they are.

Wow, what kind of professional testing was done?  Did you sample several age groups, different genders, what was the sample size?  If you don't approve of the AJAC testing, we get it, we have read your comments, doesn't mean none of the information is useful.  If it was so useless why would the manufactures spend money entering their vehicles.  For the 0.5% who have heard of it?  People have heard of Car and Driver and Motor Trend, as they are a magazine that is for profit, where as AJAC is not, it's a very small group.

5%, not 0.5%

[rrocket]

I just polled my co-workers.

0% knew what "AJAC" was.

100% knew what Motor Trend or Car and Driver was.

Not terribly scientific I know.

It might even be less than 5% IMO.  Probably closer to the hard core 1% car nuts like us.

[Noto]

If you don't approve of the AJAC testing, we get it, we have read your comments, doesn't mean none of the information is useful. 

Just to reiterate - I am not averse to AJAC's existence.  I provided my thoughts constructively so the media effects can be informative and not illusory.  AJAC's outcomes tend to show up in most Toronto newspapers - who reads it is another story.

[MarkStevenson]

We all know what it's called.  Doesn't mean the test isn't broken, flawed or (as many have pointed out) totally useless and of little value to the consumer.

But AJAC writers are able to get together and have a weekend playing with new cars and yucking it up.  So I guess as long as it works for them, that's all that matters, right?

I want to make one thing very clear here as there is possibly an incorrect perception of what happens during TestFest week. Whether you are just saying it for effect or not, I still want to address the comment.

Our week is not spent "playing with new cars" or "yucking it up" as you assume. There is a lot of work involved and I did come home with blisters on my feet from running around all week. It is busier than covering an auto show, easily, and much more analytical.

Except for maybe the first and last days, we are at the testing location from 8 to 5 (some members arrive earlier and/or leave later). We are in cars for 80% of the time we are there. The testing loops provided this year were fantastic but it isn't like we are driving through the Napa Valley with picturesque views. This is the outskirts of Niagara Falls in the middle of October. The focus is on the cars.

As for "yucking it up", sure, we talk to our colleagues during the process. For many of us outside of southern Ontario, it's also the only time we can touch base with other journalists and PR folks face-to-face. We usually have activities (dinners, AGM, journalism awards gala, etc) during the evenings. This isn't meant for the purpose of "yucking it up", but mostly due to it being the best time to conduct these activities. It is the one event every year where a significant portion of AJAC membership is together. So, it makes sense.

Also, being an AJAC member who's been part of testing events on both sides of the border with two, very distinct professional associations, I can say AJAC's process is far superior in many respects. Maybe the naming of the awards or the inclusion of the previous year's winner would make it more credible in the eyes of some. But, compared to TAWA testing, where a journalist just picks his or her favourite in a given category, AJAC's scoring system is thorough, looks at all major areas consumers take into consideration when purchasing a new vehicle, and does a fairly good job at distilling that information into an easily digested award.

BTW, almost every other professional motoring press organization also limits contenders to new cars only. I'm not saying I agree or disagree with this, but that's a fact. And, logistically, having every vehicle available in a particular segment for testing is borderline impossible. You could do it if you had a week with just that segment, but then TestFest would be a month and a half long.

[sirAQUAMAN64]

I think if you don't know that "best new" means "the best thing released this year" then you might not get any value out of any other information anyway.
Nobody gets butthurt when the Academy Awards only judge films released in that year do they?
"The Hurt Locker wins best film" <<<< "Nooooo!!! Days of Thunder is better!!!" 

    

While I don't think some of the 'best new' winners are tops in their category, I still think it's a very valid and worthwhile awards competition that has a ton of merit.

I find the fact that manufacturers can enter the vehicles and trims they want extremely interesting. It's downright fascinating what they choose, which can be viewed as 'they're smart' or 'what are they thinking, it shouldn't be in that category or in that trim'. It's like a little game of chess with the manufacturers hedging bets on where their car or truck can excel vs what spec they think the competition will enter into what category.

That said, it would be interesting to have a direct comparison of the voting between this year's winner in that category and say the top scorer from the past three years (figuring a newly introduced vehicle 3 years ago is still for sale today) which may better address which vehicle is tops in a category, or to at least gauge relative to previous winners.


Very well written Mark. It's taken very seriously by journalists and is truly exhaustive - and I only attended the open testing days!

[Black Hatch]

And the
AJAC award winners already up on the Mazda homepage

http://www.mazda.ca/MciWeb/displayHomepage.action

And Hyundai commercials keeps harping on their Sante Fe 2013 AJAC winner.

[fixer]

AJAC is a joke . CTS didn't win...bigger joke.