ABDC: The FAQ
Confused, concerned, lonely? We can help… not so much with the loneliness thoughYou've read all about Australia's Best Driver's Car for 2016, but you're still not clear on all points. So let's straighten out those matters that have you perplexed with this handy guide to the event.
Q: What elements define a 'driver's car'?
A: Outright performance and driveability is a major factor, of course, but foremost it's the way the car makes the driver feel. A few cars at Baskerville set good lap times, but weren't as enjoyable to drive. Out on the road these cars were often just as uncompromising. A good driver's car is one that goes hard, handles, stops, steers and talks with the driver without the driver haemorrhaging internally. A good car doesn't have to be hard-riding and noisy, but should be very competent getting from Point A to Point B by the longest route, all the while making a great noise and leaving the driver grinning at the conclusion.
Q: Why go all the way to Tasmania?
A: It's close, it's scenic, the natives are friendly and the roads are terrific – with relatively little traffic. On top of that, hard-core fact-finding missions like Australia's Best Driver's Car are cost-effective in Tasmania, measured against mainland states.
Q: Who are the reviewers?
A: Most of the motoring.com.au review staff boarded the Spirit of Tasmania for Australia's Best Driver's Car 2016. We were joined by freelance contributors and a couple of racing drivers. The combined experience evaluating new cars exceeds two centuries. Both sexes were represented, and the ages ran from low-30s to mid-70s.
A: From the outset we determined we would start with a fresh field of cars for our second running of Australia's Best Driver's Car. No car was to exceed $250,000 in price. Some of the cars were just new variants of vehicles we had tested previously – so Falcon XR Sprint versus Falcon XR8 in 2015, or the HSV ClubSport LSA versus the GTS last year. Over a period of months we worked our way through a list of cars that promised to deliver the goods, and weeded out those that were tested last year or just didn't measure up. For the second year running we were unable to secure an Alfa 4C.
Q: How is ABDC relevant if the cars can cost up to a quarter of a million bucks?
A: There are plenty of cars in the field costing less than that. Two of this year's cars started from just under $40,000, which is affordable for new-car buyers. Those in the market for a 'driver's car' aren't looking for a cheap car as much as one they'll enjoy driving. They're willing to spend a bit more for that pleasure.
A: We find that videos should be limited to around two minutes, ideally. Some do run longer, but only the fans will watch right through a five- or 10-minute video. The remaining 95 per cent of the viewing audience will switch to something else about 1:35 in.
Q: Your assessment of my favourite car for this event doesn't match what other motoring.com.au reviewers have written about the car in the past. Why is that?
A: Australia's Best Driver's Car is a different ballgame. In our road tests and launch reviews our writers are always considering how a car stacks up against its peers – direct competitors in the same market segment. For ABDC, that is not how it goes. This year we had Mazda's MX-5 and the Renault Clio RS 220 up against the Porsche 911 Carrera. Despite the gulf in price between these three, we learned that each car was fun to drive in different ways. In some respects, ABDC is not a straight-forward competition. Yes, there is a winner, but as we've also said, every car taking part is a winner, in one sense or another. ABDC aims to be helpful for consumers who are also car enthusiasts, and point them in the right direction when it comes time to buy. If money is no object, perhaps you'll buy the Porsche, but if you're a buyer on a budget, the MX-5 is a hoot for a fraction of the price of the Porsche. Maybe you like front-wheel drives and ABDC has convinced you to choose the Peugeot 308 GTI 270 over the Renault. Or vice versa.
A: It's an opportunity to sample widely divergent cars using the same territory and testing procedures. Although there is a clear winner at the end, that is guided by pure driving pleasure. For those who have to consider other factors – budget and running costs, for instance – the MX-5 will beat the 911 senseless. We trust our readers can make that call for themselves.
Q: If my favourite car performed so well on the track at Baskerville, how come it placed so low in the overall rankings?
A: The rankings were decided by the points scored by each of the 13 reviewers for each of the 13 cars from driving on the roads of Tasmania. While the lap times at Baskerville and acceleration times at Heathcote helped the reviewers to arrive at their conclusions, so did discussing the cars with other reviewers. Actual lap and drag times played no active part in the final judgement. They were like the onions in your steak sandwich… nice to have, but not essential.
Q: Another media outlet achieved faster performance times than you did for my favourite car; how did you blokes get it so wrong?
A: We can't speak for the other media outlet, but maybe they had a really warm, dry day at the track. Perhaps they were using launch control – we don't. There could be any number of reasons why a time for a particular car tested could be half a second slower than the same model of car tested elsewhere and on a different occasion. The track surface will have a large bearing on the times, as will the ambient temperature and the car itself. In fact, the coefficient of friction for the track is probably the biggest single influence on a car's time. If a high-performance rear-wheel drive car is carrying around a pair of overnight bags and a laptop in the boot, that might be enough difference in weight distribution to make a significant difference in traction. The two cars may have different tyres fitted. That's just one example, there are plenty of others we could mention…
Q: If I'm unhappy with the results of ABDC, what should I do?
A: Find a nearby mirror… and take a good, hard look at yourself. If you're still not satisfied, feel free to post a comment, or make your feelings felt on Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram.
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