Wheels COTY.. Electric!

**Charliewool** · 22-01-2015, 04:58 PM

Well, looks like our petrol dynasaurs are dead?
Fancy Wheels awarding Car Of The Year to an all electric BMW thing that gets 100ks per charge AND has sold a grand total of 33 units in Australia?
A joke I reckon!

**Grunter** · 22-01-2015, 05:05 PM

Completely agree. Wheels seem to pull crap like this each COTY. They seem to have moved from a best car for consumers based on it's merits, to encouraging consumers to jump on their future vision on what motor vehicles consumers should be driving.

Wheels lost me as a customer a while back and on the surface, seems like I made the right decision.

**GasoLane** · 22-01-2015, 05:14 PM

Obviously BMW bought more Lunches for the Wheels management than GMH

GTP534 · 22-01-2015, 05:27 PM

"Wheels"? ....... RIP

Haven't bought an issue for a long time.

MAGPIE · 22-01-2015, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTP534

"Wheels"? ....... RIP

Haven't bought an issue for a long time.

What he said...

calais · 22-01-2015, 06:21 PM

Pfft.

A pointless irrelevant award.

Binny · 22-01-2015, 06:23 PM

Just saw the wheels knob on the news waxing lyrical about how affordable it was at $65k.
I must be in the wrong profession.

**DFB FGXR6** · 22-01-2015, 06:25 PM

I can understand their reasoning with the BMW i3, awarding it the gong for its attempt at advancing the electrification of the car and the technology used.

However - how is it an advancement when the electricity that used to charge the batteries is from coal burning power stations? Then when the coal electricity stored in its batteries runs out, the scooter engine (yes scooter) can hardly manage to extent its range. Yes a big advancement

These cars have their place, but COTY should reward all round excellence. Not a car that a one trick pony, and the one trick is actually very flawed.

This award is up there with other stuff ups from Wheels COTY's, including the Honda CRZ (I have NEVER seen one on the road so hardly a relevant winner). And I'm still peeved about the flawed Honda Accord winning in 2008 and not the equally flawed FG Falcon

mtbkym01 · 22-01-2015, 06:27 PM

They've lost the plot IMHO, the only people who care about these type awards are car enthusiasts, name 1 car enthusiast who might even consider that an electric $65K car would be better to own than an XR8 or SSV or anything else in the price range

Avanti · 22-01-2015, 06:30 PM

yeah if they wanted a electric car to win they should have picked a Tesla Model S

i'll have over 400 electric killer wasps any day of the week

Adamz Ghia · 22-01-2015, 07:05 PM

I thought to qualify they had to sell a minimum amount each year...?

Batmobile · 22-01-2015, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTP534

"Wheels"? ....... RIP

Haven't bought an issue for a long time.

Almost, yes almost brought Wheels , current issue which has a comparison between the Mustang GT and Camaro SS . But. I didn't .. I will wait for Motor to cover off the subject .

mik · 22-01-2015, 07:11 PM

For the average Joe with 1.5 kids and a mortgage hanging over their head I just don't see how a 60+ thousand dollar vehicle can be good value when there are plenty of petrol or diesel alternatives twice as capable and way cheaper in price.

**Fordman1** · 22-01-2015, 07:19 PM

Wheels COTY is soo irrelevant and such a **** !

stevepet · 22-01-2015, 07:32 PM

Political correctness at its best. Will never buy this mag again.

Binny · 22-01-2015, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Batmobile

Almost, yes almost brought Wheels , current issue which has a comparison between the Mustang GT and Camaro SS . But. I didn't .. I will wait for Motor to cover off the subject .

Erm Motor is the same publisher isn't it and even has some of the same journos?

I haven't bought either in a long time.
I beleive online publications like Caradvice and TMR are a much better read and they are free.

BradEL · 22-01-2015, 08:17 PM

I went for a ride in an i3 recently, I must admit I was surprised at how quick it was, impressive accelration and pickup, but still oh so gay

**Polyal** · 22-01-2015, 08:17 PM

Yeah but when Ford won we sing from the roof tops?

I also don't agree with the result but there is an award every month these days.

whynot · 22-01-2015, 08:20 PM

I am with you in that I am surprised that the i3 won against the Telsa, or my favourite, the Mazda 3.

However, just to correct a common misconception ...

Quote:

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

However - how is it an advancement when the electricity that used to charge the batteries is from coal burning power stations?

A typical 50km round trip in an EV would use around 10-12kWh of electricity. This is about the daily power output of a 2kW solar PV systems (which I hazard to guess is about the same price as a replacement bumper on the i3). So, it is entirely possible to completely offset all fossil fuel use and be completely carbon neutral in an EV.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

And I'm still peeved about the flawed Honda Accord winning in 2008 and not the equally flawed FG Falcon

Yep, I am with you on this one. It still grates that one of the written reasons why the FG Falcon was excluded was due to chatter in the steering rack (a problem that I never had with my FG). Yet ... yet ... the car that won next year was acknowledged in writing to have rack rattle and it won!

I suspect that Mazda lost because of "bad Ford blood" in its family tree.

**DFB FGXR6** · 22-01-2015, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whynot

I am with you in that I am surprised that the i3 won against the Telsa, or my favourite, the Mazda 3.

However, just to correct a common misconception ...

A typical 50km round trip in an EV would use around 10-12kWh of electricity. This is about the daily power output of a 2kW solar PV systems (which I hazard to guess is about the same price as a replacement bumper on the i3). So, it is entirely possible to completely offset all fossil fuel use and be completely carbon neutral in an EV.

Yep, I am with you on this one. It still grates that one of the written reasons why the FG Falcon was excluded was due to chatter in the steering rack (a problem that I never had with my FG). Yet ... yet ... the car that won next year was acknowledged in writing to have rack rattle and it won!
I suspect that Mazda lost because of "bad Ford blood" in its family tree.

I have never experienced rack rattle either.
Another one was the FG got canned for its odd shaped boot floor, and yet the shape/depth of the Accord is average at best.

Oh well, the world keeps turning and the Wheels verdict hasn't stopped me enjoying my aussie Ford. Funny that that the Accord has already been axed by Honda with no replacemnt yet the FG (via FG-X) will continue on for another year and a bit.

Madaya · 22-01-2015, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Batmobile

Almost, yes almost brought Wheels , current issue which has a comparison between the Mustang GT and Camaro SS . But. I didn't .. I will wait for Motor to cover off the subject .

Yeah, I'll admit it, I purchased a 2 year subscription a few years back, but they were offering a $200 Sidchrome socket set. Love it. All I need to do is grab a spanner set and I'm in tool box heaven. I only grab my Sidchrome when I'm doing serious work, like anything to do with the FG.

Now mates, not having read the article, I'm not going to bag it (just yet). The same arguments were around when steam trains and the horseless carriage where nudging the scene. I bet "Nothing will replace the horse", was an oft shouted claim, when observing an early, spluttering motor car.

10 years, we'll all want one. The range won't be 200kms, but 2 years. The dinosaurs died out 60 odd million years ago, things move much faster now.

Franco Cozzo · 22-01-2015, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTP534

"Wheels"? ....... RIP

Haven't bought an issue for a long time.

Last Wheels mag I bought was before the FG Falcon was released and they found some pictures at a tip or something of "Orion".

**Silver Ghia** · 22-01-2015, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

I have never experienced rack rattle either.
Another one was the FG got canned for its odd shaped boot floor, and yet the shape/depth of the Accord is average at best.

And the odd shaped FG boot floor in practice is actually far superior to a flat floor where shopping and stuff tips and slides all over the place as you drive along.

And I think this is the only time I have ever heard of rack rattle in an FG.

Reading this review with the first four words saying "It’s far from faultless...", I'm left wondering why the i3 is actually COTY??.

And electric cars aren't all that clean and CO2 emission free. Where does the electricity to charge it come from in Vic - brown coal.

Bossxr8 · 22-01-2015, 09:23 PM

You could buy a decent small hatch for less than half the price, and probably fill it with petrol its whole life and still not cost as much as 63K.

So what's the bloody point?????

b2tf · 22-01-2015, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mik

For the average Joe with 1.5 kids and a mortgage hanging over their head I just don't see how a 60+ thousand dollar vehicle can be good value when there are plenty of petrol or diesel alternatives twice as capable and way cheaper in price.

Absolutely agree with you. they seem to think everybody has $60k+ to spend on a car and that's not really the case. And the fact that anything compared to a VW will always lose puts me right off too.

**GasoLane** · 22-01-2015, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

So what's the bloody point?????

You get to be one up on the Latte sipping Prius crowd ?

Franco Cozzo · 22-01-2015, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GasOLane

You get to be one up on the Latte sipping Prius crowd ?

I prefer Cappucino thank you very much

eb2fairmont · 22-01-2015, 10:05 PM

prius's are taxis.

08FGXR8 · 22-01-2015, 10:14 PM

I'm sure that in past COTY's competing cars had to sell at least 250 units a year to qualify.

They musn't enforce that anymore as I have never seen a Honda CR-Z on the road.

I think now that every magazine and website has its own Car of the Year, the Wheels COTY isn't so relevant anymore, it used to be the award to win.

In regards to the FG Falcon and COTY, I did read a comment once where it was harder for a car with a huge variety of models as all need to be excellent or something like that, there were a few silly things they picked on with the FG whereas the Honda Accord Euro has one body shape, 1 engine so there wasn't going to be as many opportunities to find weaknesses in the Accord.

XR Martin · 22-01-2015, 10:15 PM

Within 15years all cars will be hybridised, whether we like it or not.
Toyota got stooged as they sold alot of their hybrid technology to BMW in exchange for their diesel tech.
You wont find a diesel engine in a passenger car in 15 years...