There was a time – perhaps not long ago – when automotive journalism was raw, gritty, and human. (And so were the cars.) It was a time when reviews didn’t read like a corporate-funded, AI-filtered spreadsheet with a steering wheel. And a time when journalists weren’t scared to ruffle a few feathers… in the hunt for great diving experiences. A time when journalists could – I dunno – drive stick for starters. But somewhere along the way, it changed & devolved. Now, automotive journalism is as mundane as the crossovers they’re covering. We’ve traded character for clickbait, passion for PR gloss… and honest critiques for SEO-padded articles.
Today’s automotive journalism?
Is all lap times, 0–60 sprints, top-10 lists, and Nürburgring leaderboard obsessions. And that’s ONLY IF they can manage to stop talking about range, screen size, and charging time. It seems like automotive journalists don’t really know how to talk about cars anymore. It’s like a food critique who only talks about the temperature of the food. But how can we blame them? What do they really have to talk about – comparing the fake exhaust notes of the new Hyundai EV to the fake exhaust notes of the Dodge Charger EV? Or maybe how Porsche put a turbo badge on the electric Tycan? This is the age of numb, artificial, unfulfilling performance & specs. And of SEO (and even politics) driving automotive journalism heavily….. and then AI plagiarizing it.
The obsession with specs isn’t just a quirk – it’s a problem…
According to The Drive in their piece “Why Car Journalism Today Sucks”, they flat-out admit:
“Today’s reviews are mostly spec-sheet battles with cars compared on horsepower, 0–60 times, and how many USB ports they have.”
It’s not car journalism – it’s brochure regurgitation. And you don’t need a seasoned journalist to tell you a car is fast in a straight line. That’s literally what math & marketing departments are for. I get it – writing bad things about new cars can come with consequences. Maybe your VIP access gets pulled. Or you might not get invited on the next press junket to Italy. But writing good things about bad cars has worse consequences… as seen by today’s auto industry. If you’re afraid to call a spade a spade, then are you really a journalist? Or are you just a paid influencer? Back in 2010, Jack Baruth wrote on Speed:Sport:Life:
“Automotive journalists are effectively compensated by the manufacturers on which they report.”
And that line has aged like a fine whiskey…
Except now the compensation isn’t just a paycheck – it’s brand partnerships, influencer perks… and invites to the next EV reveal to sip drinks around wieners who promise to save the world with another soulless & incentivized blob on wheels. Today’s mainstream automotive media (MotorTrend in this case) complained that driving the Corvette made them feel too toxically masculine. Yet these are the articles that strategically slip on the top of your newsfeed.
Guys like Jeremy Clarkson, Jason Cammisa, and our own editor at S3, Jonathan Wooley, deserve credit. They say what others won’t. They criticize, they warn, they rant. They praise something when it’s genuinely praiseworthy. And they acknowledge when something’s garbage – even when it looks good on paper. They speak like enthusiasts first… and journalists second. You may not always agree with them, but you never question their allegiance or honesty.
Jeremy Clarkson driving the Ariel Atom
And that’s why we trust them…
Cammisa won’t just say, “This car handles well.” He’ll say why it handles well. And just as importantly, what it’s like to live with. Clarkson will take an intangible emotion/connection, and package it into the perfect tangible metaphor. He makes the irrational feel practical. Clarkson doesn’t care about there latest version of Apple CarPlay… he cares if the car made him feel something.
Automotive Journalism steers the automotive industry…
So now that our generation has a chunk of the reigns, where have we steered it? Automotive journalists have obsessed over software, at the expense of substance & true driver connection. Media lost its own platform – like print & publishing. And instead, now it rides on the platforms of big tech. And its ultimate boss is the algorithm. Truth is: we’re likely past the point of saving. But if we’re gonna try, automotive journalism needs to get emotional again… and less obedient. We need to ask: Does this car make me want to drive? Will it reward or punish me longterm? And does it actually work for daily life… or just a YouTube drag race? Because here’s the truth…
The spec sheet is often the least important part of the story…
What matters is how a car feels. How it communicates with you. And what it inspires… or fails to inspire. Does it do something to your soul? We need more honesty in automotive journalism. More authenticity. And more articles that speak truths like, “This car is a rocket ship, but it’s kinda boring actually.” Or “This car is the slowest of the pack… but it’s the one I crave the most & here’s why.” That’s valuable… that’s real.
So if you consider yourself a true automotive enthusiast…
Start demanding more from your automotive journalist. Because just like there’s lazy, lukewarm journalism… there’s lazy, lukewarm enthusiasm too. Don’t let overexposure turn you into a lazy enthusiast. And don’t let the algorithm-driven media get spoon-fed to you on your newsfeed. Rather… search out the real media that grooves with you. Be an enthusiast.
Article by David S. Windsor
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