As noted before, the C&D test put a 180 TT 4th out of 4-I'm still trying to figure out the point of the test, as the price points would put a 225 in the mix, and comparing an S2000 with a hard top against coupes and then complaining 'bout noise interior noise and space...could it just be "Nissan's Day" (a little NASCAR speak)?

I am in publishing and usually ad $$$ usually influence edit. Except for some pubs most do take this into consideration. That being said Aud does have a good print ad spend, probably not nearly as much as Nissan.

But that being said i really do not know if this would affect CDs opinions.

That seemed like a comparison for the sake of having another 350Z test. Honestly do any of those cars really compete with each other? The S2000 owner is buying the car BECAUSE it's a convertible, a potential TT buyer thinking about a Z would be looking at the 225, and people considering one of the highend Japanese or German offerings would never even consider a Mustang. I'm a longtime C&D reader/fan, but this was really silly.

Was it mentioned anywhere within that entire article that the 180TTQ is not sold anymore, except as a leftover 2002? Was this a 2003 shootout, or something else entirely?

Or am I totally off the mark and C&D used a 2003 180TT Tiptronic, which would in fact be the true competitor for the 350Z based on their cost criteria of looking at the window sticker and not the street price paid for each car.

Just thought I would point that out. :)

...<font color="003366"> to run or lose for model year irrelevance.

It happens amongst the big three enthusiast rags far more often than you'd imagine.</font>

For the most part the "articles" that are on one car model read like something out of the corporate press room of every single automotive manufacturer. Whenever their is a comparison between multiple cars, the editors on very few rare occasions actually choose cars that would be considered when making a purchase. For instance in a European sedan comparison, they almost always have to toss in a loan US sedan or Japanese sedan, or both. Everyone that I have ever known that was looking at a Euro sedan would not even give a US sedan a second thought, let alone a first thought.

This type of stuff goes on all of the time. The rags always have to have the latest and greatest come out on top and the better light that "winner" can be shown the better for the bottom line of the rag.

What it really is is the Motor Trend Car of the Year award but on a smaller scale. That "award" has always gone to the company with the most ad dollars, not the best car.

best" whatever when there are other cars better or other models of cars in the test that would have done better. When they rarely comment in the letters section after being taken to task they will say that they asked the manufacturers for test subjects and this was all they got. Never mind that what they got is not worth comparing. I once suggested they run head to head comparisons of, say, the best all out sports car under $40,000 AND include used cars! Most of us would consider a pampered premium car vs. a lesser new one. Of course, they won't do that because their advertisers are selling new cars.