We have several dedicated video threads (Jay Leno, Alex on Autos, Petrolicious etc..) but I did not see one for Motorweek

Enjoy this oldie

 

Thanks, Hoovey. I always enjoy listening to John Davis....he's a nice guy and IMO quite an objective reviewer. I know him casually from auto shows and some local auto events (where we talk), but we're not what you you call close friends. Still, he's a friendly guy to talk to, and doesn't display that know-it-all ego-attitude that some auto journalists and writers do. I didn't know him quite that far back when that video was made...........he's lost some hair and gained some weight in the meantime, but then, so have many Baby-Boomers of our generation.

One of the vehicles in this specific comparison was a Jeep Wagoneer.....which was one of the company's top-of-the-line models before the Grand Cherokee debuted in the early 1990s. One of my late aunts, who lived in Northeast Ohio (Kent), where they get a LOT of snow every winter, had a Wagoneer for years and loved it, despite the (then) incompetence of the local Jeep dealership. Her husband, a surgeon, drove a FWD Olds Toronado and had an expensive heated driveway to melt off the almost constant snow and ice from November to March. And, of course, they had the Jeep if they encountered really bad stuff. Years ago, whenever I'd drive out to their place and stay with them for a few days (a nice 360-mile scenic trip, 8 hours with a stop, northwest across the mountains from D.C.), I'd wash and clean up both their vehicles for them inside and out while I was there.


Looking back to when this video was made, there are several obvious differences with those 30 year-old designs and modern SUVs, (fit/finish, two-tone paint, AWD drivetrain sophistication, lack of ABS and traction/stability aids, etc....). But the biggest single difference, IMO, is the large rear windows and square, shoe-box styling back then offering good space efficiency and outward rear visibly.......something that seems to have been lost in today's world (even with many SUV's) of swept-rooflines and Peek-a-Boo windows.

 

Good to see this thread. Growing up in the eighties, I looked forward to the weekly episode of Motor Week on Saturdays on PBS Loved the variety of the show reviewing the car, discussing DIY on your car (Pat Goss?), the news (curly haired brunette - Lisa???), and sometimes long term updates. And remember back then, all I got for car news was my C&D, R&T, MT, and local newspaper reviews and news on cars so something televised was a treat!

 

Goss owns a repair-shop here in the D.C. area. He does a weekly TV call-in show (Goss's Garage) that airs on Saturday mornings at 9:30 here in this area.....I don't know if it is shown in your area or not. On some Saturday mornings, he has a friend of his (the manager of a local Harley-Davidson dealership) on the show as a guest, and they concentrate on motorcycles instead of cars.

Goss is (admittedly), excellent at automotive electronics and when it comes to computer problems and checking out things like how to diagnose computer codes correctly (not just blindly replace indicated parts) and battery/generator/alternator problems. In those areas, he's one of the sharpest guys I've seen. My only misgiving about his service recommendations, though, is that he would have everybody not simply changing fluids but actually flushing out transmissions, brakes, and hydraulic power-steering systems every two years/24,000 miles....in other words, spending a fortune on maintenance, even if it is not recommended by the manufacturer.

 

MM - Small world that he's in your area. Next time I come down to Herdon or Manassas for work, I may just have to make a detour see you both!

 

When I had my old Explorer, the Ford dealer I used for service briefly joined forces with Pat Goss and became branded "Goss' Garage". My service advisor introduced me to him one time. Seemed like a cool guy.

 

Yes, Motorweek's organization is headquartered in Owings Mils, MD, just outside of Baltimore, which is not that far from me. If you want to see what John Davis looks and sounds like today (30 years after the OP video), check this out...........

http://www.motorweek.org

The D.C. Auto Show starts next Friday, January 23. I might (?) see and talk to John there if he gets back from the Detroit Show (where he probably is now). The Detroit show doesn't let out until the January 25th....so the D.C. show overlaps it a couple of days. I imagine he'll make the D.C. show before it's over, though....he usually does.

BTW, if you come to Herndon, VW of America is now HQ'ed there.

 

funny you say that - watched motorweek yesterday, and i usually skip the goss segment but for whatever reason i watched it, and was amazed he was saying a 4wd/awd center diff should have its fluids changed every 15k i think he said, and changing other fluids pretty often too. i just had the transmission fluid changed and flushed on my explorer after 100k mi. per manual as well as advice from an excellent ford master tech who has his own shop i use.

goss reminds me of doctors on tv who give 'advice' to get mri's, tests, and a huge variety of doctors visits regularly... which is absurd... unless one doesn't work and has tons of money or crazy good insurance and a LOT of time to waste.

 

He's just really old school.

 

 

Lexus LS400 1990




for more

http://testdrivejunkie.com/

 

Man...those are some fingernails

I find it interesting MW used to be more critical than they are today. John Davis' has worked on the ol' delivery too

 

Love the re-releases of Motorweek. It's always fun to see what was "new" back then.

 

 

Haha that guy at 4:31 is so cliche of the era