Fifth Gear

Copy of my recent emasil to To the Fifth Gear Team. I would like to record my disappointment at the poor quality and content of this series. I am a middle aged petrolhead (my daily driver is a BMW 330D and I also have a mk 2 jag and a lancia 2000 hf pininfaina coupe in my garage.) You have clearly not yet realised the complete irrelevance of your rubber burning antics, unless your target demographic are the gangs of spotty youths who populate supermarket car parks and demonstrate similar tendencies to burn expensive rubber. I am convinced that at times some of the presenters are both aware of and embarrassed by these infantile antics. Frankly, I could care less whether a new Boxster is a few tenths of a second faster or slower than a 911. I stopped drooling over Aston Martins years ago, when it became clear that I would probably never be able to afford or justify buying one.

Suggestions? Aim your programme at the hard working masses who can actually afford to have car buying choices. I am currently undecided about what to buy, having considered a nearly new XJ Jaguar TDVI - dated but does the technology compensate for this? the Jaguar XF or Audi A5, I have considered the Subaru Outback diesel and the Octavia VRS. Some coverage of real car reviews would be helpful, I am interested in what can cover a cross country route quickly and safely, not whether my choice is 0.3 seconds quicker or slower than something else. I want something that is quick but does not break the bank when Gordon Brown's ill conceived vehicular poll tax is rolled out. I am interested in owners' views of their cars' plus and minus points, because they have the benefit of real world use and not just a journalists's quick blast around a track. I am no longer able to watch the endless, pointless drivel your show churns out in the hope of a realistic, useful review. It is too irritating. ( I am not alone in having this view, having spoken to friends) I am sure that I am not the only enthusiastic driver painstakingly trying to ensure that my hard earned cash is well spent. You have the potential to be a better, more informative programme than Top Gear (also obsessed with Aston Martins and Porsches). Your presenters lack the charisma of that team (this is not a criticism), and they try too hard to be equally amusing and enthusiastic (this is).

These are my thoughts, for what they are worth.

Great show. They test affordable but fast cars and the drivers are much better than Top Gear. Tiff is a lot better than JC and the Stig. I can't choose which show I prefer more. It all depends on my mood.