Sad to see the Boston Globe’s sell out its editorial voice.
Sometime in early April or so, the supposedly independent voice of New England turned over its Autos section to the Advertising/Sales department. That meant they no longer have their writer, Royal Ford, who was a talented must-read on Sundays. After a spirited ride through any of his columns, New England car shoppers and aficionados knew all the test model’s pros, cons, prices, must-purchase options, horrible waste-of-money options, good times to buy, and the comparison cars to shop it against, and more.
Occasionally he’d throw in an auto-history nugget, a giddy account of an Autobahn run, 
a European factory tour, or open his mailbag. Great objective stuff and a weekly must-read. I never met the man, but he was a close friend on Sundays for sure.
Now: The Globe’s Auto section is utter pablum. In a week that saw the rebirth of GM and the announcement that the new Chevy Camaro orders have topped those of the Ford Mustang, the Globe gave us nothing in depth on the Sunday Auto pages. Instead we get a single “column” about the Infiniti G37, published after an advertiser-approved process. And it is utter tripe:
Globe: “(The G37) Exhibits typical European restraint: Tidy headlights, conservative tails and relatively straight lines…The G37 also looks distinctly Japanese, the lines meander with near-recklessness.”
Translation: So if you like European styling you’ll be happy. If you like Japanese styling, you’ll be happy. Now run out to that Infinity showroom, and tell them the fence-riding Globe sent you.”
Globe: “The stick shift is rubbery and longish, has short throws and precise movements.”
Translation: Again, you’ll apparently be happy no matter what type of shifting feel you like, so can we get you in a car today?
Globe: “Infiniti’s four-wheel active steering, which includes a variable steering ratio, is optional.”
Translation: Actually, I’m stumped. What the heck do these options do? Clearly the writer can regurgitate a company-provided list of options. But readers have no idea how these options performed in Boston city streets and if they are worth buying.
Globe: “If you live in an area where the pavement is especially bumpy, like say the Midwest, you may want to consider a trim with a regular suspension…
Comment: Dear Boston Globe: Last I checked, well more than 500,000 Sunday subscribers still live right here in New England, where we’ve been known to have a pothole or two.
Let’s hope new local owners can bring us a short turning radius and get the Globe on track again.
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