A great alternative to Top Gear (Fifth Gear)

Member Name: pmcds

Product:	Fifth Gear
Date:	05/11/09 (30 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Car info, entertaining

Disadvantages: Nothing particular

Fifth Gear is considered, by today's watching public, to be like a poor man's Top Gear. The latter show is definitely considered as the main forerunner, with its appealing and better known presenters. However, it's all too easy to overlook Fifth Gear, which provides a more inclusive look at various models of cars, and employs more traditional methods of testing the cars out.

Essentially, it does the same thing Top Gear does. It showcases affordable cars and compares them with others, showing how they're worth getting, and what their positive and negative points are. The presenters take very much the same tack as those on Top Gear, appealing to the viewers, casual and relaxed, and very fun. They don't mess around as much as the Top Gear guys, which I find quite refreshing really, as I often get confused from Top Gear as to whether a car is worth getting or not. Fifth Gear doesn't confuse me: they show the pluses and minuses and let us formulate our own ideas with clearly presented elemens.

The presenters include Vicki Butler-Henderson, Jason Plato (former top racing driver) and Tiff Needell, who goes against the common belief that men can't multitask. He manages to drive at ridiculous speeds and corners whilst providing informative and controlled opinion to the camera. He pretty much does the same as the Top Gear guys would do, but manages to eek the control factor as well.

There are elements that co-presenters Tom Ford and Johnny Smith take part in it, which amount to the sillier parts of the show. Many believe this is to appeal to the silly part that Top Gear is well known for, and is often just as entertaining. It's nice to get a bit of entertainment in amongst the facts that the main part of the show presents to us, and it isn't as much as Top Gear, which ultimately makes me like both shows, as they can both provide different styles of info.

I like Fifth Gear, and watch it every now and then. I do prefer Top Gear, as the entretainment aspect appeals to me. However, if I actually wanted to know stuff about cars in order to make an informed decision on which car is going to be a better one for me. It currently runs on various channels. It is a channel 5 show, which is perhaps why it doesn't achieve the same viewing figures Top Gear can sometimes reach. A recommended programme.

Summary: Entertaining motor show from Channel 5