The Week UK – 23 August 2019

(Steven Felgate) #1
LEISURE 39

24 August 2019 THE WEEK

Consumer

New cars: what the critics say

Tips of the week... how to
spot afake review online

And for those who
have everything...

DS 3Crossback
from £21,555

Auto Express
Entering the compact SUV
class out of the blue is a
“big ask”. DS is the
Peugeot/Citroën group’s
premium brand, and the
DS 3Crossback is trying
to compete with posh
models like the Audi Q2
and Mini Countryman.
There are plenty of “smart
touches” here to justify its
price: generous kit, stand-
out design. But the biggest
challenge DS faces is
convincing buyers that it’s
on the same level as Audi.

The Daily Telegraph
Few SUVs catch the eye
like the DS3Crossback.
While not “conventionally
pretty”, with its frowning
face and sculpted sides,
it looks like nothing else
on the road. Inside, it’s
equally “stylized”, with
adiamond motif applied
from corner to corner.
There are lots of modern
touch-sensitive “buttons”,
but they’re not responsive
enough.Afirmly city-
oriented car, it’s also quite
cramped in the back.

Autocar
This isa“surprisingly
forgettable” car to drive,
though there’s nothing
very wrong with it. It’s
short on “agility and feel”,
but goes round bends
well. The 1.2-litre turbo
petrol engine (available
with 100bhp, 128bhp or
153bhp) and the 1.5-litre
diesel “blend performance,
refinement and economy”
well. The DS3Crossback,
then, is intriguing, but it
doesn’t always back up
style with substance.

●Ignoreone-andfive-starreviews.Writers
either“haveanaxetogrind”,orarelazy,
over-exuberantorsuspicious.Everythingin
betweenismuchmorereliable,especiallya
positivereviewthatadmitssomedefects.
●Treatreviewswithcapitalisedwordslike
“AMAZING”and“FANTASTIC”,orthose
thatreadlikeadverts,withcaution.
●Lookforlength,anddetailaboutthe
productitself–lessaboutdeliveryspeedor
howitwasboughtforthereviewer’saunt.
●Amazonsays90%offakereviewsare
computer-generated,sowatchoutformany
five-starreviewspostedinquicksuccession,
andre-usingthesamewordsandphrases.
●Lookforsignsofhumanity:anoccasional
typo,anecdoteorregionaldialect.
●Spotpaid-forfakeswrittenbyhumansby
clickingonareviewer’sprofile.Dothey
reviewseveraldisparateproductseachday?
●WebsiteslikeFakespotandReviewMeta
willtrytoweedoutfakereviewsforyouif
youpasteintheURLoftheproduct.
SOURCE: THE DAILY TELEGRAPH SOURCE: WIRED SOURCE: THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

SE


The Somnox Sleep Robot isa2.5kg
cuddly, breathing jelly bean that’s meant
to put you to sleep faster. As it slowly
expands and contracts, your breathing
should synchronise to its steady pace,
putting you to sleep. It can also play gentle
music and white noise, or emit whale song.
£549; meetsomnox.com

ThePoets’ Pathsaretwocircularwalks,
eacheightmileslong,fromDymockin
Gloucestershire,whereRobertFrost,Rupert
BrookeandEdwardThomasalllived
between1911and1914(ldwa.org.uk).
The86-mileJohn Bunyan Trailhitsmany
sitesassociatedwiththePuritanauthor
ofThe Pilgrim’s ProgressinBedfordshire,
wherehewasborn(britishpilgrimage.org).
Foratourthroughamoreurbanlandscape,
The Larkin Trailisathree-partwalkthrough
25locationsconnectedwithPhilipLarkinin
Hull(thelarkintrail.co.uk).
The51-mileColeridge WayinSomerset’s
QuantockHillsfollowsthefootstepsof
SamuelColeridgeandWilliamWordsworth,
whowalkedandwrotetheirseminalwork
Lyrical Balladsthere(visit-exmoor.co.uk).
OntheLaurie Lee Wildlife Way,acircular
six-milewalkaroundthewildlife-richSlad
Valley,youcanstillidentifymanyofthe
placesmentionedinCider with Rosie
(gloucestershirewildlifetrust.bigcartel.com).

The best... children’s party decorations

Where to find...
literary walks

corations

OURCES: THE INDEPENDENT/LONDONEVENING STANDARD/COUNTRYLIVING.COM


Tissue Paper Fan
corationsIfyou’re
ngtosticktoa
htbudget,this
ckofthreehanging
perfansisgreat.
elargestis40cm
diameter,soyou
n’tneedmany,
dthey’rebright
deye-catching
(£3.50;
hobbycraft.co.uk).

Flamingo Party PiñataThis
strikingpiñataissuretobea
hitwithchildren.Youhaveto
fillityourself,butit’seasyto
assembleandthere’snoglue
involved,soyoumighteven
beabletoreuseitifitdoesn’t
getcompletelydemolished
(£20.50;merimeri.co.uk).

Djeco Dinosaur Origami Papers
Withthisbeautifulorigamiset,you
canmakesomedinosaurdecor
withyourownkidsbeforethe
partystarts,orsetthe
gueststowork.Aset
contains24sheets
andthereare
eightdifferent
dinosaurdesigns
(£5.50;birdkids.co.uk).

Silver Glitter
Star Candles
Somethingas
simpleasastar-
shapedcandlecan
giveahugeboost
toabirthday
cake.Comingina
packofsix,theseare
andtheyburnevenly(£8.25;merimeri.co.uk).

Mini Tutti Frutti Honeycomb GarlandThis
colourfulgarlandismadeupofsevendifferent
honeycombpaperfruitsthatlooklikethey’vebeen
choppedinhalf.Itlooksfestive,andit’sfunfor
childrentoassemble(£7;rexlondon.com).

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Dec
tryi
tigh
pac
pap
The
ind
wonwon
and
and
too
hob

bothfunandelegant,





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