Behind the scenes - Richard and Nedahl

Behind the scenes

Richard and Nedahl by Richard Berry

You have three or four kids and you’re looking for your next car. Do you go for a large SUV, a people mover or do you just face facts and admit you need a bus? That was the question which kick-started this comparison by our family reviewer Nedahl Stelio and myself and in our video and written review we brought together the Hyundai Palisade, Kia Carnival and the Mercedes-Benz Valente to find out the answer.

We were also curious to find out if it was possible for two people who had been reviewing cars separately for years to meet in a car park and, with no form of rehearsal, join forces to conduct a complete test and present a video covering every criteria parents need to tick off when looking at big family car. All of this in just a few hours. Working to a carefully prepared plan and script was a big help as always. It helps to ensure the facts are right, provides direction and keeps the dialogue tight. Some parts of course remained unscripted, including the entire design section in which Nedahl drew on her vast knowledge of interior packaging and exterior styling. The driving sections of the video are also unscripted, with our impressions delivered in real time as we analysed the driving characteristics of each vehicle.

Good chemistry is key and having not shared the camera with Nedahl before I couldn’t be sure heading into this how we’d engage once the microphones were on and we were recording. I think it worked. Really well. And that’s despite doing my best to make her laugh during her lines. Not only did it work but it was easier than a solo review. Think of it like carrying a table – if you have somebody on the other end it makes the work lighter which is handy on a three-car comparison where there’s a mountain of information to get through. So please check it out if you haven’t had the chance – it’s been put together by two parents who are all-too familiar with cleaning squashed banana off car seats and removing sultanas from air vents with tweezers. Oh, and you’ll also find out which car is best for a large family.