Not by much, but a little. Better opinion and feature columns, better written reviews.

Motor Trend is swill. Barefly fit to line a birdcage.

Apart from the fact that a lot of the mags are owned and published by the same companies, the problem you see is that the magazines don't pick up these cars independently from one another. New cars are released and handed over to the press for their reviews in big manufacturer-sponsored, all-expenses-paid boondoggles. The reviewes tend to have similar experiences because that's what the manufacturers ensure.

That plus the fact that US mags are very conscious of who pays most of their bills and who pays for the boondoggle trips. It's not the consumer. It's the car companies. So they're not going to write anything but simple, usually positive (or damning with faint praise at worst) reviews, unless they want to jeopardize their ad money and their invitations to manufacturer press junkets.

MT, C&D and R&T are the most mainstream of the mags, so their stuff is pretty mainstream as well. Automobile is like the Saab to the others -- a little different, but great in its own ways.

The best out there IMHO is Car (rom the UK). It reviews dozens of cars we never get to see, but they write so damned well. It's pricey to subscribe here in the US, but I know that wehenever I travel through a European city or airport, I grab "Car" off the magazine rack. They're also very opinionated and not afraid to call a turd a turd.



posted by 208.200.18...

• Car Magazines -- All the Same????????, TimD, Thu, 12 Jun 2003 13:09:56
  • GRASSROOTS MOTORSPORT !, Garry, Fri, 13 Jun 2003 16:24:54
  • I also subscribe to both......., 91Aero.jr, Fri, 13 Jun 2003 09:51:01
  • SCI, jp, Fri, 13 Jun 2003 05:54:45
  • Did you read before you subscribed?, phred, Thu, 12 Jun 2003 16:18:20
  • what I'd like to see are some real facts..., compaqted, Thu, 12 Jun 2003 14:10:06
    • Grassroots Motorsports is pretty good at providing this, Price, Fri, 13 Jun 2003 06:40:23
      • take a peek! grmotorsports.com nm, MJM , Fri, 13 Jun 2003 10:42:43
  • I used to subscribe to them all, Bret, Thu, 12 Jun 2003 13:57:38
  • if you like vintage,racing and DIY stuff, mudpuppy, Thu, 12 Jun 2003 13:55:30
    • Re: if you like vintage,racing and DIY stuff, Marcus, Fri, 13 Jun 2003 10:01:10
  • I concur- perhaps a european mag subscription?, Traffic Shark , Thu, 12 Jun 2003 13:33:28
  • Automobile is a little different, Hood, Thu, 12 Jun 2003 13:31:58 <-- Viewing This Message
  • they used to be very different, now just the writing is, MJM , Thu, 12 Jun 2003 13:29:29
  • Autoweek and Automobile...., REM in Seattle , Thu, 12 Jun 2003 13:25:47
    • Second that. n/m, Terraplanem, Fri, 13 Jun 2003 08:06:15
    • Dittos, VP, Fri, 13 Jun 2003 05:08:20

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