Best Car Magazine?

[RaynorWolfcastle]

OK, so I enjoy all the small tips and tricks as well as the occasional car reviews I get from all the YACTs on here but I'd like a more constant supply of car news. Can anyone recommend a good car magazine? Looking mostly for a few nice pics every month and a couple of technical articles that are within reach to people who aren't auto mechanincs.

Any recommendations?

 

[GTaudiophile]

UK's Car Magazine is certainly the nicest...but very pricey. I can't seem to find a big difference between my two domestic faves, C&D and R&T (owned by the same company). I alternate between those two every other year or so.

Edit: A one-year subscription to Car costs $128/year vs. like $15/year for C&D or R&T.

 

[PowerMac4Ever]

Consumer

 

[RaynorWolfcastle]

Holy schnikes, $128 USD?!?! That's like $170 CDN, I can't afford that. I was actually looking at C&D and R&T since they are the most widespread car mags I've seen. Is one any more technical than the other?

 

[GTaudiophile]

Originally posted by: RaynorWolfcastle
Holy schnikes, $128 USD?!?! That's like $170 CDN, I can't afford that. I was actually looking at C&D and R&T since they are the most widespread car mags I've seen. Is one any more technical than the other?

I wouldn't say so. R&T is a larget format and has nicer pictures.

 

[BornStar]

I prefer C&D over R&T because I like the way the articles are written and how the information is laid out. R&T feels extremely cluttered to me.

 

[boyRacer]

I also like CAR, along with Top Gear and EVO.

Road & Track is the only domestic one i like... maybe C&D once in awhile. I think Motor Trend is a joke.

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: RaynorWolfcastle
Holy schnikes, $128 USD?!?! That's like $170 CDN, I can't afford that. I was actually looking at C&D and R&T since they are the most widespread car mags I've seen. Is one any more technical than the other?

It's sooo worth it.....I've bought if off the newstand and been awed at the quality EVERY fvking time.



C& D...lol

 

[amgkid]

Originally posted by: bR
I also like CAR, along with Top Gear and EVO.

Road & Track is the only domestic one i like... maybe C&D once in awhile. I think Motor Trend is a joke.

agree, motortrend is a waste of money. avoid unless it's free.

 

[SuperGroove]

I usually hate European Car magazines, including Car and Top Gear. I don't like the way the articles are written, and I don't like their "Comparison tests". They need to quit the wishy washy, "if you like this feature, get this, but the other cars are just as competent" crap, and just stick with their ratings and clearly point out that one car is head and shoulder above all.

And the way they rag on US cars...gah. How can ANY self-respecting car magazine say that the Corvette is a BAD car, like CAR magazine has done? How can any car magazine fail to realize that the Z28's main saving grace is the LS1?

I'll take C&D over every car rag out there.the guys there still know how to have fun, and I love John Phillips.

Paul
-hundreds(maybe even a thousand?) of dollars spent on CAR, Top Gear, Excellence, European Car, Car and Driver, Grassroots Motorsports, Sport Compact Car, Chevy High Performance, Max Power UK, Performance VW.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

IMO Road and Track is the best of the mainstream US magazines, with C&D in second, then Automobile, Autoweek, and Motor Trend in that order. If you are interested in sports cars primarily, Sports Car International is very, very good, arguably better than any of the above.

 

[thomsbrain]

Car and Driver has always been my fave. The writing is better than some of the other mags, they have a sense of humor, and they really come off as smart guys who love to drive.

 

[boyRacer]

Originally posted by: SuperGroove
I usually hate European Car magazines, including Car and Top Gear. I don't like the way the articles are written, and I don't like their "Comparison tests". They need to quit the wishy washy, "if you like this feature, get this, but the other cars are just as competent" crap, and just stick with their ratings and clearly point out that one car is head and shoulder above all.

And the way they rag on US cars...gah. How can ANY self-respecting car magazine say that the Corvette is a BAD car, like CAR magazine has done? How can any car magazine fail to realize that the Z28's main saving grace is the LS1?

I'll take C&D over every car rag out there.the guys there still know how to have fun, and I love John Phillips.

Paul
-hundreds(maybe even a thousand?) of dollars spent on CAR, Top Gear, Excellence, European Car, Car and Driver, Grassroots Motorsports, Sport Compact Car, Chevy High Performance, Max Power UK, Performance VW.

Thats because they have a totally different philosophy and preference to the type of cars as opposed to the people here. The rest of the world generally thinks that american cars are bloated... no not just domestics... but all cars sold in the US market... they're most likely heavier...and have softer suspension compared to their European counterparts. They're not so obsessed with tire smoking torque either... and even if they were... they would much prefer a TVR over a Viper.

 

[slikmunks]

for me i'd have to go w/ grassroots motorsports... but then that's for hands on information for racing/tracking applications

 

[FacelessNobody]

I love CAR and have a subscription. My motoring philosophies are similar to the ones voiced in that magazine. The photography is excellent and the magazine is very, very well written. CAR is quite direct compared to C&D and other domestic magazines, and they're not afraid to tell you if something sucks. They're also much wittier than other automotive magazines. I'm not sure what CAR SuperGroove is reading, I find it's C&D that's wishy-washy. C&D isn't bad though. Go to a newsstand and try both.

 

[Turkish]

CAR is the best, kinda expensive though, but I got 2 year subscription for the price of 1 year

 

[bolido2000]

I like C&D too. I like the way information is laid out compared to MT, Automobile and R&T. Car is good too. Always nice to hear what other points of view

 

[OS]

Originally posted by: Don_Vito
IMO Road and Track is the best of the mainstream US magazines, with C&D in second, then Automobile, Autoweek, and Motor Trend in that order. If you are interested in sports cars primarily, Sports Car International is very, very good, arguably better than any of the above.

I have a minor bitch about R&T, I skimmed the tech section this week and this guy wrote a letter asking advice of if performance would improve if he got wheels that were 14 lbs lighter each. The editor replied that it was insignificant because as a percentage of the curb weight, it was a small difference.

14 lbs is actually a huge ass difference for rotational, unsprung mass. Affects braking, handling and acceleration and the editor failed to mention all of those. Apparently you don't have to be an engineer, or even take high school physics, to be a car rag editor.

 

[Triumph]

Originally posted by: BornStar18
I prefer C&D over R&T because I like the way the articles are written and how the information is laid out. R&T feels extremely cluttered to me.

Ditto. I don't like R&T's layout. And there is absolutely NO humour in that magazine. C&D is an entertaining read. Reading R&T is only slightly better than looking at the data sheets directly. So boring.

 

[CraigRT]

Sport Compact car.. awesome mag

Car and Driver is good, I used to have a subscription to that, until I got more interested in a certain niche.

 

[Triumph]

Originally posted by: bR

Originally posted by: SuperGroove
I usually hate European Car magazines, including Car and Top Gear. I don't like the way the articles are written, and I don't like their "Comparison tests". They need to quit the wishy washy, "if you like this feature, get this, but the other cars are just as competent" crap, and just stick with their ratings and clearly point out that one car is head and shoulder above all.

And the way they rag on US cars...gah. How can ANY self-respecting car magazine say that the Corvette is a BAD car, like CAR magazine has done? How can any car magazine fail to realize that the Z28's main saving grace is the LS1?

I'll take C&D over every car rag out there.the guys there still know how to have fun, and I love John Phillips.

Paul
-hundreds(maybe even a thousand?) of dollars spent on CAR, Top Gear, Excellence, European Car, Car and Driver, Grassroots Motorsports, Sport Compact Car, Chevy High Performance, Max Power UK, Performance VW.

Thats because they have a totally different philosophy and preference to the type of cars as opposed to the people here. The rest of the world generally thinks that american cars are bloated... no not just domestics... but all cars sold in the US market... they're most likely heavier...and have softer suspension compared to their European counterparts. They're not so obsessed with tire smoking torque either... and even if they were... they would much prefer a TVR over a Viper.

What they think about American cars doesn't mean jack, because the Corvette outperforms 95% of sports cars today, and does so while still being comfortable and practical (in comparison). That's always been the European trait - sporty while still being liveable. The Corvette IS a good car; it doesn't matter what the rest of the cars we buy in America are like.

 

[conjur]

Originally posted by: thomsbrain
Car and Driver has always been my fave. The writing is better than some of the other mags, they have a sense of humor, and they really come off as smart guys who love to drive.

werd

 

[Tom]

I like the weekly Autoweek, and Car and Driver for a monthly.

Also Speed Sport News is great if you're into racing.

 

[Triumph]

Originally posted by: CraigRT
Sport Compact car.. awesome mag

The big grin means you're joking, right? 75% of that magazine is advertisements for rice products.

 

[Vette73]

Well take ALL reviews by Car Mag's with a grain of salt. Pretty much all of them are very biased. Motor Trend is the worst but all I have seen are biased, esp to cars that buy lots of ads cough-motortrend-cough