Road & Track and Car & Driver magazines

[Wilhelm]

Anyone noticed a recent decline in the quality of theses two magazines ?
In the February/March 2013 issue ( is there no more a February issue and a March issue ??) of Road & Track I thought pages 44-45 were an ad for the new Corvette. And throughout the magazine, there seem to be far too many huge photographs and very little text. And I find the layout of the articles very choppy and confusing.
Similar thing with Car & Driver. Car & Driver has always been a bit more "irreverent" than Road & Track but Car & Driver is now almost a comic book for car guys.
It seems as though both of these magazines change their layout/format every year now.
I have been reading both magazines for about 50 years now....so maybe they seem a bit weird to me cause I'm an old guy. But I would be interested in your opinions.
[Peter Egans column in Road & Track is always good ]

[BeyGon]

I noticed Car and Driver changed their format for the worse, I was only so so about them anyway and don't buy it at all anymore. I do get Automobile every month, that's it.

[Gooch1971]

Dropped both several years ago. There's too many other sources of information online.

[recycled sixtie]

Originally Posted by BeyGon

I noticed Car and Driver changed their format for the worse, I was only so so about them anyway and don't buy it at all anymore. I do get Automobile every month, that's it.

+1 on Automobile every month. Good writers there. Reasonably priced compared to the UK mags. I never was a fan of C and D.

[strupgolf]

Both of those, if not all auto mag's seem to be an extension of the car makers. Bring out a car, get it on the cover, and tell us how great it is. No real text, just the same old stuff. I've been a fan of Autoweek since 1965, but it's not at all like it used to be. They too seem to be in the back pockets of all the manufactuers; sad, just sad.

[Wilhelm]

I probably dont fit the demographic of either R&T or C&D. Too old, not rich enough, etc. But I think I will keep on subscribing to both so as to maybe win recognition someday as their oldest/longest subscriber! Maybe I will win a free 1 year subscription to both of them
I havent looked at Automobile magazine in many years. I didnt like it very much years ago when it started. I should take another look at it.
I never liked David E. Davis. He always seemed to be an arrogant ass.

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by Wilhelm

I never liked David E. Davis. He always seemed to be an arrogant ass.

+1 on that.

I started getting cynical after I noticed that Car and Driver would mock the cars that just a few years earlier were the latest wonderwagons of Detroit. The most blatant was the GM "X" car, back in the mid '80's. Later, the Merkur XR4TI was first lauded as the answer to our prayers, then a few years later lampooned as an expensive disaster.
(The less said about the Cosworth Vega the better)

I would still read everything, but then the internet became available, and monthly car mags are a luxury I will only afford when the subscription is practically free, or if I just want to try something like Hemmings for a year or two. The exception has been Excellence, but I am noticing a falling off in quality lately, so I'll be watching the new editor to see if I like what he does.

Peter Egan has been the only thing worth reading in Road & Track for the last decade, as far as I'm concerned.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

Peter Egan has been the only thing worth reading in Road & Track for the last decade, as far as I'm concerned.

+1

The same is true for John Phillips' work in Car & Driver, but I don't much like where the rest of the magazine is going.

[SteamWolf]

I really only read Race Magazine these days. My interest in road cars has died from speed cameras and general hostility toward interesting cars.

Race Magazine - Home

[mikeesik]

What are the opinions on Motor Trend?

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by mikeesik

What are the opinions on Motor Trend?

Worst of the bunch, a glorified advertisement. The only one with the gall to have a "comparison test" without actually declaring a winner.

Personally I am not receiving a car magazine via subscription, except Panorama, for the first time ever. C&D is trying to be humorous without being willing to take any chance, R&T just seems tired. I do a lot of reading online, occasionally pick up interesting magazines at the book store, and download Evo on my iPad.

[Brian 162]

I would agree the internet has changed things. I used to read Autoweek in the 90's. Car and Driver I used to get a few times a year, now I get it only for the 10 best issue (which is getting lamer).

[KaptKaos]

Peter Egan - the best.

David E. Davis - you have to get past the bravado, and he was an excellent writer. I am sure he envisioned himself as a modern day Hemingway. When you understand that at some point (and I don't recall the story) his face was paralyzed, you can appreciate what he had to overcome.

Moreover, I miss Brock Yates. He was always poking a stick in the eye of the establishment.

Chubba Chedda was a corporate guy, and led C/D down the wrong road. It's always bothered me.

There will never be another Henry Manney. Yr Fthfl Svn

[mikeesik]

I used to receive all of the big 3 in the late 80's and up to 1995.
Motor Trend always seemed to be the UnderDog.
BUT..
They were the most realistic on -Acceleration Times.

Cancelled the subscriptions when I couldn't take the large accolades relative to the large Adverts.

[Ronbo]

Originally Posted by KaptKaos

When you understand that at some point (and I don't recall the story) his face was paralyzed, you can appreciate what he had to overcome.

He wrote about it a few times. He was seriously injured in a car crash which left him disfigured and partially paralyzed.

[Dottore]

Both those magazines are rubbish today. Aren't they both under the same ownership?

I grew up with C & D in the '60s and '70's. It was a great magazine then, and did much to nurture my passion for cars and motorsport.

[onewhippedpuppy]

C&D in the '80s and '90s was always my favorite. A great mix of journalism and edgy humor.

[Wilhelm]

Originally Posted by KaptKaos

Peter Egan - the best.

David E. Davis - you have to get past the bravado, and he was an excellent writer. I am sure he envisioned himself as a modern day Hemingway. When you understand that at some point (and I don't recall the story) his face was paralyzed, you can appreciate what he had to overcome.

Moreover, I miss Brock Yates. He was always poking a stick in the eye of the establishment.

Chubba Chedda was a corporate guy, and led C/D down the wrong road. It's always bothered me.

There will never be another Henry Manney. Yr Fthfl Svn

Remember when Rob Walker did the GP race reports for R & T? Good stuff !

[Heel n Toe]

Pick up one of these the next time you're in a bookstore with a decent magazine selection...

Hemmings Sports and Exotic Car

Current Issue | Hemmings Motor News

Wonderful magazine... note perfect in every way, IMO. It will restore your faith in car mags.

[IROC]

I got a subscription to Car and Driver last year only because it was $5 for the whole year. It was horrible. It seems the goal of every writer is to be as witty and sarcastic as possible. It gets old half way through the first article. I couldn't believe how bad it was.

Besides Pano (which seems to be better with Pete Stout) and Excellence, I also get AutoWeek (subscriber since the '80s) and Grassroots Motorsports.