[ajmat]

Originally Posted by sivadas

Being from the Times group(here in india), they are just showing their true colour/culture.

If you want to read the meaningful stuff in TG, read the Times auto supplements

[sivadas]

Originally Posted by ajmat

If you want to read the meaningful stuff in TG, read the Times auto supplements

I read Hindu as I don't like Times at all. And hindu has this 1 page section called 'Wheels' on wednesdays which is lifted or probably arranged from AutoCar India.

[iraghava]

With regards to TG's content the official explanation (From their editor himself) is that rather than restricting it to being an auto mag they want to make it into a "Lifestyle" magazine! This is the reason why there is so much content which is hated by people.

[sajo]

Originally Posted by elf

TopGear sucks!!! $#$###$#$##@$%$%#
..............................
Am cancelling my subscription mainly because Clarkson seems to have lost the plot completely.
Would've tolerated the rest of the crud if his two pages had stayed good.

If you buy it for JC columns, you can read them on the web a couple of months before they appear in the Indian edition. Thats what I do. (But I still read TG).
BTW, I still maintain that no one is as passionate about their work and have fun in the process as the BSM guys.

[elf]

Originally Posted by sajo

... If you buy it for JC columns, you can read them on the web a couple of months before they appear in the Indian edition. ...

OT, but I don't like Clarkson anymore - he's just completely boring now & sounds like a tired old man. His famed wit also seems to have gone to the dogs.

As for TG being a lifestyle magazine, the so called lifestyle articles aren't bad, in fact those were the ones I'd try to read if it weren't for the crappy layout & hopeless colours. Dark grey font on a medium grey background???!!!! #$%$##$##$%#

[GTO]

The latest BSMotoring has come like an oasis in a series of otherwise lacklustre issues for 2006. It was a load of fun to read, and is undoubtedly a step forward for the mag.

I hope they can continue with this level of content.

[Equus]

BSMotoring for me. Most unbiased I felt..

[warhorse]

I haven't had much on the BSMotoring.
But, of ACI and Overdrive, I feel ACI is better.

[ram_hyundai]

autocar with all my will and pleasure guys.
overdrive was ok for a loong time but autocar shifted a gear down and throttled hard before they put themselves in overdrive.and overdrive was as if it dint have any other gear left out other than overdrive and limping all the way down.
ram

[sAP]

I buy several automotive mags off the shelf at a time and depending on the particular issue/release, my preferences keep changing. So I am unable to point out a single magazine that stands out.

However, there is one that stands out.

And its an overdrive issue.

First, it had an "Ultimate track test", where 2 renowned drivers test drove several mainstream cars and compared them head-to-head at the Kari Speedway track in Coimbatore. The drivers were N.Leelakrishnan (7-time national rally champion) and Naren Kumar (4-time national rally champion).

Quartermile stats, handling on track, lap times, max lateral G-force, top speed, 0-60kmph, 0-100kmph, etc. were some of the key parameters that were tested and published. But what was most significant is how these drivers expressed their objective yet distinguishable character of each car in simple english.

Second, the overdrive issue had a dyno test of almost all mainstream motorcycles (including the phased out RX135) -- a dyno test to determine if manufacturer power and torque specifications actually matched with those in real life. I loved it. And the stats and the graphs were so easy to understand.

I think it was a Sep 2005 Overdrive issue. A lot of time has passed since then, and it may not be entirely fair to judge a whole magazine based on just one issue. But the fact of the matter is, that *that* single issue stands out in my memory on an opening workday in Jan 2007.

So now, I have done what seems like a natural thing for me to do.

My vote goes to Overdrive.

sAP

[shuvc]

Originally Posted by sAP

Naren Kumar (4-time national rally champion).

OT - I think he's won two more since then, hasn't he ?

[karlosdeville]

A little birdie told me yesterday that the April (summer of Speed) issue of BSM is going to be something out of this world, with them DRIVING (not just reviewing) some true thoroughbreds... cant wait! april has consistently been a terrific issue...

[vasudeva]

For me, Overdrive wins hands down just for their greater neutrality. Autocar seems to act as a PR extension for Honda, and has a tendency to run down Honda's competitors. They will give good marks to Santro and Innova (which have no direct Honda competition), but run down Corolla, Sonata, Verna (which do have Honda competition). See Autocar's October 2006 issue `50 new cars for 2007' and check whether the profile for Honda CRV (or is it Accord) is or not a publicity handout from Honda and a pure cut and paste job.

before buying my recent Corolla, I read 3-4 years of back issues of both Overdrive and Autocar (from our office library). Autocar used to have a better opinion of Corolla. But lo Civic gets launched, and their Civic/Corolla comparison of Aug 2006 (or July 2006) ran down Corolla on every parameter. My job is not to praise Toyota or Honda, but know that Toyota is the 2nd most admired company in the world (read recent Fortune's edition), and their reputation has been made by the Corolla. By comparison, Honda is 23rd, and BMW is 9th. The most admired is GE.

What Car (a sister publication of Autocar) recent edition made a ridiculous remark which shows their objectivity: `The interiors of Civic make the competition (they were comparing Octavia, Corolla) look like they belong in the early part of 19th century'. I can quote more but what is the point: bottomline for Autocar, when comparing with Honda, run down the other car, and if their is something good about the other car, then put a doubt by praising Honda's reliability. Also know that Corolla has had no recalls in Canada for last 10 years, while Civic has had many. In US, Corolla has much lower recalls than Civic.

[mobike008]

For me its overdrive for the comprehensive articles, latest news, nice layout and usually fat issues

[karan561]

Autocar for me .....