[santosh911]

Just picked up the latest issue of Top Gear India. Was thoroughly disappointed. It's all superficial stuff and apart from Clarkson, there's nothing worth reading. You can immediately tell that all the Indian writers have barely any knowledge of cars. What they do well is write in a witty way true to Top Gear style but substance is zilch. Sorry to say but editor Karkera is hardly a car nut himself and if I'm not mistaken he was a mere sub-editor at Autocar India. If you scan the masthead you will see that most of the TG team are ex-Autocar junior people who get hugely elevated when they join TG. (Must be getting better paid too) There's not a single team member in TG India I respect.

Autocar is still miles ahead of all auto mags. Am a huge fan of the way they deliver news and they are usually on the button. The ACI website is getting better but still has a long way to go. Hormazd Sorabjee is a very well respected figure today and I am simply zapped at the way he digs out news. His passion after all these years towards auto journalism is fantastic.

Overdrive is going down the gutter and when they use babes in their articles as cheap props you know how desperate things are for them.

[ACM]

I have been subscribed to Autocar, Topgear and Overdrive since quite a few years.

Like the content of Autocar and Topgear both the most and the content also tends to be quite different. Autocar no doubt leads as far as information is concerned. Top Gear tends to provide a different take and view point to things but quality varies from issue to issue as they go through a lot of changes in the editorial team out here.

Recently DISCONTINUED OVERDRIVE.

Have had issues with subscription copies not reaching me with all the publications in the past, but TopGear and AUTOCAR both bothered to not just send me past missed issues but shifted from postal mode to courier. OVERDRIVE did not ship me the past missed issues (Infact I presumed the subscription has expired a year back as I did not receive copies roughly for full year and came to know of this when the second reminder renewal note came in by courier. They refused to extend the subscription period as requested by me and I in turn decided to discontinue them.

I guess I never really read Overdrive much in anycase so not much is lost.

[anky]

Originally Posted by FrozeninTime

I have been avid reader of Autocar India for the past 13 years and in these years I have seen the quality of this magazine slump but the cost of buying it has increased exponentially.The magazine has shifted focus from objective assessment of vehicle, more consumer oriented content to more lifestyle like content aping magazines like Top Gear.The magazine is more interested in testing SUV and luxury cars than let say Santro.

Agree sir . I want to read about cars I can buy not about expensive cars I'll never buy . I want to know what are the features of cars and the in detail photos to go with them . I am not interested in the testers view about the car. . Just the facts as views are highly subjective .

[tharian]

I will be discontinuing OD after their anniversary issue this year. For the last one year, most of their articles and cover has been on luxury or sports cars which is good to know about but is not going to help.
Their tests on cars that masses can buy have come down a lot and every month ,the bikes on test are the 100cc commuter segment bikes . Hardly any Commuter rider buys an auto mag.
I started of with Auto India almost 18 years back till they stopped and started OD. I must admit with Tbhp my mag reading time has come down,but i don't want to quit altogether.
Thinking of BSM

[Nilesh5417]

T-bhp scoop - 2013 Vespa Vx retailing for Rs.6,74,602/- only! If the online media is to be included in the discussion, OD site has improved but i keep running into inconsistencies, incomplete sentences and gaffe' like these!

[avi550m]

Just picked up the launch issue of EVO India (Rs 100).

First impressions

1. Like Autocar and Top Gear, EVO and has the benefit of copying the layout of its parent magazine, EVO UK. It is a very aesthetically pleasing layout, easy to navigate and no-nonsense (unlike OVERDRIVE).

2. Content wise, EVO relates to 'The Thrill of Driving'. Now, this is not a problem for EVO UK since they have a wide rage of supercars and other vehicles to choose from (I know, since I purchased a few back issues).
EVO India has tried and crammed in a whole section of drives on the Buddh Circuit, but I do not know how much they can continue that in future issues.

3. Regarding the writing, ok, but not to a high order. I sometimes wonder what EVO is trying to be. AUTOCAR is for those who want to make purchase decisions. Their road tests and shootouts and laid out as such. Top Gear is for those who want an offbeat (in my opinion) and fun car magazine. EVO UK is more serious, yet fun like Top Gear UK. EVO India seems to have a whiff of CAR India/Overdrive India (magazines which I Hate). Not Good

4. International to Indian Content Ratio: These magazines normally produce some fun international content from their foreign counterparts which may not be relevant for Indian buyers but are great for us enthusiasts. Unfortunately, you only seem to get one international article in the whole magazine (though it is a lovely Huayra vs Veyron drive). Even Top Gear India, which used to have 2-3 International Articles, has scaled back and included more Indian content.

5. Motorsport Content: EVO India seems to cover more Indian motorsport, but almost nil Formula 1, WRC or MotoGP. Autocar remains the best for Formula 1 coverage, due to its sister publication F1 racing, from which is borrows content.

6. Two Wheeler Content: While I did like the Duke 390 vs RD 350 rides, which was nice, two wheeler coverage seems to get the short stick. Not surprising, since EVO UK does not cover two wheelers at all.

VERDICT: Will I add EVO to my existing Autocar and Top Gear Subscriptions? I'm not so sure, since between them Autocar and Top Gear do cover most of my motoring needs (of course, team-bhp always comes FIRST )

Right now, the Indian content of EVO does not seem to be of a very high order. I shall evaluate a couple of more issues before deciding, but as of now, unless they improve their writing quality, I do not see a need to subscribe to EVO.

[rajeev k]

While searching for some documents came across this pen which was a compliment for an one year subscription of Auto India magazine during 2003 or 04...

[Sheel]

In this month's comparison between Storme & Scorpio, I see most magazines being biased towards the Scorpio. It may be a better product, that is different, but saying that the Scorpio's dash & plastics are a huge improvement over Storme is taking it a bit far.

And by the way, I am looking forward for my Scorpio, but still feel, that the Storme's interiors are better built & laid out.

And the comparisons they make are hardly one. No 4X4 version, no comparison on that front. If you are comparing a 4X4 SUV, compare it the Jeep way.

Seems, what ever auto related magazine I was buying, I will have to stop that. Just that, I like to read a book while having my coffee & relaxing & prefer it over e-materials but when it doesn't make sense, you have to stop it at some time. And I am being made to pay to read that trash & 50 pages of advertisements.

[tharian]

Originally Posted by Sheel

Seems, what ever auto related magazine I was buying, I will have to stop that. Just that, I like to read a book while having my coffee & relaxing & prefer it over e-materials but when it doesn't make sense, you have to stop it at some time. And I am being made to pay to read that trash & 50 pages of advertisements.

Exactly why I stopped buying auto magazines after almost 20 years.
Every other page is an ad which makes the book bulky.

Reviews and comparisons getting biased and bland. More preference on publishing international models rather than ones sold in India.
And of course the ever increasing prices. Didn't make sense and moreover Tbhp has everything, except it's electronic.

[MunnabhaiMBBS]

Mistake in Nov'15 Overdrive -

Section : Comparo
Title : Abarth Punto vs Figo Titanuim AT vs Polo GT TSi
Page numbers : 82 and 84

Mistake :
- Polo interior image used to depict Figo Titanim
- Figo interior image used to depict Abarth Punto

Not expected such silly mistakes from one of the popular auto journals !

[Crazy_Bean]

When Autocar India photobombed Carbuyer!!!

[84.monsoon]

Autocar April issue is free for download at

https://www.autocarindia.com/downloads/april2020issue


Something to fill the days for those of us not at our peak capacity with work
Enjoy!

[Brishti]

Very nice of them makes one less thing to do.

[ram87pune]

Thanks for sharing man. Immediately downloaded it and have been through 20 pages already.

By the way a very nice initiative by team Autocar. I think this will be the first and (hopefully) the last time that I will be reading their issue online since I have been religiously reading their issues without fail from the day they started the magazine. I hope other publications follow suit.

Once again hats off to you guys. And please do more research before bringing out your so called scoops especially related to Tata Motors since you are the only magazine that I buy from the news stand for its overall quality and content.

[TejasKinger]

Adding to this thread, EVO India too has made its April issue available for free download from their website.

All you need to do is go to the EVO India website (https://www.evoindia.com/), fill in a form with your name, email ID, and phone number. With that, you can access your copy of EVO India April Edition.