Weekly Auto Fix: $0.40

How many magazines can satisfy your interest in cars once a week for less than 40 cents a week? Autoweek does, and I've been a loyal subscriber for 10 years. This magazine rocks!

Every week autoweek has 10+ pages of racing competition coverage, sneak peeks at cars *months* before other magazines go to press, breaking industry news, photos of worldwide auto shows, profiles of historic cars, and humor packed into each issue.

I've gotten into the habit of reading the humor and competition articles first. There's always a few memorable quotes from racing drivers and notable industry execs, as well as a "photo without caption" and obvious mistakes in classified ads titled "immortal glassy-eyeds" that are worth more laughs than the comic section of the Sunday newspaper.

The motorsports coverage is solid, spanning F1, CART, IRL, NASCAR, and the various domestic and international road racing series with in depth driver/team profiles and race reports.

As a publication of Crain communications, Autoweek has access to the best inside industry news, and consistently scoops the other magazines on new cars, spy photos, and events. As a former Motor Trend subscriber, my favorite is when Autoweek announces the MT car of the year before the MT issue hits the stands!

Car comparisons and reviews are also strong. Autoweek works hard to tell you what real owners thought of the vehicles, and isn't afraid to tell you what the other automotive press thought of the car. Even better, they spend a lot more time reviewing the performance-oriented cars that you would expect enthusiasts to drive. A recent favorite was the comparison of the BMW M5 and the Mercedes/AMG E55.

My father-in-law has owned and collected a number of cars in his time reads and recommends the profiles of classic cars. Upon reading the summary of one auction, he was encouraged to sell his Sunbeam Alpine.

The few soft spots the magazine has are relatively minor. The editorials are weak; ever since their writer going by the nickname of 'Satch' left it hasn't been the same. The Autoweek website is pretty sparse, but when was the last time that a good magazine in print translated to a gone one online anyway? Once you begin to form an Autoweek dependency you'll notice that every few months an issue is a couple days late ... which can make for some serious withdrawl symptoms.

If you're wondering what less than 40 cents per week buys these days when gas is approaching $2 a gallon, I have to recommend Autoweek. If you watch SpeedVision or ESPN2 on racing weekends, Autoweek regularly runs promotions for $19.99 for an annual subscription. You won't be sorry you subscribed.