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Autoweek: The Magazine for Car Lovers who Can't Get Enough
Date of Review: Feb 14, 2006
The Bottom Line: Autoweek is shallow in its articles but it still makes a good choice of reading material for those who can't seem to get enough when it comes to cars.
I enjoy looking at and test driving different automobiles and I can often be found surfing automotive web sites, even when I have no interest at all in making a purchase. I also like to read about new cars and automotive news and one magazine that brings the world of powered vehicles to your home on a frequent basis is Autoweek, a weekly publication for car enthusiasts.
Features of This Magazine:
This magazine contains about forty to sixty pages per issue with the following departments:
News- This department is several pages in length and it includes the latest news stories, new car offerings, and a few short reviews of newer model automobiles.
Fast Poll- This is a reader response department, with answers to a car- related question posed in a previous issue.
Opposite Lock- This is a one- page column, written by an Autoweek staff member, about something (anything) related to cars. It usually tells a story of some sort.
Junk in the Trunk- Similar to "Opposite Lock", this is another one- page article about automobile related topics.
Letters- These are letters to the editor, published in each issue.
Revs- Books, events, and other happenings in the automotive world are highlighted here.
Escape Roads- This is a nostalgic piece: a one- page article written about a classic vehicle from the past.
Markets- This is a short article that displays a vehicle (usually a classic, older model) that has been put up for sale to the highest bidder.
Classifieds- Self- explanatory; this is a listing of cars and trucks for sale.
Competition- Race cars are the subject here, with a couple pages dedicated to a specific type of race car and a television listing of up and coming races.
But Wait, There's More- The final page of each issue, this features small photos about something automotive- related, complete with a few words for each. The subject can be almost anything about vehicles.
These departments make up a large portion of each issue and they are joined by about four or five featured articles in each issue. There is also a separate section titled "Motorsports" that, like the "Competition" department, highlights auto racing.
Cost to Subscribe:
The standard cost for a one- year subscription to this magazine is $29.95 for 51 issues. This rack rate works out to about 59 cents per issue, a savings of about 83 percent from the $3.50 cover price.
Checking some on- line magazine retailers it is very easy to find even lower rates on this magazine. Many sites offer the same full year for only $24.95, $19.95, and sometimes even less. This is a very low price for a magazine that is issued weekly.
Customer Service:
Information about Autoweek can be obtained through the magazine's web page, autoweek.com. The web site contains excerpts from the latest issue, car reviews, and other things. If speaking to a live person is your preference, you can call the toll- free hotline, 888-288-6954.
Final Thoughts:
Autoweek is a good magazine for people who love cars and cannot wait more than a week without having something automotive- related to read. Many magazines exist that talk about cars and trucks but this is one of the few magazines about this subject that is published on a weekly basis.
This magazine attempts to cover all the basics that one would expect a magazine to cover without getting too lengthy or too specific about anything. The magazine is published every week and each issue contains only about 50 or so pages. There isn't much space for long winded articles and Autoweek avoids allowing its articles to get too lengthy. It sticks with the recent facts and figures, talking about the latest news and events and providing an outlet for people around the country to sell their automobiles.
Among the different departments of this magazine, I like the News section best because it keeps readers up to date on the latest happenings in the automotive world and it can be counted on to include a few reviews of newer cars or trucks. These reviews are very basic and they include only a handful of facts (like the base price, curb weight, power train, fuel economy, and acceleration) along with a short summary of what the vehicle is like to drive. But I still enjoy this part of the magazine because I can at least get a glimpse at the newer products offered for sale.
Another feature I like is Autoweek's "Competition" and "Motorsports" sections. These two parts of the magazine bring the world of NASCAR, formula racing, and like topics to your doorstep each week. They are great for fans of auto racing. You can read all about an upcoming race, a personality in the world of auto racing, or some other subject about the sport.
Advertisements in this magazine are plentiful and even though the percentage of the pages covered with ads is a modest fifty percent, it seems like more than that, probably because the magazine is so short and because the classified section in the back seems so long (relatively speaking) for a magazine of this length. The ads don't venture away from the target market. Besides ads for cars, there are ads for cleaning agents, radar detectors, car covers, tires, etc.
The one major problem I have with Autoweek is its lack of in- depth coverage about anything. From the car reviews to the featured articles, most everything here is too short. With the exception of the Motorsports section (and this is part of the reason I count this section among my favorites), most every article is about half as long as it needs to be. Take the car reviews, for example. They point out a few quick facts and then follow that with a two to three hundred word summary of the car's pros and cons. This isn't nearly enough and it only whets your appetite to find out more. The longer featured articles can be counted on for more in- depth coverage of specific makes and models. But the reviews in the weekly departments are much too short. The same can be said about many other articles in Autoweek.
Overall, Autoweek is a good enough magazine to recommend in spite of its lack of depth. I suppose you really can't expect much from an automotive magazine that is published every week. There is only so much to talk about, so many new cars to cover, and so many sporting events to highlight from one week to the next to make the magazine much longer than it is.
I recommend Autoweek for those who really love to read about cars and can't wait to get their hands on new reading material. If you can wait, there are better magazines that are published monthly. If you can't wait, then Autoweek might be just the subscription you're looking for; with news, sports talk, and basic information in the world of motorized vehicles delivered to your mailbox every seven days.
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