Growing tired of the same styled auto news/reviews in Motor Trend and Car and Driver Magazines I decided to go with a unlikely selection: Automobile. If you have read some of my reviews here at Epinions then you have most likely found that I have an extreme interest in automobiles so a good car magazine is like candy for me. I have subscribed to Automobile since June of 2002 and have been very satisfied with the info provided and the fun factor of reading this particular magazine.
The Magazine: Yep, you guessed it, Automobile is a magazine strictly dedicated to motor vehicles. From new cars, old cars, exotic cars, economy cars, etc. etc. Automobile is not a biased magazine by any means, if it has an engine and at least 1 wheel it can be featured in this magazine. Automobile is usually about 150 or so pages long (sometimes significantly less) and is issued to your home/address via subscription once per month or can be purchased in almost any store with a large magazine selection.
My Thoughts: I can honestly say that Automobile is probably my favorite automotive magazine on the market right now, I like it a lot better than Car and Driver. Like Car and Driver magazine, Automobile does have its downfalls; tons of advertisements, too much garb in many areas, and a few articles focus too much on specs versus real world driving experiences (perfect for data fans). In spite of that, this magazine offers the most bang for my buck when it comes to my entertainment while reading about what is happening in the automotive industry. Unlike
Motor Trend (another car mag) which tends to wear me out before I'm completely finished reading the magazine, Automobile almost always keeps me reading till the very last page. Automobile also tends to incorporate some controversy into almost each issue of their magazine; the editors at Automobile give their very blunt opinions on a vehicle, which many times can be quite funny. I also like the relevant facts about cars and current events that Automobile provides; this magazine is quite educational as well. One might note that this magazine has improved tremendously over the past year or so, it seems that with each new issue this magazine becomes more entertaining to read.
While photography isn't as good as what Car and Driver offers, as it stands, Automobile does an adequate job capturing good interior and exterior views of most vehicles that are reviewed. I would like to see more 360 degree views of both the interior and exterior of many vehicles, however like most car mags, only a few angles of the car are provided. Despite some photos being overly small, all the photos provided are in color and extremely clear.
Like many automotive magazines, Automobile is loaded to the brim with advertisements. Usually you can count on a good 50% of the pages to consist of advertisements for cars, oil products, and even off-topic advertisements, i.e books about "what women want from a man."
Pricing: Automobile can be purchased as individual issues for around $3.99 ($4.99 in Canada), however 12 issues (a 1 year subscription) can be purchased at some online stores for about 12 dollars. Without needing to say, you save big time $$ with the subscription. Many places charge $19.99 for a 1 year subscription, so make sure you shop around.
Final Thoughts: Automobile is definitely recommended to anyone who enjoys reading opinions/facts about cars in general. As I mentioned before, Automobile is not a biased magazine, so whether you like reading about older cars, new cars, exotics, economy cars, etc. etc. there is probably going to be something of interest to you in this magazine. If photography is you main concern you might want to go with Road and Track or Motor Trend, they seem to offer the best pics, however I personally look almost strictly for blunt editorials, and that is exactly what I have found with
Automobile.
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MOTOR TREND MAGAZINE -Thanks for reading
